Below list the events, a summary of the day, and pictures from the 2008 2nd annual summit. Planning has begun on the 2009 Summit. Check back often to see what we'll be doing next year.

2008 Event Schedule
12:30 – 1:00 Arrival and greeting
1:00 – 1:10 Formal Welcome
1:15 – 2:00 The Modern Sword Market by OlliN Sword Design
2:15 – 2:45 Early Modern Firearms by Chris Last
3:00 – 3:30 The Use of the Sword: Complete Martial Arts System by Bob Charron
3:45 – 5:00 Cuttings (mats)
5:15 – 6:00 Light Dinner & Closing Ongoing Events

Ongoing Events
Guilde of Saint Michael Original Arms Cache
OlliN Sword Design product line
Attendee Show & Tell

Summary of the Day by Matthew Grzybowski
Prep for this year's summit was similar to last year's as there were a variety of meetings through out the year to touch base and talk logistic. One question that we often as is where to hold it due to the subject matter. Bob Charron of (insert name here) was a presenter last year and offered to host the event at his Martial Arts studio located in majestic Stoughton, WI.  With the location for the event secured we started talking topics for the event and hammered out all of the remaining logistical details. Next we launched the site. We were fortunate that the preregistered attendees were already more then last year and we were getting some great questions and buzz.

On the day of the event, it was bitterly blustery outside. Again, we had the good fortune that Bob's studio was indoors and the actual studio was heated. Mark and I arrived around 10:30 and loaded in all of our display pieces, tables, merchandise, etc. and got the quick tour of the facility. It was too cool! Practice swords lining the walls, mats on the floor for sparing, a large room in the main room for cutting mats. Seriously, it is every enthusiast's dream. Once things were set up, we all had some time to chat. Around 12:30pm the first of the attendees started to arrive.

We got started at 1:15pm with a quick rundown welcome to the space info and intros to the event. I presented 1st covering The Modern Sword Market which was a more in depth break down of what kinds of swords you’ll find in the market place. I also covered the custom process as we also get so many questions about it. I wrapped up with a brief expose on zombie apocalypse preparation.

We broke for around 20 minutes and then Chris was up with his piece on Early Modern Firearms. A fascinating look at how firearms evolved over time and what helped to drive these changes. He had an excellent arsenal of examples of each of the eras he spoken on which give a wonderful opportunity for those in the audience to get to see firsthand what he was referring too.

We broke again for another 20 minutes and Bob presented The Use of the Sword: Complete Martial Arts System. Talked us through how training starts with learning how to stand, then how to wrestle, how to use a dagger, then finally how to use a sword. Chris served as Bob’s sparring partner through the demonstration.

We then moved everyone downstairs and rolled out the plans for the rest of the summit. We had cutting tameshigiri mats in the main room of the barn while another group headed outside to fire off some of the firearms from Chris’s demonstration. Meanwhile hotdogs, chips, and veggies were served.

As we close the 2nd annual summit, I’m left again with a sense of awe in the great response we’ve received. Sword, historical, and martial enthusiasts coming together to learn, share, and participate. We’ve again held true to our mission and have had a successful summit. I would be remiss to not send out HUGE THANK YOUs to Chris Last and Bob Charron, who organized, promoted, and sponsored the event. I also want to thank Shane and Julie Allee for helping in handling the particulars of the execution. If you have ideas and/or comments for next year’s summit please feel free to send me an email (or Chris or Bob) and we'll talk.