Historical European Martial Arts

Last week did not go so well. In fact, for the first time in my working career, I had to walk outside and cool off before I quit on the spot. My job satisfaction and morale has plummeted the past year and it’s time to move on.

I ended up taking off both Friday and Monday, just to get some breathing room and to spend some time applying for new jobs. Thankfully, by Monday afternoon, my anger had finally subsided, and I realized I had an opportunity to do something I’ve been looking into off and on for fifteen years: HEMA (Historical European Marital Arts).

Having done Tae Kwon Do, Krav Maga, and fencing in the past, I’ve been looking to get into something new for years now. Jiu Jitsu sounds great, but I’m forty years old and I really don’t have any interest in having another sweaty dude on top of me trying to manipulate my joints. Kickboxing/Muay Thai really interests me, but again, I’m not a young buck, and I don’t think getting punched in the head at this age is probably the best idea.

But I’ve researched local martial art schools, along with softer martial arts such as Tai Chi and Kung Fu, but I just couldn’t commit to anything. I mean, walking into something brand new is always a bit scary and I know it takes me a little bit to warm up to people, which adds even more friction.

Anyway, back to HEMA. So, HEMA seems to illicit snickers when usually mentioned online and it’s understandable. I think when people think of historical marital arts, they think Medieval Times or LARPers. Heck, that sort of association has been one of the biggest hurdles for me as well. I mean, there is nothing wrong with larping or cosplaying, it’s just not really for me. What I was looking for was something fun, that would get me moving, and out of the house a bit.

Near me, we have the Triangle Sword Guild, a non-profit club that takes HEMA quite seriously. Classes are run like traditional martial art classes and techniques are sourced from historical texts such as The Art of Defense on Foot with the Broad Sword and Sabre by Charles Roworth (1824). Obviously gaps and adjustments have been made, but the idea is to teach the content as close to the source material as possible. There are no role players nor fantasy elements, and it’s treated a serious sport.

I registered back in January to attend a class, but the timing wasn’t great. I actually registered the previous Monday but backed out after a particularly difficult day of work. So, this past Monday, rested and reinvigorated, I showed up to a class.

My expectations were exceeded. This is going to sound terrible, and as an overweight, nerdy, comic-con attending guy, I mean no disrespect, but I really was expecting to see a ton of super out of shape guys waving around swords and playing Lord of the Rings. I even told myself if some casts a spell, I’d just leave.

Instead, I found a much larger group than expected (probably close to thirty individuals), most between the ages of 30-50, and almost half the class was female including one of the instructors. The class was organized, the people were friendly, and the class moved at an excellent pace.

The particular class I took was Napoleonic Fencing, which lasted ninety minutes. Most of the class focused on basic footwork, starting with your beginning stance, how to move forward and backward, and maintain proper balance. The last half hour or so, focused on various guards when holding a sword (the instructors provided a large case of unsharpened metal swords with the points removed) and then finally, how to perform a basic thrust.

I was surprised by how much of a workout it actually was. Between holding stances and moving, my quads were blown up by the end of class. But my right bicep is what really was sore, since an actual sword is much heavier than expected and just holding a guard is quite an isometric workout. I wanted something to get me moving, and I guess I found it.

My first HEMA class was enlightening. The curriculum was fun, the workout was solid, and I mean, who doesn’t want to play with swords? I didn’t really speak to anyone, outside of the instructor, but hopefully I’ll loosen up a bit after I attend a few more classes. I plan on attending another class this evening, so maybe I’ve found a new hobby and one that involves me to be around other people. That’s progress.