First Swordsmanship class free
Visit us at the Fulton Place Community League any Tuesday at 7:00pm for your first HEMA lesson.
We’ll hand you a sword and we can practice together!
Why Us
We practice the full range of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), with a special love given to the sword! Emphasis is placed on effective real-world techniques described in historical arms treatises. You can expect to study all period weapons including pole arms, swords, daggers, and hand-to-hand fighting. While we focus on the teachings of the great masters, Johannes Liecthenauer and Joachim Meyer, we are not afraid to learn from other sources.
If you seek an authentic martial arts experience in an inclusive atmosphere that emphasizes real-world techniques over stage fighting and repetitive forms, look no further than the Academy of European Swordsmanship.
Upcoming Events
From our Blog
Nordschlag 2019 Winners
We would like to thank all the volunteers and participants that made this event possible. We would like to recognize Jane Johnston as the winner of our most esteemed prize: the sportsmanship prize! She received a Black Fencer Zweihaender.
The 2019 tournament events included:
- Open Steel Longsword
1 Ashley Coe The Forge Western Martial Arts 2 Steven DallaVicenza The Forge Western Martial Arts 3 Jane Johnston Unaffiliated 4 Matthew Fisher The Forge Western Martial Arts - Women’s Steel Longsword
1 Lexa Giguère The Forge Western Martial Arts 2 Jane Johnston Unaffiliated 3 Andrea Valcourt Blood and Iron Martial Arts, Victoria 4 Sheena Haug Academy of European Swordsmanship - Mixed steel shortsword
1 Ashley Coe The Forge Western Martial Arts 2 Clinton Sime Academy of European Swordsmanship 3 Steven DallaVicenza The Forge Western Martial Arts 4 Matthew Fisher The Forge Western Martial Arts - a mixed weapons tournament (weapons are randomly chosen for each fighter).
1 Ashley Coe The Forge Western Martial Arts 2 Steven DallaVicenza The Forge Western Martial Arts 3 Clinton Sime Academy of European Swordsmanship 4 Daniel Lenfest-Jameson The Forge Western Martial Arts
The HEMA Scholar
It’s been almost a year since this book was published. We’re starting to work on the next instalment in the series, which will take a little while. Hopefully before the end of 2019 (but no promises).
The HEMA scholar is several articles on Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), including interpretations of some Masters’ works, select techniques, basic curriculum, fight theory, and historical fitness techniques. Whether interested in the unarmed combat of our Western heritage, longsword, knife fighting, or general martial arts, there is something in here for all HEMA enthusiasts. Articles are written by practitioners of the art studying with The Academy of European Swordsmanship, Canada’s oldest HEMA/WMA school (founded in 1994).
This book shows not only some basics that are necessary in any curriculum, it also expands on some concepts that are applicable across weapons and even the different historical masters. These articles are written by students and instructors of the Academy of European Swordsmanship, Canada’s first and oldest HEMA/WMA school. Reviewed and edited by head instructor Johanus Haidner, their importance is that often they were the first to write about some of the theories and work herein. Some were released to the general public more than a decade ago. Each article offers insight into how to be a better martial artists in the Western context, and often overall. Includes concepts on fitness, historical swordsmanship, unarmed combat and self defence, and some of the different masters of our European martial heritage.
What kinds of articles would you like to see in upcoming editions?
Nordschlag 2019
Once again we’re running our open HEMA tournament in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada.
This year year’s events will be open steel longsword, mixed shortsword, women’s longsword, and our random weapons fun tourney. Every year since 2007 we’ve had a tournament where we invited martial arts practitioners from other HEMA/WMA schools as well as the greater martial arts community. We’ve had competitors from almost every other style of martial arts, east and west.
Registration is here: http://www.123formbuilder.com/form-4689118/nordschlag-2019-registration
Our workshop this year will be taught by Jane Johnston, teaching developing aggression high percentile longsword techniques with a focus on better self-preservation.
Chokehold Breaks
This was a little lesson I was giving during freeplay time in one of our classes a couple of years ago. I don’t even know why we recorded it, probably because the student wanted to study the moves. I hope it’s useful!
SGT Blades Practice Longsword Review
This was a custom make that Garth loaned me to have a look at and evaluate. When I first looked at it, I thought it might be too light for sparring with, at least against a Federschwert. Was I ever wrong!
If I were to give this a rating out of 5 stars, I’d give it 4.5. I’m tough, so getting a 5 is almost impossible. The only thing I would change is to improve the grip a little, which is something I’ve done with every practice sword and Feder I’ve owned. This is no different. Beautiful, awesome blade! Maybe I’ll get one for myself some day in the not-too-distant future.