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 …
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 …
How to begin working with a HEMA source
HEMA is an activity that relies on sources; but what does working with a HEMA source involve? Although it may seem obvious to people who have involved in HEMA for a while, it is not the simplest process, and there are many things to consider at each …
“If you frighten easily…” and bravery in martial arts
Bravery is an integral part of fencing with the longsword, with Liechtenauer’s Zettel saying explicitly that “if you frighten easily, you will never learn to fight.” Although this may seem like fairly obvious advice (yet it may also seem counter …
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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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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 …
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. …
Thoughts about the Schaitelhaw and fencing from Alber
The Schaitelhaw is one of the most difficult strikes in the Liechtenauer tradition of fencing, and most people struggle to find a good interpretation of the technique that they can rely upon during sparring and tournaments. I will be the first to …
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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 …
Unhelpful advice part 1: “Make yourself a smaller target”Read More