This blog post is a response to Shad (of Shadiversity youtube channel fame), and is recent videos about “gatekeeping” in HEMA – it is a collection of somewhat rambling thoughts, originally intended for just a comment on his youtube channel, but ending up much longer. By way of background, I have met Shad a coupleRead more about Let’s be Honest About HEMA… A Response to Shadiversity[…]

Meyer is well known for the variety of techniques he uses, however some of those techniques are a little unorthodox and often dismissed. In this video we’ll look at a play from Wechsel (Change) which uses slashing from the right side, attacks with the flat, AND a reversal of hand position on the sword, makingRead more about Meyer’s Longsword: A Grip Reversal from Wechsel[…]

Some time ago one of our club members posted a Youtube link taken in our regular weekly classes; it takes a deep-dive into the Krieg, dismantling it a piece at a time and teasing out some of the issues we need to consider when devising our training, and implementing it while fencing. This post isRead more about War… What is it Good For?[…]

n this video we look at section 2.96v.1 from Meyer’s 1570 text, which discusses the use of a sequence of three thrusts, one after another. This is an interesting sequence which teaches some great lessons in winding and hanging, as well having elements which are really effective for day-to-day fencing.

A brief video describing the Zirckel (Circle) – an important technique in Joachim Meyer’s longsword system.

SIGI Forge is a relative newcomer to the HEMA scene but with the backing of high profile fencers like Martin Fabian I was predictably quite excited when mine arrived several weeks ago. After thoroughly putting the sword through its paces, let’s find out how the SIGI Feder stacks up. At a Glance The continuing popularityRead more about Review: SIGI Forge Feder[…]

About 6 weeks ago I was lucky enough to get my hands on the “Matt Easton” prototype sabre. How did it fare compared to their standard sabre offering? Read on and find out. At a Glance Most sabreurs will agree that the ideal sabre is a mythical and elusive beast. The right combination of weight,Read more about Review: Kvetun “Matt Easton” Sabre Prototype[…]

A new translation by Harry R. At a Glance With the advent of Wiktenauer fencing manuals have become easier to come by, but there is still plenty of room for printed translations. One such book by Melbourne’s Harry R. has been released in recent weeks, and provides a fresh new look at Codex 44.A.8 (betterRead more about Review: Peter von Danzig[…]

Abstract (aka TL;DR) Much of early fencing is assumes an accompanying knowledge of mounted combat and general equitation. It may be that there are implicit equestrian ideas taken for granted by fencers of the time which may prove useful in thinking about fencing today. In this post we explore Collected and Extended gaits in riding,Read more about From Equestrian to Pedestrian: Collection & Extension for Fencing on Foot[…]

Decision trees are sometimes derided by practitioners of historical fencing; after all the chaos of a fencing match rarely allows the luxury of time for complex decision making, and even a relatively simple decision tree can have multiple recursive branches and layers.  As a result even a relatively sedate exchange gives precious little opportunity theRead more about Decision Graphs: When You Can’t See the Forest for the Trees[…]