A short note on strengeren, or “gaining the blade”.
What's our problem? The main purpose of any fencing art is to keep the fencer safe from the hostile intentions of his opponent(s), i.e. defense.…
What is a fencer?
I know I am not the only one who feels fencing is more than training, research, techniques, sparring, and competitions. Being a fencer means…
Lady Fencers – transcript of an article in The Harmsworth Magazine, issue July 1899
I sought this article out of simple curiosity and was intrigued and surprised by the content. At face-value it seems a charming snapshot of Victorian…
Simple Staff Method and Drills
I first learned staff in the late eighties, and although I was not that interested in the provenance, as I recall my master learned it in Scouts as a…
A mentality of fear – and its importance to fighting
"If you want to learn how to fight properly and effectively with the long sword, so that you may, without gloves and without all armour, guard your…
Flower of Battle
Here is an excellent lecture on Fiore Furlano de Liberi, Ludwig von Eyb and more, by Michael Chidester, held at Fechtschule America 2013. Well worth…
Die Vorpal-Klinge!
This short movie shows a glimpse of the world of the Collegiate Fencing, the still living child of the Fechtschule tradition. For more…
Meyer Rappier research launch
There is a growing interest in Meyer's rappier and to aid in this, and as I also plan to study this more myself since it is basically required in…
Meyer freeflow exercises
To begin with, just for clarification, this is not a typical article per se, but rather a text sorted under the Meyer Research Project, thus a more…
The Saber’s Many Travels (The Origins of the Cross-Cutting Art)
Before you engage in combat, mind this: the blade of your saber is nothing else – and cannot be anything else – but an extension of your own…
Dynamic gripping of swords
Here's a good clip from John Clements focusing on an often forgotten aspect of swordfighting; the dynamic gripping of swords. Some time ago I wrote…
Meyer’s masters
On this day, 443 years ago, Fechtmeister Joachim Meyer published his magnificent fencing treatise 'Gründliche Beschreibung der Freyen Ritterlichen…
Save the wrestling!
In a somewhat surprising decision the Olympic Committee has now decided to exclude both Freestyle and Greco-Roman wrestling from the Olympic Games,…
Napoleonic Flame-War ‘Cut vs Thrust’
During the late 18th and early 19th century the definition of a proper sword varied from nation to nation. Initially, nations sought to choose the…
The Plagiarism by Nicolleto Giganti.
A few years ago I translated the first book of Mr. Nicolleto Giganti into Castilian. The book I used for the translation was printed in 1644 by…
Giovanni Battista Gaiani (1619) – An Italian Perspective on Competitive Fencing
The relative benefit and importance of competition in modern HEMA is a frequent subject of debate. Despite differences in context, it is arguable…
The genealogy of the Glima masters recognized by the Viking Glima Federation
Lars Magnar Enoksen (b. 1960) is president of the Viking Glima Federation and its master instructor. The following text is a short presentation of…
A theory-based approach to teaching HEMA
HEMA, it can be said, is only in its second generation by now, though some claim to be in the fourth already. This makes us a very young Art, and…
The WhatChaMaCallIt-Schwert
In Sweden we have a saying; "A loved child has many names" and looking at what is today called a federschwert this seems to be true for this type of…
In memory of Cpt. Alfred Hutton
Today we raise our glasses to the memory of the 19th cent. HEMA-pioneer Cpt. Alfred Hutton who died on this very day, at the age of 71, on Dec 18…
Remember Mair
On this day, December 10, 433 years ago, Paul Hektor Mair was hung at the age of 62, convicted of embezzlement of the city of Augsburg's…
Skill training vs. strength training
This is a debate that has been heard by all of us one time or another, I believe: Should strength training be incorporated into HEMA, and how much of…
Footwork video from Sala delle Armi.
Very nicely produced video on footwork, from La Sala delle…
The Dussack – a weapon of war
In my opinion the dussack doesn't quite get the recognition it deserves in the historical fencing community, despite the fact that it was a highly…
Lecture on the world from which the fencing art evolved
This is probably the best lecture on the world from which the fencing masters and their Art evolved that I have ever seen! Very impressive work,…
Why Fight? The Objectives of Liechtenauer’s Fencing
When we hear how people describe the art of fencing in the Middle Ages, we often hear them say that it was all about fighting to the death, or at…
Russian test cutting practices
One of the great things about online HEMA research is that you often end up finding interesting material that you weren't really looking for. I was…
The Wreath or the Cash? On Tournament fighting
"Ey fåår Fächtare Krantz förn ändas Manlige Strijden. The Fighter shall not receive the wreath until the manly battle is ended (according to…
Rope drill for HEMA.
This is a very interesting exercise. The exercise is based on a boxing drill and can be expanded upon in different ways and looks worth exploring.…
Footwork exercises by Ilkka
I found these exercises interesting and will be adding some of this to what we already do in our training…
The Rose and the Pentagram
This article is written to accompany the recent article about the mysticist, and possibly even fencer and a Freyfechter, Heinrich Agrippa. If you…
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, a fine student, black magician – and a Freyfechter?
Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa von Nettesheim (15 September 1486 – 18 February 1535) was a German knight, an ambassador, magician, occult writer,…
A call to arms!
From at least as far back as the early to mid 1400s, all the way up until about the French Revolution in 1789, longsword fencers have been…
The OODA Loop & HEMA
"Knowledge is not power. Power alone is power. What knowledge does is provide the means to determine where to focus that power, for maximum…
Meyer and Marozzo dagger comparison
It has been debated regarding to what extent Meyer was inspired by the Italians, the Napolitans and the Bolognese fighting systems and although there…
About the flat parry
In the world of historical fencing, and particularly the fascinating field of research, we sometimes face scholars who express less well-founded…
Travel diary from visiting Sint Michielsgilde /Hallebardiers – the oldest European Fencing School in Brugge, Belgium
Last week I visited the Hallebardiers/Sint Michielsgilde in Brugge, Belgium having been invited to assist the excellent Kevin Maurer of the Meyer…
Doing what we are told or what we are taught? – Part 1.
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…
Learning 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…
Unique new treatise added
We just added a rather unique new, but uncompleted treatise to our database. This time it is the Codex Guelf 83.4 August 8°, entitled "Das ander…
A sociological conceptualization of Jogo do Pau
This is a really interesting clip with Portuguese Jogo do Pau master Luis…
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…
Teaching 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…
The history of Joachim Meyer’s fencing 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…
A 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…
The 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…
Joachim Meÿer Halben Stangen techniques
The Guards Here are the main guards of Joachim Meÿer's Halben Stangen: 1. Oberhut (left) 2. Gerader Versatzung (or Mittelhut) 3. Unterhut 4.…
Body and cutting mechanics – project start
I and a few members of the GHFS have been focusing on the transitions between the longsword stances in Joachim Meÿer's treatise of 1570. Some…
Strengthening exercises
Here are some very crude video clips we shot today of the strengthening exercises we have begun working with in the Meÿer Halben Stangen class at…
The 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…
Chronicon Helvetiae
Just some brief reflections on images from Chronicon Helvetiae by Christoph Silberysen, dated to 1576, currently kept in the Aargauer…
Meyer quarterstaff – A lesson plan
I thought it might interest some to see how a typical lesson plan for our Meÿer staff class in GHFS looks like. This is of course too…
The 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…
Federschwert 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…
Deutsche 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…
Spinning 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…
Knightly 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…
Is 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…
How 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…
How 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…
How do you grip a sword?
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…
Sparring 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…
Gothenburg Historical Fencing School
