HEMA

Historical European Martial Arts

ELF HEMA Students and Coaches
December 30th, 2023

WHAT IS HEMA?

HEMA stands for Historical European Martial Arts.
To put it most simply, HEMA is historical fencing. That is to say, it is the study and practice of Mediæval armed combat. We achieve this study and practice by reading and analyzing historical treatises on fencing; learning the concepts and applying them in several different ways: including solo drills, partnered drills, flow drills, up to and including full contact sparring! HEMA is a martial art and an athletic endeavor as much as it is the study of Mediæval history through the context of fencing. It is the perfect hobby for those athletically inclined nerds among us, as well as those of us nerds that want to get off the couch or out from behind the screen for a little bit.

What Weapons do you teach?
We study and teach many weapon styles and Masters from the Late Mediæval (1300s - 1500s) and Early Modern (1500s - 1800s) eras. We currently focus on Longsword, Sidesword (including Rapier), Dussack (including Arming Sword, Heavy Sabre, Messer), Dagger and Poleweapons. We also teach Ringen and Abrazare (Mediæval wrestling) and Pugilism (boxing) in historical context.
We are primarily focused on Bloßfechten, that is, fencing for self-defense and dueling outside of heavy armour. That is to say, we focus on the civilian aspects of fencing more than skirmish and mass battle, and our protective gear is more in line with thick linnens of the Mediæval period. Most people did not own full suits of plate armour, after all.

Why is the club called ELF HEMA?
ELF HEMA stands for Everybody Loves Fencing Historical European Martial Arts. Also, the owners of both the club, and Epic Level Fitness, are giant nerds, so it’s no coincidence that it spells “elf”!

Do I need to be athletic? What do I need to start?
No, you definitely do not need to already be athletic. HEMA is a great way to get some cardio and a little resistance training in, however. And all you need to start is some comfortable clothing and footwear, and probably a bottle of water. All of the other necessary training gear is provided.

Club Dues
ELF HEMA operates in conjunction with, but separate to, Epic Level Fitness. Both owners of Epic Level Fitness are also avid historical fencers, and we want to bring this love of historical fencing to Gowanda and the surrounding areas. For transparency, our club dues are for paying our HEMA insurance, maintaining training spaces, maintaining club gear and purchasing club gear. ELF HEMA is a labour of love for our coaches. At this point, club dues are $70 a month. We do not have contracts, we do not have ranked testing that costs money, and we will monitor the club’s expenditures vs dues semi-regularly in the hopes of keeping the dues as low as we can.
Monthly Club Dues: $70
Drop in Class: $15 (this includes Sparring on Saturdays!)
Drop in Sparring Only (Saturdays only, 1 to 3pm): $10

Quarterly 101
Quarterly 101 (six week courses): $50
Our quarterly 101 classes run on Saturdays from 2pm to 3pm. They run for six weeks and are designed to teach the basic theory of a given weapon, focusing only on that weapon for the course. Our 101 schedule is as follows:
January - February
April - May
July - August
October - November

Can I bring my own gear?
Honestly? Probably not. There are certain standards that we have to maintain for safety. However, if you have previous HEMA or MOF gear of your own, feel free to bring it and we can check if it’s viable or not.

Do I have to be a nerd?
Absolutely not! HEMA is for everyone! But be forewarned, the Head Instructor will talk about D&D and Star Trek from time to time.

What are our Primary Sources for Fencing?
Wow, what a great question! I see you know your stuff (or you just scrolled down and are about to have more questions than answers, haha)
Our primary sources are:
֍ De Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi (Philippo di Vadi ca1480s)
֍ Gründtliche Beschreibung, der freyen Ritterlichen unnd Adelichen kunst des Fechtens, in allerley gebreuchlichen Wehren, mit vil schönen und nützlichen Figuren gezieret und fürgestellet (Joachim Meyer 1570)
֍ Arte de Esgrima (Domingo Luis Godinho 1599)

Our main secondary sources are:
֎ Fior di Battaglia MS Ludwig XV 13 (Fiore Furlano de’i Liberi ca1404)
֎ Starhemberg Fechtbuch Cod.44.A.8 (Anonymous - attributed to Peter von Danzig 1452)