HEMA tournaments are now forming into leagues. What benefits and what risks might we expect to come with this development?

By Ben Paul.

14 years ago I got a call from Darth Vader asking me to work on a James Bond film… Well actually it was the fencer and sword master Bob Anderson who learned to fence from my great grandfather Leon Paul. Bob was the fencer in the Darth Vader suits in the Star Wars film and taught the actors to fence.

Continuing from last week, here are another four books that might just help your HEMA training.

This week we’re getting all the enlightenment and motivation we can handle.

Not the Age of Enlightenment (I prefer to deal in earlier systems) and not the “yoga, kale, smiles!” kind of motivation. Not that there’s anything wrong with yoga, kale or smiling. In moderation.

Can I become a better fencer simply by reading? Not really. Read these anyway.

In lieu of an insightful, technical, enlightening and motivational article this week, here’s a list of books that can deliver all that instead. None of them are HEMA books, instead they’re from other martial arts (or none), but I believe each and every one of them can benefit your HEMA practice.

This week, we'll look at a pair of insightful works, and a pair of more technical ones. Next week, it'll be enlightenment and motivation!

Risk management means judging both probability and severity of incidents - and checking your safety measures are followed and your club culture encourages people to point out safety risks!

I am dyslexic and at school my English teacher, in my last report wrote: “I wish Ben well….. as long as it is in another subject.” I once wrote in an essay that “Macbeth was very impotent in the play.” While we may never know if Macbeth had this problem I had simply meant to say he was quite a key figure in the book. So this may be the worst written blog you ever read. Let's see...

Do Not Read This Article

Turn back now and Do Not Read This Article on strip coaching!

Even if you're not competing in HEMA, being fit helps you train effectively.