Our Class
Begin
Your Journey
Weapon Introduction Session
If you are interested in HEMA and would like to experience our steel weapons first-hand, you are welcome to sign up for our Introduction session
. The course will cover all commonly used melee weapons from the Middle Ages to modern times in historical order. You will get a preliminary feel for Arming Sword, Rapier, and Military Sabre. The second half of the Introduction session will focus on the German longsword, where you will be taught basic movements and the core technique of the German longsword: Zwerch. The introduction session is held every two months on Sunday mornings. Please contact us in advance to make a reservation.
Sunday (every two months)：
11:00 am to 1:00 pm - Weapon Introduction Session
Conrad Yu
Essential Course
For those who want to embark on their journey in historical European martial arts, you can participate in our Essential Course.
The Essential Course consists of 4 sessions, where you can learn the basics of swordsmanship. The course covers basic HEMA techniques and knowledge of safe sparring. Each session lasts 2 hours.
Students will practice in a safe environment. After completing the Essential Course, you will be eligible to participate in Technical Classes, Journeyman Course, Coached Free Practice Sessions and Sparring Sessions.
Thursday：
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm - Essential Course
Sunday：
11:00 am to 1:00 pm - Essential Course
Mazoo Ma
Kevin Cheng
Practise
Your Skill
Technique Course
After completing our Essential Courses, you can enrol in our Technique Course. Each class in the technical series focuses on a specific topic, so you don't have to worry about falling behind if you haven't studied it before. Our Technique Courses vary every week and cover a range of weapons, including but not limited to Longsword, Rapier, Sidesword, Dussack, Messer, Military Saber, Dagger, Buckler, Rotella, Staff, Partisan, and Halberd.
Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday：
8:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Technique Course
9:00 pm to 10:00 pm - Technique Course
Saturday：
11:00 am - 12:40 pm - Technique Course (Basic)
1:30 pm - 3:10 pm - Technique Course (Basic)
Sunday：
3:00 pm to 4:00 pm - Technique Course
4:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Technique Course
5:00 pm to 6:00 pm - Technique Course
Mazoo Ma
MJ Ma
Hugo Yip
Sing Wong
Kevin Cheng
Steve To
Eric Ng
Mazoo Ma
MJ Ma
Journeyman Course
The Journeyman Course consists of 8 sessions, where you can choose to learn either the Renaissance German Longsword or Italian Rapier techniques. The course covers the core systemic knowledge of the Renaissance Longsword or Rapier, helping you learn more comprehensively about how to deal with different situations using this weapon. Each session for Longsword and Rapier lasts 2 and 1.5 hours respectively.
Sunday：
1:00 pm to 3:00 pm - Journeyman Course
Explore
Your Possibility
Coached Free Practice Session
We also highly encourage you to embody the core spirit of HEMA and conduct your research on historical manuscripts to explore weapons and martial arts systems that interest you. On Wednesdays, we have designated Coached Free Practice Sessions, where you can follow our fitness training with the equipment(Mace, Kettlebell, Bulgarian Bag, etc.), practice the wrestling skill or drills with fellow students, or even engage in leisurely discussions about historical issues.
Wednesday：
8:00 pm to 10:00 pm - Coached Free Practice Session
Sparring Session
On Sundays, we have dedicated open Sparring Sessions where, as long as safety requirements are met, you can use any weapon of your choice, including non-traditional HEMA categories such as Katana and Jian. We also assist in recording each session, allowing students to review their performance, identify areas for improvement, or cherish their moments of skill and prowess.
Sunday：
6:00 pm to 8:00 pm - Sparring Session
Facility Amenities
The training hall of Einherjar HEMA Club in Kwai Hing not only provides protective gear for HEMA steel sword sparing but also offers free loaner steel swords. In addition to that, there is a variety of functional training equipment available for members to use, such as mace, kettlebells, and more, all of which can be borrowed for training purposes.
