Definition of HEMA: “historical European martial arts.” These are the martial arts and fighting styles that were taught, learned and practiced by knights, warriors, nobles and fencing masters throughout the history of Europe. We know of these arts because fencing masters wrote their knowledge into manuscripts and often illustrated their words with depictions of combatants practicing the different techniques. The study of these manuscripts and fighting styles and the practice of these European martial arts is becoming a growing hobby throughout the world.
After writing an article on the “Combat Rules by Different Re-enactment Groups in Europe,” I have decided to pursue that direction of thought and look at whether or not HEMA should have a role in historical battle re-enactment. This is a contentious issue with various different schools of thought, each as valid as the others. Opinions are often very entrenched and debates can often become very passionate, and so throughout this article I will seek to take a neutral point of view and so discuss the advantages and disadvantages of the different points of view. At the end of the article I will draw together my conclusions and present what I think personally about the issue.
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