HEMA

HISTORICAL EUROPEAN MARTIAL ARTS: hema

Blaklist presents training, protection equipment and weapons for European historical martial arts, known as HEMA.

What is this form of
European historical fencing?

To quote the introduction from the French federation's website:

"... European Historical Martial Arts consist of the study and practice of extinct European martial traditions.

They are based on an approach of reconstruction, as faithful as possible, of the techniques and systems of martial arts from historical sources.
HEMA are practiced in a modern and secure environment, using simulators and adapted protections.

HEMA cover a wide variety of martial arts practices, over a period that stretches from antiquity to the beginning of the 20th century. They allow the study and practice of many weapons, but also various forms of hand-to-hand combat, such as wrestling or pugilism. Equestrian martial arts, with or without armor, are also related to it..."

Many sources exist. The old treaties of the past centuries are translated, interpreted, worked. Some keywords: Fiore dei Liberi, Hans Talhoffer, Achille Marozzo, Johannes Liechtenauer...

Some weapons studied: swords, long swords, Feder, rapiers, mounts, swords and daggers, halberds, axes, sabers, messers...


What use is this form of fencing nowadays?


From a scientific point of view, this HEMA historical research is interesting.
It allows to find a filiation with deep roots.

Historical fencing also offers the possibility to study for scientific purposes the methods of combat or weapons that are no longer used.

After study, we find that the present systems of armed combat have not invented anything. They do not invent anything, everything has existed for hundreds of years.

It would be wrong to think that these historical techniques could be functional again in personal defense without adaptation. In the context of self-defense, old techniques will not work.

On the other hand, profound principles can be drawn and adapted to our contemporary defense problems.

A work that some schools in Spain or in France carry out.

Is it useful then to learn heMA?


Apart from the historical interest of this research process, is studying old fighting techniques, old weapons useful nowadays?

Unfortunately yes. Indeed, we are again witnessing fights with knives, sticks or machetes. Every day, in all countries of the world, and in Europe. Armed combat is growing, in groups, in tribes. Like in the Middle Ages. It is indeed very easy to get a machete or a knife, to conceal these weapons, and no one needs to be an expert to do the maximum damage to a helpless crowd.

Knowing how to move, how to handle a knife and some defensive and offensive principles are indispensable nowadays.

It is not useless, moreover, to learn again the group combat.

An uncompromising study and a real work of adaptation without historical complacency are to be carried out in order to find out in what way the European historical fencing HEMA can improve our contemporary defense.


Which materials to practice European historical fencing?


The practice of this fencing must be safe.

In order to guarantee a practice in full safety, our store of equipment of historical fencing HEMA proposes :

- fencing masks and mask covers

- simple or reinforced gloves, glove protectors

- shin guards

- arm and forearm protections

- different models of breastplates

- neck protection plate and gorgerins

...

Blaklist also offers synthetic, plastic and foam swords and sabers as well as shields.

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