More on Priority or ‘right-of-way’
By Robin Catling. Having written about Priority recently, what do the rules say about ‘right-of-way’? Priority or ‘right-of-way’ is the set of rules…
Category: Blog
Fencing in the Ancient World
The word “Carma” coming from Sanskrit refers to fencing in ancient times. The modern word “Escrime” is used to signify the art of…
![Romancing the Sword [re-post]](https://i0.wp.com/westdevonswords.info/wp-content/uploads/romancing_the_sword_composite_400_225.jpg?resize=400%2C225&ssl=1)
Romancing the Sword [re-post]
The final release poster for Alita: Battle Angel is out and she’s holding some weirdly unidentifiable, but cool-looking sword. A 26th-century cyborg still…
The HEMA Heresy
Almost all our our study of historical European martial arts is based on original period manuscripts by fencing masters of the time. But…
Bartitsu and the ‘New Art of Self Defence’
Mr Edward William Barton-Wright was an English railway engineer who travelled widely and formulated what today we call a mixed martial art. Barton-Wright…
Unreal tournament – when HEMA turns to ‘tag’
When you ‘train to the treatise’ but spar and compete to tournament rules, there’s a danger that the swordplay looks less like the…
![Cut and thrust: the mechanics of the sword [Guest Post]](https://i0.wp.com/westdevonswords.info/wp-content/uploads/Cut-and_Thrust_European_Swords_and_Swordsmanship_Martin_J_Dougherty_cover_400_225.jpg?resize=400%2C225&ssl=1)
Cut and thrust: the mechanics of the sword [Guest Post]
By: Martin J. Dougherty. There are many possible weapons that can be put in the hand of a warrior. Some are better suited…
Cut and thrust: components of the sword [Guest Post]
By: Martin J. Dougherty. A sword, in the simplest terms, consists of a blade and a hilt. There are many sub-components of course,…
Cut and thrust: the development of the sword [Guest Post]
By: Martin J. Dougherty. The key factor that allowed the modern long-bladed sword to develop was, of course, metallurgy. A knife blade, spear…