'HEMA' stands for Historical European Martial Arts—a collective term for the martial systems, combat sports, and fencing traditions that developed across Europe over the centuries and are now being brought back to life.

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At the heart of HEMA lie historical sources: manuscripts, fight books, and military manuals from the Middle Ages and Renaissance. These surviving documents are carefully studied and interpreted to reconstruct the techniques and strategies of the past. Today, HEMA is practiced worldwide as a discipline that blends sport, historical research, and intellectual exploration.

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One of the defining features of HEMA is the vast diversity of weapons and styles it encompasses. While the longsword and rapier are the most commonly practiced weapons, HEMA also includes disciplines involving sabers, daggers, messers, spears, axes, war hammers, smallswords, and a variety of polearms. Each weapon demands a unique approach, and within every discipline, multiple styles and traditions can be found.

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Many of these traditions originate in what we now know as Germany and Italy, where renowned fencing masters like Johannes Liechtenauer and Fiore dei Liberi recorded their teachings. However, significant contributions also come from Spain, France, England, and the Low Countries, where other masters left behind valuable treatises. This rich array of sources makes HEMA a layered and ever-evolving art form where history, technique, and sport converge.