The St. Lawrence Swordfighters Guild is an organization dedicated to the discovery
and revival of medieval European martial arts in a manner that emphasizes safety,
fraternity, and authenticity.
Historical European Martial Arts is the study of the martial practices of the Western
European cultures of centuries past. The HEMA community base their studies on the
long-silent historical records left by a handful of medieval masters-of-arms. Their
surviving texts, mostly written between 1300-1500 A.D. uncover the arts of combat used in true life-or-death situations during the Middle Ages in Europe.
The Saint Lawrence Swordfighters Guild studies a 600-year-old manuscript written by the medieval Italian master-of-arms Fiore dei Liberi. Studying the hand-drawn images and writings contained in Fiore’s manuscript entitled “The Flower of Battle”, Guild members learn a multi-weapon combat system that employs such simple and efficient techniques that are applied, with subtle changes, throughout the use of various weapons: bare-hands, the dagger, the sword, the spear, and the poleaxe.
The purpose of the Guild’s efforts is twofold:
– To revive the historical fighting arts of Medieval Europe by physically practicing and refining techniques, both as drills and as free-form combat scenarios.
– To share that knowledge with the general public through educational programs,
presentations, exhibitions, and demonstrations.
Training exclusively using Fiore dei Liberi’s texts produces a well-rounded and capable warrior – which was likely the purpose of his commissions to create the book.
Becoming skilled in the arts found in the manuscripts is a long and arduous process. It takes many years of diligent study and careful practice to attain the technical, physical, and emotional states required to be an effective, safe, and productive practitioner of these ancient lethal methods. During that time, there are bumps, bruises, and injuries. This practice is not for the faint of heart.
The Saint Lawrence Swordfighters Guild 