HEMA: Beginning Classes
If you are planning to start your adventure in Historical European Martial Arts, then the Beginning classes just for you!
We offer 6-week introduction to the basics of fighting with a Longsword and with Rapier & Dagger.
Classes are open to anyone 12 years and older. The cost is $150 for the six weeks. No IFC membership required.
Participants should bring heavy gloves, e.g. lacrosse or HEMA.
To sign up please check the schedule FOR BEGINNERS’ CLASSES.
What next after Beginning Classes?
Now, as you’ve learned all the basics of historical martial classes it is time to work through the fun experience of sparring – build combinations of defense and attacks, study complicate technics, and try to create your own style and tactics!
Sign up for HEMA Intermediate program – 2 classes per week in Longsword and Rapier & Dagger, and more!
To join the Intermediate HEMA classes please click on the “Join the Club” button.
Conditions for Intermediate HEMA classes
REGISTRATION:
Join IFC HEMA group:
- Click “JOIN” in the top menu
- fill-up the personal information
- pick the “Basic Membership” and choose the “Intermediate HEMA Program” option
EQUIPMENT (FOR EACH CLASS):
- Longsword (synthetic or metal). Club can provide a spare longsword.
- Spanish Rapier and Dagger. (synthetic or metal). Club can provide spare weapons.
WHAT YOU NEED TO BRING:
Protection gear:
– A pair of protective gloves (it can be lacrosse or ice hockey gloves)
– Fencing mask. If you don’t have any, it can be provided by the club
– Body protection gear (can be of lacrosse or ice hockey, but not required for beginning). Club can provide chest protectors.
Longsword Study
Longword practice will be more focused on combat training, sparring skills and drills for tournament participation.
We will learn:
Primary postures /guards: Tag, Ochs, Pflug & Olber and switching between them.
Secondary guards: Zornhut, Langort, Nebenhut, Wechsel, Schlüssel, Einhorn, Eisenport & Hengetort.
Basic attacks and defensive movements, disarming technics and sparring tactics.
Sword and Buckler Study
We will learn to use a sword and buckler by following the teachings of “Royal Armouries Manuscript I.33”, also known as the “Tower Fechtbuch” or the “Walpurgis Manuscript.” It is the oldest known manual of swordsmanship in the Western canon. Dated to c. 1310, it so famous that it has become known simply by its shelf number: I.33. It is an extremely sophisticated work even by later standards, with clear instructions. Its complex strategic advice causes many to think it could have been written by a monk with combat experience, after returning from First Crusade. The most mysterious part of that sword play manuscript is that, at the end, it includes a woman by the name of Walpurgis as one of the sparring partners. Some think it depicts an English missionary in Germany who was a healer known as the “protectoress” against witchcraft and sorcery. Obviously, priests and missionaries, men or women, were not so feeble and frail as we might have thought during these times.
Also, we will study Bolognese system and Talhoffer version of sword and buckler later on.
It will be a challenging and very interesting path in learning sword play.
The Sword and Buckler program includes:
1. The Custodia, or wards, which are starting positions for engaging your
enemy. There are 7 main wards in the I.33, with some secondary wards.
2. Common attacks and combined counterattacks
3. A shield-strike (schiltslac)
4. A thrust-strike (stichslac)
5. A step through (durchtritt)
6. Seizing or wrestling your opponent.
Military Sabre and Cutlass Study
The Military Sabre and Cutlass is a group of single handed, one edged swords, used throughout the 18th and 19th centuries. The sabre usually has a complex guard and was used both on foot and from horseback. We will be studying the use of the sabre on foot (including infantry, artillery, and militia units). The Cutlass (or Hanger) was a smaller weapon designed for close quarters (such as on a ship or in a fort). It is advisable to have some basic knowledge of Fencing or HEMA, possibly the beginning HEMA class or the Fencing 1 class, before joining the study group, but beginners are welcome as well. We will be studying the works of Alfred Hutton, Giuseppe Radaelli, as well as some of the basics from Meyer’s dussack, Johannes Lecküchner, and Military manuals to inform the use the of the cutlass. The study of Sabre and Cutlass will include basic footwork, standard cuts, molinets, timing, distance, and trapping and disarms.
Spanish Rapier and Dagger Study
Spanish Espada is commonly known as a Rapier. The system we will learn is called “La Verdadera Destreza” or “true dexterity” – fencing for noble people.
We will learn rapier fencing presented by “king’s fencing masters” of the Spain from XVI to XVIII centuries: Luis Pacheco de Narváez, Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza, Don Francisco Antonio de Ettenhard and Francisco Lorenz de Rada. Main noble rule in Destreza was about controlling. According to those masters’ philosophy, killing the opponent wasn’t good for a noble soul. So, fencing was about domination or taking over the opponent forcing him/her to recognize defeat. In other words, fencing was viewed as a conversation between people with swords. Because of that concept, Destreza had become one of the most beautiful and esthetically pleasing martial arts of all times.
We will learn the main systems of Destreza with various technics as circular movements, ways of handling the sword, evasive footwork, controlling distance, good timing, engaging, right angles, disengaging, thrusts, parries, and disarming. Classes will include old Spanish “carousel” systems of training, use of the non-armed hand or use of the dagger or cloak.
On top of it all, we will touch styles of some Italian schools of the same time period because some of them, like Fabris, taught techniques to beat the Spanish espada fencers or so-called “Answers” to Spanish styles.
Flower of Battle Study
This is a six-week Flower of Battle Class. It serves as an introduction to the martial arts shown in the manuscripts of Fiore dei Liberi from the early 15th century.
The Flower of Battle, Fiore’s most complete manuscript, provides a holistic martial system that includes unarmed as well as multiple weapon systems. The weapon systems include dagger, long sword (in one and two hands), spear and poleaxe. Fiore’s system also addresses using these weapon forms in and out of armor.
This introduction will focus on unarmed combat, dagger and the sword in one hand.