conferences
Manuel Valle-Ortiz
Born in Cantabria. A retired surgeon and vocational fencer, he has spent over three decades researching the sources of Iberian fencing traditions in public libraries and private collections across the world. He founded AGEA Editora to publish these investigations, gathering a team of practitioners and researchers to help. He chairs the editorial board. He has edited multiple critical historical treatises of Verdadeira Destreza, both in spanish and in portuguese. He is also author of the exhaustive bibliography Nueva BibliografÃa de la Antigua Esgrima, an unprecedented work since Leguina. Manuel has spoken at conferences in multiple cities of Europe (Galicia, France, Spain, Scotland, Italy, Belarus) and America for various organisations (AGEA, AEEA, FEEH, HEMAC, WMAW, IFHEMA, among others). He is an active member of the international HEMA community, being a reference in the field of literature. He is a fellow of the Historical European Martial Arts Coalition and is an honorary member of the Federación Española de Esgrima Histórica and Honorary Maestro d’Armas by the Portuguese Historical Fencing Federation.
The evolution of Verdadera Destreza.
Destreza was in use during almost four centuries. Although there is a common frame making Destreza a recognisable system, there were adaptations along all the time when it was practised in Iberian countries. Changes in weapons, techniques and the way to confront vulgar or foreigner schools were present from the XVI to XIX centuries.
Stephane Salvan
Doctoral student in ancient history specializing in the field of gladiature, I work on the biomechanical and psychological aspects of dueling through experiments in the laboratory and in the field.
The objective of this research is to propose a catalog of techniques (attacks) of a weapon according to the context (sensory) and the purpose of the fight.
Member of the brotherhood of the Corneille, I work on panoplies of gladiators within the framework of ethnic gladiatorship in the Republican era.
PRISM : un protocole pluridisciplinaire de recherche sur le geste martial. Comment travailler les arts martiaux historiques européens sans traités ni manuscrits.
The subject of this conference concerns the presence of a multidisciplinary research protocol of European historical martial arts. The objective is to propose reading grids of the available sources according to different angles in order to establish hypotheses of martial techniques which can be tested in the laboratory and/or in the room. The idea is to propose at the end of the martial techniques (strike with or without movement) to the community in order to criticize them and to constitute catalogs of gestures available to all. Aware that there can only be one interpretation, the idea is to keep track of the most likely hypotheses in depth and allow everyone to access them and thus be able to develop them or just use them. It’s time to keep track of the works of the great HEMA alumni. The HEMAC 20th anniversary gathering is the perfect time to launch this process.
Cabreira Diniz
Trained in Judo and Aikido before learning about Historical European Martial Arts. Co-founded «Gallaecia in Armis» in 2008, and «Arte do Combate» in 2017. Physics and Computer Science student, but working in graphic design. He blames his interest in HEMA on his father, who raised him on tales about King Arthur and chivalric romances. Longsword instructor at «Gallaecia in Armis» until 2017. Since then runs «Arte do Combate», focusing on the early sources of Johannes Liechtenauer’s Kunst des Fechtens. He has taught at meetings of the galician federation AGEA, the portuguese federation FPEH, and to brazillian groups. Co-founded ESPADA – Comunidade Iberoamericana de Artes Marciais Históricas Europeias with Ton Puey and Alberto Bomprezzi. Interested in integrating Galiza with the rest of lusophone countries, he works together with HEMA practitioners from Portugal and Brasil.
‘Books of the Dead: necromantic practices in the HEMA community’ or ‘A survey and some thoughts on how historical martial arts books are being published in the present day’
Books are resilient, and HEMA is older than we think. People like Hutton or Hershell came before us, and we would know nothing of their exploits nor be able to build upon what they did had they not published their findings. Therefore, publishing books that document the current XXI century HEMA Renaissance is important, if only to leave a legacy, lest something happens to us and our community. In this conference, we will survey the current state of publishing in the HEMA community — both organized in publishing houses, or firms, and as independent authors, through self-publishing services. We will survey the main initiatives and inquire on the economic model behind them, as well as the technical practicalities behind their publishing process. We will try to show how current related technology (desktop publishing tools, digital printing, easier accessibility to specialized professional services, worldwide communication networks, digital access to source material) enables better and easier fight book production and distribution. We will also try to distil some experiences or, perhaps, best practices, that may help future endeavours in this field.
Olivier Dupuis
Olivier Dupuis has been studying and teaching HEMA for over twenty years. He is interested in a wide variety of sources, tries to find new ones, and is interested in the sociology of fencers in the Renaissance and the Middle Ages.
Examinations of fencers and fencing masters during the Renaissance
In this lecture I will deal with the examination procedures of fencers in the 15th and 16th centuries, comparing the situation in France, Germany and England. These exams can take place in particular at the end of the training, and to access the title of master. For lack of very precise document for the Germanic or French space, I rely on very scattered documentation, master’s degrees, regulations, indirect testimonies and literary sources to show that these examinations were common and generalized in Eastern Europe. West, but with wide variations according to cultural areas.
Martinez Gilles
A medieval historian specialising in the rediscovery of martial gestures, Gilles Martinez recently defended a doctoral thesis at the Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, entitled Des gestes pour combattre. Recherches et expérimentations sur le combat chevaleresque à l’époque féodale : l’exemple du Roman de Jaufré (Paris, BnF, ms. fr. 2164). Currently, he combines his activities as a researcher with those of a teacher at the University of Nîmes, a practitioner and professional instructor of medieval combat (for nearly 20 years), and a cultural mediator.
De taille ! Et d’estoc ? Sur l’utilisation des coups de pointe dans le duel chevaleresque féodal (XIIe-début du XIVe siècle)
Ju Garry
Ju Garry, member of De Taille and Estoc since 2010, of HEMAC since 2012. I am also a member of the PALAS commission (for the digitization of sources) and of the commission for Parity and equal opportunity in within the FFAMHE.
I have been teaching and studying 19th century military fencing for more than 12 years now, I have had the opportunity to publish three books and numerous articles on the subject, in French and in English, and this subject has been around for 5 years my doctoral thesis subject in Contemporary History at the University of Burgundy.
I was lucky enough to be able to teach and come and discuss these particular HEMA in numerous courses, events and conferences in France and abroad.
Les Maîtres d’armes Napoléonniens
This conference aims to deepen this pivotal period in France for fencing. The Republican and Napoleonic period indeed represents a turning point, where fencing went from an elitist activity practiced by a limited part of society, the preserve of a corporation, to a popular art, embodied by its main actors, the masters of weapons.
Athletes, duelists, young or old, hygienists or alcoholics, humble or proud, the Republican and Napoleonic fencing masters are like the immense army that welcomes them: multiple, diverse and eager for glory. Respected by their comrades, they are the actors and the engines of a discipline which is gradually becoming part of the ordinary of the French army.