Historical European Martial Arts Enthusiast
HEMA Equipment, Experiences, and Opinions
A general information post or a link to useful content on another site.
Home practice can make all the difference for advancing HEMA skills. Adding a pell (the thing in the photos with the tire on it) allows me to practice cuts and thrusts in my own time between classes. The downside of a pell is that it takes up a fair amount of space. So, if I… Continue reading My Sword / HEMA Room
COVD-19 has impacted the ability of many HEMA clubs (including my own) to meet in person. In the interests of in-home training, here are some online resources I have used to continue my studies. While I have found that there is no true replacement for in-person practice and instruction, it can be helpful to get… Continue reading Online HEMA Resources for Training at Home
Just a quick post to share a site that lets you create custom 3D printed sword handles - https://powerful-sands-30060.herokuapp.com. Once you enter the measurements and taper of your tang, the site outputs a file that you can take to a 3D printer (provided the printer can make objects that large). You could also send the… Continue reading Site for making 3D Printed sword handles
Harnischfechten is an important, yet under-represented part of HEMA. I suspect this is due to the high startup costs associated with getting a full set of functional armor. Still, many of the primary HEMA sources spend a fair amount of time discussing armored combat. If we want to study the breadth of HEMA, then we… Continue reading Harnischfechten
I have joined the Cateran Society https://cateransociety.wordpress.com/ and am looking forward to more structured learning on the basket hilted broadsword and other Scottish arms. Although I am new, I am very impressed with the system of instructional videos and documents that they put together along with a mentor program, all free of charge. It is… Continue reading Joined the Cateran Society – Scottish Martial Arts
Smallsword is another weapon that I have an interest learning more about, but for different reasons than any other weapon I have studied. Longswords, broadswords, and rapiers were developed as highly refined killing tools for their situations. In contrast, smallswords seem to have been defined by fashion and society rather than lethality. Why people would… Continue reading Smallsword
Just read Highland Broadsword by Christopher Scott Thompson. Great book, looking forward to trying out the system. Link to the book: https://smile.amazon.com/Highland-Broadsword-Lessons-Drills-Practices/dp/1581607288/ Also see his later book, includes even more info: http://www.lulu.com/shop/christopher-scott-thompson/lessons-of-the-broadsword-masters/paperback/product-23826309.html
I am a member of the Lebanon NH branch of the Noble Science Academy http://noblescience.org/ Quoted from the Website: The Noble Science Historical Swordsmanship & European Martial Arts Centuries ago, the science of self-defense was considered the most noble of pursuits, and skill with the sword was the pinnacle of that art. Today, the members of… Continue reading My Home Club
Both Purpleheart and Blackfencer have very nice synthetics for broadsword practice, but there are very few reasonably priced steel broadswords out there that are safe to spar with. SGT blades seems to be the closest right now with a $375 option http://sgtblades.com/hema/, but the basket is pretty huge as it is designed to fit a… Continue reading Reasonable broadswords for HEMA?
I have been studying HEMA for a little over a year and wanted a place to share some of my thoughts around the process, equipment, and general experience. I have studied Longsword, rapier, Scottish broadsword, sidesword, sword and buckler, and a bit of dagger in class and have done some independent messer work. Longsword is… Continue reading Just starting out…
Historical European Martial Arts Enthusiast 