What do you study?:
The St. Paul Freifechters (and the Meyer Freifechter Guild) study the 3 currently known works of Joachim Meyer along with a variety of other related materials that supplement his works. Meyer’s known works are listed here:
- “Gründtliche Beschreibung der Kunst des Fechtens”/”A Thorough Description of the Art of Combat”, Published in 1570
- The MS A.4º.2/”Lund” Manuscript, written by Meyer in 1568 for his student Graf Otto Von Sulms.
- Selected parts of the MS Var. 82 Manuscript (aka – ” the Rostock Fechtbuch”) that Meyer authored sometime between 1560 and 1570.
Who was Joachim Meyer, and why study his writings/teachings?
Joachim Meyer was a Fencing Instructor/Master in Strassburg Germany during the mid-16th century. He’s known for authoring 2 fencing manuscripts (“Fechtbucher”), as well as publishing an extremely detailed book on the combat system he taught. This system covers the use of several weapons commonly employed at the time for both sporting and combat use, including the Long Sword, Dussack, Rappier, Dagger and Polearms. His book, “Gründtliche Beschreibung der Kunst des Fechtens” (“A Thorough Description of the Art of Combat”) is the primary source that we draw our information from, though we also use other sources authored by other Masters to help understand and clarify the material in Meyer’s writings.
Who or What is the ‘Meyer Freifechter Guild’?
The Meyer Freifechter Guild (aka ‘MFFG’) is an international non-profit organization that is dedicated to the research, interpretation, and practice of Joachim Meyer’s art. Membership is free and grants access to proprietary research, copyrighted materials, and private events not otherwise available to the general public.
The St. Paul Freifechters are members of Region III, which covers the US states of Minnesota, Iowa, Missouri, Illinois, Wisconsin, Michigan, Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio.
What is “Historical Fencing”?
Historical Fencing is a style of sport fencing that uses the rulesets, martial techniques and weapons from a specific time and place in history. In our case, our focus is the Fechtshule (Fencing Tournament) rules and context from mid-16th century Germany.
What does the term “Freifechter” mean?
When translated, the term Freifechter simply means “Free Fencer”. It’s both the alternate name of a fencing guild that existed during Meyer’s time (The Federfechter), and also a title granted to accomplished fencers that Meyer himself held.
What is ‘Historical European Martial Arts’?
“Historical European Martial Arts, or HEMA for short, is the study and practice of historical European fighting techniques.” – HEMA Alliance website
This is exactly what we do with translating and interpreting historical books and manuscripts regarding the arts of combat used in Europe with the purpose of recreating the martial skills and techniques they describe. In our case, we are specifically studying the works of Joachim Meyer.
Why do people get into this?
People get into Martial Arts for many different reasons and often stay because of a combination of them. Below are just a few examples of why people do this for the Historical European Martial Arts;
- The research and learning about the history of these people, locations and time periods.
- The challenges and excitement of translating and interpreting something that hasn’t actively been used for several centuries.
- The mental and physical discipline of learning a new skill/art.
- It’s something different/interesting to help stay physically active.
- The competition and the drive to “win”.
- And of course – “Swords are cool”.
How much does this cost…?
Monthly costs: We charge an average of $48/month (for months with 4 sessions, $60 for months with 5) per person, or a “Drop In Fee” of $15/session for those who can only make an occasional meet. This goes specifically for covering the rental and insurance costs for use of the space.
Equipment costs: Like with any other sport, personal equipment costs can vary widely, depending on make/model purchased. We have a limited amount of “Club” or “Loaner” equipment we can offer the use of to new members while they are in the process of acquiring their own. A sample list of equipment costs is below, and in the order we recommend them:
NOTE – not all equipment will be needed for all training levels. Members can only train to the intensity that their protective equipment allows as per the HEMA Alliance Safety Policy.
- Groin protection – $20+
- Steel Longsword Traininer (Federschwert) – $270-$500+
- Please ask for recommendations/info before ordering to ensure a proper training sword is purchased
- HEMA fencing mask – $70+
- Back of head protector (often available with/part of a fencing mask. Removable version recommended) – $50+
- Lacrosse Gloves (with augmented fingertip protection) or HEMA-Specific gloves – $50-$300
- Gorget/Throat protector – $25+
- Forearm/elbow guards – $30+
- HEMA Fencing jacket – $200+
- Shin/Knee protection – $25+
Are those REAL swords?
Yes. And No. They are historical reproductions/representations of the Federschwert (“Feather Sword”) that were historically used for fencing and training. They are specifically designed with thick blunt edges, rounded tips and are semi-flexible to help reduce injuries.
This looks dangerous, how often does someone get hurt?
Thankfully, the injury rate in Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) overall is surprisingly low. Despite this, our group still maintains certain conduct and safety standards, and carries an insurance policy because sometimes **** just happens that you can’t plan for.
Why do you call yourselves a Study Group instead of a School?
We describe ourselves as a Study Group and not a formal school because our learning structure is intended to be more of a collaborative effort and not a formal “teacher/student” format. This means we have more of a Team oriented focus to the learning, with the more experienced members helping to lead the meets and mentor their fellow members. It fosters an environment that welcomes questions and encourages constructive debate regarding interpreting the material from all levels.
We do this for the following reasons:
- There is no living “Master” of Meyer’s art – He died in 1571 and we are all simply students of his art.
- It allows room for variation within and peer review of the individual approaches and interpretations of the material – This is a key point, as Meyer himself states that not everyone is the same and will fight differently even when trained with the same skills.
- It encourages each person to explore and question the material and their own understanding of it – The intended results are members feeling more empowered, involved and having more direct control of their learning path and progress.