A brief cover myself statement: What these guys do is not fencing by any other group's definition. It is a highly stylized, coming-of-age, rite-of-manhood RITUAL. Naturally no one wants to be hurt, but, as with the old duel of honor, the critical point is being there, going through with it and not running, dodging or flinching. The whole point is proving you can stand your ground even when faced with pain or injury.
The central focus is not being a keener fencer than your opponent. In many groups, there are only 2-4 moves even allowed.
Don't think sport encounter where the point is to WIN.
Don't think battlefield combat where the point is to SURVIVE.
Think closer to a Germanic machismo ritual to prove what you can face and stand up to. (Something between a Souix Sun Ritual and the running of the bulls in Pamplona).
You'll be restricted to Germany and Austria for the most part, although I am told you can find a few groups in some of the Balkan States, perhaps Poland and/or Switzerland (due to long-time German populations within their current borders).
Chris Amberger would be a good person to talk to. Beyond that, if you work the translations, I'd try making contacts via these sites:
paukarztseminar http://www.l-brandenburg.de/sites/15_Unsere-Sicht.htm Prager Burschenschaft Arminia Couleurstudentische Informationen
They are just places I'd start. Lessons are offered (they aren't born with this skill), but I believe you would have to actually join one of the fraternities to take the lessons.
My take is also that, with the spread of this information on the Internet, anyone you contact from one of these fraternities will likely have already had it up to here with various dilletantes from across the plant (I'm not suggesting you are) rushing up to them and asking to learn "real' fencing.
Linear Mode
