Fechttraining einer Studentenverbindung 照片檔

Two members of a student fraternity exercise their traditional way of fighting in a gymnasium in Marburg/Germany 1997. As opposed to a real fight their heads are protected by helmets made of leather. They stand still facing each other with the weapon holding arm the only bodypart in movement. Their weapons are dull. At a real fight (Mensur) their weapons are razor-sharp. Both kind of weapons are extremely flexible. In a real fight the opponents head is the only target (bodies protected by chain mail), depending on tradition and local laws only eyes and ears are protected or nothing at all. In the picture both students wear their traditional "Colours", coloured ribbons accross their chests. Fraternities are extremely secluded communities who rarely grant access to outside visitors, let alone journalist. Fighting fraternities are "men only". The training methods continue to this day.