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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 …
More thoughts about tricks and systems (in real life too!)Read More
Many HEMA clubs have a very tight budget when starting out. This can make it quite difficult to get a club off the ground if you don’t have the spare money to invest in equipment, or if you aren’t sure that enough people will join for it to make …
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 skill, so that it becomes better and more relevant to the activity in …
From time to time, clubs may have the opportunity to do some community outreach and give some HEMA demonstrations for the public. This is a great opportunity to raise the profile of your club in your local area while helping to entertain and educate …
Sometimes there is a question about technique and its importance, compared with other elements of fighting, martial arts, and/or sports. Often some people will suggest that historically accurate technique is what verifies our practice of HEMA; other …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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, …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
The development of historical technique in modern HEMA tournamentsRead More
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 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 …
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 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 …
