Fightcamp 2026

swordswomen's avatar August 1, 2026

Fightcamp finally outgrew the Grange in Coventry and moved to the massive Newbury Showground this year. This was great news for me as I’m only an hour away and was teaching Bolognese footwork according to Marozzo’s segno. My partner Rick also gave a class on polearms.

Over three days every summer, Fightcamp is a UK HEMA tradition, boasting the largest attendance of any event this year with record 360 people, there were over forty classes and activities, plus several competitions including a melee tournament. The comps are more of an addition to the classes, rather than the main event.

It was very warm and windy, but this did not take away from the experience. The huge hall fitted tons of classes as well as traders – where I picked up my fabulous new cinquedea from Paul Binns, food vans, a bar, social space and tons of space to store kit. The fields outside were used for classes, archery, sparring, and of course camping.

Matt and Lucy of Schola Gladiatoria, plus their army of dedicated marshals, put on a great event once more. There’s some tweaks needed which they are aware of and are to be expected with a new space. Nevertheless I’m already looking forward to 2027.

Pick up a book

swordswomen's avatar June 17, 2026

If you’re winning tournaments by virtue of being tall and strong, experienced in other martial arts, or having good timing, congratulations. Eventually someone with all those virtues will come along who has also read a book and put its teachings into practice, successfully. If you are happy to cede your crown to a worthy opponent keep not doing what you’re not doing, otherwise, pick up a book.

Read More "Pick up a book"

7 Things your HEMA instructor won’t tell you because they don’t want to hurt your feelings

swordswomen's avatar May 22, 2026
  1. You aren’t practicing enough. It’s not because you aren’t motivated or disciplined, it’s because you don’t realise that the levelling up happens while you are doing repetitions. It’s your job to find a method that is fun for your brain. Consistency beats motivation. Play.
  2. And on that note – you aren’t taking responsibility for your own learning. You won’t develop by going to class once a week and doing sparring once a month. The real development happens when you take charge of your study and practice. Find an area to develop, research it, set up a regular routine outside of class time, even if it’s just five minutes a day. Enjoy it.
  3. You don’t know the basics. Footwork, distance, strikes and timing are not one and done achievements – they require continuous maintenance. Fundamentals are what make great martial artists great; not vast knowledge, not fancy techniques, not taking tons of workshops and classes. It’s practicing footwork and cuts, alone or with a training partner. It’s learning what the technical terms actually mean by applying yourself to them, failing a lot, and getting up again. Top up regularly.
  4. Pick up a book before you sign up for a tournament. HEMA is the study and research of historical fighting, the testing comes once you’ve gained competence and understanding. Your disappointment at losing a match will be less of a mystery and easier to course correct if you know where you went wrong. Be curious about the sources.
  5. You can’t tough it out. As much as fencing is a 1v1 activity, you can’t overcome your issues alone. Growth comes in community, through dialogue, through shared experiences, through honest assessment. Speak to your peers and coaches, even someone with less experience has something to teach you. Stay humble.
  6. You will get worse before you get better, and that’s normal. Once you’re past the beginner period and you start to gain competence in sparring, you will see improvement. But then you will start to realise how much there is to learn, compare yourself to others, get in your own head, and find yourself on the dreaded plateau. This is not a sign to quit, this is a sign to dig deeper, reach out to friends, work on your self control, and find your true North.
  7. You’re not having enough fun. That doesn’t mean don’t take what you do seriously, it means you’re treating training like a punishment, and practice like a penance. This isn’t school, this is something you chose to do for fun. Enjoy what you do: laugh at your errors, find the thrill in the challenges, embrace gratitude as your body moves in space and learns new skills.

Thank you for reading. This article was created by a human without the use of AI. If you like my work, please consider supporting me by buying me a coffee or purchasing a product from my kofi shop to help you with your HEMA training, or subscribing to my Patreon.