Class Offerings: German Short Staff
In the martial traditions of the mid 16th Century it was common to group similar weapons together, training them under a weapon that embodies the general form of all the weapons in that group and then to call out specific adjustments that one would make to adapt the more general techniques to the specific strengths and requirements of each weapon in the group. Halbards, poleaxes, pole-hammers, spears and the like all fall under the general heading of polearms and, in the Liechtenauer school from Germany, the basic weapon for polearms was the staff.
A long wooden pole, generally about 1.5 inches thick, the European staff is humble, unassuming, and brutally effective. While the most common form of the staff, the quarterstaff, was generally around eight feet in length, Paulus Hectar Mair, a martial artist and obsessive collector and chronicler of the 16th century German martial arts, describes in great detail the use of the short staff. At about five to six feet in length, Mair's short staff posesses nearly all of the functionality of the longer quarterstaff but enjoys a greater advantage of mobility and speed.
We will have staves on hand for the class, but students are encouraged to purchase their own. Consult with an instructor prior to purchasing a new staff for this class. Students are also encouraged to bring a fencing mask or a fencing, kendo, or lacrosse style helmet, gloves, and rigid elbow pads (such as those used for street hockey).
This class is taught in Portland by Matthew Howden.