As the athleticism of tournament sparring continues to grow, so does the specialization within HEMA as a sport. Tournament rulesets refine focus and help establish clear winners, but they also narrow the scope of what fighters train for. As a result, competitors are becoming highly skilled—yet increasingly specialized.
My interest lies in HEMA as a martial art rather than solely a sport. I want to better understand the nature of real combat. A real fight is chaotic. It blends punching, kicking, clinching, and grappling with weapon use, and it forces you to navigate that chaos under pressure.
This session explores training methods that integrate these neglected facets of combat into weapons work. I will present several practices that combine swordplay with strikes and grappling, emphasizing how the weapon functions within the whole-body fight rather than apart from it.
My aim is to reinforce the martial heart of HEMA and highlight the continuing relevance of weapons—even as practitioners grow more adept in the unarmed dimensions of the fight.