Anglo, Sydney. The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe. New Haven. Yale University Press. 2000. Finally! After two years of reading, I finally finished reading Sydney Anglo’s The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe! I can say for certain, it was a deep and detailed book cataloguing and comparing fight books or manuals from the medieval period … Continue reading Reflecting on The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe
Michael Edelson began studying Yagyu Shinkage-ryu in the early 1990s and happened onto historical fencing by chance. From there, he bought himself a fight book, gathered some friends together, and started figuring out what the historical sources said to do. In 2005, Edelson established his New York Historical Fencing Association. Becoming friends with influential personality … Continue reading Interview with Retired HEMAist Michael Edelson: HEMA in the Northeast, Part I
When Guy Windsor enrolled in University in 1992, he quickly joined every martial arts club that was available. Soon, he found that fencing was his calling, but not the modern sport. In 1994, he co-founded the Dawn Duellists' Society to explore historical fencing. That exploration has led him to author numerous books, create a swordfighting … Continue reading Interview with HMA Instructor and Researcher Guy Windsor: Growth of the Movement in Europe
Jess Rozek just could not find what she wanted to do. She had tried a class or two of various martial arts, but they were not for her. Not until she watched Reclaiming the Blade in 2011, where it connected with her interests with fantasy and science fiction. From there, she found HEMA and Grunberg … Continue reading Interview with MKDF Lead Instructor Jess Rozek: The East Coast Growth of HEMA, Part I
Steaphen Fick was always interested in sword fighting, fighting at any chance he could get when he was a child. As he grew up, he found a touring fighting company in 1989, proceeding to participate in almost 2,000 duels and battles. It was not until the 1990s, where he found himself traveling all around Europe, … Continue reading Interview with Longtime HEMA Instructor Steaphen Fick: Sword Fighting and Teaching, Part II
Steaphen Fick was always interested in sword fighting, fighting at any chance he could get when he was a child. As he grew up, he found a touring fighting company in 1989, proceeding to participate in almost 2,000 duels and battles. It was not until the 1990s, where he found himself traveling all around Europe, … Continue reading Interview with Longtime HEMA Instructor Steaphen Fick: Sword Fighting and Teaching, Part I
Alex Meloi first started aikido after getting the wind knocked out of him by a karate friend. After that, it opened him up to the world of martial arts, eventually coming the Historical European Martial Arts in 2015. Over the years, he has honed and refined his knowledge of Fiore dei Librei’s manuscript, later establishing … Continue reading Interview with Tri-State Historical Fencing founder Alex Meloi: Mounted Combat Within Fiore dei Librei’s Manuscript
Cohen, Richard. By the Sword: Gladiators, Musketeers, Samurai Warriors, Swashbucklers, and Olympians. London: Pocket, 2003. I recall starting this book when I was much younger, driven by my desire to take and ingest all things sword and samurai. I remember my younger self being disappointed that though in the subtitle mentioned samurai, the book wasn’t … Continue reading Reflecting on By the Sword
Beginning to fence was like a dream come true for Zachary Sturgis. Starting at the young age of twelve, Sturgis has taken to the sport and its history, constantly honing his craft. At the time of the interview, he lives in Italy, training under Marco Vannini and Dario Finetti. Today, Sturgis took some time to … Continue reading Interview with Berk Fencing Club Member Zachary Sturgis: The Excitement of the Sport
Jon Weaver first began fencing in 2000 but had a spark to join back in 1964. After publishing an article in his local newspaper and recruiting Adam Feldman, they established the Berks Fencing Club in 2001. Since then, Weaver has consistently taught beginners at the club, giving them a firm foundation to grow from. Today, … Continue reading Interview with Berks Fencing Club Founder Jon Weaver: The Beginning
Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 