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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.
A Fighter
A Fighter's View (2011)
Illustrated chronicle of our early years.
Free PDF Available Here
  1. A Test Bout For The Beast O’Neal: 3/21/24, Portland, Oregon
  2. Results Of A Submission Boxing Bout Fought: 3/14/24
  3. Forming A New Experimental Training Group
  4. Training For My Final Fights On May 20, At Man Weekend 2023: 9/24/22, Utah
  5. Man Weekend Pre-Invitations For 2023: 6/15/2022
  6. Man Weekend 2022: 6/13/2022
  7. Man Weekend 2022: 6/10-11/2022
  8. Man Weekend 2022: 6/11/2022
  9. Man Weekend 2022: 6/11/2022
  10. Man Weekend 2022: 6/10-12/2022
  11. Man Weekend 2022: 6/11/2022
  12. Man Weekend 2022: 6/10/2022
  13. Man Weekend 2022: 6/10/2022
  14. Man Weekend 2022: 6/15/2022
  15. East Tennessee: June 10, 2022
  16. Video Highlights And A Message From The Man Weekend Boss
  17. The Great Man Discussed By A Gutter Gnome
  18. Warhorse Podcast #31: An Affair Of Honor Part Two
  19. An Invitation Only Agonistics Meet In June 2022
  20. Yeti Waters Relief Society HQ: 12/11/21
  21. Bradley Is Wondering About Crackpot Combat Training: Dateline 11/7/21
  22. JW Cues The Crackpot On Free-standing Striking Apparatus
  23. CB MacCull Asks The Crackpot About Knife Fighting Activity
  24. Baruch Queries The Crackpot On Starting A Stick Fighting Club
  25. Jason Wonders At The Winter Of A Fighting Life And The Downside Of Combat Training
  26. Non-Elastic Mister Ney Wants To Know How To Use The Polypropylene Buckler From Cold Steel
  27. Urban Survival Training In An Eastern Synonymous State, July 18-19
  28. Electric Dan Is Curious About Stick-Fighting With Fencers
  29. Electric Dan Wants To Know About The Practicality Of A Weapon In Each Hand
  30. Practical Defense Video 6
  31. The Toughest Man I Knew
  32. Crackpot Podcast #76
  33. Dennis Documenting Crackpot Combatives
  34. Dennis And James Discuss The Training Snake
  35. Crackpot Mailbox: Mars Ultor And Escaped From Baltimore Discuss Tire Thumping
  36. Man Weekend 2019 Stick Fights
  37. An Evolution Of Freestyle Stick-Fighting And Blunt Machete Dueling In Maryland-Pennsylvania: 2004-19
  38. Highlights From Lancaster Agonistics
  39. Crackpot Mailbox: MRT And James Discuss Anarcho-Tranny* Weaponry And Fat Girls!
  40. Crackpot Mailbox: ‘In An Introduction To Combat And Fitness?’ Maximus Rex Wants To Know
  41. Comparing Stamina Before And After 3 Months Of Alpine Training
  42. Viking Vs Erique Axe Knife Man Weekend 2018
  43. Steel Duel Man Weekend 2018
  44. A Modern Agonistics Blunt Steel Duel
  45. Three Videos On Minimal Contact Coach Sparring With Blunt Extension Weapons
  46. Notes On Slow Sparring With Overweight Weapons
  47. Notes On Sparring With Heavy 30 To 36 Inch Sticks
  48. Sean And James On This Year’s Man Weekend
  49. Notes On Re-Forging A Half-Worn Soul
  50. By Lancaster Agonistics
  51. T-Ball Bat Training: As An Exercise And A Weapon
  52. Employing Cultural Appropriation As A Masculine Virtue?
  53. Footage Of Our July Meet In Out Of Service, PA
  54. Nero The Pict Versus The Khan
  55. Modern Agonistics: Boxing, Knife Fighting, Machete Dueling, Stick Fighting And Urban Survival Methods
  56. Among The Men Of The Hanged God, Out Of Service, PA, 7/22-23/2017
  57. A Crucifix Post Video
  58. Modern Agonistics Training Video
  59. Notes On A Modern Version Of The Palus
  60. A Modern Agonistics Q&A With Lynn Lockhart
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Hobo History12 Years A Slave : How Accurate Is It? Mar 11, 2024
InTheseGoingsDownA Reading of Dream Flower by James LaFond Oct 28, 2022
InTheseGoingsDownThe Horror of James LaFond Oct 28, 2022
InTheseGoingsDownChanging your fiction for the Masses part 3 Jun 21, 2022
InTheseGoingsDownChanging your Fiction for the Masses part 2 Jun 20, 2022
InTheseGoingsDownChanging your Fiction for the Masses part 1 Jun 15, 2022
InTheseGoingsDownDiscussing Horror with James LaFond part 4 Jun 13, 2022
InTheseGoingsDownDiscussing Horror with James Lafond part 3 Jun 12, 2022
InTheseGoingsDownDiscussing Horror with James LaFond part 2 Jun 8, 2022
InTheseGoingsDownDiscussing Horror with James LaFond part 1 Jun 8, 2022
InTheseGoingsDownIndian Talk with James LaFond part 5 Jun 6, 2022
InTheseGoingsDownIndian Talk part 4 with James LaFond Jun 2, 2022
InTheseGoingsDownIndian talk with James LaFond part 3 May 30, 2022
InTheseGoingsDownIndian talk part 2 with James LaFond May 30, 2022
InTheseGoingsDownIndian Talk part 1 with James Lafond May 26, 2022
InTheseGoingsDownWhen your Office is your Pants with James LaFond May 12, 2022
Crackpot85 If I Cannot Rationalize It Nov 3, 2020
Crackpot84 Lost Ep Aug 17, 2020
CrackpotBookstore Tour - Masculinity Aug 4, 2020
CrackpotBookstore Tour - Harm City Aug 4, 2020
CrackpotBookstore Tour - Uncommon Men Aug 4, 2020
Crackpot2020 Books - Best Laid Plans Aug 4, 2020
Crackpot83 If You Want Not to Get Ate Jul 28, 2020
Crackpot82 Scare Crows and Fake Meat Jul 10, 2020
Crackpot81 Baruch & the Dostoevsky of Baltimore Jun 25, 2020
Crackpot80 Culinary Reparations May 28, 2020
Crackpot79 Platonic Crackpotism May 9, 2020
Crackpot78 Asian Granny to Suleimani Apr 30, 2020
Crackpot77 Alfredo, Rainbow Sprinkle Cupcake Apr 5, 2020
Crackpot76 The Knee Brace Mar 4, 2020
Author's Voice03 James LaFond The Author's Voice Sep 25, 2019
Author's Voice02 James LaFond The Author's Voice Sep 25, 2019
Author's Voice01 James LaFond The Author's Voice Sep 25, 2019
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