I mentioned this idea at the dessert revel in December and got good feedback.

What do you think of these designs for club t-shirts? I still need to get the exact UVa colors, but these are close. Click for large versions.

and

We're getting a small but pretty determined bunch of new fighters showing up at Thursday practices. Jen, shown here, comes all the way from JMU.

Eric, Charles and Jonathan look to be the new core of our fighting unit at UVa, with Timm and Paul leading the way. I can only hope that this mathematical progression continues for a few years.

Thjora's determined to complete her Rapier MIT stint in the shortest time possible, so she's going to Chalice of the Sun God this weekend, then brining Rob & Wendy's Pennsic trailer back down to our place for storage.

So, I'm a bachelor again this weekend. Help keep me out of trouble by coming down/over/up anytime between Friday night and Sunday morning for a fight practice, working on gear, barbecuing or just hanging out.

Just don't forget to RSVP.

And the following weekend is Masters of Defense. You better come.

Materials, Armor and Weapons for Purchase

If you're new and unfamiliar with armor and weapons, please don't hesitate to ask Corby, Thjora, or other experienced folks. Not all gear from all these vendors is good.
• The Armour Archive A great general resource. Check out their Armouring Essays the Discussion Area and the great Armoury Links as well as Armour Construction Links to a wide variety of "how to" articles.
• Tandy Leather Online There's a Tandy Leather in Richmond, but ordering from them by web is cheaper than the gas to get there. Good service. Talk to Corby or Skorri first if you plan to spend more than $30, we can save you money.

I had a rare quiet weekend at home, so I did I bunch of work in the shop. I pulled the old shield cover off my main shield to prepare it for receiving a new, untorn one, and I almost finished cutting down and refurbishing my old metal shield with the leather face. Here's a loaner shield I refurbished for new fighters.

It is fiberglassed plywood made and donated by Master Geoffrey. Considering how long it has been since Geoffrey or Grace have fought, this shield might be older than some of the First Years who will use it over the next year or so!

Though it is awful early to tell, I'm pleased with how fall fighter recruitment is going so far. Last year we had a huge turn out for heavy fighting the first night, with a very dramatic drop off the next week. Ultimately, we didn't keep any brand new students except Timm, who came all prepped and ready to go.
This year, the initial response was more moderate, but the follow up to the demo and the next practice was much better, especially considering that the second practice was way off at the stadium parking deck due to rain.

If you are interested in meeting us or getting involved there are many on grounds opportunities for you to do so. You can join us at any point during a semester or summer and all local activities are free unless otherwise stated. The calendar and email lists have the final information for scheduling. Use the contact form to reach us.

The two most regular on grounds activities are dance and fight practice. See below for details on these and the rest of our activities.

Dance

1st & 3rd Wednesdays at 7pm in New Cabell room 123. We learn and practice European Renaissance dances. Come learn and enjoy the social and courtly dances of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. No partner or experience is needed. In addition, no special clothes or shoes are required.

Fight Practice

Regular Thursday night fight practice takes place on grounds. Come out to see the physical side of history! Anyone interested in matters medieval is welcome, with an emphasis on the martial side of things. If you want to give heavy weapons combat or rapier a try, wear comfortable clothes and athletic shoes or boots. There's no fee for instruction!

We practice on Grounds from 5:30 until dark (or later) at the Dells behind Ruffner Hall every Thursday during Daylight Savings Time, weather permitting. (This is between Bonnycastle Rd. and Ruffner Hall, adjacent to parking lot R-1.)

Practices are outside, so during the winter and in case of rain we practice on the lower level of the Scott Stadium Parking Garage. For last minute updates, call Corby at 982-4021 Thursday during the day.

Hand Crafters

2nd & 4th Wednesdays at 7:30 off campus. Contact Kendra if you need a ride or directions. At handcrafters we do a variety of things including sewing, playing period card games, and occassionally a movie. You don't need to bring a project, you are more than welcome to just socialize or learn something new.

Thrown Weapons & Archery

4th Sundays at 1pm off campus. Contact Kendra if you need a ride. Loaner equipment is available if you are interested in giving it a try.

Workshops

In addition, we occassionally hold workshops on various subjects. In the past we have done ones on creating garb (design and sewing help was readily available), creating personas, cooking, mask making, and many others. Consult the calendar for exact times & dates of upcoming ones. These can be held on or off campus.