Back in September, Kaja Sadowski posted quite an interesting question to Facebook for discussion by her friends and colleagues:Honest question for my HEMA friends: if you consider the totality of the sources you work from, to what extent is the art …
Does HEMA have a place in historical re-enactment?
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 12th August 2011. It has been edited and improved for posting here.I used to be involved with a historical re-enactment group before I began to practise HEMA. More recently, I have taught …
Making Mutieren work in sparring
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 13th January 2017. It has been edited and improved for posting here.Following on from my article about how to make techniques work in sparring, I would like to present a case study from my …
Review of the Superior Fencing padded shin guards
I recently had the opportunity to test and review the Superior Fencing padded shin guards. They are very protective, although the standard size were a bit too large for me. …
Learning to apply difficult techniques in sparring
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 6th January 2017. It has been edited and improved for posting here.One of the common problems faced by many practitioners of historical fencing is that while we know and have learned many …
Review of the Superior Fencing forearm & padded elbow guards
I recently had the opportunity to test and review the Superior Fencing forearm and padded elbow guards. They are very protective, and are not as bulky as some other forearm guards, although the standard size is perhaps a little too large for smaller …
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Good fencing, bad fencing, and incorrect fencing
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 20th May 2016. It has been edited and improved for posting here.Can good fencing ever be considered “bad fencing” or “incorrect fencing” at the same time?Sometimes people integrate …
Review of the Superior Fencing leather mask overlay pro
I have been using the Superior Fencing leather mask overlay pro for a while for both drilling and sparring. I like it a lot, and it has already protected my head from a few quite heavy hits. …
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Learning how to learn from play
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 6th May 2016. It has been edited and improved for posting here.In martial arts, broadly speaking, there are two types of training exercise: those where you have a specific goal to …
Review of the Superior Fencing gorget
I have had the opportunity to look at and test the gorget by Superior Fencing. In short, I think it is a pretty good piece of equipment, and worth the investment. …
Some thoughts about the afterblow
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 14th October 2016. It has been edited and improved for posting here.The afterblow is still sometimes a contentious issue in the HEMA community, depending on the person or people with whom …
Review of the Superior Fencing leather padded fencing gloves
I have been using the Superior Fencing leather padded fencing gloves in drilling for a while now, and I find them to be very comfortable and good for the purpose. …
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Using lighter swords in training
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 25th March 2016. It has been edited and improved for posting here.I often hear the advice that you should train with a heavier sword, in order to improve your strength, balance, …
Review of the Superior Fencing padded knee protectors
I recently had the opportunity to test and review the Superior Fencing padded knee protectors. They are protective, comfortable, and sit well on the Superior Fencing padded trousers. …
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Review of the Superior Fencing 800N HEMA trousers
The Superior Fencing 800N HEMA trousers[1] are a comfortable set of protections for your legs, groin and abdomen. They look good while being very functional. …
Training for the future
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 18th September 2016. It has been edited and improved for posting here.Although I enjoy my HEMA training as it happens, I make a point of training for the future. A few months ago, I turned …
Review of the Superior Fencing HEMA bag
The Superior Fencing HEMA bag is a well-designed piece of equipment. I have seen and handled several attempts at sword bags over the years, and I think this is the best thought-through design I have seen so far. …
Attacking the hands in sparring
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 28th August 2015. It has been edited and improved for posting here.Every so often, I find a discussion (online and in person, in roughly equal quantities) where people debate the merits …
Feinting with the longsword, according to Ringeck
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 18th September 2015. It has been edited and improved for posting here.A common action in modern Olympic fencing is that of feinting: making it look like you intend to do one thing, when in …
How to become a good HEMA instructor
A question I am asked quite regularly is how to become a good (or better) HEMA instructor? Of course, everyone’s situation is a bit different, but here is a simple set of guidelines for becoming a better instructor. I’m afraid this is quite blunt in …