There is a tendency in HEMA, like in other combat sports, to assume tournaments and free fencing to be the ultimate endgame. And that kind of thinking is not entirely wrong – sparring, competitive or otherwise, is the best way … Continue reading HEMA beyond tournaments: The Motus “Knightly” Obstacle course
I love travelling and meeting HEMA people, and Dijon and Minsk were perhaps two of the best opportunities to become acquainted with a ton of instructors, fighters and scholars from all around the world. But among all of them I … Continue reading Jay Maxwell: A school of fencing with a special concept
Just over 2 years ago, I went to my first tournament. It wasn’t anything too stressful or confusing for me – I had trained HEMA for 8 years by that point and I felt confident enough in my fencing. After … Continue reading First tournament? Train, prepare, learn.
Despite the perceived popularity of sword and buckler (be it German, I.33 or Bolognese), reviews and discussions of actual bucklers on the market have been relatively rare. The reason is simple – cheap steel, synthetic and partially wooden bucklers that … Continue reading The Malleus Martialis Pro Buckler – is it worth 90 EUR? (Review)
As most of you know, just over a week ago I had the opportunity to fence and judge at a special event – HEMA in the European Games 2019 in Minsk, Belarus. As I prefer to do, I waited for … Continue reading What happened at Minsk 2019 (Full Report)
And the time has come for the big games this year… The HEMA Minsk invitational gala tournament, part of the cultural programme of the European Games of 2019 in Belarus. Quite a mouthful, isn’t it? But aside from being a … Continue reading This week playing at… Minsk European Games
A week ago at this time I was fencing for the third time in the place where I started competing in HEMA – Hemathlon in Athens, Greece. My mood around this time was quite different than just 12 hours prior, … Continue reading Hemathlon 2019 – Outstanding success, astounding disaster (Full Report)
Anyone who frequents a coffee shop or a bar knows that there are benefits to being a regular. Your cup is always full, your glass is always cold, everyone greets you when coming in, everyone remembers what you like and … Continue reading This week playing at… HEMAC Hemathlon
While there is practically no information on how late medieval fencers practiced, sparred and competed amongst each other (aside from the fact they certainly did all of it), from the 1500s and onwards, better record keeping and a wider fencing … Continue reading Why historical rulesets are not what we need
