In 1545, Henry VIII issued a monopoly on the training of martial systems of combat to the London based ‘Company of the Maisters of Defence’. Already well established, this royal patronage ensured the livelihoods of the Maisters and raised them to the realms of respectability. Unfortunately, this charter was to be short-lived, as it needed …
Wessex League tournament finals
On the 7th & 8th of December, Tempus Fugitives converged on Cambridge for the finals of the Wessex League, and what proved to be a challenging finish to a hard fought tournament series. Stefano Conese struck again, winning the gold, successfully maintaining his lead in the Sword & Buckler category, and achieving an overall league …
An interview with Ton Puey
Hi Ton, thank you for agreeing to this interview. You are respected as probably the greatest living diestro (a practitioner of destreza, a Spanish art of rapier fencing), but your true passion is for the Spanish ‘sidesword’ (a cut and thrust blade, used with one finger over the guard to create more of a ‘pistol …
Wessex League Tournament Series – Oxford leg
This weekend Tempus Fugitives participated in the third leg of the Wessex League Tournament Series in Oxford, successfully maintaining its lead in the Sword & Buckler category. Stefano Conese again took medals in multiple categories, and is in current first place for league champion in Sword & Buckler; closely followed by Matthew Holden Williams, also …
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The English Sidesword Open 2020
December is synonymous with Christmas, January with New Year, and February brings us the English Sidesword Open! Having established itself as a leading event in the sidesword discipline, the English Sidesword Open (ESO) brings together some of the world’s foremost experts, combining more than ten hours of workshops and lectures with multiple competitive tournament categories …
Swords of Winter
Invited to the ‘Swords of Winter’ teaching event in Godalming, our own Maria Makarova taught an intensive workshop on the use of the Zwerchau, one of ‘master strikes’ in the Liechtenauer longsword tradition. Starting with the basics of Zwerchau body mechanics and using it to counter strikes from above, then continuing with drills demonstrating the …
Wessex League Tournament Series – London leg
This weekend Tempus Fugitives had the opportunity to compete at the Wessex League Tournament Series London Leg in Southwark, where our club was founded! Wessex League is the UK’s top tournament series, bringing the best of British together to compete in the categories of Longsword, Sabre, Sword & Buckler and Rapier & Dagger. It is …
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Principles of di Grassi
The sword in cutting always frames part of a Circle, of which the hand is the centre, and is most forcible in the circumference. The sword is therefore divided into four parts, the third and fourth being used to strike (weak of the blade), with the fourth part (ca. four fingers from the point) the …
Measuring Marozzo’s Segno del Passegiare
First depicted in Achille Marozzo’s seminal work ‘Opera Nova dell’Arte delle arme’ (1536), the correct measurements of Marozzo’s ‘Segno del Passegiare’ (a footwork diagram designed to help students develop their movements in a series of drills) is one of those questions in HEMA that everyone answers differently. In this article we shall look at one …
7th Belgian Buckler Quarterly
This week our instructor Jay Maxwell has returned from The Belgian Buckler Quarterly, where he taught back-to-back classes on the intricate Bolognese system of sword and small buckler and showcased various pieces of HEMA protective equipment designed by Tempus Fugitives. Special thanks to: Sean Wauters for inviting Tempus Fugitives to teach and for the fascinating …