Silver School of Arms

HEMA stands for Historical European Martial Arts. It is the study and application of historical martial practices of or relating to European cultures.

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Eastern traditions of martial arts have survived and thrived throughout the world, but it is only thanks to dedicated researchers in the 1980s and 90s, and the growth of social media since then, that the equally strong traditions of Western martial arts culture are now being fully explored.

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Although many HEMA groups including ours perform display fights, we are very different from battle re-enactment groups. Our focus is on individual sword skills across English, German, Spanish and Italian systems.

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Silver School of Arms meets regularly throughout the year to study the original treatises, try out new techniques, and discuss our own interpretations of the texts.

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HEMA practitioners seek to research and promote both the cultural and practical importance of European martial traditions.