In a Real Swordfight

In the HEMA community, a common topic of discussion is the idea of realism in fights. Such discussions often involve seemingly plausible but flawed assumptions about what “real sword fights” are like: that real sword fights have no rules and that the more violent and brutal a fighter is, the more realistically they are behaving. This lecture will address these misconceptions about realism in violence by providing a more nuanced way of understanding violence that acknowledges its variety, as well as examining historical accounts of real sword fights from 16th century Germany to illustrate the legal and social norms that regulated the behavior of fighters in violent encounters.

Zoom Link:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81908579382