

First tournament? Train, prepare, learn.
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.

The Malleus Martialis Pro Buckler – is it worth 90 EUR? (Review)
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)

What happened at Minsk 2019 (Full Report)
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)

This week playing at… Minsk European Games
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

Hemathlon 2019 – Outstanding success, astounding disaster (Full Report)
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)

This week playing at… HEMAC Hemathlon
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

Why historical rulesets are not what we need
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

The Aureus Feder Review – the feder that is almost a sword
This is a bit of a complicated review. It is a joint effort between me and my fellow assistant-instructor Angel Chernaev, who ordered his Aureus last year. We both tested the feder(s) extensively, but in the end, he wrote about … Continue reading The Aureus Feder Review – the feder that is almost a sword

Is Pro Gauntlet’s price out? Not quite
Are 450 USD too much for the Duke Nukem Forever of HEMA gloves? Maybe so, maybe not, but this is the price of the Pro Gauntlet, as can be seen on the website of American supplier Purpleheart Armory. Sadly, as … Continue reading Is Pro Gauntlet’s price out? Not quite