Which way now?
Published: Mon, 02/09/15
Dan’s next question is: Where do you see your art going in the future? As I have just written on the next rune web page for Hagl (see link below) you cannot predict the future, only see where the lines of the web might lead if you continue with a particular path. Having said that I obviously do have some ideas where Stav could go in the future and it is good for me to think about it seriously.
The first thing to say is that I can only speak for my own training and teaching. Hafskjold Stav belongs to the Hafskjold family and will have its own life and direction. I was blessed with the opportunity to train with Ivar Hafskjold and then receive his blessing to take what I had learned and do what I could with it. We do maintain contact, especially with the Stav Camp (see link below) but essentially Ice and Fire Stav is my own expression of Stav although I do my best to be true to the essential principles and teachings of the original tradition. It is a strange situation to be in and I do currently have the sense that I am at a point on the web when choices need to be made as to which line to follow. Traditional Hafskjold Stav is a family tradition and cannot really be taught in the wider world. I was very lucky to be one of Ivar’s personal student so learned almost like one of the family for a few years. My intention has
been to take Stav into the wider world for better or worse so Ice and Fire Stav is a little different to the traditional form in that it is more organised and systematised, or at least needs to be, to be spread and duplicated.
My personal model for teaching and spreading Stav is derived from the Methodist Church, an organisation I have been involved with all of my life. This means local organisations, connected to a wider body but largely self-governing. We tend to unconsciously absorb models of organisation which we have grown up with and then try to duplicate the same system later in life, regardless of whether it is really appropriate or not to current needs.
The problem with Stav is that it is a way of seeing the world which is intended to equip the individual with the ability to live out their own wyrd. So there is a basic theory of the web and using the runes and principles to see the web. There are certain techniques used to teach this theory and then there is just getting on and making it happen in your life. It is not a fixed dogma or ideology that must be followed regardless of reality. Stav is a living way of understanding how the universe works and seeing our part in it. The more fixed and systematised it becomes the less useful it will be in helping individuals to self realisation. Stav is not a martial art but martial arts training is a pretty good way of learning Stav and testing out the principles in a safe and controlled situation. Books, videos etc are obviously useful for teaching about Stav but the only way to really learn is to do it and get feedback from a teacher
who can help you see the web in your own life.
So, I find myself looking at three lines or paths into the future. One is to actually forget teaching Stav to anyone who isn’t a personal friend, if they want to come and talk to me and do a bit of training that’s fine but no reaching out beyond that. Of course the time for that is long gone but there must always be time for those who need to talk about their own personal progress. The second path is towards an organisation which takes different aspects of Stav and parcels them up according to what is wanted, self-defence training, reading about the runes, training with different weapons, business advice etc etc. Actually the scope is pretty much limitless but one is no longer dealing with the whole person, just selling a product.
The third path is to reach out and let people know that Stav exists. Then give people the opportunity to learn as much as they want in terms of reading about some aspect that interests them, or learning to do the basic stances if they find that helpful, or incorporating some Stav principles into their martial arts practice. And have a place where those who want to go further can come and train and perhaps even teach others the basics as they learn themselves.
If I am honest it is the third path that is developing, what is needed now is to get the business side of things right so that anyone interested in Stav on whatever level can have their needs provided for.
There are certainly some exiting developments coming up this year:
USA Training 9 to 11 May in Minneapolis http://www.iceandfire.us/events/index.html
Sweden Training 23 and 24 May http://stav.angerboda.se/
Martial Arts and Combat Exhibition in Bristol 20 and 21 June, website is up now and I am on there http://www.mace.org.uk/saturday/
The Stav Camp July 9th to 12th with pre camp training at Easter or the week before the camp http://www.stavcamp.org
And lots more coming up which I will announce this week.
regards
Graham
PS Next two rune pages are up http://www.iceandfire.org/runes/7.html http://www.iceandfire.org/runes/8.html So half way through the Futhork now.