How we train
scholar - Studying Manuscripts
In history, martial arts masters have left behind their martial arts manuscripts, and the foundation of HEMA is based on the study of these valuable documents. When reading martial arts manuscripts, it is important to pay attention to the historical context, the martial arts lineage of the author, and the intended audience of the manuscript. These factors are crucial for understanding the manuscripts. For example, a manual on military sabre techniques would be targeted towards soldiers and therefore be concise and to the point. Martial arts books from the sixteenth century in free city-states would be influenced by the laws of that time. On the other hand, late Renaissance rapier systems would imitate emerging mathematical and scientific research, aiming for a more scientific and nuanced approach.
Our instructors at the Einherjar HEMA Club have extensively studied the martial arts manuscripts they teach. Therefore, participating in our courses would provide a convenient way to learn the martial arts system in question.
martial - Testing through Sparring
In historical European martial arts, sparring is indeed a crucial component. Free sparring not only provides excitement, fun, and stress relief, but it is also the core element of training. After studying manuscripts and establishing a certain foundation, engaging in sparring serves as a pressure test, where one's weaknesses are exposed in a moment closest to real combat. Additionally, trying out favorite techniques during free sparring adds to the enjoyment.
In our practice, we wear full protective gear and engage in full-speed sparring with steel swords, while adhering to safety rules. Through the sparks generated by the collision of steel weapons, we validate our skills and knowledge.
all-round -Integration and Unification
After multiple readings of the entire manuscript, learning all the techniques described in the book, and gaining a thorough understanding of the system's principles, combined with numerous foundational exercises, targeted physical training, and challenging controlled sparring, one can prepare for reconstructing the martial arts system outlined in the manuscript.
By evaluating the coherence of the entire system established based on the core ideas presented in the manuscript, one must consider whether the logic of the system is self-consistent. Even the details of movements not mentioned in the book should be carefully contemplated. Through this rigorous process, the weapon system can be integrated and unified, becoming truly one's own, a martial art that is suitable for oneself.
OUR AIMS
01
Physical Training
We highly value a scientific approach to physical training, and in each class, we ensure thorough warm-up exercises targeting the muscles and joints that will be utilized during that session. This helps prevent injuries during training. A strong physique forms the foundation for warriors or athletes, and factors such as explosive power and muscular endurance are prerequisites for developing excellent swordsmanship skills. We do not subscribe to the naive notion that wielding a weapon negates the need for physical strength. Moreover, regardless of the student's starting level, we aim to benchmark their progress against the high standards set by practitioners in other countries in terms of speed and power.
Because of this approach, we welcome participants of all gender and physical abilities to join us in the journey of becoming agile and powerful warriors through training. Our facility also provides a variety of training equipment that students are free to utilize.
03
Test Cutting
Since we primarily use swords for training, we also have a segment dedicated to test cutting. Test cutting involves learning how to effectively execute cutting movements with a sharp steel sword, mimicking the actions performed during daily training and free sparring. We utilize various test cutting materials such as straw mats, plastic bottles, or clay. Regardless of the success of each cut, the condition of the test cutting material provides valuable feedback for improvement, allowing for more refined strikes in subsequent attempts.
Even though our core training mode revolves around free sparring with blunt steel swords, we also want our students to have a foundational understanding of the sensation of actual cutting movements.
02
Modernized Training
The intricate techniques found in historical manuscripts deserve a significant portion of our training time. However, not every manuscript provides a comprehensive instructional guide. Therefore, we also draw inspiration from other modern sports to incorporate exercises such as distance awareness, reaction speed, and power chain integration. We believe in combining modern training methods with historical techniques to continually seek more efficient training approaches.
Furthermore, we do not dismiss the convenience of multimedia teaching. With the abundance of online resources available today, we guide our students in discerning high-quality resources and avoiding misinformation.
04
Pursuing Practicality
While our focus is primarily on weapons, it is worth noting that historical masters in their manuscripts repeatedly emphasized the importance of wrestling techniques. We have also come to understand, through free sparring and participating in competitions, that while weapons are effective in the majority of situations, close-quarters combat often relies on strength and wrestling skills to determine success.
As a result, we incorporate wrestling training into our daily practice and encourage students to integrate wrestling techniques into their sparring. Safety is of paramount importance when practicing wrestling, and we never engage in reckless or dangerous maneuvers.