This is a series of interviews with well-known HEMA practitioners from around the world. The subject is the importance of books in the HEMA community. Personally, I think books are immensely important to the community (and in general!), but I am …
Are you tough, smart, or both?
A story that I have heard from several people and clubs over the years is that when they began training HEMA, they didn’t bother with much protective gear beyond fencing masks, and they just took the bruises that resulted, because they felt tough …
The importance of books 01: Martin Fabian
This is a series of interviews with well-known HEMA practitioners from around the world. The subject is the importance of books in the HEMA community. Personally, I think books are immensely important to the community (and in general!), but I am …
Review of the Black Armoury Jacket
I have been using a Black Armoury HEMA jacket since late summer 2016, and I have grown to love the collar solution. It is my go-to jacket to take with me when travelling to events. …
Review of the SPES “Axel Pettersson” Jacket
I have been using a SPES “Axel Pettersson” jacket (V1.2) myself since the summer of 2015, although many of my friends and colleagues have been using them since around 2012. I have found it to be an excellent jacket for HEMA purposes, having used it …
Review of the PBT HEMA Jacket with Inlays
I used a PBT “HEMA jacket with inlays” between early 2013 and mid 2015. It was a good jacket for my purposes at the time I bought it, but it wasn’t quite right for me in the long run. It is, however, probably the most comfortable jacket I …
The importance of wearing a fencing mask during training
Every modern fencing group in the world demands that members wear their fencing masks while working with swords in hand. Most HEMA clubs demand similar behaviour for the purpose of safety of participants. However, there are some groups that, for …
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When an advanced student moves on
For some years now, I have been mulling over the decision I made about six years ago to take a break from karate in order to study historical fencing in more depth. I didn't have the time or the finances to study both disciplines at the same time, so …
Unhelpful advice part 1: “Make yourself a smaller target”
This is the first article in a short series, discussing common pieces of advice that sound helpful but in fact can be detrimental to your practice of some HEMA systems. A common piece of advice in HEMA is to stand in profile, with your side …
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Safe training swords part 2: measuring flexibility
This is the second part of a short series of articles on safety features on swords. It builds upon the definitions that I gave in the first part of the series, about "tipping solutions" for the point. The third part is concerned with protecting the …
Homemade gear versus “off the shelf” equipment
In the last five years, the HEMA community has seen a veritable explosion of new manufacturers, suppliers, and producers of equipment. In fact, there are currently more HEMA-specific gloves on the market than one has fingers to be protected![1] This …
Safe training swords part 1: tipping solutions
This is the first part of a short series of articles on safety features on swords, and so this first part sets out some useful definitions that will become more important in the next article in the series. The second part is concerned with measuring …
Review of the Black Fencer basket-hilted broadsword
This is a follow-up to my original review of the Black Fencer synthetic broadsword, an item which I have used for training, sparring, and for competition since the summer of 2015. It is a remarkably useful training tool, and I recommend it highly. …
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Review of the Black Fencer “sharp simulator” longsword
I have recently had the opportunity to do play with the Black Fencer “sharp simulator” longsword. This is a rather odd-looking item, with serrated edges (very reminiscent of some traditional Indonesian and Australasian swords!), but these serrations …
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Review of the Black Fencer montante V4
I have recently had the opportunity to do some work with the Black Fencer montante V4, which is a synthetic training sword of suitable dimensions and balance to practise systems written for the Iberian montante, but also the Italian spadone and the …
About my new website and blog
I have decided to create this website and blog for myself, to let me explore more of what I find interesting about life, business, and martial arts, without having to represent another business or organisation. Furthermore, I felt it would be useful …