Historical European Martial Arts (often referred to as HEMA) are a modern conceptualization of the martial arts of Historical Europe (~1300 to as recently as ~ 1940, depending on who you ask).
While descendant martial arts such as modern Boxing, Wrestling, Fencing, and Archery are well-known and continue to be practiced, and various folk traditions continue to exist throughout Europe, by and large most of what HEMAists study today are arts that were lost to practice many years ago.
Much of the allure of HEMA has revolved around the concept of recreating these lost arts, something I am quite skeptical of. HEMA’s source material involves manuscripts - a defining feature of the Medieval world’s conception of legitimacy - that describe martial culture of the time including repertoire, strategic frameworks, and the technology involved in the martial arts of the periods in which they were written. The materials are often cryptic and extremely difficult to interpret, especially from a modern lens. Most were written at a time when linguistic standardization of the modern world was only just beginning and conventions about things like “teaching books” were not yet formed.
Because they were written at a time when conventions of learning, knowledge-sharing, and things like “teaching” were in some ways quite different from the world of today, they are anything but easy to use as tools for “recreation” of the arts of the period. Layer on top of that the fact that all practitioners (including our Guild) make extensive use of modern protective equipment as well as modern scientific principles of athletic training and the idea that we are “recreating” arts is difficult to maintain, in my opinion.
I think a better way to think of HEMA (and one that is more inclusive of the many approaches that people take to it) is to see HEMAists as creating renditions of fencing that are based on the materials studied. As such, I see the activity as having more in common with acting (imagine your favorite rendition of Hamlet - each actor has their own interpretation) than with scientific or purely academic research. Modern gear, academic scholarship, and principles of sport science are all valid ways to interact with the materials studied, but at the end of the day each HEMAist is creating an rendition of the material that puts their own perspective in play in a meaningful way.
And, of course, I have my own perspective on this that will influence the Guild, but it’s worth remembering that we are all going to prefer one rendition over another. I’m not suggesting that some renditions are not more satisfactory than others, but I see HEMA as an interpretive interaction with the source materials, facilitated by modern equipment and perspectives. For me, the goal is to fence in a modern way but in a manner that is consistent with them and not strictly to study them from a purely academic lens. In that, some HEMAists may prefer solo practice or partner exercises and drilling while others may insist that only competitive contact sparring is an acceptable form of rendition.
I see these debates as a complete waste of time and counter-productive to your development, so don’t expect to spend much time on these within the Guild. You will experience all of these forms of practice as part of your time with your partners here (yes, we spar) but at the end of the day you will remain free to choose your own path and to create your own renditions of the material to suit your purpose. Our brand of HEMA is inclusive, not exclusionary, and my job is to support your development in the way you want to pursue it. It is also the job of your Guild-mates (see my post An Introduction to the Guild). While we will pursue all forms of practice in our group practice, participation is always voluntary - so feel free to adjust your practice according to where you’re at.
All of these practices and perspectives exist in every other martial art in the world - so I see a rendition-based perspective and a broad respect for each practitioner’s choice in approach as consistent with the Guild’s Purpose and Culture. While you’re sure to see spirited debates on the Internet about what HEMA is or isn’t and you’re free to form your own opinions and perspectives, please remember that others within the Guild may prefer different approaches and we are committed to mutual respect and assistance as a North Star of our group.
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