Watch out, Cardiff – Hari Berrow has taken up the blade! Not to strike fear into the hearts of her enemies, mind you, this is all in the name of historical, safe and educational fun. Curious? Allow her to tell you all about it…
I, a tiny woman in my late twenties, have started sword fighting. No, not the sort of fencing you see in the Olympics – I’ve started HEMA swordfighting. Historic European Martial Arts seeks to uncover the knowledge of the old Masters and teach you how to kill each other (politely, with plastic or blunt steel replicas of swords – and wearing lots of safety kit).
I am, without exaggeration, having the most fun I have ever had. That’s me, up there, competing in an in-house tournament. I had a chat about the sport with Melissa Hainsworth, multi-medallist co-founder of Cardiff-based sword school Academy Of Steel.
“The sword evolved over time: there were lots of different types of swords, and they changed. Then came the time where swords were no longer evolving because you had firearms – swords were no longer as important as weapons of war. At which point the sabre and the small sword kind of got immortalised in the training form, which is now modern Olympic fencing.
“Certain things in fencing have evolved down a separate path, not because of the martiality but because of the sport side of things. One example is a concept called the ‘right of way’ – it doesn’t necessarily matter who got hit, it matters who started the action first. We now have access to information which we’ve analysed to recreate these lost martial arts, using actual texts from the periods when it was in use that says, ‘this is how you use this sword’. And that’s what we try to teach people.”
As a 5’5” female on the less athletic end of things, I definitely found it challenging at first, but Melissa holds that the sport is for everyone. “You can argue that the sword is a great equaliser. The way you use a sword is different, and someone that is shorter and smaller – regardless of their gender – really just uses the sword differently. Your average woman tends to be shorter and smaller than a man, but it’s about size and technique rather than the genetics.
“You can argue that men also have higher body muscle and bone density, and these mean they can hit harder, but if you’re using the sword properly then you don’t really need to be using all your strength anyway. If you have to use all your strength when you fight, you’re just being a brute. It will cut with as much precision without the weight and force behind it.” (I feel obliged at this stage to point out that we do not use sharp swords on each other.)
Something Academy Of Steel really pushes is being mindful and safe with your opponent: you’re looking to outskill them, not harm them. “Jordan [Melissa’s husband and core teacher at the Academy] is a big guy. He is six feet tall and very strong – he could probably kill me with one strike if he wanted to, but he’s always been very able to control his fencing, and I’ve always trusted that.
“It’s a matter of having the trust that your partner has the control of their strength. Your first line of defence is your sparring partner – that’s one thing we’re always aware of, and why we emphasise that you must show control. You can take part and play with the boys – you just need to have more confidence to do it.”
The Academy is an incredibly supportive and giving place, home to oddbods from all walks of life. “Everyone is welcome, regardless of background,” Melissa affirms. “You don’t need to be a bodybuilder. Everyone is welcome and everyone can do well at it.”
Find Academy Of Steel on Shakespeare Street, Cardiff.
Info: academyofsteel.com
words HARI BERROW