#hema schools

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The amusing new logo for the first HEMA club in the Netherlands AFAIK that focuses on Italian historical fencing.

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Historical fencing events in the Netherlands

I've been meaning to make a post earlier in the year about the various Dutch gatherings, competitions or training opportunities in 2017, but of course it takes some time for the different organising entities to get their plans together and release their schedules. In rough chronological order, these are the local HEMA events that I know of for this year. Several have already happened, since it’s April already, but they are mostly reoccurring, so you can plan already for next year.

Winter Messer Meeting

The Winter Messer Meeting was an event for messer fencers, by messer fencers, the aim being to bring together those who fence with the langes messer for a weekend of freeplay and the occasional workshop. There was no tournament, no competition and no lectures.

Organised by: AMEK

Website:  https://messermeeting.org/

When: January 7th and 8th

Location: Weerdsingel Wz 22, Utrecht

Cost: 70 €

Judge Training Sessions

I’ve posted about these judge training sessions before, so I’ll just add that if you are interested in competitive longsword fencing on a budget, these training days and the DLC rehearsal tournaments are probably the best option in the country to get the full tournament experience at only travelling cost. 

Organised by: Zwaard & Steen

Website:  https://www.zwaard-steen.org/trainingen/jurytraining-23-april-2017/ https://www.zwaard-steen.org/trainingen/jurytraining-18-maart-2017/

When: February 19th, March 18th, April 23rd, May 27th and July 8th

Location: Harmonielaan 1, Nieuwegein

Cost: Free

The Weapon Pass

A new competition concept for the Netherlands; a three weapon tournament, comprised of sword & buckler, longsword and messer, which is neither a melee nor group battle. The tournament follows a specific format: each battle is always between two teams and consists of 3 bouts. At each round, only 1 person of each team enters the arena with the same weapons. Each bout is fought with matching weapons.

Organised by: Zwaardkring

Website: https://www.dezwaardkring.nl/de-wapenpas https://www.facebook.com/events/327252541003766/

When: May 13th

Location: Grebbe 65, Tilburg

Cost: 25 € for HEFFAC members, 30 € for non-members

The Entry Tournament at Hernen castle

After the success of last year’s first Leerlingentoernooi Hernen, in 2017 there will be another jointly organised Entry Tournament in Castle Hernen, referred to this time as Instap Toernooi Kasteel Hernen. Five Dutch HEMA schools send a delegation of four starting fighters, with coaches and instructors. The participants always have a coach in the corner in this friendly atmosphere tournament, the perfect entry point for beginners.

Organised by: HVN, Zwaard & Steen, AMEK, MARS and Zwaardkring

Website: https://www.facebook.com/events/205284596633162

When: May 21st

Location: Dorpsstraat 40, Hernen

Cost: To be confirmed, but usually a small nominal fee, to cover the lunch cost

International Lowlands HEMA Gathering

A big-concept international event with several tournaments, workshops and extra curricular activities. The main event is the Open longsword, but the toughest competition is undoubtedly the Rory Van Noort memorial invitational longsword tournament, attended by the very best high-ranking international fencers. Additional competitions include Women’s Longsword, the Messer Open, and Children’s Dussack.

Organised by: AMEK

Website: http://www.ilhg.nl/

When: June 24th and 25th

Location: Dudok Arena, Hilversum

Cost: 150 € for the full weekend, 75 € for a single day

Dutch Lions cub Tournaments

The Lions cub events are scaled-down ‘national’ versions of the DLC, designed to ensure that the people, tools and processes are tested and ready by the time the main event rolls out. With a cap at around 25 fighters, it’s a great chance to compete under the same conditions as the main event in August.

Organised by: Zwaard & Steen

Website: https://www.facebook.com/pg/dutchlionscup/events/ (created as events from this FB page)

When: June 17th and Jul 29th

Location: Harmonielaan 1, Nieuwegein

Cost: Free

Dutch Lions Cup

This tournament, open to the entire international community, became the next big step in the development and propagation of Historical Fencing in the Netherlands last year. The aim was the create the largest possible tournament at the most competitive price, with a great focus on quality and consistency of the judging staff. The event includes a Women’s Longsword category, with the Open itself capped a maximum of 91, with the potential combined total of 112 participants.

Organised by: Zwaard & Steen

Website: http://dutchlionscup.com/

When: August 26th

Location: Grebbeberglaan, 4, A, Utrecht

Cost: 65 € 

HEFFAC Tournament

Every year since 2011 (or earlier if you count the 2010 Paastoernooi), one of the members of the Historical European Fighting & Fencing Arts Coalition, a grouping of independent Dutch and Belgian Historical European Martial Arts schools, organise a weekend event with various workshops and competitions. Typically the Open longsword tournament is restricted to HEFFAC students, so no instructors can compete, and in 2013 a fun multi-weapon team tournament was introduced, know as the Melee Games, using nylon weapon simulators.

Organised by: rotational, this year by HVN

Website: to be confirmed

When: October, maybe the 14th and 15th - to be confirmed

Location: Homeruslaan 7A, Oegstgeest

Cost: to be confirmed, but usually a small nominal fee, to cover admin cost

Aside from these, each school run their own internal club tournaments of course, but also organise other activities open to members from other clubs, such as ad-hoc sparring days (usually longsword, sometimes messer, as they are most popular, though now we might be seeing more military sabre and singlestick as well), weekend workshops with international guest instructors, introductory courses for beginners, sparring challenges or charity tournaments, such as the Goede Doelen singlestick event in December. It’s quite a task to keep track of them all so I’d suggest joining the HEFFAC facebook group and keeping an eye of the ‘HEMA Bond’ (The Dutch HEMA Federation) agenda page for updates if you’re interested.

For such a small country there is an increasingly vibrant HEMA scene, and many opportunities to fence with people from other clubs, even of on a tight budget, so there are really ample opportunities to get out there and hit other people with a big sword.

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Mother and child training longsword in Chile, at the Centro Esgrima Histórica

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The locations of Historical European Martial Arts schools and clubs in the Netherlands according to either the HEMA Alliance club finder (1) or the HEMA Bond Verenigingzoeker (2).

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(via https://www.instagram.com/p/BBF-5_MyL-0/)

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Pics taken on my crappy phone of the excellent fencing hall of the EHMS in Helsinki

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A new HEMA school for university students in Leiden, the Ludolph van Ceulen Schermschoole der studente aan den Leidsche Universiteit, or HSSV Ludolph van Ceulen.

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Tuesdays are shaping up very nicely at the HVN, the class structure is reliable and effective, the exercises crisp and clear and the group balanced and enthusiastic. I’m very proud to train with these guys.

Photos courtesy of @historischvrijvechtennederland