There have been news reports of groups of up to a dozen raccoons gang-invading houses in the Seattle area. Encouraging this is a really, really stupid idea.

That was just loose puppy skin sagging down. His eyes are fine.

A spear or halberd is a very good alternative.

Strange, I've seen a lot of older blades which had seen use. Most of them had a few blocking nicks at the sweet spot or near the hilt.

It's called having your cake and eating it, too.

Baby sloths

This is Calico. He's half Great Dane, half Kelty and has the greatest ears in the world.

Or let it stay. If there are enough insects for it to eat it's earning its keep

Probably not. If he had been he would have crowed about how it was all because of him

Now that sleep and lunch are off the menu, what am I going to do?

Quick Pickman! Get the Elder Sign!

There's a real difference between combative systems and theatrical ones. Stage fencing, chumbara, Hong Kong Action Movie Kung Fu, movie sword fighting and Hollywood gunplay don't look much like their real-world equivalents.

You can still find classic French style fencing. Is it "authentic"? Certainly for the 19th century althuogh not for the 9th or even the 18th.

I said "Karate-with-a-stick styles of Arnis" because there are plenty out there which are not "Karate-with-a-stick". The ones which are are not so useful as a guide to edged weapons use.

Another thing to consider is the egregious way he ignores analogs to WMA. Karate-with-a-stick styles of Arnis de Mano and Association Kendo are not great ones. Iai is a formalized system designed for very rigidly defined set-piece duels. In many systems weapons work is is reduced to choreographed performance art…

But he is not quite the autority he thinks he is. He engages in a lot of gross generalizations and doesn't actually say anything about what swordwork IS just that it ISN'T whatever you think it is.

Yeah, I get the Princess Bride reference. But if you're interested you can actually get good English translations of both Thibault and Capo Ferro by scholars who are also swordsmen.

Quoted For Truth.

Son, you're interfering with Mr. Clements' business model. He's The World's Greatest Authority, says so himself.

Good links and resources