Welcome to HROARR

Resources for the Historical European Martial Arts and Sports Community

The HROARR site focuses on different aspects of Historical European Martial Arts. It is meant to serve both as a help to active HEMA practitioners and as a source of inspiration for people that are unfamiliar with this form of Martial Arts. At its core the HROARR site is a free online HEMA magazine with contributions from the whole community. It is also a neutral meeting ground where we can all connect, share and learn from each other using the tools provided by the site.

“Simply the best Historical Fencing site on the net. The articles are amazing.”

“Always excellent and timely. It, the site and FB page are a resource of the first order.”

“An absolute treasure trove for casual and serious medievalists”

“History or hard science, the awesome HROARR articles cover any conceivable perspective on HEMA.”

“Half a million readers puts HROARR in a very unique position”

Help support HROARR!

Did  you know that you can now help support HROARR by throwing in a dollar or two at its Patreon page?

Running a large knowledge hub and community site like HROARR unfortunately involves both a lot of costs in cash and time, paying for server, software, security and maintenance. For this reason, a Patreon page has been set up, so you, our dear visitor, can help out.

It is of course entirely voluntary, and HROARR will never have content locked up behind a pay wall, but the better HROARR’s finances are, the better content you will have, and the more frequently it will be updated with content and features. Hopefully, one day, the site will have a full time editor to manage it.

Support HROARR via Patreon – www.patreon.com/hroarr

Latest posts

New article on poisoned weapons by Jean Chandler

We're back again with a new, and very interesting article on poisoned weapons in medieval warfare, by renowned HEMA scholar and instructor Jean Chandler! The title of the article is Were Poisoned Weapons ever used in Medieval Warfare? and it is live now....

Were Poisoned Weapons ever used in Medieval Warfare?

Last summer, a friend asked me a question that I did not know the answer to. A nagging doubt led me down one of those “rabbit holes” all researchers, and most curious people know so well today. In this case, there was quite a payoff. What follows is an account of this...

MAM and IFHEMA Symposium and IFHEMA General Assembly, Brescia, Italy

Certainly, one of the most exciting HEMA meetings of all time: The MAM — IFHEMA Symposium and IFHEMA General Assembly on December 3th – 4th 2022. There will be four great HEMA collections presented from a cross-cultural point of view: Gotti, Corble, Mokken &...

Call for Contributions – ‘Crossing Swords, Crossing Boundaries – multilingual and intercultural interactions and exchanges in the Fechtbuch Corpus’

  On the occasion of the International Federation of Historical European Martial Arts’s ninth General Assembly, and to celebrate the cooperation agreement signed between the Museum of Martial Arts (MAM) and IFHEMA, a symposium is organised in Brescia, Italy, 3-4...

Announcement: The “HEMA goes Public” event in Austria!

Dear fencing friends!, it is our pleasure to announce the "HEMA goes Public" event.   Last year, the project "HEMA in the Park" was launched for the first time in Austria and neighbouring countries (e.g. Germany, Hungary and Swizerland) to make our sword fencing...

The use of the German battle sword in the late 16th and early 17th century

The use of the striking German battle sword as found in many armories through out Germany still poses many unanswered questions. This article provides an overview over contemporary sources and proposes an approach to combine the information gained from those sources to determine possible techniques and principles for this weapon.

Polish and Czech sources on medieval urban violence

Note to reader: This document complements an essay published on the blog Martial Culture in Medieval town, available here: https://martcult.hypotheses.org/1373?fbclid=IwAR1Mbz2xWmIo66tI8rp9t9k8-SpHwPOXHXgfX4Q1txgn8QknQqQDzG-EroI This document offers transcriptions and...

New article by Jean Chandler

After a bit of a hiatus, HROARR is back with a new, and quite fantastic article on medieval and Renaissance magic, by renowned HEMA scholar and instructor Jean Chandler! The title of the article is A historical fencer’s primer on late medieval and early modern...

From the HEMA Blogosphere

1 2 3 287

See all external blog posts

From the archive

Fighting as a communicative skill

Since the elements described and explained up to now are properly just a beginning and primer from which all combat devices with the sword can be learned, it is necessary that before I derive some devices from them, first I should show in what...

Basic Meyer Quarterstaff Techniques 02: Schnappen & Zucken

This video was recorded by the MFFG at the 4th Meyer Symposium in Iowa, USA, 2016 and is yet another small sidetrack from the series.  It shows two basic techniques with Meyer's quarterstaff; Schnappen and Zucken. Both these techniques absolutely require that you...

Russian test cutting practices

One of the great things about online HEMA research is that you often end up finding interesting material that you weren't really looking for. I was recently doing research on test-cutting practices in British-ruled India, and by happen-stance came across a fair amount...

Difference and similarities between “German” and “Italian” traditions – Roundtable review

This small review intends to share some of the outcome and to highlight some of the  interesting discussions from the round tables held during the recent event in Saint-Cergue (10-12 January 2014, “Differences and similarities between the teachings of Fiore dei Liberi...

About the flat parry

In the world of historical fencing, and particularly the fascinating field of research, we sometimes face scholars who express less well-founded hypotheses on certain topics. The question of parrying with the flat instead of the edge, for example, is a recurring topic...

The Onion – Basics of European Longsword: Part 10

For practitioners of German longsword it is fairly commonly known that with some stances and cuts we should put our thumb against the flat of the blade. For example Meyer tells us "From there deliver a Thwart ... so that your thumb always remains below on...

