It's all about Community
Yes, we are growing. Nationally, internationally and locally. We are tying closer bonds with each other, sharing experiences and getting better at what we do. One reason for this is the great events that take place all over the world. The toughest may possibly be the youngest. This is Swordfish. It’s here to stay.
In 2005 we started talking about an event in Gothenburg. We wanted to gather the Swedish HEMA practitioners and the European expertise and fencers at an international event. There were many reasons; it’s fun, it’s educational and we don’t have anything like it in Sweden. But more than that we felt that there are people in this country that have a lot of competence and skills regarding HEMA. And although that is the case we meet people from outside the country more often than we meet Swedes, because very few go abroad. We wanted to bring our friends from abroad together with our friends in Sweden. That’s when MHFS called us and said that they also were planning an event. So we decided to make a mutual effort.
The first year Swordfish was planned out and executed by the group in Malmö. It turned out fantastically well. People were excited by the organization, the martial experience and the tough and hard training sessions. The classes were long and intensive. Four hours with hard drills and training with some of Europe’s finest instructors. There were also some different ingredients compared to other events. Viking wrestling with Lars Magnar Enokssen, cutting principles with Emil Strenge according to Asian practices and instructors that made their international debut.
The second year the event was arranged by GHFS, in Gothenburg. The number of attendants grew to about 100, but we had excellent facilities that could easily cope with this. We had a lot more room than 2006, and all of the event was gathered under one roof, with no need for travelling between different sites for the classes. The event also got its own evening pub, which was overwhelmingly well received and attended (to the point that the oxygen almost ran out). There was a great mix of lecturers and workshops from all over europe, covering both familiar and less common subjects in HEMA.
The third year was much the same as the preceding, apart from getting even more attendants and just generally being bigger and better.
This year we will continue the legacy of three great years. Again, we want to bring a lot of the premiere instructors to Sweden, but also present some people that you might not have seen before, teaching classes that you might not have taken.
Swedish HEMA is big, there are several clubs with around 40 members each and growing, along with increasing interaction and cooperation between the different groups. And many clubs have training sessions most days of the week. HEMA is here to stay and more and more people are getting involved in research and practice. Pair that with Swedish instructors that have years of experience teaching as well as a stellar international reputation and we’re off to a great start.
This year will be great. Top practitioners, researchers and instructors will join us in continuing to make Swordfish an event that will support and strengthen all of the community. We hope you will recognise this event as an opportunity to train with them and to celebrate the European martial history.