Sparring Gloves and an Albion Meyer. Photo by Keith Farrell, 2015.A question that appears regularly in Facebook discussions is exactly this: is this piece of equipment tournament legal?Before we can answer, we have to parse the question. Is …
How to parse, understand, and interpret a difficult sequence in a HEMA treatise
Jodie and Ben performing an exercise during a lesson at Liverpool HEMA. Photo by Keith Farrell, 2018.One of the common questions that people ask me is how to understand and interpret a difficult sequence from our source material. I receive the …
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Who wrote the HEMA book called “The Art of Combat”?
Who wrote The Art of Combat and The Art of Sword Combat? Were these books written by Joachim Meyer? Or were they written by someone else?I feel compelled to pose this question and provide an answer, because it is a mistake that I read and hear …
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Film Review: I Can, I Will, I Did
Film poster, from imdb.comI was flying to teach at Longpoint recently, and while on the plane, I watched a film called I Can, I Will, I Did. It spoke to me on a rather deep level, sufficiently for me to want to write a quick review of it, to …
Thinking of body structure like a plumbing system
Keith Farrell and Daniel Montoro sparring with dussacks. Photo by Daria Izdebska, 2018.I like to think of and visualise body structure like the plumbing system in my house. This is quite an easy image to have, which makes it easier to understand …
Turning hobbies into paid work
Keith Farrell finding time to edit a book between teaching lessons at an event. Photo by Valeria Viola, 2018.I recently read quite an interesting article about the trap of turning hobbies into hustles. As someone who has turned several hobbies …
What is a healthy definition of control for HEMA?
Keith Farrell and Ben Davies training with montantes. Photo by Daria Izdebska, 2018.People often talk about control in the practice of martial arts, in the sense of “controlling your blows” or “controlling your power”. HEMA is no exception, and …
Hit and miss: historical weapon systems, experimental archaeology, and synthesis
A guest article, kindly contributed by Ross Bailey.It’s not often that I get asked to put together something that covers my actual profession (archaeology) and my main activity outside my profession (HEMA), so I may have gotten a little carried …
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Updating my reviews
A cup of coffee helps the work flow!This weekend, I went through all the reviews I have written on this website, and updated them. This took quite a lot of time, but I thought it was important for me to do so. …
Some thoughts about the position of left Vom Tag
Codex Wallerstein, folio 79r. Image from the Wiktenauer.Left Vom Tag: does it exist? How do we do it? Is it a position worth training?This is a discussion that comes up every so often, with fairly predictable responses to say both yes …
How old does something have to be to consider it HEMA?
A question that arises on a fairly regular basis is about what “counts as” historical fencing: how old does something have to be to consider it HEMA?Sometimes people give answers such as “before WW2”, or “at least a hundred years ago”, or even …
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Honesty in martial arts
Keith Farrell demonstrating some concepts during private tuition at an event. Photo by Valeria Viola, 2018.I believe that honesty is incredibly important in the pursuit of martial arts. Of course, honesty is an important characteristic in real …
Modern fencing, classical fencing, and historical fencing
Maksim and Ben fencing with foils in the cloisters at the University of Glasgow. Photo by Keith Farrell, 2013.The terms modern fencing, classical fencing, and historical fencing can all be used to refer to different types of fencing or different …
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Review of Bygone Blades
I have bought a couple of antique swords from Richard Wales at Bygone Blades, an antique dealer in Scotland, and have only the best things to say about his knowledge, helpfulness, and the ease of doing business with him. …
More thoughts about tricks and systems (in real life too!)
Keith Farrell and Daniel Montoro sparring with dussacks. Photo by Daria Izdebska, 2018.The discussion about tricks and systems in HEMA seems to be recurring quite regularly at the moment. I recently saw something while reading an article about …
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Warming up at Liverpool HEMA
Keith Farrell teaching dussack at a seminar. Photo by Daria Izdebska, 2018.Warming up before training is something we should all do, to prepare for the lesson and to avoid injuries. Although this is usually common knowledge, information about HOW …
Starting a HEMA club on a tight budget
Stuart Beattie and Keith Farrell sparring with singlesticks at FightCamp 2018. Photo by Jonathan Spouge, 2018 (edited by Keith Farrell).Many HEMA clubs have a very tight budget when starting out. This can make it quite difficult to get a club off …
My goals for 2019
Keith Farrell and Thomas Sylvester sparring with singlesticks. Photo by Daria Izdebska, 2018.Since the new year is upon us, I’d like to set myself some goals for 2019. I could do that quietly and privately, but I want to try and give myself a …
Skill development in test cutting
Keith Farrell cutting with a sharp longsword. Photo by Daria Izdebska, 2017.Test cutting with sharp swords is a valuable exercise for HEMA practitioners. However, as with any exercise or skill, there must be development and progression in the …
The experience of running a full-time HEMA school in Glasgow
Keith and Jamie sparring with singlesticks at the Vanguard Centre. Photo by Jonathan Spouge, 2018 (edited by Keith Farrell).Although I’m currently based in Liverpool, I am responsible for all the paperwork and business admin for a full-time …
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