COVID-19 Update
The officers of the BFHS are not medical professionals or scientists. We can only offer common-sense advice informed by the government’s official policies and analysis of the situation. The top […]
The British Federation for Historical Swordplay
The field of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) is undergoing a renaissance at present, and is rapidly gaining in popularity. There are many possible fields of study and several approaches that can be taken – HEMA has room for people of all ages and ability levels.
The British Federation for Historical Swordplay is an alliance of groups across the UK, all of whom are engaged in the research, study and practice of historical fencing and European martial arts.
The field of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) is undergoing a renaissance at present, and is rapidly gaining in popularity. There are many possible fields of study and several approaches that can be taken – HEMA has room for people of all ages and ability levels.
This creates a threefold mission:
There are thus three interrelated factors informing the mission of the BHFS: Scholastic, Instructional and Martial.
HEMA stands for Historical European Martial Arts, and to be HEMA an activity must be all of those.
That is, it must be drawn from a recognised historical source, it must originate in Europe (or with people of European descent), and it must be a historical fighting art. Some activities, such as 16th Century Italian rapier fencing or Polish military sabre, fall squarely and rather obviously in this area. In other cases, the situation may be a little more nebulous.
The officers of the BFHS are not medical professionals or scientists. We can only offer common-sense advice informed by the government’s official policies and analysis of the situation. The top […]
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