Learn to sword fight
7pm every Wednesday
1 Nile Street West, Nelson
Classes are $15 per person. Your first class is free!
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HEMA Nelson &
The Southern Dragons
The only club in Nelson, New Zealand dedicated to recreating the living art and history of the sword. We teach Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) and historical reenactment.
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What is HEMA?
HEMA stands for Historical European Martial Arts and encompasses fencing, pole-arms, stick-fighting, dagger and wrestling, or any other martial art that has come out of Europe, from the middle ages until roughly the 1800's. If there is a manual, fight book, or treatises that covers it, then it can be studied.
We then apply and practices these studies through tournament fighting and workshops, bringing this lost art into the modern world.
As a club we primarily study 14th century German longsword, late 18th century British military sabre, and rondel dagger fighting that was common between the 13th to 15th centuries. While most people expect martial arts from this time to be fully armoured the styles that we focus on are geared towards unarmored combat and one-on-one judicial duels.
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What is Reenactment?
At its core, reenactment is a way to honour a bygone era of warfare and lifestyle. Our focus is around the art of combat, how it would have looked and felt to be within the battles of history, from the Roman campaigns, to the Norse raids, to the crusades, to the judicial duels of lords, we want to honour these battles with authenticity and respect.
Reenactment comes in many forms, all providing education and immersion. Sword fighting, archery, jousting, clothes, music, and dance to name a few.Within our club, reenactment is a sport, fighting for victory over your opponent, be that single combat, melees of small groups, or larger scale team battles with full shield walls. We train with an authentic and respect forward approach, honouring each other's chosen historical era, weapons and armour.
In short, reenactment is an educational, immersive and incredibly fun way to experience history through swords.
I want to sword fight!
How do I join you?
We hold regular, beginner friendly classes every Wednesday from 7pm to 8:30pm at 1 Nile Street West. Classes are $15 per person. Your first class is free!
Frequently asked questions
What gear do I need to bring?
Training swords are available for use during class and we make purchasing the starting gear, like gloves and masks, easy. Please wear clothing and footwear suitable for vigorous movement.
Is there an age limit?
For our regular Wednesday classes you must be 18 years or older. We welcome 16–18 year olds, but you must be accompanied by a parent or legal guardian.
We also run a class for squires aged 12–16 years. See more details about our youth class below.
What sword styles do you train in?
Our yearly curriculum is split between the HEMA and Reenactment disciplines. We run regular blocks throughout the year focused on:
- 14th century German longsword (HEMA)
- Late 18th century British military sabre (HEMA)
- 13th–15th century rondel dagger (HEMA)
- Viking age sword & shield in one-on-one and mass combat (Reenactment)
- Viking age spear in one-on-one and mass combat (Reenactment)
Once our members have graduated to senior ranks they are encouraged to explore other sword styles under the HEMA & Reenactment banners.
Is it safe?
We practice, drill, and fight with blunt steel swords. Safety is extremely important to us. This means we ensure everyone has the correct level of safety gear before being able to train, all of our instructors hold first aid certificates, and no one is pushed to a level that they feel unsafe or uncomfortable with. We encourage openness and inclusivity and welcome anyone interested in sharing in the art and history of the sword.
Youth classes
We run a youth class called Squires!
Squires is for anyone 12–16 years old and we teach a mix of single handed sword and sword & shield disciplines.
Mondays from 5:30–6:30pm, running within the school term at the Maitai Specialist School hall. Cost is $12/class paid on a per term basis.
Meet our instructors
Stewart
Stewart founded HEMA Nelson in early 2019 and began teaching longsword. He's been practising HEMA since 2016 and has more recently been practising reenactment when we started offering this as a club discipline. Stewart has competed in many national HEMA tournaments.
Nic
Nic has been practising reenactment since 1999 and has been an instructor since 2003. He has been practising HEMA since 2019. Nic has competed in HEMA tournaments and many reenactment camps up-and-down the country in this time.
Sam
Sam has been within the HEMA/Reenactment world since 2019 and began teaching our class Rondel dagger class in 2021. In 2022 he stepped into the role of head trainer and continues to teach Dagger and Sabre classes. He competes here and away in both reenactment and HEMA tournaments.
Events
Let us entertain you!
We also do events and displays! If you are looking for entertainment for your next event look no further.
Talk to us about:
- Public displays for local markets and fairs
- Private events like birthdays and weddings
- We can even run classes for your end of year function
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