Hey everyone, I plan on making an update post every 2 months to both share my journey and to have something I can look back at. Two months isn't nearly enough time to even be a novice. I'm still very fresh, and I have so much more to learn. I'm really excited for what the future holds and to look back a year from now to see all the progress I've made.

My first impressions are that this sport is very physical, much more so than meets the eye. While perhaps HEMA isn't as practical in modern life as wrestling or boxing, I don't think it's any less physically demanding. Prior to HEMA I was moderately athletic and mostly powerlifting, but I was not expecting the insane amount of cardio within the sport. Maybe it's just my school or maybe it's to weed out newbies, but they hit us hard with basically crossfit for 45 minutes at the start of each class. By the time we get to swinging swords I'm so busy catching my breath I'm struggling to focus. My cardio has significantly improved because of this sport and its made me a healthier person, so im grateful. It's encouraged my to incorporate more cardio into my routine, and I've even lost some weight.

So far, we've had no contact sparing and it's all been footwork, the four openings, and light hand sparring. The next eight weeks we're to begin light sparing, and they asked us to order some protect gear. While I'm very excited to spar and learn more, I really need to order my own synthetic sword and begin jotting down notes. I know i should practice the four openings and a few basic swings, because I don't think 2 hours once a week during class is enough to retain information.

Could anyone recommend a decent practice blade? Please don't say all I need is a broomstick.. I want something that feels right, but I'm not quite ready for a feder.

Any advice, tips, warnings, comments, or criticisms are welcome!