English Martial Arts

Or in the public consciousness? Or are they?

They are still practiced, but to a much lesser degree and with a much lesser extent the "notoriety" that the Japanese or Chinese art.

Fencing clubs are still largely using European styles with European sword blades as a sword. Sword styles using swords and swords Archers such exist, such as ARMA, many are affiliated with many battle re-enactment groups, but they are clubs and martial arts disciplines in their own right.

Due to health and safety. It's really a shame.

They are fairly widely practiced by many different groups.

Try to go to the Forum Sword (www.swordforum.com) and have a look. You'll find many people practicing different martial arts in the Western world.

these styles are still practiced

I have a friend in Scotland who performs medieval weapons including swords and staff

They * are * still practiced in three forms:

a) Fencing - it is the best known. It is still an Olympic sport! I took fencing in both school and university.


b) Steel-line - for example, it is AEMM, the Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts as my brother is in Toronto. There are many other "live steel" (ie, they use real swords, not wood or rattan) groups across North America and Europe, both for sport (as AEMM) and the history re-enactment/living historical (as Regia Anglorum).

http://www.aemma.org/
http://www.regia.org/


c) rattan - a number of re-enactment groups use swords made of wood, rattan or practicing sword fighting style used in the Middle Ages. My husband goes to such a practice is every Thursday evening in our region. The group's largest and most famous use of weapons of rattan is the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), but they are not alone. However, there is probably an SCA group in your area if you're interested.

http://www.sca.org

(Note: The SCA does not practice - or even allow - the fight club cons.)

Napoleon Dynamite still practices

They are. Another organization ARMA steel is excellent live. I would definitely go to an organization before a rattan livesteel organization you tend to have a much higher level of competence for most.

You do not know about them because they are not as big a following as or mystical Eastern martial arts do.

They are still practiced to a degree SmaI. The problem is most techniques have been lost when the army switched to using guns, practicing the most modern day are forced to try to reconstruct how the weapons were used. It's almost as much historical research as the martial art. Very interesting subject well.

ARMA Check if you are interested in the subject of historical reconstruction;
http://www.thehaca.com/

They focus more on the center of European style, but you can always find interesting ideas.

EDIT: A-ha! Beaten to it!

Cus we Europeans have a bad habit to give up something when something with A Bigger Bang is coming along.

About SCA - that is their main purpose. They even name quite modern for those who participate actively: Jocks sword.

Oh, and do not hit rattan swords. While some steel companies are certainly better life, others are moving so slowly that it looks more like a dance than martial arts. It is painful to watch. At least the spirit.