I belong to a group of people who recreate the barbarian mercenaries of the middle ages. We are loosely associated with the rather hidebound and rule constipated SCA, Society for Creative Anachronisms. They are the Lords ladies and commoners of the Middle Ages. Three of us who were all training in Martial Arts decided to join a group called the Tuchux. The group originally formed under a Karate and Kenjutsu instructor from Pittsburgh, John Hamilton, one of the foremost martial artists in this part of the country and a good friend of mine. I had recently gotten out of the service and found out John had started this group.
The clan we started, the Kur Clan, was the first clan to form outside of Pittsburgh and was founded in Youngstown, Ohio in 1980. Over the years, my children grew up in the Clan, where we spent time without telephones Tv or any other electronics, sat at night around a campfire and my kids learned to their amazement that their Dad was a pretty damn good fighter. My kids saw a side of me that they never would have guessed without being a part of a fighting group. I taught both my kids to protect themselves with sticks, blades and barehanded. This is something every father should teach their kids. If the dad doesn't know, he should learn, because this is something that modern society can't and won't teach, self reliance and honor. We are raising a generation of self centered wimps whose sense of chivalry is nonexistent and who respect neither themselves nor others. I cherish the memories with my wife and my kids at events throughout the year, but especially at the Pennsic War, a topic for another post.
Some of my Dogbrothers and sisters are gone. The years have passed, my daughter passed away several years ago from a rare medical condition that took her at a far too young age, and my son is a dad of two teens himself. I can't help but think that the experiences with the Kur made me a better Dad, and him as well. I am so glad I got to spend that time with them. I will carry those memories to my grave.
