This year began with wide horizons: a plan to expand our jujutsu coverage, deepen our editorial and historical writing, and finish a new book. While not every target was fully met, the year proved foundational. The work we completed, and the work we set in motion, positions the chronicle for an even stronger year ahead. … Continue reading A Year in Review: 2025
From her early days watching black-and-white adventure films to becoming a driving force in the growth of cut-and-thrust fencing within the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA), Rachel Raposa has combined curiosity, scholarship, and grit to help build a more inclusive, dynamic, and historically informed community. Today, Raposa speaks to the challenges women face in the … Continue reading Interview with An Tir Cut and Thrust Marshal Rachel Raposa: A Relationship with Historical Fencing and Inclusivity
By the invitation of a high school friend, Lyon MacKeegan found himself being geared up for a Society for Creative Anachronism heavy combat bout. Shortly after, MacKeegan joined the rapier side of the SCA and continued has not looked back since. Throughout his thirty-plus years of active membership, he rose to the position of Rapier … Continue reading Interview with Rapier Marshal Lyon MacKeegan: Fighting in the Past and Recreating the Past, Part II
By the invitation of a high school friend, Lyon MacKeegan found himself being geared up for a Society for Creative Anachronism heavy combat bout. Shortly after, MacKeegan joined the rapier side of the SCA and continued has not looked back since. Throughout his thirty-plus years of active membership, he rose to the position of Rapier … Continue reading Interview with Rapier Marshal Lyon MacKeegan: Fighting in the Past and Recreating the Past, Part I
First starting in Tang Soo Do and enjoying the weapon forms, Patrick Bratton gravitated towards more weapons work, joining Olympic foil and Society for Creative Anachronism heavy fencing, and later HEMA in 2013. From there, Bratton established Sala Della Spada, teaching both Olympic and historical fencing, where he implements modern training methods to keep students … Continue reading Interview with Sala Della Spada Founder Patrick Bratton: Blending the Historical and Modern in Fencing
Swords were always enticing to RJ McKeehan, especially after a friend from Europe told him about the historical fencing events being held in the continent. He finally got the chance to try his hand at historical fencing in 2010 when he attended California State University. There, he learned from Jonathan Mashar and Jason Taylor who … Continue reading Interview with SoCal Swords Founder RJ McKeehan: Training and Supplying HEMA Part II
Zorro first inspired Paul Macdonald to pick up a sword and fence. He did not start officially fencing until he reached university level, learning Modern Olympic Fencing. Something was missing from this type of fencing for Macdonald. That something was found in Domenico Angelo’s late seventeenth century treatise and the rest for him was history. … Continue reading Interview with Macdonald Academy of Arms Founder Paul Macdonald: Finding and Exploring Historical Fencing
An avid Star Wars fan, it did not take a lot of convincing for Kat Laurange to try out light-based fencing with the now-defunct Kyber Combat. At the same time, she was training winged sabre with Russ Mitchell, who headed Starbird Saber Academy. In 2023, Laurange took over instructional responsibilities and, just like training in … Continue reading Interview with Starbird Academy Instructor Kat Laurange: All the Things!
Like many historical fencers before the explosion of the internet, YouTube, and other platforms, José Ortiz-Inchausty early training was composed of pieces of information coupled with his background in previous martial arts. His interest in historical fencing became more apparent while he was in college and a few of his friends helped him and each … Continue reading Interview with 417 HEMA Founder José Ortiz-Inchausty: Fencing From Puerto Rico to Missouri
Josh Little began sword fighting when his high school physics teacher introduced LARP to him, which led Little to try out the Society for Creative Anachronism and Olympic Fencing. Later, in the late 1990s, he found historical fight manuscripts and never looked back. Around the same time, Little established his Ars Gladii, teaching a myriad … Continue reading Interview with Ars Gladii Founder Josh Little: Adventures of Historical Fencing in the Midwest, Part I
Martial Arts of Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow 