Variations of this question pop up on Reddit all the time: can I learn fencing by myself? Can I learn sabre or rapier from a book? There aren't any clubs near me… etc. Let's pick this question apart as it could have several meanings: Someone wants to learn fencing from scratch, by themselves, with no other people, and no one teaching them other than videos and books. Someone already has a base in fencing (perhaps longsword or sabre) but wants to independently learn a new syst

If you keep eating thrusts when you are in Plough and don't know why, then read on. "Your Pflug is open!" Huh? If someone says this to you, no, the Velcro on your breeches hasn't come undone - again... It means your plough (plow for my American friends) is crappy. Plough - Posta Breva, whatever you want to call it - is one of the best guards in Longsword. When your hands are safely tucked in, it is one of the few guards that doesn't expose your hands to a hand snipe, gets yo

This is my current approach to using 15th-century German fencing theory. You may have a different interpretation—and indeed, the...

One of the hardest things to do as a new HEMA practitioner is to understand when to use the techniques you've learned. You spend time in...