Welcome to
Rocket City HEMA

A school for the study and practice of historical sword fighting


Rocket City HEMA has reopened and is now accepting new students!
See our About Us page for information on our current COVID policies

COVID Policy


IMAGE: Rocket City HEMA logo

Who Are We?

Rocket City HEMA is Huntsville's first school for the study of historical european martial arts. We practice techniques found in Medieval and Renaissance-era fencing manuals and apply them in a modern context.

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IMAGE: Plate from a fencing manual

What is HEMA?

Historical European martial arts (HEMA) refers to a variety of martial arts of European origin, particularly fencing systems which have died out long ago. The HEMA movement seeks to recreate these arts through the study of manuals and treatises written in the times when these arts were still in active use.

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IMAGE: Training at Rocket City HEMA

What Do We Train?

We practice a wide variety of weapon arts, including German longsword, Scottish backsword, and Italian rapier. We also train some sword-free systems like dagger, ringen (wrestling), and armored combat.

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Interested? Join us for our monthly beginner's course!


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Photo Gallery


IMAGE: A spear melee during class
IMAGE: Full sparring gear
IMAGE: Demonstrating messer at a faire
IMAGE: Practicing ringen
IMAGE: Our beginner's course
IMAGE: Demonstrating rapier at a faire
IMAGE: Demonstrating longsword to the public
IMAGE: Friendly longsword sparring
IMAGE: Sparring in full armor
IMAGE: Longsword sparring in tournament
IMAGE: Practicing messer
IMAGE: Demonstrating poleaxe at a faire