Last week I visited the Hallebardiers/Sint Michielsgilde in Brugge, Belgium having been invited to assist the excellent Kevin Maurer of the Meyer Frei Fechter Guild by teaching the Halbenstangen (quarterstaff) of Joachim Meyer. Here is a short travel diary from that visit. Friday … Continue reading
Doing what we are told or what we are taught?
Here’s an old but still always relevant question for us HEMA practitioners to ask ourselves: When we read the old fencing treatises, should we only practice what we are told to do in the treatises or should we try to … Continue reading
Keywords: interpretating, Longsword, Meÿer, principles, techniques, thrusting, zweihänderLearning may be tough, extremely tough… Time to wise up!!!
Throughout my years involved with martial arts I have seen, time and time again, instructors in the most varied arts who spar effectively but do not know how they do it. The reason I say this has to do with … Continue reading
A sociological conceptualization of Jogo do Pau
Keywords: Combat, footwork, Jogo do Pau, Longsword, multiple opponents, parry, staff, strike, tactics
Didrik von Porat
For some time now I have searched and collected information about the Swedish fencing Master Didrik von Porat. This is what I have found out. According to his Letter of Nobility, which he got when he was knighted, Didrik von … Continue reading
Keywords: didrik, diederich, diederik, gamla stans fäktskola, jörnlind, karl xii, palaestra, porat, porath, suecana, svecanaTeaching martial arts
Quite recently, while exchanging all sorts of points of view with everyone’s good friend Roger Norling of GHFS, and upon stating that Jogo do Pau’s footwork does not entail any deliberate positioning of one’s feet, but simply managing one’s body … Continue reading
The history of Joachim Meyer’s treatise to Otto von Solms.
The Joachim Meyer fechtbuch named MS A.4°.2, a beautiful hand-written and watercolour-illustrated fencing treatise dedicated to Herrn Otto von Solms-Sonnewalde is currently held at the University Library of Lund, but how did it end up there after having been given to the … Continue reading
Keywords: 1560, falkenberg, lund, Meÿer, solms, sparre, thirty year's warA journey through a technique: the Durchlauffen
Image from the treatise C.93 by Paul Hektor Mair The “running through” is mentioned already in the pseudo-Hanko Döbringer (on folio 23), and is universally transposed throughout the so-called German martial literature. Durchlauffen, in fact, is a blanket term for a body … Continue reading
Keywords: body mechanics, durchlauffen, Francesco Lanza, Giorgio Fonda, Grappling, ringeck, Ringen, starhemberg, trainingThe tools for the job
Image from Joachim Meyer’s treatise of 1560 To understand the body mechanics involved in a technique we not only have to train our bodies so we are strong and agile enough, we also need to use tools that work together … Continue reading
Keywords: body mechanics, halben stangen, Longsword, Meÿer, Pavel Moc, zweihänderThe Rules of the Fight and Effective Training
The Rules of Martial Arts There are rules in martial arts. The rules in modern martial arts are many and varied. These arts are often oriented towards sporting applications or may be practiced for fitness or spiritual development rather than … Continue reading
Chronicon Helvetiae
Just some brief reflections on images from Chronicon Helvetiae by Christoph Silberysen, dated to 1576, currently kept in the Aargauer Kantonsbibliothek in Aarau, Switzerland. Christoph Silbereysen (* 1541 in Baden AG; † 1608 in Wettingen) was abbot of the Cistercian Monastery of Wettingen. The chronicle … Continue reading
Keywords: battle, catholic, chronicles, halberd, kappel, landsknecht, Longsword, Meÿer, pike, protestant, reisläufer, swiss, urban warfare, urs grafThe Secret Fechtbuch of the Little Fuggers.
The famous Augsburg family Fuggers are still considered to have been one of the wealthiest families in the world of all times, and since they were based in Augsburg, and also lived in Nuremberg and other well-known centres of fencing, … Continue reading
Keywords: Augsburg, Fechtbuch, Fugger, Mair, SchwartzFederschwert or a blunt longsword?
What kind of steel longsword should one choose for sparring? There are of course many aspects to consider. However, many instinctively discount the so called federschwert, since they look too weak and commonly are associated with sports fencing in late … Continue reading
Keywords: Federschwert, Longsword, Training swordDeutsche Fechtkunst im 16. Jahrhundert.
What was it like in a German 16th Century Fechtboden? Here is a glimpse written by Prof. Dr. G Panconcelli-Calzia in 1926, based on his studies of the manuscript entitled “Codex Guelf 83.4 August 8°, which still resides in the … Continue reading
Keywords: Fechtkunst, FechtschuleSpinning around Hollywood Style?
Never ever turn your back against your opponent sounds like a good, solid advice, but is it always so? What do you do for instance, when you face multiple opponents? This article will give a few examples of Renaissance sources … Continue reading
Keywords: Jogo do Pau, Stage fencingKnightly Arts: A true-hearted letter of warning of the sad state of current Christianity.
Knightly Arts: A true-hearted letter of warning of the sad state of current Christianity. Author: Roger Norling of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School How did one train soldiers and horses for war in the 17th century? These images give a small … Continue reading
Keywords: Battle Field, Combat, Horse, Horses, WarIs there really a Left Vom Tag?
Well there is a right Vom Tag, and a middle one… so there has to be a left Vom Tag as well, hasn’t there? We make all master cuts cut from both sides, so it is simple logic, right? Looking … Continue reading
Keywords: Guards, Leger, Liechtenauer, Longsword, Vom TagHow do you do the Vom Tag?
No, it’s not the hottest, new move on the dance floor. It’s just the old High Guard as it is taught by Master Liechtenauer and his disciples, may God rest their souls. But how should it be done, really?
Keywords: Guards, Leger, Liechtenauer, Longsword, Paurnfeindt, Vom TagHow long should a longsword be?
A simple reply would be long enough to reach your opponent. Stupid answer, I know… But the question is also stupid… sort of. Let me explain. Real longswords from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance can range from about 110cm … Continue reading
Keywords: Length, LongswordHow do you grip a sword?
Author: Roger Norling of Gothenburg Historical Fencing School Gripping a sword may sound like the easiest part of fencing; I mean it is just a matter of grabbing a sword and holding on to it. However, as we will briefly … Continue reading
Keywords: Grip, Meÿer, Paurnfeindt, Sword, Talhoffer, WilhalmSparring swords – Introduction
What defines a good sparring weapon? A common notion is that it should be as close as possible to the real, sharp weapon it simulates, but be designed with safety in mind, thus lowering the risk of permanent injury. However, … Continue reading
Keywords: Federschwert, Sparring swords, Synthetic longsword, waster
Gothenburg Historical Fencing School
