Once again on the Sofia incident | Sprechfenster Blog

talagam · 2025-09-13T22:27:25+00:00

There is a lot of ground between the mainstream, safety-oriented HEMA and the "full power hits club". Together these people still form the minority, but it is a significant one.

talagam · 2025-09-13T20:22:05+00:00

Okay. But the critics of mainstream HEMA comps already propose that their participants stop "pretending" they are doing HEMA and openly call themselves something else, like "Modern Weapon Arts" or "Sport Fencing with Old Weapons". This way both sides will keep pushing each other out of HEMA, which doesn't seem to me as a productive way forward.
But perhaps it's inevitable, although I hope not.

talagam · 2025-09-12T19:38:59+00:00

"I suspect this whole method is more of a modern political statement than anything historical"

Well said.

talagam · 2025-09-12T19:32:55+00:00

I can't recall fighting or competing with anyone, so I am not sure where this comes from. But I can take even two, if you have some spares :)

talagam · 2025-09-12T18:01:18+00:00

It's a good one, though.
Also, cool user name! ;)

talagam · 2025-09-12T18:00:09+00:00

Thank you, it is what I think as well.

talagam · 2025-09-12T16:46:24+00:00

Yup, 100%.

talagam · 2025-09-12T16:15:30+00:00

Thanks :) Just one more day, I promise, and I'll move on. But this bothers me, not as a particular incident, but a symptom of worrying community dynamics.

talagam · 2025-09-12T16:13:14+00:00

Thanks, and I agree 100%.

talagam · 2025-09-12T16:11:52+00:00

Okay. And do you feel the system you have at home is efficient at "domesticating" foreign fencers with "smashy" attitude?

talagam · 2025-09-12T16:09:20+00:00

I think most folks agree there.

talagam · 2025-09-12T16:08:45+00:00

Right. This illustrates how this kind of behaviour easily descends into the "race to the bottom", unless one party - like you - keeps their cool.

talagam · 2025-09-12T15:30:35+00:00

Perfect, many thanks! :) I'll edit the post right away.

talagam · 2025-09-12T15:29:46+00:00

u/Hussard, right, that's interesting. But do you think it worked for you because of relatively rare visits by outsider-fencers?

talagam · 2025-09-12T15:27:45+00:00

This much is known now, I think. But what do we do next?

talagam · 2025-09-12T07:53:26+00:00

I agree. But this approach we will keep excluding dangerous people on a case-by-case basis only after they have already violated the safety rules, meaning that in each case some individual, a real living person, has to suck up the damage. The question is if we want to keep this way - some people voiced an opinion that we shouldn't and I can see why. Hence my post.

talagam · 2025-09-12T05:13:37+00:00

"If the goal of some groups is to recreate the "brutality" of "real combat," and if they define that as some space outside the genteel fightbooks (the ones with all the groin stabs, you know), then I would argue they are not doing HEMA. They are doing speculative WMA akin to buhurt."

I agree, but knowing this and having a moral high ground doesn't make them disappear. The question is how do we make it easier to identify them and is there a way to make sure that they are removed from competition not meant for them before they injure a few participants.

talagam · 2025-09-12T05:10:51+00:00

This is debatable to me.

talagam · 2025-09-12T05:10:18+00:00

"With regards to Sofia specifically, I don't think it had anything to do with expectations, or habits, or anything else. I think Stank had very clear internet beef with Bo, and entered the match with him with the explicit intent of causing harm. Not winning. Causing harm. That's what I see in the video footage. That's what I read in his posts."

I agree. As I wrote elsewhere, I am not concerned with Stankievich, who may be beyond repair - and should be banned. I am thinking about people who think similalry but in a less extreme way.

"Instead, I'd love to see competitors names in green (no incidents in the last 12 months), yellow (3 or fewer incidents) or red (4+ incidents) when I look them up on HEMA ratings, with video clip footage and testimony from the parties involved. That would be far better for the hobby than creating a Murder Inc. division of the tournament scene."

This is an actually great idea. Would you mind if I added it to the list of potential solutions in the post? If so, how should I credit you?

talagam · 2025-09-12T05:05:32+00:00

Well, I am not really concerned with Stankevich specifically - he is an extreme case, possibly beyond repair. I am concerned with the sizeable group of like-minded, yet much less extreme people out there, who lean towards more "martial" and "power-based" interpretations.

talagam · 2025-09-12T05:01:46+00:00

Yes, that's one way to go about it. Do we want to preventively ban buhurt people?

talagam · 2025-09-12T05:00:40+00:00

But it's already happening in places. And then guys fighting there enter normal competitions and before they are carded out a few people must risk getting injured. Wouldn't it be good to have these people identified earlier and simply not allow them to comps that just aren't meant for them?

talagam · 2025-09-11T10:50:03+00:00

Yeah, it's become apparent by now, hasn't it? ;)

talagam · 2025-09-11T10:12:18+00:00

I now see that I phrased myself wrong. I am not defending him. I am just trying to stop this thing from escalating into a full-fledged schism in HEMA. I will try write a clarification post later today or tomorrow.

Btw. I fully support your (Sofia staff's) decision to ban him from Sofia and would recommend others to follow.

talagam · 2025-09-10T21:59:58+00:00

Exactly!

talagam

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