We are a Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) club based in central London, offering classes in Longsword, Rapier, Sabre and Smallsword.
Fighting with European style swords and other weapons was, until relatively recently, a lost art. Martial arts that were used extensively throughout Medieval and Renaissance Europe gradually died out over the centuries until they were nearly forgotten. In the last few decades, practitioners of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), working from contemporary treatises, have been working to reconstruct these techniques and principles.
LHFC is a non-profit, member run club and a registered charity (registration number: 1181581). We were set up with the goal of promoting HEMA through training, scholarship, competition and tournaments.
We train several different weapons and sword fighting styles. The historical sources that form the basis of our teaching range from the high-Medieval period, through the Renaissance and into the Early Modern.
We welcome people from all walks of life and every session we strive towards creating and maintaining a safe and inclusive environment where everyone should feel free to be themselves. We welcome people of all/no genders, races, ethnicities, body types, sexual orientations and social backgrounds, and we will do our best to create an accessible environment for any disabled person. You also shouldn’t be concerned about your fitness level or prior martial arts background, as most exercises can be performed slowly or at speed depending on your comfort zone.
So whether you are a complete beginner, experienced in other martial arts or a seasoned fencer, come join us at one of our regular classes.
