These martial artists keep their en garde up

Longpoint participants master craft of swordplay, other older fight techniques

If you’ve noticed people the past few days walking about the Hilton Baltimore wielding swords and other older weapons, don’t be alarmed.

The hotel serves as home base for Longpoint 2017 — a four-day competition and workshop involving what is known as historical European martial arts. Participants have one goal: to revitalize older fighting techniques that fell out of practice with the rise of gunpowder.

Those who practice this form of martial arts adhere strictly to the source material, which includes manuscripts, poems and texts from 15th-, 16th- and 17th-century Europe, Longpoint President Jacob Norwood said.

“The ancient masters said, ‘Fight like this,’ so we want to fight like this,” Norwood said.

“If we think [their technique] is not as effective as something we invent on our own, we’re probably doing it wrong.”

Longpoint began in 2011 with about 60 participants, and has since become the largest event of its kind in the Western Hemisphere, Norwood said.

Nearly 450 enthusiasts hailing from as many as 14 countries attended this year’s convention, which began Thursday.

Registrants were able to sign up for a variety of tournaments, the most popular of which involves dueling using the German longsword.

Attendees also competed in other disciplines such as — a medieval form of wrestling — and cutting, where competitors display their accuracy in striking fixed targets with longswords.

The event also includes classes and lectures.

“You’re seeing techniques that have not been done except from fight books,” said 54-year-old Brian Ames, who became interested in medieval combat after attending a Renaissance Fair in Maryland.

“There’s just a hodgepodge of great, wonderful stuff out there to learn.”

Norwood said the effort to revive older fighting techniques began in the late 1990s, but became more popular in the 2000s, when enthusiasts became able to share manuscripts online.

Unlike other types of martial arts, however, many of the old techniques are still being studied and developed, Norwood said.

“No one out there is a master of anything; we’re all students at varying degrees of skill sets,” Ames said.

Longpoint attendees avoid wearing flamboyant period costumes, Norwood said, and are dedicated to performing their craft in a way that stays true to the original technique.

“We don’t want to be confused with entertainers,” Norwood said. “We’re fencers and martial artists.”

Winners of competitions earn prizes such as weapons, gear bags and medals, said Tim Kaufman, a Longpoint staff member who also ranked fifth in this year’s longsword competition.

The tournament’s grand prize is an Albion Baron — a $1,300 longsword, authentic down to specific dimensions and weight, Kaufman said.

Greg Garland, a novice from Pittsburgh, competed in the rookie training tournament Thursday, and also tried a weapons-free class that emphasized movement and balance.

Although he took some fencing lessons growing up, Garland said he was drawn to this form of combat because it was exciting to look at old manuscripts and try to follow their techniques.

For Garland and others at Longpoint, staying true to the historical texts is more important than trying to become the best longsword fighter.

“Each individual participant can go to the sources and do some homework on their own,” Garland said.

“Instead of someone telling you the end of the novel, you’re reading the novel yourself.”

Norwood said the reason behind the emerging popularity of older European martial arts is that they tap into a visceral desire to play with swords.

The popularity of the television show “Game of Thrones” and movies that involve sword-fighting skills such as “Star Wars” and “Pirates of the Caribbean” are a testament to that, he added.

“This allows us to approach a childhood passion in an adult way,” Norwood said.