/r/Hema

Photograph via snooOG

Welcome to r/HEMA, dedicated to the discussion of Historical European Martial Arts and related interests (SCA, Harnessfechten, etc). Because it's fun to hit people with swords!

/r/Hema

16,341 Subscribers

2

Looking for reverse grip longsword/greatsword illustrations.

I doing some research on a Meyer technique that involves using a reverse grip. The closest illustration that I can find is Ringeck 7v, but I recall seeing at least one more with a higher quality image in the past.

2 Comments
2024/05/05
23:48 UTC

13

Are ranks a sign your HEMA club is a cult?

19 Comments
2024/05/05
18:14 UTC

70

From the moment i understood the weakness of my felsh, it bankrupted me

6 Comments
2024/05/05
17:58 UTC

13

Meyer Dusack Cuts Poster

1 Comment
2024/05/05
17:32 UTC

2

Sword and cape - HEMA sparring - Carlos VS Jonathan

0 Comments
2024/05/05
13:17 UTC

6

Krumphau as Versetzen against Ochs discussion and demonstration

0 Comments
2024/05/05
04:57 UTC

1

Details for Ansetzen and Absetzen

1 Comment
2024/05/04
21:06 UTC

59

Meyer Dusack Parries and Openings Poster

10 Comments
2024/05/04
20:31 UTC

1

DIY or cheap heavy pomel for a Rowling synthetic?

i want to tune up my rawling to get the balance point of balance closer than the current 6" i got. i know they got a steel pommel on their website but it seem way too heavy, on top of costing a fortune to get here. any suggestions?

8 Comments
2024/05/04
00:18 UTC

490

The struggle against online idiots

56 Comments
2024/05/03
16:52 UTC

10

Another Newb Question: Tendonitis?

Like it said. I'm getting back into this after dabbling several years ago. Discipline is Meyer longsword.

I've noticed after a few classes and frequent solo drilling (Meyer Square and similar) that I'm getting very sore wrists, particularly in my right hand. Unfortunately this is not anything new for me. I'm also a musician, and this became a huge problem when I started playing flute. (It only ended when I switched to a flute that suited me better ergonomically.) Tendonitis located in my wrists.

What suggestions do people have for avoiding this while still fencing? I'd much rather proactively do some strength-building exercises than get injured and/or quit. TIA.

10 Comments
2024/05/02
20:59 UTC

3

New MAC armory back-of-head protection

Has anyone tried it yet? It looks like it might fit kinda tight and absorb less concussion than a typical back-of-head piece. But it looks so cool, and I like the vibe.

1 Comment
2024/05/02
20:37 UTC

53

Safe for Grappling

5 Comments
2024/05/02
17:10 UTC

1

Backsword Guard question…

While looking for something texts online for backsword (btw, thanks to everyone who offered recommendations in that recent thread) recently I ran across this workbook put out by AHF…

http://swordfight.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/AHF-workbook-Taylors-ten-lessons-Version-4.pdf

This looks to combine several works by authors that were recommended to me, and looks to be a great starting point for broadsword/backsword. Looking thru the reproduced visual depictions and instructions of the guards I do have a question I hope someone can offer some insight to…

Both the visual depictions and the instructions imply to block and guard with your weapons edge directly against the opponents weapon edge and I have to wonder why? I’m not looking to rehash the flat vs edge argument, but it does seem strange to me since regardless this would be detrimental to your weapons edge, especially in light of the backsword thick unsharpened spine.

Was this instruction due to metallurgical advancements? Were swords seen as more disposable by the time Anglo and Roworth published their work? Was it due to the regimental process of having to train large numbers of soldiers and simply dumbing the instruction down to the masses? Or is this not something that is specifically mentioned in the original works and the authors interpretation of the guards based on the original depictions?

Thanks in advance…

4 Comments
2024/05/02
15:40 UTC

8

Some Spanish Rapier and Dagger Destreza from Barcelona.

0 Comments
2024/05/02
13:17 UTC

122

Learning and praticing Marozzo's Flaso Dritto

19 Comments
2024/05/02
11:04 UTC

3

Sourcing Rattan (UK)

Hi all,

I recently made a post about getting into singlestick as a budget-friendly way of learning sabre/broadsword, but I've found myself in a bit of a predicament.

There are three main places I've found to get Rattan singlestick blades:

-Purpleheart Armoury (out of stock and potentially expensive due to international shipping)

-SoCal Swords (Currently my best bet, but shipping will double my order cost)

-AHA (Based in Glasgow, yet has shipping costs even higher than SoCal that basically triple the order cost)

Can anyone suggest sources that might be more accessible to a UK buyer? I'm happy to pay a little extra if it means I get to avoid obscene shipping costs. Thanks :)

7 Comments
2024/05/01
22:50 UTC

9

Judging from your experience with Hema, what tactical roles would the various different historical melee weapons have fulfilled on the battlefield?

I already asked this question on another sub and figured I might ask you as well, since people here are more likely to have actually used the weapons in question. The gist of it is that, as a long time fan of RTS games like the Total War series, I have grown increasingly more suspicious over the portrayal of historical melee weapons in these games as I learned more about them. One example would be the rock-paper-scissors principle of Shogun 2, where swords beat spears, which beat cavalry, which in turn beats swords.

But swords were almost never the primary weapon, usually a backup, right?

Other questions would be:

What role did polearms like halberds and naginatas serve as opposed to spears and pikes?

What was the role of weapons like the Goedendag?

