We are Edinburgh University Historical European Martial Arts Society (EUHS) — Founded in 2024.
Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) is the practice, cultivation and restoration of European Martial Arts, both armed and unarmed, from the Middle Ages all the way through to the 20th century, featuring such disciplines as the Medieval Longsword, the Early & Late Modern Military Sabre, Fully Armoured Combat, Daggers, Polearms, Wrestling, and more!
Our particular society focuses on the Armizare, or ‘Art of Arms’ — a Martial Art developed in the Later 14th and Early 15th century by Fiore de’i Liberi, a practising knight, mercenary, and fencing master with both battlefield and tournament experience who was known as one of the most skilled warriors in all of Europe in his day. His services were sought by famous knights, princes, and kings alike. Fiore’s Armizare, published in his martial treatise Fior di Battaglia, or the ‘Flower of Battle’, details extensively fighting unarmed, with the dagger, the longsword, the spear, the pollax, and the cavalry lance, all in and out of armour, as well as the chivalric philosophy which characterises the Armizare.
With more than a decade’s worth of HEMA experience between our instructors, our society primarily teaches Armizare longsword, in addition to dagger and wrestling. However we also have experienced instructors in the Pollax, Spear, and Armoured Fencing, as well as, separate from the Armizare, Late-Modern British Military Sabre.
So if you are interested in Swordplay, Martial Arts, Knights, History, or simply looking for a fun way to get physical, be sure to get in touch!
Displays in the Pleasance Theatre
First Block (12:15 – 12:45 on both days): The Knightly Art of Combat: Medieval Martial Arts and Swordfighting from the Late 14th Century. In this event we will be doing an educational, demonstration, first by showcasing various fighting techniques done in and out of armour with swords, daggers, and even polearms, as well as wrestling. The demonstration will end with a look at fighting in and out of armour.
Second Block (14:00 – 15:00 on both days): Witness a Medieval Tournament with Real Knights!. In this event, we will be recreating a medieval tournament, showcasing various forms of combat performed in medieval tournaments, particularly with fully armoured knights, with a lot of vocal crowd participation (ie. encouraging them to cheer for who they want to win!). This event will involve lots of armoured fighting and will be highly visually appealing. Whereas the previous block’s event is more educational in nature, this event is much more about spectacle.
Want to know more? Speak to the HEMA members outside the Theatre over the weekend and see them in action in the Theatre too.