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 …
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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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 …
Go for the legs!
This article was originally posted on Encased in Steel on 16th October 2015. It has been edited and improved for posting here. It is a common piece of advice for shorter fighters who face taller opponents that they should "go for the legs". I …
Fencing with mixed weapons
An idea that seems to be enduringly popular is to see what happens when fencing with mixed weapons; if one person as a longsword and the other a messer, or sabre against rapier, or spear against sword and buckler, for example. Some combinations are …
Safe training swords part 3: the schilt / ricasso
This is the third part of a short series of articles on safety features on swords. The first part was concerned with "tipping solutions" for the point; the second part was concerned with measuring flexibility for the thrust; and …
Review of “Sword and Shield” DVD by Roland Warzecha
Sword and Shield: Basic principles and technique of medieval buckler combat is a DVD by Roland Warzecha and Tobias Wenzel, published through Agilitas in 2011. The subject is fencing with the medieval sword and buckler in general, as opposed to …
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Review of “Obsesseo” DVD by David Rawlings
Obsesseo is a DVD by David Rawlings and the London Longsword Academy, recorded in 2011. The subject is the MS I.33 treatise, an early medieval manuscript from the late 13th or early 14th century that depicts combat using sword and buckler. …
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 …
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