Bad Hema

Book excerpt: As soon as someone picked up a weapon and tried to use it, someone else told them how they were doing it wrong. In BAD HEMA, Richard Marsden explores the criticisms and witticisms of historical fencing masters. With good humor, the masters' many complaints are analyzed as are their solutions to what they saw as bad fencing. Problems historical fencers deal with today were just as contentious in the past with such questions as; Is it better to cut or thrust? should I wait in guard? How can I tell who is a bad fighter? Is it safe to feint and void? Additionally, BAD HEMA has a modern section where Richard Marsden and the students and instructors of the Phoenix Society of Historical Swordsmanship provide positive advice for today's historical fencers to recognize and overcome bad habits. How can physical differences affect fencing? How should we approach sources? What core concepts do newer fencers struggle with? What mistakes are often made in cutting and sparring? By looking at the complaints of the past and advice from today, the revived arts of historical fencing will improve because we can't know what is good until we truly know what is bad.