The concept
of the Association of Nonaffiliated Swordfighters began at the 2003 International
Swordfighting and Martial Arts Convention in Lansing MI. Several of us
were sitting in the lobby of the Radisson Hotel and someone commented
on all of the people in their school and academy shirts. I commented that
someone should do something for those of us who were not part of an organized
school, and then the conversation turned to other matters (like where
to go for dinner).
The idea fermented in the cesspool I call a mind and a few months later
on a bored Sunday afternoon I came up with the name and designed the logo,
the rest is (recent) history.
The Association of Nonaffiliated Swordfighters is an organization dedicated to the betterment of its Non-members in particular and the Swordfighting Community in general. Or is it a Non-organization whose members are dedicated to the furthering of the Skills and Art of all forms of Swordfighting and the dissemination of this knowledge to the world at large. Explaining just what the ANS is can be difficult. It can only exist as a non-organization with members or as an organization with non-members, or as both simultaneously (as long as you don't look). This is because if it were an organization with members it would be a self-contradiction and would implode (think of it as Schrodinger's Swordfighter doing the Heisenberg Uncertainty Shuffle during a Quantum Paradox). The good news is that because of this everyone can play. If you do not already belong to a school, academy, or organization, you can become a member of this non-organization. If you are already a member of a school or academy, you are welcome to become a non-member of this one as well (if all of this makes your head hurt just relax, smile and fondle your favorite sword… there, that's better now isn't it).
Another way
of looking at it is… Well, OK, I'll be honest. It's really just an
excuse to buy more T-shirts and stuff with swords and logos on it (as
if we don't all have enough of that already).
Our store is open and operational. Selection is a bit sparce just now, but it will increase when I get off my butt and do it. This is a cafepress.com store front and the items for sale are priced at the base price set by cafepress (meaning I'm not making anything from this).
This page is just some graphics and "wallpapers" I've fooled around with. All are free for noncommercial use so have fun. Again these are things I do when bored or otherwise not occupied and new ones will be added on a non-regular basis so check back every now and again.
If for some reason
you should want to contact me feel free to do so by using this link:
I of course reserve the right to respond or not depending on the nature
of your missive and/or my mood.
