Historical European Martial Arts

What HEMA is:

Historical European Martial Arts is a group of individuals dedicated to learning and practicing the historical martial art techniques of medieval and Renaissance Europe. Many aspects of these arts have died out or evolved into very different forms of the once used practices. The HEMA community has been actively seeking out, translating and interpreting historical fighting treatises and books created across hundreds of years to recreate the original fighting styles. Our source material come primarily from fechtbucher, or fight-books, that contain techniques for training everything from dagger to longsword and even mounted and fully armored combat.

To learn more about HEMA as a whole, check out the HEMA Alliance. 

What HEMA is not:

HEMA is not television fighting. There are no giant leaps in the air, or twirls for dramatic effect. We do not wield 8 pounds swords that need be swung like sharpened clubs to cleaver through a target. Historical longswords weigh between 3 to 4 pounds, are well balanced and utilize a deep understanding of body machines and geometry against opponents.

HEMA is not reenacting or LARPing. HEMA practitioners do not speak in thees and thous, we do not dress in period clothing and we do not believe in some sort of knights code. Not that there is anything wrong with any of these activities and many HEMA practitioners also enjoy reenacting, SCA and/or LARPing. We wear modern day fencing protective equipment designed to protect us from the historical weaponry we wield. A typical HEMA practice will have more in common with a typical fencing school or karate dojo than the Ren Faire.