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I like to share my thoughts about life, business, and martial arts. I find writing a blog is one of the best ways to order my thoughts, so that I understand myself better. Sometimes my thoughts may even be of interest to other people.
I have collected a list of my most popular articles, as well as the various articles I have written with advice for shorter fencers. My various reviews of HEMA gear have been collected together for ease of reference.
Finally, I keep a curated page setting out my philosophy for training, teaching, and fencing. This links to the various pages and articles on this website that I believe help to explain my approach to these elements of life and martial arts.
Messer and dussack. Photo by Keith Farrell, 2020. The messer is an interesting HEMA discipline to study. There is quite an active and vibrant community of people who practise it regularly, and I would like to interview some of these instructors to …
An interview with Bill Grandy about studying HEMA: the messerRead More
Messer and dussack. Photo by Keith Farrell, 2020. The messer is an interesting HEMA discipline to study. There is quite an active and vibrant community of people who practise it regularly, and I would like to interview some of these instructors to …
An interview with Joeli Takala about studying HEMA: the messerRead More
Messer and dussack. Photo by Keith Farrell, 2020. The messer is an interesting HEMA discipline to study. There is quite an active and vibrant community of people who practise it regularly, and I would like to interview some of these instructors to …
An interview with Ross Bailey about studying HEMA: the messerRead More
Alex and Marc performing an exercise during a lesson at Liverpool HEMA. Photo by Keith Farrell, 2018. A common problem for small or new HEMA clubs is how to ensure that everyone keeps practising the fundamentals, while still introducing new things …
How to drill fundamentals while still teaching new materialRead More
The Cold Steel synthetic rondel dagger. Image hosted on the Cold Steel UK website. The Cold Steel synthetic rondel dagger is a good training tool if you want to practise 15th century dagger fencing according to the source material from that …
Marc and Jon getting ready for an exercise at Liverpool HEMA. Photo by Keith Farrell, 2018. If there are two or more HEMA clubs in the same city, how do you handle this from the point of view of marketing your own club? There is competition for …
The Red Dragon synthetic longsword. Image hosted on The HEMA Shop website. I have been using the Red Dragon synthetic longsword for HEMA since they were first introduced to the scene. Although many people dislike them for being plastic and floppy, …
A cup of coffee helps the work flow! When you are running a HEMA club, or starting a new group, it is important to have a website for the club. You maybe don’t need one right away, but it should be high on your list of priorities. Having a website …
Keith Farrell and Jens Geuens fencing with the longsword at the Bunny Bash event. Photo by Gert-Jan Laureys, 2019 (edited by Keith Farrell). We all have certain things that we like to rely on during sparring. It might be a technique, a concept, or …
The Albion Liechtenauer. Image hosted on the Albion website. I have been using the Albion Liechtenauer at different events over the course of several years, and recently acquired one of my own. It is one of my favourite swords and is unfortunately …
The Regenyei museum replica feder. Image hosted on the Regenyei Armory website. I have been using the Regenyei museum replica feder for a few years now. The design is according to measurements of the KZ 1030 “paratschwert” in the Swiss National …
The Albion Meyer. Image hosted on the Albion website. I have been using the Albion Meyer for several years. I went through some periods of leaving it to the side as I spent time using other swords, but I always return to it because it is such a …
The current model of Aureus Alexander. Image hosted on the Aureus Swords website. The Aureus Alexander II is a phenomenally good training tool that allows for technical fencing as well as making high-intensity competition a much safer situation. I …
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bb6PDjg86wY& My interpretation of the flourishes from the Anonymous Unicum, as a video submission for the So You Think You Can Sword 2020 competition for videos of solo forms and flourishes! Back in 2017, I was …
Alex and James performing an exercise during a lesson at Liverpool HEMA. Photo by Keith Farrell, 2018. I often hear questions about how to design drills and exercises for a HEMA club. Sometimes it comes during discussions in person at events, or …
How to design drills and exercises for your HEMA clubRead More
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iLEf7IxPC1A Keith Farrell doing some test cutting in the garden at the end of April 2020. I believe that test cutting practice is an important element of our HEMA training. It keeps us honest and ensures that our …
Keith Farrell practising some flourishes with the longsword in the garden. Photo by Keith Farrell, 2020. Are there flourishes in the German longsword sources? Flourishes are solo forms, sequences perhaps a bit like kata, that can be used to …
Alex and Marc performing an exercise during a lesson at Liverpool HEMA. Photo by Keith Farrell, 2018. It is perhaps quite a contentious statement, but I do like to use the Red Dragon synthetic longswords in my club. Not everyone likes them, …
Why I like to use the Red Dragon synthetic longswords in my clubRead More
I recently realised that there are certain longswords that I like borrowing at events. When I travel for teaching, I often ask the organisers if I can borrow a sword, since this makes my travelling easier and usually makes the cost of travelling …
The longswords I realised I like borrowing at eventsRead More
Keith practising karate at a Shoto Budo course in 2010. Photographer unknown. Late last year, I returned to practising karate on a weekly basis (when I haven’t been away teaching, or in self-isolation due to the current coronavirus). I used to …
