While attending a first aid course recently, we did the usual sorts of things, including CPR practice (the breaths and chest compressions). It struck me that the structure required for CPR is pretty much that of Long Point: arms straight, with the …
How to revive a struggling martial arts club
I recently saw an interesting thread on Reddit, asking about how to revive a dying HEMA club. Having been part of a number of different sports clubs over the years, I know that this is quite a common (and unfortunate) situation. With my experience of …
Review of the Bellatore 15th century style longsword
Bellatore is a Spanish swordsmith, and they make some rather lovely swords. They wanted to begin production of a relatively typical 15th century style longsword that would be good for HEMA practitioners who study either Fiore or early …
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A framework for describing and comparing systems of martial arts
Since it is quite a fun activity to compare and contrast different HEMA systems, I would like to propose one possible framework for doing so. A good framework should take into account more than just the techniques and positions of the …
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Muddles or models?
Muddles and models are words that sound quite similar to each other, but what they represent are really quite different things. In my experience, whatever the field of endeavour, we tend to muddle through until we learn a good model. To …
How to begin studying HEMA?
A question that occurs regularly on social media is how to begin studying HEMA, or how to start studying HEMA if there are no clubs nearby. It seems that rarely a week goes by without someone posting a question like this on Facebook or …
What makes a good HEMA instructor?
I am sometimes asked about what I think makes a good HEMA instructor. Sometimes students ask me, because they are thinking about becoming an instructor, and wonder what skills and characteristics I think are important. Sometimes I am asked by people …
5 good reasons to practise Meyer’s low stances
When you first read the books by Joachim Meyer, it is likely that you notice the low stances in the illustrations. Yet whenever you watch people sparring or competing, you rarely see such stances in use. Why is this? Is it a problem our community …
The basic strikes of different longsword systems
When we think about the basic strikes of the martial arts we practise, it can be easy to assume that other systems have a similar set of basic strikes. After all, the body only moves in so many ways, right? Except that is demonstrably false, because …
My recommendations for HEMA gear (September 2019)
I travel to HEMA events all over the world and have the opportunity to examine and fence with many different types of HEMA gear, both in terms of training swords and the protective equipment. There are certain items that I think are better than …
Plastic straws, fad diets, and training HEMA
What do plastic straws, fad diets, and training HEMA all have in common? Quite simply, regardless of what we might be discussing, there is always the temptation to go after the low hanging fruit or to jump on the bandwagon of whatever is currently …
The importance of observing details
Observing details is a valuable skill in everyday life. You can notice things like opening hours for shops, street signs to help find your way, people offering free food, people preparing to ambush you, that oncoming bus… But how important is it to …
What HEMA would I praise?
In Liechtenauer’s Zedel and some of the gloss explaining the verses, we find the statement about certain techniques and behaviours “that I will praise”. It might just be poetry or an attempt to rhyme, or it might be a genuine attempt to draw …
The power of a good soundbite
One of the most powerful things in the world today is a strong, enduring soundbite. A “soundbite” is a short phrase that can be repeated again and again, that can be used to summarise a position or campaign or belief, and can even to some extent be a …
Historical clothing in HEMA
One of the enduring questions in the HEMA community is why do so few people wear historical clothing during their HEMA practice? Surely it makes sense to train historical martial arts in the historical clothing from that period in time? Maybe the …
The importance of supporting your small local business (and your club)
Any small and local business can thrive when given the appropriate support and custom from the local community. The principal competition of local businesses is not other small, local businesses, but it is large companies that can afford to undercut …
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Put the pointy end in the other guy
A statement that appears again and again in discussions about swords is that you should put the pointy end in the other guy, or variations on that effect. It is often intended to be humorous rather than to add anything useful to the discussion, but …
What makes a good HEMA club?
What makes a good HEMA club? As a potential student, what should you be looking for when you visit for the first time? And as a club leader, what might you be able to do to make your club better? If you are looking to join a club, it can be useful …
Swords as consumable items
This is a guest article by Angus Trim, who has been making swords for decades. He recently re-posted to Facebook something he had written back in 2016 about treating swords as consumable items. I felt that the message of the article was important - …
An observation about the value of information
It may sound like I am stating the obvious when I say that the value of information is different to different people, and for different purposes. However, far from being a damning verdict upon society, I see this as a mark of just how special and …