August 1, 2020 Paul Becker

Test of the upcoming IN MOTU/UHLMANN fencing jacket and fencing trousers for historical fencing.

It was Michael Sprenger!

Test of the upcoming IN MOTU/UHLMANN fencing jacket and fencing trousers for historical fencing.

Michael Sprenger is a well-known, experienced fencer and coach who has dug himself deep into the tournament scene. When we featured a fencer this week and asked you to guess who was wearing the fencing jacket, it was Michael Sprenger.

This week he took the time to visit me here in beautiful Nordhausen, or more precisely in Neustadt at the foot of Hohnstein Castle, to intensively test the upcoming fencing jacket and fencing trousers that I have developed with my cooperation partner Uhlmann Fencing will bring to market.

Thank you so much for your great feedback, Michael. I was delighted to see your shining eyes when you were able to test the fencing jacket and trousers for a few hours.

Here is your first feedback on the two current prototype suits in black and white.

"This week, I had the opportunity to test the new In Motu/Uhlmann fencing jacket for historical fencing. I already knew a few things about it. I'd already seen the fabric and padding and knew the jacket would be correspondingly light. However, I was also skeptical about its protection against cuts and stabs. I also knew that the forearms aren't protected by padding, but only by multi-layered stab-resistant fabric. Accordingly, I was quite skeptical about this.

First, I put on my reference jacket: an AP with 350N stab protection from SPES. One of the classic HEMA jackets. To make a somewhat comprehensible assessment, we conducted a lesson in which I was hit or stabbed to specific points. The whole thing increased in intensity until I found it unpleasant. This point is, of course, very subjective. I fence very competitively myself and would say I'm not sensitive to the severity of blows or stabs.

Then I took off my old jacket and put on the new Jake. Not yet, that is, because I first subjectively compared the weight of both jackets. I held both in my hand and felt their weight. There was no advantage or disadvantage to the new In Motu jacket. It's roughly comparable to a standard AP, although the size M AP was compared with a slightly larger version of the In Motu jacket. Additionally, the In Motu jacket has a higher stab resistance of 800N, and the material is correspondingly stronger and heavier. So it's the same weight but offers better protection.

The new jacket is very comfortable to put on, the zipper is easy to close. It fits very lightly, and you don't feel like you're wearing a HEMA jacket. A clear plus in terms of comfort. The only limitation for me was the zipper on the left. As a left-hander, this is a bit of a hindrance. So you should make sure you choose the other side of the zipper when buying. Then the same lesson as before: blows and stabs with increasing intensity. The blows felt much more comfortable here, especially in the shoulder area. Of course, you have to believe me when I say that I can judge whether someone is hitting really hard or not. The intensity of the blows was equivalent. The stab was initially more unpleasant. However, Paul pointed out to me that the outer material of this jacket hadn't been finished yet. So I took the jacket off and put on another version that had already been finished. I was fascinated by what is possible with modern materials, because the stitching comfort was significantly better. Comparable to an AP.

Now the subject of forearms. Paul's argument is that mobility is better. My argument is that the level of protection is modest. I have to add that I don't wear forearm protectors over my jacket because they hinder me. That's why I wear additional padding underneath. However, that wouldn't be enough with the In Motu jacket. Paul gave me his RD forearm/elbow pads to pull over for comparison. I then had to admit that the mobility is better than with my version (AP + padding underneath). Because the forearms are only protected by fabric, they can move much more freely. It's as if you were wearing the pads directly on your body. Crossed-arm twerp guards also work much more easily. This is another clear plus point for comfort.

Finally, I asked Paul to attack my body and arms, allowing me to be hit regularly. This was to demonstrate once again how it would be against blows and stabs delivered dynamically with full intensity. Here, too, I couldn't detect any disadvantage compared to my AP.

In summary, I'd say this jacket is a viable alternative. The bulk and level of protection are comparable to a regular AP, but comfort and mobility are far superior. I also made a few suggestions regarding the cut, as the jacket could look a bit more elegant. However, after safety, protection, comfort, and mobility, that's really the last consideration when choosing a fencing jacket.

So now several fencers have come to see me to look at the upcoming fencing uniform, to try it out and to share their opinions and suggestions.
It was important to me that the jacket was also accepted by the fencers. Participation is therefore always important. I involved several fencers throughout the process so that I could continually compare different opinions.

Many thanks to the fencers who took their time.