Friends of the Club
You’ve watched the old Hong Kong kung fu movie productions and of course, the iconic Karate Kid saga and know that all martial arts schools exist in a world of constant warfare against all others, right?
WRONG!
We believe HEMA should be shared and to that end we want to make a shout out to our friends. Also, if you are looking for HEMA in the Connecticut area and we aren’t a fit for you for whatever reason, we enthusiastically recommend the local clubs below.
Regional Clubs:
New Haven Historical Fencing is a very active and friendly HEMA club based in (you guessed it!) New Haven, CT. They mainly study longsword fencing from late14th/early 15th century German sources, though they also dabble in medieval dagger, sword-and-buckler, 17th-century rapier, 18th-century smallsword, and 19th-century military saber. They like to get sweaty, have fun, and stay close to the historical sources.
Thames River Historical Fencing run a great group in Ledyard, CT. They run classes on Thursdays from 6:30-8:30. Due to the requirements of their venue, they don’t allow casual drop-ins, but if you live nearby, signing up for the season is a great idea! Contact them for more info.
WSTR runs an excellent weekly class in Willimantic, CT on Wednesday nights (Beginners 6:30-7:30pm, advanced 7:30-9:00pm). They also have a class in East Haddam which runs many, but not all, Saturdays; check their website for details. Excitingly, WSTR runs an annual tournament called the Brass Frog Assault of Arms which focuses on 18th and 19th century swords such as smallswords, backswords, basket-hilted broadswords, 19th Century military sabres, and the like. It’s well worth attending.
Laurel City Historical Fencing located in Winsted, CT is a HEMA group focused primarily on the study of the early masters of the Medieval German martial arts tradition. The core curriculum centers on the longsword, wrestling, and dagger while the advanced classes also add in additional weapons such as polearms, sword & buckler, sickle, smallsword, and more. Adult and youth programs available.
Black Cat Historical Fencing is a HEMA club serving the eastern Rhode Island area. Founded in 2023, BCHF is an educational nonprofit corporation dedicated to providing teaching and guidance in HEMA. They hold weekly instruction and practices for members, as well as occasional introductory classes that are open to the public. BCHF is located in Warren, RI.
New Jersey Historical Fencing Association is dedicated to reconstructing the martial arts of medieval and Renaissance Europe. The NJHFA uses numerous sources written in the Liechtenauer tradition such as manuscript MS 3227a, Pseudo-Peter von Danzig, Sigmund Ringeck, Jude Lew, and others to help in reconstructing this ancient martial art.
In addition to the longsword, their members study diverse weapons of the medieval and Renaissance period including sword and buckler, dussack, rapier, dagger, messer, sabre, and others. They are located in Franklin, NJ.
Other friends:
Sir Goffredo is a fellow Fioreist and armor nut, trains with us from time to time, and a great dude. We’ve made his safe falling video our go-to for beginners too! Watch his stuff!
Jess has taught Medieval Martial Arts, competed internationally, and has led intensives for various schools over nearly 20 years. She is a frequent contributor to the Ritterkunst Fechtschule blog and runs video and in-person classes through her Patreon page.
Kurt is thinking deeply about Fiore and HEMA in general and has helped us think about how to evolve our art.
Knights of Gore has a bunch of HEMA people getting their armor on for your entertainment. We also thank them for referring those interested in HEMA to us and every club in Connecticut!
The Selohaar Fechtschule (German for 'Fencing School') is a historical fencing study group within the Order of Selohaar. The group meets weekly to research, study, and practice the martial arts of Medieval and early Renaissance Europe under the guidance of the Grand Master of the Order, Christian Henry Tobler. Mr. Tobler, a member of the Advisory Board for Swordplay Symposium International, is an internationally-known researcher, instructor, and combatant and has instructed at seminars and symposia around the United States for seven years.