Historical European Martial Arts Enthusiast
HEMA Equipment, Experiences, and Opinions
HEMA is not for the faint of heart. We are practicing an art where we try to hit one another with steel bars at full speed while following the advice of people that died hundreds of years ago. Effective safety gear not only extends our ability to practice the art, it also allows our practice… Continue reading My Protective Equipment for HEMA
Smallswords are intriguing as a system, but I have not been a fan of most of the lower-cost training swords on the market because they tend to use epee blades. I understand that epee blades are a light, safe, and economical way to produce a smallsword, but I don’t like the look of them. They… Continue reading Impressions of the Castille Complete Economy Small Sword
Low Cost Scottish Targe: Front and Back Fun little project if you want to make your own Scottish Targe for low cost and low effort. If you happen to have an old belt and some fabric (like an old sheet) you can sacrifice to the cause, you can make this for less than $12. If… Continue reading DIY Low Cost Targe for HEMA
Getting started in Messer is my most read article to date and where much of my current passion lies within HEMA. While you can practice Messer with a good wooden stick, I find that my enjoyment and appreciation for a system greatly improves with a good steel trainer. Long story short, I love the VB… Continue reading Messer Sword by Viktor Berbekucz
Given the pandemic, many people are unable to attend their normal HEMA classes. Space and ceiling height constraints make practicing longsword at home challenging. My ceiling has its fair share of battle wounds from previous home sessions when times were better. My ceilings (and wife) have very much appreciated my investment in the Indoor Longsword… Continue reading Indoor Longsword Trainer VB Style, V1 from Purpleheart Armoury
My opponent and I circle, just out of measure. We adopt various counter guards based on what we see in each other's posture and perceived intent. The moment comes, and my opponent launches a thrust to my mask. I was waiting for this, I can see it coming, but my body can’t move as fast… Continue reading Strategies for the Middle-Aged Fencer
If you are interested in trying out fokos techniques from the book “Hungarian Hussar Sabre and Fokos Fencing” by Russ Mitchell, you will need a Fokos! There are options available for sale on the internet (such as this one https://www.woodenswords.com/Hungarian_Axe_Fokos_p/vb.fokos.9.htm), but I wanted to try and create one myself. I was able to do so… Continue reading DIY Fokos
The Castille complete economy basket hilt sword is a relatively new option in the traditionally expensive space of HEMA-safe steel broadswords. At $260, the sword is shockingly affordable in comparison to most of the competing products (you can see the bottom of my review of the Purpleheart hybrid broadsword here for some links to other… Continue reading Castille Complete Economy Basket Hilt Broadsword Review
If you are curious about the Messer as a HEMA weapon or just starting out, I hope the information below is helpful. Feedback is welcome and appreciated in the comments. Messer Curriculum PDF - Download My goal with this article is to share the sources that got me going as well as provide the Messer… Continue reading Getting Started with Messer in HEMA
Over the past few months, the handle of my Regenyei feder had developed a noticeable "wiggle". While the function of the sword was not impacted, I found the slight movement distracting and annoying. As the problem was getting worse over time, I suspected the issue was with the wood under the handle wrap. I removed the… Continue reading Re-Wrapping the handle of a Regenyei Feder
