Inspired by this BJJStyle article “Jiu Jitsu Stereotypes”, here’s a piece on ‘fencers you will meet in HEMA’. Obviously they’re stereotypes. Be kind not judgemental, and find an approach that helps everyone.

Picture by Leonie O’Moore

Interestingly, while Conans will tend to be larger and Pacifists smaller, a tendency is all it is. Body type does not dictate attitude.

Conan the Buffel-barian: This fencer packs a strong Oberhau, and it’s the solution to any situation. Sure, sometimes they get hit first. Sometimes they get hit first several times before they can land their Zorn-iest of Zornhaws. But who really wins - the one who lands the first hit, or the concussion-free fencer with an intact sword and no crease in the top of their mask? They know no fear, by Crom, and will cleave their way to victory!

Rennfaire Refugee: Their other hobby is totally related, they insist. They wear butted mail or costume leather armour to sparring despite the screams of “SAFETY!”. Beware their 4lb wallhanger swords, as the broken tips make fearsome projectiles. Less severe cases restrict themselves to knee high leather boots and a redundant fancy belt over their jacket. Also comes in LARPer At Large and Reenactor on Day Release flavours. On the plus side, they’re probably great at sewing, so ask them to help when your glove tears open or your patches detach.

Pathos: Like a blend of Portos and Athos, they’re a swashbuckler fond of drink and romance, and they treat swordplay as a lark. They will not train too hard, however, since it might make them look more than attractively disheveled, and sweating is just unsightly. Also, a taste for the good life has left them without much by way of cardio. Expect them to saunter through drills as a series of poses (Blue Steel!) and then rush the bar while others are still finishing the last round of sparring. They know that events and seminars are best treated as a combination of speed dating and pub lock in.

Crossfighter: Your body is a weapon, so it makes sense to hone it. This fencer is determined theirs will be the sharpest. They hurl themselves into warm-ups, try to arrange to meet outside of class to run hill sprints or throw kettlebells, and let everyone with shoulder issues in the sidesword class know how it could be fixed with more overhead presses and handstands. Expect them to quote RossTraining articles constantly and play the Rocky soundtrack during class, but even when silent and with their underarmour covered in a black jacket and mask you can recognise them by expensive coloured trainers or FiveFinger toe shoes and a tendency to do hamstring stretches instead of resting. Advanced cases will have drawn up pre-tournament training plans with multiple peaks and tapers and sword and buckler specific barbell workouts.



The Art Curator: The mirror of the Crossfighter, they believe that strength doesn’t matter in martial arts. Mr Miyagi knew what he was talking about, and MMA fighters should really hone their kata. All that matters is technique! Expect lots of drills conducted at tai chi speed, long lectures on nuances of pressure and timing, and a curious reluctance to expose their art to the scouring sandstorm of free sparring. They also tend to be technique collectors, picking up a new system approximately every other month.

Pacifist: They’re in a swordfighting class but not happy with the whole notion of hitting people. Outside of HEMA, a reluctance to hurt others might be a good thing, but it takes two instructors and a drill partner offering encouragement before they’ll land the lightest tap to their partner’s mask. Suddenly bringing your sword into guard may make them squeak and leap back. “If you are frightened easily, you will never understand fencing“ says the Merkverse, which may be a challenge in their development.

The Deadliest Warrior: This budding swordfighter takes just too much interest in the effects of weapons on humans. They’ll offer lectures on the Timetable of Death from different cuts and thrusts, tips on how to drag the edge for maximum damage, and rather suspect statistics on the amount of force that must be applied to kneecaps, nose, eyes and other places you’d rather not have force applied. Sparring is an exercise in imagining what each touch would do with sharp swords, and their mind’s eye paints the room arterial red like a Slayer video. They’ve probably got a great video library of Reality Based Self Defence resources though, if you need to borrow some.