Forerunners of the Fechtschule Pt I: Antiquity

The Fechtschulen or ‘Fencing Schools’ were combat sport events that purposefully emulated their historical predecessors as public spectacles attempting to maintain martial arts training traditions that date back to Ancient Greece. Some argue these Fechtschulen events for the Middle and Lower classes were pure sport and spectacle with little value […] Continue reading Forerunners of the Fechtschule…

Review: The GFFG Berbekucz Club Sword

“Now, when starting up the Gothenburg Free Fencers Guild […], we wanted to have a club sword that was as close as possible to historical originals, both in shape and characteristics, and which would fit well with the sources we study; primarily the treatises of Joachim Meyer.” Continue reading Review: The GFFG Berbekucz Club Sword on…

Maxime Chouinard

Maxime Chouinard of Kingston Irish Fighting Arts: French sources deserve to be better known

My focus is really on 18th-19th and early 20th century HEMA. What I would call “Industrial martial arts” and the remaining vernacular traditions which survived in that period. When I started HEMA, I tried to do as much as I could. Longsword, rapier, sabre, wrestling, staff, stick etc. I still think it is very useful…

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VB Swordshop – Swords by Victor Berbekucz

In my workshop, I make series, and custom-designed products using traditional technology. The forging, grinding and polishing hasn’t changed significantly over the centuries; However, thanks to technical achievements, this process is greatly accelerated. (The apprentice tired faster than the hammer machine.) My products are pedominantly hand made, especially the custom-designed orders. Victor Berbekucz   Website:…