#Esgrima Antigua e Historica Puerto Rico

[417hema-blog]

Marek Tadeusz Helman is HEMA instructor and professional bladesmith based on Oborniki , Poland....and I frigging love his work. He has been practicing and studying HEMA for over 20 years now , a hardcore Meyerist and renown bladesmith from Kolo, Poland . He coined the motto: "For Hemaist from Hemaist"and with good reason, he produces a variety of swords, feders, full blades, sharps, costum work, rapiers, sideswords, sabres , montante, dagger ,messer,dussacks....you name it.

I have been a long time after one of his feders. And finally my chance came to become the happy owner of one of his feders. This time I present you his Basic or Entry-level feder. I m pretty sure I m the first lucky bastard to put his hands on his work from Puerto Rico and here in Springfield MO. But I m going to make sure his work becomes known and that it gets it's due praise. I have own or played/spar with almost every known brand of feder/longsword on the market right now for HEMA. And I can tell you guys Helman s work surpasses every expectation from two decades practicing/studying HEMA.

These are the number one feders I will from now on recommend to my students in 417 HEMA and colleagues from Esgrima Antigua e Hístorica Puerto Rico. They are well balanced, nice flex , length and weight and awesome and they are sturdy for every aspect of our practice....solo practice, pair practice, technique, spar and competition scene. I love that the blade s profile , they are replaceable and the detail on the hilt feels just right.

So, a big shout out to our friend Marek in Poland!

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From HEMA Supplies websire: Blade Type: Flat feder type profile, replaceable Blade Length: 97 �� 100 cm (see drop-down menu for in-stock options) Schilt: Flared (Length – 7 cm) Tip: Flared (approximately 1 cm width at tip) Crossbar: 26 – 27 cm squared. Grip Type: Waisted Grip Length (including pommel): 32.5 cm Grip Covering: Cord – see drop-down menu for current color options! Pommel: Spinning Top (Length – 4 cm) Weight: Approximately 1190 – 1260 grams Point of balance: Approximately 10 – 12 cm from cross

[417hema-blog]

HEMA of Puerto Rico : Juntos y revueltos

A while ago my friends Daniel a Gabriel co-founders of Esgrima Antigua e Histórica de Puerto Rico y del Caribe told me they wanted to visit Félix and Víctor Colón's Club Alfa de Esgrima Histórica in Aibonito Puerto Rico.

The two brothers specialized on Iberian historical sabre fencing. We have practiced before when Félix paid us a visit at the Caguas location and NUC practices back in the day. But the gathering was overdue. I cann t wait to visit the island and practice with everyone.

[417hema-blog]

417 HEMA 1-10-2025 Snow day flourish after Danny s passing-Springfield MO

I m glad we got some "decent" snow at the end of the week. I always enjoy doing some kind of training on the snow. Flourish or "Floreado"is the word we commonly use on the Historical fencing community to denominate a sequence of well coordinated movements .

These can be based on the historical source , either a literal interpretation of the text or an interpretation more loosely based on it. It can be completely made up or improvised on the moment. This particular flourish is commonly known as the 64 Cut Drill created by Matt Galas. It s based on some Iberian sources dealing with the Montante but it translated to longsword.

On the passing of my friend Danny it seem appropriate to practice this one. Mostly the first 16 Cuts.Since Danny was able to figure it out just looking at a few MAtt Gala s recordings executing the whole thing. At "Esgrima Antigua e Historica de Puerto Rico y el Caribe" and at 417 HEMA we have always incorporated flourishes taken and/or based on the historical sources.

As well as the ones created by students and instructors as the advance on the studies. It s something we kind of borrow from the Kendo Kata and the practice of Carenza from Filipino Combat Systems Puerto Rico. And it works incredibly well as a training and instructing tool. Flourishes on the HEMA community became specially known around the time of the pandemic.

Everyone had a lot of free time , they wouldn t be able to attend tournaments nor seminars so we showed our skills through social media. And it kept us sane.

Feder by Marek Tadeusz Helman