How were really big swords like the Nagamaki, No-Dachi and Greatsword used?

What about two handed axes? I have heard that Dane Axes were often used as part of a shield wall. You'd have a row of men with shields and probably spears and one man with a Dane Axe reaching over their heads to kill anyone who got too close. Is that true?

Under what circumstances would you chose a one handed battleaxe as a sidearm over a sword?

And since the short, one handed spear in combination with a shield seems to have been the go-to for almost everyone in history: Why would an army choose a different primary melee armament for its soldiers?

17 Comments
2024/05/01
14:16 UTC

13

Seeking swordsmen/women

Hey, I'm a reenactor myself (not just a researcher poking in for no reason) and I'm doing a neuroscience MSc project using battle reenactors/HEMA as a participant base. I've turned to reddit for participants and I hope you can help me out: It would help me out SO much if you guys could do my study, or at least share it round to any groups you're in!

I'm also interested in knowing about your gnarliest hema head injuries, but that's for my own interest rather than use in the study :D

https://forgettingtest.org/?project=p1000_107

Thank you!!

1 Comment
2024/05/01
12:05 UTC

12

Where to get swords?

I'm looking to start HEMA, but I'm not sure which swords to get. I'm not sure which swords are actually meant to be used for the sport and which swords are for fantasy nerds who want a cool looking sword, or even if that difference is real. Do you guys have any good sites to get swords? I'm based in Australia and am mostly interested in longswords.

15 Comments
2024/05/01
07:52 UTC

5

Rapier : When to teach double parries?

Is it better to teach the double parries immediately after the parry-riposte? Or should you wait until the student also learned the feint?

7 Comments
2024/05/01
00:41 UTC

10

Hand-&-Half Sword or Longsword

I have been very interested in HEMA (and just swords/the medieval period in general) for quite some time now and have been wanting to learn longsword techniques and so would like to buy a sword that I can use to practice. Unfortunately, my budget is very, very small and even products over £100 are a sizeable stretch.

This has led to my discovery of synthetic practice weapons, particularly the Black Fencer Synthetics, as they can mimic the feel of a real sword apparently quite well. I doubt I’ll get the chance to do much sparring, but for solo drills and the possibility of sparring on a low budget these synthetics seem perfect.

Here is my big dilemma, however. I do not know whether to buy an official longsword synthetic from Black Fencer or purchase their Hand-and-a-half sword. I wouldn’t mind doing sword and shield in the future, and it could save me the money in that regard, though I’m aware that some longsword techniques may not transfer to hand-and-a-half sword, eg. using the hilt instead of the blade to parry/block on occasion. Any advice on what to purchase would be greatly appreciated!

T L D R: Does anyone have experience with the Black Fencer Synthetic Hand-and-a-half sword and should I get it, or should I pay the extra money for a synthetic longsword from the same company? Am I still able to do most/all longsword techniques?

27 Comments
2024/04/30
16:05 UTC

22

Super glue is amazing for stopping giggling in the guard

I bought a Longsword and in some months of using it, the guard became loose. I tried a bunch of stuff unsuccessfully, since I tried superglue about a year ago, using it for sparring once a week, the guard is still perfect

14 Comments
2024/04/30
01:56 UTC

3

Chirality / Handedness question

Greetings all,

Basically a total newb here. I did MOF foil and saber in college at the club level; that was three decades ago. Since then I dabbled in SCA rapier fencing but couldn't foot the time commitment to go to larger events, then Covid hit.

So anyway, I've rediscovered the local Meyer club and I'm trying to incorporate training sessions at least once every week or two. My goal isn't to reach any high level - just have fun sparring and possible some friendly tournaments.

Here's the question: What are the pros and cons of training longsword as a lefty? During my SCA days, I found myself really enjoying off-hand rapier quite a lot. I'm naturally a righty for sports but a lefty for precision tasks such as writing or drawing, and it felt like that definitely helped out a lot for sinister rapier work.

2 Comments
2024/04/30
00:35 UTC

4

bolognese question

im noticing that both ribbon cuts and half ribbon cuts make up most defensive moves such as parries and blocks whether its half ribon or full. also if you block lets say a dritto tondo it is then easier and quicker to cut a roverso sgualembrado half cut than it is doing a dritto. also possible could solve this with a tremmazone but it feels more natural to me to attack the left side of his body after a right side block is this correct? i was sitting here doing an imaginary duel when i notced that when doing the blocking motion

5 Comments
2024/04/29
22:25 UTC

11

HIIT training and HEMA Questions

TL,DR: looking for exercises I can do so I stop getting so winded in matches. My club is a trek to get to and so I usually only get to train 4-5 times per year. To compensate for that, I do some basic flow drills and other HEMA specific training to keep up. That being said, I went to a competition this weekend and got my ass kicked because I got winded so quick. I normally do body weight workouts to stay active during the winter, and cycling in the summer for my cardio. I'm looking to increase my endurance so I don't get winded as easily and what I've read points to HIIT workouts. So what I'm curious, does anyone have any workout plans that are more HEMA directed that help improve my anaerobic endurance? Just some details: I have some basic equipment (dumbells/kettlebells) and space to train. I don't have any history of injuries or health issues that could cause problems, I just want to get in better shape.

8 Comments
2024/04/29
19:30 UTC

1

DIY practice sword

Is there anyway to make a practice sword myself that mirrors the weight and balance of the metal counterpart? Low on funds but want to get to practicing asap. Any help appreciated.

4 Comments
2024/04/29
16:35 UTC

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