On February 4-6, Alliance returned to Chicago to share the secrets of Kampfringen (Combat Wrestling) and with the Chicago Swordplay Guild, as well as participants from a host of other styles and organizations.  In two and a half days (over 20 hours) we covered the dagger material from the Solthurner Fechtbuch and fully half (18) of the Unarmed and Dagger fighting techniques from Talhoffer's 1459 Fechtbuch.

1) Jon (Illinois State Police), Tim (New Dawn Duelists Society), and Mike (Renott Training Systems).  John grabs Tim's wrist and locks the right elbow over his shoulder in a classic Talhoffer technique.  Tim counters the lock by turning his right arm palm down and grabbing both of John's hands with his left.  Don't just copy this picture and think that the defender (John) has the true locking position here!  That is why they are laughing...

2) Jon and Aaron (Chicago Sword Guild) doing full speed disarms against a man TRYING to put the dagger into your eye!  With the attacker using the simple "folded cardboard" dagger (which are over 3/4" thick and can break a rib) and the defender wearing a fencing mask, the students used the movements they had learned over the 2 and a half days in "Real Time" against an attacker who was really trying to hit them with power and intent, while they learned how the techniques worked in a "Sea of Resistance and Change".  Here, the attacker (Aaron) is launched forward off his feet with a redirection, and is 90% disarmed before the next motion even happens, in which the defender reverses the tip of that dagger into the attacker's throat (without the dagger ever leaving the attacker's hand)