Modern Agonistics is not a style, art or system. It is simply a format for training, experimentation and competition with weapons. The goals of the participants range from cross-training, self-defense and thrill-seeking, to craftwork [like weapon and armor fabrication] and attempts to reconstruct extinct fighting arts. Practitioners of over two-dozen fighting arts have utilized this format since 1998 without sustaining serious injury. Participants have been both male and female and have ranged in age from 11 to 65; in size from 75 to 375 pounds, and in experience from novice to professional. Most participants have been males in their late teens and early twenties. We have no dues, rituals, traditions or barriers. This is simply a network for combat weaponry enthusiasts. We are just a curious group of fighters. If you want to participate you are welcome. Our motto is "as real as you want it".
Agonistics is an ancient Hellenic term that translates as "contest-preparation". The root is Agon meaning "contest". The English word agony was borrowed from the ancient Greek term for "contestant's suffering" referring to the trials of a combatant. This is admittedly a terrible term to use in modern America, as virtually everyone misreads agonistics as agnostics which is also from the ancient Greek and means "no knowledge" and is used as a self-descriptive term by people who are not sure about the existence of divinity. My favorite misreading of agonistics was when the Baltimore City Paper ran our ad for a seminar at Sifu Clark's in 2005 as Modern Antagonistics. Some guy called me and wanted to know if we were a network for hate groups.
JAN/09/23
60 Years Fled on Planet Meathead
Training For My Final Fights on May 20, at Man Weekend 2023: 9/24/22, Utah
JAN/10/22
'Do You Still Coach?'
Bradley is Wondering about Crackpot Combat Training: Dateline 11/7/21
DEC/12/21
YouTube
Some knife training at the Sevier Knox Combat Club to end our session tonight. More info to follow!
MAR/17/21
'I Want to Start a Stick Fighting Club'
Baruch Queries the Crackpot on Starting a Stick Fighting Club
MAR/16/21
The Five Kinds of Combat Pain
Jason Wonders at the Winter of a Fighting Life and the Downside of Combat Training
NOV/09/20
‘The Buckler’
Non-Elastic Mister Ney Wants to Know How to Use the Polypropylene Buckler from Cold Steel
APR/07/20
‘Two-On-One Stick’
Electric Dan Wants to Know about the Practicality of a Weapon in Each Hand
JAN/01/20
A Shilleagh for Christmas
Crackpot Mailbox: Mars Ultor and Escaped from Baltimore Discuss Tire Thumping
SEP/28/19
Twerps, Goons and Meatshields Videos
An Evolution of Freestyle Stick-Fighting and Blunt Machete Dueling in Maryland-Pennsylvania: 2004-19
SEP/06/19
'To Spawn as Many of My Kind as I Can'
Crackpot Mailbox: MRT and James Discuss Anarcho-Tranny* Weaponry and Fat Girls!
MAY/06/19
‘Would You Guide a Group of Young Men?’
Crackpot Mailbox: ‘In an Introduction to Combat and Fitness?’ Maximus Rex Wants to Know
OCT/10/18
Does Altitude Training Work?
Comparing Stamina Before and After 3 Months of Alpine Training
JUL/20/18
Practice Slow, Learn Quick
Three Videos on Minimal Contact Coach Sparring with Blunt Extension Weapons
SEP/24/17
Training with James LaFond
Modern Agonistics: Boxing, Knife Fighting, Machete Dueling, Stick Fighting and Urban Survival Methods
MAY/05/17
‘Football with a Stick’
The Roof Block Drill: Training to Defend against the Overhand with a Stick
MAY/05/17
Shanking Arуas
A Demonstration of Primitive Single-Edged Knife Use Against an Unarmed Attacker
MAY/05/17
Beneath the Stairway to Heaven
Sam Jay’s Training Video: An Instructional on Extension Weapons
MAY/05/17
For Ishmael
Demonstrating Rocky Mountain Black Hawthorn Crafted as a Hoodrat Warding Baton
MAY/05/17
Cane Them!
Some Old Fat Guy Who Looks Like He Just Rolled Out of Bed Attacks a Yellow Dindu Double Amputee!
APR/04/17
Interview with a Literary Vampire
Oliver from The Beat Catches James Training Behind the Old Plantation House
OCT/08/16
Man Weekend 2016
Erique, Nick, Sean and James Stick-Fighting in the May Rain on the Shoulder of a Pennsylvania Mountain
MAY/11/16
Calling Out the Black Jamaican Nazi
A Man Weekend, 2016 Challenge: What About that Amistad Duel, Oliver Wendell Hayes?
MAY/11/16
Calling out the Afro-Cherokee Viking
A Man Weekend, 2016 Challenge: Erique, Three Rounds of FMA, Your Choice of Weapons
MAY/10/16
Peter Pan with a Tazer
Man Weekend 2016: An Open Challenge to Members of Lancaster Agonistics
FEB/19/16
Dominating and Vacating the Combat Space
Adapting FMA Counts to Solo Training: Stick Basics #3 Stroke Catalog
NOV/08/15
Agonistics: Sunday, 11/22/15, Noon until 3 p.m.
Boxing, Stick-Fighting and Knife-fighting Drills and Sparring
JUL/23/15
The Beat Down
Cory’s Farewell Agon: Sunday, August 16, 2015, 1:30 p.m. at Jim Frederick’s Kenpo
JUL/11/15
Wear A Cup When Stick Fighting!
Charles & James Fight it Out For Gabriel's Legacy Black Sash
JUL/11/15
Weaponry Footwork Study
Attention Sean, Dave, Alex and Kolya: Four Different Styles of Mobility in Full Contact Round Robin Session
JUN/29/15
Fresh Meat Alert! [Confirmations]
Sean's Agon: Tuesday, July 14, 2015, 11:00 A.M., a Sensibly Brutal Celebration of Masculinity
JUN/23/15
Double Blade versus Blade & Shield
Damien Using Low-line Kicks versus James from a Set of 2005 Steel Bouts
APR/30/15
Agon 2015
Hosted by Pat & Lou Pierce, 6/14/15, at A Parkville Location Yet to be Determined
APR/08/15
Dueling With the Cold Steel Gladius
James and Cory Experiment with The Synthetic Blunt Sword
APR/02/15
Bag Work
Building Stick Stroke Mechanics: Answering A Video Coaching Request From Athenian Alex
AUG/02/14
‘Sci-fi Male Solipsism’
Beauties in Beast Mode: Why Are So Many Men Applauding Masculine Women? By Jack Donovan
APR/15/14
Ghetto She-beast versus Boxer-babe
A Real Boxing Self-defense Story from Harm City, Maryland
DEC/16/13
Backyard Valhalla
The Worst Combat Idea Since the French Knights Decided to Walk a Mile in the Mud at Agincourt: Agonistics Anonymous
MAY/24/13
Spectator Program Agon 2013
MAR/12/13
Kenpo Edged-Weapon Combatives 2013: Control
Countermeasures by Jim Frederick, Behavior & Scenarios by James LaFond
JAN/25/13
Some Seminar Outlines
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By This Axe!, Soter's Way, Organa, Buzz Bunny, Riding the Nightmare, God of War, and Thunderbird
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