Martial Arts in the Park

Mattias Anderson and Ellery von Dassow, practitioners of an art called medieval longsword – Photos by Aaron Shepard of IslanderImages.com

On October 8, the SJ Update posted a photo by Aaron Shepard of two swordfighters in Sunken Park, with the title “The Two Musketeers?”. Aaron had snapped that photo in a hurry on his way to the Farm Parade. But tipped off by a bystander, he went back two weeks later, hoping to meet the fighters and photograph them more seriously.

Click to enlarge – Aaron Shepard photo

Their names are Mattias Anderson (pronounced ma-TEE-us) and Ellery von Dassow, and they’re practitioners of an art called medieval longsword. It’s part of an international revival movement called Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). These are not the re-enactors or role players you may have seen before, and you won’t find them in decorative armor! Though their swords are blunt, their movements are authentic, based on manuals written by German and Italian masters of the Middle Ages. The bouts have rigid rules, and protective gear is required!

Mattias and Ellery are both San Juan Island residents, though Ellery goes to university in Bellingham. The longsword events they attend are in Bellingham and Seattle. So far, they say, they’re the only two longsword fighters in the islands, but they hope others will join them. Weather permitting, they meet in Sunken Park every other Saturday at 2:00.

Click to see more photos by Aaron Shepard of IslanderImages.com.

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