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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More thoughts about tricks and systems (in real life too!)
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 business productivity that gave me a new avenue of ideas to pursue, so I’d like to share …
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Is your art really “a killing art”?
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
The development of historical technique in modern HEMA tournaments
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 15th May 2015. It has been edited and improved for posting here.One of the criticisms that is often levelled at modern HEMA tournaments is that the fighting seen in the bouts does not look …
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The problem of attribute fencing
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 21st February 2014. It has been edited and improved for posting here.This article will attempt to define and explore the concept of attribute fencing, and why relying on this style of …
Footwork and handwork for longsword
Footwork is undoubtedly one of the most important skills to develop for any martial art, and HEMA longsword is no exception.I have the impression that people often become quite caught up with trying to integrate their footwork into their …
Some thoughts about tricks and systems in HEMA
I believe that there is a difference between a system and a bag of tricks, where historical martial arts are concerned. Both are effective, and both are important to have in your repertoire; the greatest skill, however, the greatest skill comes with …
HEMA – A Systematic Approach
This is a guest article by Nial Prince. The subject is one about which Nial has been writing quite often recently, in answer to people’s questions on Facebook. So that the ideas and points of view would be easier to find again in the future, with a …
5 ways to train the Abzug (and to avoid an afterblow)
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 31st July 2015. It has been edited and improved for posting here.The medieval and renaissance German martial arts (particularly those with the longsword) include the concept of the Abzug, …
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Review of “Cutting with the Medieval Sword”
I have been looking forward to the publication of Cutting with the Medieval Sword by Michael Edelson, and now that it is finally in print, I bought a copy immediately. It arrived a few days later and I immersed myself in it over the course of an …
When can we question the masters?
An interesting discussion that arises from time to time in the HEMA community is how much we can trust what the authors of our source material wrote, when we may in fact have better ideas and can improve upon these methods, and generally: when can we …
What to read to begin studying longsword
New people are always coming into HEMA, and many want to begin studying longsword. A common question is what sources or books to read? What online resources are there? How to get started?This would be the five resources I would recommend to new …
What is HEMA to me?
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 10th June 2016. It has been edited and improved for posting here.We all have different motivations behind our practice of HEMA, and we also tend to have slightly different understandings …
5 business lessons from studying longsword
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 27th March 2015. It has been edited and improved for posting here.For the last several years I have been running my own business. For a few more years, I have been learning Liechtenauer’s …
Improve your footwork – play games like children!
A common problem for almost every practitioner of HEMA (and indeed, of many martial arts) is that footwork is difficult and could always use improvement. But how to go about improving footwork? Common exercises involve standing in line and practising …
Reconsidering the buffalo
The Liechtenauer glosses speak of the buffalo, and not in a very complimentary fashion. However, we should not make the naïve assumption that the buffalo is a fencer who is strong but dumb, nor should we assume that the buffalo is a bad fencer. …