Yes, it has been awhile since I last posted. Lots of work, on the job and at home has kept me busy. We've continued to have classes but most of the club are busy as well so new people come and go. Wanting to liven things up, I brought home a "FIST" suit from work. (http://www.fist-inc.com/) We use them in training the recruits with dynamic scenario training where they can strike the person in the suit with plastic batons. (Which still hurt a lot if hit on a non padded spot!) Since we're still using padded swords I thought it would work well. I also brought some padded headgear with eye protection. Dave, Brown, Butterfield and I tried it out. It was a perfect day for wearing the suit. Crisp and windy. It gets hot very quickly in the suit. The FIST suit will take full power punches and kicks but is bulky. I would like to try the "High Gear" (http://www.tonyblauer.com/4105/03_01_highgear.asp) developed by Tony Blauer. It's lighter and more manuverable but won't take as hard a strike. Thats okay if both people are wearing them as it gives just enough protection. Both suits are expensive though. We're still working on making our own armour to train with wasters and steel swords. We'll get there eventually.