Riddled in Ink – A Stylistic Comparison of Artwork in MS M.383 and the Novati Facsimile

Proposition This article proposes that Francesco Novati’s 1902 facsimile reproduction of Flos Duellatorum contains clear stylistic discrepancies that can both elucidate its connection to the original Pisani-Dossi manuscript, and identify connections between the...

The importance of tactics in duel & sport

A couple of weeks ago when I was reading the excellent manuscript  “La Scherma” by the maestro Francesco Ferdinando Alfieri (1640, translated and edited by Caroline Stewart, Phil Marshall, Piermarco Terminielo), I was highly impressed by the chapter: “ How to proceed...

Recent news, articles and reviews

New article by Jean Chandler

New article by Jean Chandler

After a bit of a hiatus, HROARR is back with a new, and quite fantastic article on medieval and Renaissance magic, by renowned HEMA scholar and instructor Jean Chandler! The title of the article is A historical fencer’s primer on late medieval and early modern...

read more
Review: The GFFG Berbekucz Club Sword

Review: The GFFG Berbekucz Club Sword

Over a decade ago, the great and renowned HEMA maestro Roberto Gotti of the fantastic Gairethinx - Sala d'Arme degli Erranti came across a rather unique German paratschwert (1) kept in a museum in Italy which he both documented and...

read more
News: HEMA in the 2nd European Games in Minsk

News: HEMA in the 2nd European Games in Minsk

When hearing of the planned HEMA participation at the 2nd European Games in Minsk, I first felt quite excited, and then ambivalent for what I am sure are obvious reasons to anyone who knows me. But, after giving it some careful consideration, I now here express my...

read more
Some thoughts on playing the victim

Some thoughts on playing the victim

A problem that we commonly encounter in the training and teaching of martial arts in general, is the issue of how the "loser" of the training exercise is supposed to act and behave. Some common issues shine through both in videos explaining the techniques, as well as...

read more
Community Interview: Maxime Chouinard

Community Interview: Maxime Chouinard

Today's community interview is with Maxime Chouinard who lives in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, and who is the leader and main instructor of Kingston Irish Fighting Arts, as well as the director of Antrim Bata and head of Kingston Niten Kai Mr....

read more
On The Five Words and Withdrawal

On The Five Words and Withdrawal

Mark, this is that before all things you shall rightly undertake and understand these two things, which are the Before and the After, and thereafter the Weak and Strong of the sword, and then the word “Meanwhile”, whence comes the entire foundation of all the Art of...

read more
News: HEMA comic book!

News: HEMA comic book!

Here is something very cool. A HEMA comic book full of goodies, written and drawn by 14-year old Emma King, historical fencer, and daughter of Meyer Frei Fechter Guild instructor James Reilly.   "The story of a high school girl who accidentally tumbles into the...

read more
HROARR Patches coming soon

HROARR Patches coming soon

So, I finally received the new test of the upcoming HROARR patches, to send out to all of the HROARR "patreons", and it looks much, much better than the first test I received. Hope you like it. To receive one of these, you have to be a patron of the HROARR web site,...

read more
First community interview posted

First community interview posted

To better help us all get an insight into the fantastic variety of this great community, and the unselfish efforts, the sweat, tears and blood, the dreams and hopes, and the passion that drives it, HROARR here presents its first “community interview”, the first of a...

read more

Search HROARR

Generic filters
Exact matches only
Filter by Custom Post Type
Posts
Pages
Downloads
Filter by Categories
Articles
Arms & Armour
Fencing Culture
Meyer Articles
Meyer Dagger
Meyer Dusack
Meyer Halben Stangen
Meyer longsword
Meyer Rappier
Teaching & training methods
Techniques & interpretation
Community Interviews
Community news
HROARR Announcements
IFHEMA
IFHEMA News
Instructors
News & Announcements
Notes
Research
Research articles
Research interviews
Research Methodology
Research News
Reviews
Bags
Books
Knives
Protective gear
Shoes & clothing
Swords
Study
Reading
Study Articles
Study Book reviews
Study Interviews
Study News
Teaching
Teaching Course plans
Teaching Curriculum
Teaching Interviews
Teaching Lesson plans
Teaching Methodology
Teaching News
Teaching Pedagogics
Teaching Syllabus
Teaching tips
Train
Reading
Psychology & Mentality
Training exercises
Training Gear reviews
Training Interviews
Training methods
Training News
Uncategorized
Workshops

Become a patron of HROARR!

Support HROARR on Patreon.com/hroarr

HROARR SUPPORTS

Fighters Against Racism

HEMA Companies

ASSOCIATED WITH

Acta Periodica Duellatorum

SUPPORTED BY

The Historical European Martial Arts Coalition
The Historical European Martial Arts Coalition
The Meyer Frei Fechter Guild
The Meyer Frei Fechter Guild
The HEMA Alliance
The HEMA Alliance

APPROVED BY

Herzog August Bibliothek

Sächsische Landesbibliothek - Staats- und Universitätsbibliothek Dresden

Universitätsbibliothek Wuerzburg

Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg

Österreichische Nationalbibliothek

Biblioteka Jagiellonska

Lunds Universitetsbibliotek

Nordiska museets bibliotek

The Higgins Armory Sword Guild