HEMA News Agency

 "Greetings, All!

It's no secret that a number of us in the WMA/HEMA community are actively working on rule-sets for tournaments. In recent threads on this subject (both on US and European sites), I've noticed that there is a certain subset of our community that has a visceral reaction to the idea of tournaments.

Andreas also won a backsword/sabre martial challenge against Martin Austwick of the English Martial Arts Academy, UK.

Anders Korsberg, Mikael Widegren and Magnus Hagelberg also competed for GHFS, Mikael winning his first fight against the famed Fabrice Cognot of De Taille et d'Estoc, France.

Axel Pettersson of GHFS took home first place in the open longsword tournament with 40 participants, defeating Anders Linnard, also of GHFS, in the finals by sudden death. Scott Hellroth reached the first round of the knockout finals, before being defeated by Dennis Ljungqvist, KuHFS, who went on to take 3rd place.

Nina Trollvige was only one point from reaching the Womens longsword finals.

The website with several translations and transcriptions can be found here: www.destreza.us/index.html

A video series where Puck and Mary teach some Destreza can be seen here: www.youtube.com/watch

From the Destreza website:

"During the 1500s a new system of swordplay began to develop in Europe unlike any the world had ever seen. The Spanish created a new, universal method of fighting based on Reason and Mathematics that could be taught to any student. They called the system La Verdadera Destreza, the True Art.

Jacob Sutor (also spelled "Jakob Sutor") was a German fencing master who published a fighting manual in 1612, called the Neues Künstliches Fechtbuch. The book was mostly an updated version (or outright plagiarism) of Joachim Meyer's work.

Sutor's Fechtbuch includes techniques for the long sword, dussack, rapier (which appears to be an early form of the weapon more similar to a cut and thrust sword), rapier and main gauche, rapier and cloak, case of rapiers, staff, pole axe, and the flail

 From the press release:

"We are happy to announce the general release of Primoris, which is a training manual on Fiore dei Liberi from the interpretation of Rob Lovett and The Exiles.

Primoris is the first stage of a complete martial training system and curriculum, which will be accompanied shortly with a DVD and the whole project includes equipment advice, support, etc. The system is intended for anyone who wishes to learn a complete martial art or develop their skills within the Fiore art itself.

 In the words of Matt Galas:

"Recently, I wrote a post in praise of Axel Petterson of Sweden (Gothenburg Historical Fencing School), when he won back-to-back tournaments at an event in March 2010 in Houston, Texas. Well, Axel has done it yet again, adding one more championship to his string of victories.

 Swordfish 2010 is a cooperation between GHFS and several other Swedish HEMA groups. It will take place in Gothenburg, Sweden (as usual), November 5-7. As always we will use the Aktiviteten facilities which means you will train, compete, live, sleep eat  and drink all under the same roof.

Allan Foster of the Meyer Freifechter Guild and the HEMAA together with Maxime Chouinard has created a worldwide HEMA group finder map, where you can easily find HEMA groups close to you.

The rules are as follows:

Weapon, steel blunt of high quality. Both participants has to agree to the others choise of weapon. Longswords, single hand weapons and messers in combination with buckler are the prefered weapons. No poleweapons, daggers or axes are permitted. No distance weapons are permitted.

This is Blossfechten. So no armor are counted as protective. Fencingmask, good gloves and groinprotection is needed. It is alowed to use bodyprotections like vests, coachingjackets or simmilar.

No time limits, a area agreed upon (flight means loss) and one second each and a neutral judge. Fight until first killing or disabeling hit. Double hits that should have ended the fight for both are losses for both combatants. Lets make this hard. The judge rule is decisive. Video camera to record the duel.
 

16 Swedish fighters have joined, and make appointments to have the duels during the year. Fighters are responsible for publishing the results and video footage online.