Posts about Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA)
We have quite a buzz around this coming Saturday’s session, 9th Feb. Really great to see, thanks all.
We didn’t set up a booking system this time, so if you can indicate on our Facebook page if you’re planning to attend that will give us an idea of numbers and we will flex the running order if it looks like we’re going to be short of kit.
We look forward to seeing you.
Update: Medieval Sword School 9 and 23 Feb Read More »
Introduction to historical sword-play (non-contact); including footwork, guards, cutting, thrusting and blocking. Actual combat techniques, not re-enacting or stage fighting.
Choice of sessions Sat 9th or 23rd Feb; £5 per person (16+yrs).
Parklands Leisure Centre
Simmons park, EX20 1EP Okehampton …
Event: Medieval Sword School – 9 and 23 Feb, OkehamptonRead More »
Event: Medieval Sword School – 9 and 23 Feb, Okehampton Read More »
Almost all our our study of historical European martial arts is based on original period manuscripts by fencing masters of the time. But practical issues in reconstructing the techniques often raises suspicions about some of the content… …
For our last session of the year, the Okehampton group undertook a wee sampler from the Bartitsu canon of E.W. Barton-Wright. Edwardian costume wasn’t compulsory – in fact only the instructor decided to add some colour for the occasion.
WDS Bartitsu sampler Read More »
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 combined elements of boxing, jujitsu, cane fighting (la cane), and French kick boxing (savat) in order to create a self defence system that could be used by gentlemen on the mean streets of Edwardian London or elsewhere in or beyond the British Empire. For a short time it was so popular that even Sherlock Holmes employed a form of it in his detective adventures; a down-and-dirty form was picked up in the Robert Downey Jnr / Guy Ritchie Holmes movies of a few years ago. …
Bartitsu and the ‘New Art of Self Defence’ Read More »
When you ‘train to the treatise’ but spar and compete to tournament rules, there’s a danger that the swordplay looks less like the historical sources and more like a grown-up game of tag. …
Unreal tournament – when HEMA turns to ‘tag’ Read More »
Dates for this half term block have worked out as:
November 8, 15, 22, 29
December 13, skipping Dec 6 for Okehampton Edwardian evening. …
Fees for November Half Term Read More »
West Devon Swords has affiliated with the British Federation for Historical Swordplay, an alliance of groups across the UK, all of whom are engaged in the research, study and practice of historical fencing and European martial arts. …
West Devon Swords joins BFHS Read More »
Well done all candidates: Rob, Adam, Matt, Bethan, Alan, Kerri, Chris, Lee, (me!) and Stuart for successfully passing the BFHS IL1; all are now legitimately entitled to teach people to hit each other with a variety of historical implements. …
Success at Instructor Assessments Read More »
