Our Club
Our club aims to be an inclusive and fun environment to study various elements of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). We are diverse and friendly, and welcome new members of all backgrounds and abilities. We are committed to inclusion and welcome people of diverse gender, race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, disability, neurotype and age. Some of us enjoy the tournaments, some just the learning and some like the community. All are welcome.
We normally focus on the content of Joachim Meyer's 1570 Treatise. A German fencing manual written for nobility it covers Longsword as a starting point for all fencing and branches out. We also study other sources/manuals from time to time as they help expand our knowledge and improve our fencing.
Winston Lewis (He/Him)
Joint lead instructor
Aphra Hope-Forest (She/her)
Joint lead instructor
Winston started HEMA several years ago while the club was under a different name and haven't looked back. As a former club instructor in Jiu Jitsu, he was keen to be a student again and try something with variety and depth. HEMA delivered. It combined elements from past hobbies but added more. He enjoys competing on the national circuit and has reached the top 100 of worldwide Rapier and Dagger fencers (on Hema Ratings).
Winston now looks forward to sharing the love of the art with newcomers and help fellow fencers further with their HEMA goals.
Aphra started HEMA in early 2022 and loved it from the very first day. She competes regularly in tournaments across the UK and primarily trains in longsword and sidesword based on the teachings of Joachim Meyer, with some sabre thrown in for fun.
As a neurodivergent fencer, she strongly believes HEMA is accessible to anybody and has an interest in exploring how classes can best be adapted to the learning styles of students.