What is HEMA?
HEMA is a term that covers a lot of different disciplines. The general rule of thumb – “historical” means any martial art originating before 1950. “Martial art” must have a living tradition or preserved source material.
Today we have access to hundreds of different manuals written by different fencing masters. They describe combat with a variety of weapons both on foot and on horseback, as well as unarmed combat, both with and without armor. These manuals cover a period of about 660 years, from about 1290 – 1950. HEMA practice includes a number of different elements, including technique training with a wooden, nylon or metal weapon simulator, full-contact sparring with a steel simulator and protection, and test slashing with sharp weapons.
The main ones that we have people practicing are the following:
- Rapier,
- Rapier & Dagger,
- Rapier & Cloak,
- Small Sword,
- Side sword
- Case,
- Longsword
- Sword & Buckler
- Sabre
- Messer
- Dagger
- Great Sword
- Poleaxe
- This is not an exhaustive list! If you have a pair of a particular type of sword and the skill/interest to teach people as well as references to manuals for them to study, you will find people to “play” with!
Regular classes are only held for rapier, longsword, sabre (not at the moment) and poleaxe. Workshops are organised semi regularly on request in other disciplines.
We spar in a duel format (i.e. one on one) with the aim to land hits on our opponents. We don’t hit to hurt but to land a hit – this does not mean you won’t get some bruising even with protective gear.
For Longsword/Feder we lean towards the German traditions, for Rapier the Italian traditions and for Sabre the Swedish traditions. This does not mean we are purists – many persons explore and borrow from multiple traditions when sparring.
Getting Started
I saw you at <event of choice>. And i need to do this NOW!!
Great! If we are close to the start of the spring or autumn semester then hang on and join us when we start them. If its the middle of summer or you absolutely can’t wait then reach out to us by emailing the board and we can see what might be able to be done. – but no promises. Go check out the training schedule and the section “before your first training” for more information on schedules and beginners.
I am experienced in HEMA – can I just join you for sparring?
Yes but we’d still like you to reach out to us on discord or by emailing the board so we can organise someone to be there for you at your first session. We assume that you will be bringing your own gear and sword(s) unless you say otherwise. The person meeting you will be doing a gear check to make sure that you have everything and it is in good condition for your disciplines. They may do some sparring with you to get a feel for your level and skill.
What gear do I need to begin with?
To begin with just yourself, some gloves and wear comfy training gear with appropriate footwear (and a sports cup if you have one). We’ll lend you a mask to begin with.
Do I need to bring my own sword?
We have lending swords for most disciplines but you do need to let people know in advance if you need one so we make sure we have enough for everyone. Please note this is not a case of “any sword will do”. If you have a sword at home that you want to practise with then it needs to be specifically designed for HEMA. An instructor will need to check it before you can use it in any session.
Can I start sparring straight away?
Kinda – it’s slightly different for different disciplines. First of all it’s always at the instructor’s discretion. For rapier we can lend you a fencing jacket as well as mask to begin with and this will let you start with thrust only sparring straight away. No heavy sparring or cutting until you have your own gear. For longsword and saber, if you have a mask you can spar directly with foam sword. No metal sparring until you have a full set of gear.
Gear
What makes HEMA gear special/different to Olympic fencing year?
In both cases the gear is stab proof to 350n minimum. A thrust will still hurt, possibly a lot, but it won’t puncture the fabric and penetrate you. HEMA gear is designed to take heavier blows than you would have for olympic fencing. So the jackets and trousers are padded. Then over that we wear hard shell protection on lower arms, shins, knees and elbows as well as a hood overlay to protect the back of head. The gloves are also specially designed to protect the hands from hard hits but still make it possible to hold the sword(s).
When should i buy gear?
As soon as you know you want to keep doing this and you have the money to do it! Its always better in your own gear. Buying gear can be expensive but each piece will last many many years.
Start at the top and work your way down:
- Mask and Gorget
- Overlay to protect back of head
- Jacket and elbows
- Forearms and Gloves
- Legs, knees and shins.
Where do I buy gear?
List of the usual suspects:
What gear do i need for sparring in <discipline of choice>?
For foams – masks and gloves.
For metal – always mask, gorget, and, jacket. Trousers and back of head are strongly recommended.
Then it’s a question of what kind of sword is involved and what kind of sparring are you doing:
- For rapier thrust only – the minimum is enough and sensible gloves.
- For rapier cut&thrust – the basics and then: knee, elbow, forearm and lower legs,
- If your rapier has light protection on the hand or you are going to be grabbing your opponents sword then you will need a heavier glove with protection.
- For side sword, sabre, sword and buckler – the basics and then: knee, elbow, forearm and lower legs, and heavy gloves such as red dragon are mandatory,
- For longsword – the basics and then: knee, elbow, forearm and lower legs as well as heavy gloves such as SPES lobsters, or sparring gloves,
What other stuff would you recommend i buy?
- Chest protector – some use, some don’t. Your choice.
- Fabric deoderiser to spray inside gear with – it gets stinky and you will not be washing your gear weekly. – recommend spray for getting rid of smell of dog or cat pee.
- Long socks – knee high either sports socks or fashion socks.
- Very big rucksack – the gear is big and bulky. You want one big bag to put all your stuff in and then carry your swords separately.
What are changing/storage facilities like for gear?
Very limited. There are changing rooms in both but there is no place to store gear or to shower.
