Order of Operations#
Resist the urge to buy a sword first! Instead, acquire in roughly the following order:
- Jacket
- Gorget
- Forearms and elbows
- Everything else
The club has spare masks, gloves and swords, so acquiring the above protectors first is the fastest path to steel sparring. The jacket is a crucial piece of early gear that can influence a lot of your other kit according to its thickness, presence (or absence) of arming straps, and even visual style. It’s also your first opportunity to really personalize your look.
Look for a mask and gloves next, save leg protection for last. To be clear, leg protection is important, but you can get through a lot of classes by warning your drilling/sparring partner that you’re not wearing lower body protection.
A Note on Swords and Heartbreak#
To reiterate, a sword is not the first thing you should buy. Some of you are going to do it anyway and, who can blame you? It’s fun having your own sword, so if you absolutely must get one, understand the reasons why we make this recommendation and plan accordingly:
Steel trainers are not safe for partner drills unless you’re both wearing protective equipment. If you don’t have any protective gear, then you’ll have to put away your steel trainer for partner drills and pick up a foam trainer instead. Partner drills frequently focus on landing a strike, which isn’t fun or safe if you don’t have the right protection for the trainer you’re using.
You don’t want to order the wrong sword. There’s no such thing as “the wrong sword” but there is such a thing as the wrong sword for you. All swords handle differently, and you want to be fighting with your sword instead of against it. Try out a bunch of swords at the club, find out what you like, and then buy something.