[In April the honorable champions of Swordguild Portland invited me to spar with them. It was wild!—CD
The first time I heard the clangor of a real-life sword fight, I visibly winced. It’s loud—somehow movies don’t do the crash of steel-on-steel proper justice. The whole body reacts: muscles tense, eyes sharpen, knees bend.
Swordguild Portland is a group of about 20 to 30 sword enthusiasts who meet Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays at the Milwaukee Elks Lodge to practice what’s called Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). Before my first class, I hadn’t had much exposure to swords. What little I did know had been gleaned from many viewings of The Princess Bride, particularly swordfighter Inigo Montoya’s quest to avenge his father’s murder. Montoya’s skills are what inspired some members to enter the “HEMA-sphere.”