What we’re about
Spada Kai Historical Fencing is a HEMA - Historical European Martial Arts - group based in the Scranton, PA area. HEMA is an international martial arts community and so there are many flavors of HEMA club, but what makes HEMA unique from other martial arts systems and communities is the common goal of recreating martial arts based on historical treatises and documents found in Europe, mostly from the 16th to 19th centuries.
While some weapons are more popular in HEMA than others (longsword, saber), you can find treatises focusing on many other types of swords, as well as grappling, striking, polearm, sword and buckler, dagger, fighting in and out of armor, on foot or unmounted - the list goes on.
The historical aspect of HEMA makes it unique from other martial arts, but it is also similar to other martial arts communities in that a HEMA club with a healthy culture should be warm, welcoming and encouraging, but without sacrificing the competitive spirit of any students who are inclined to compete. If you want to train hard and be challenged, you're in good company. And if you're less interested in competition and just happy to attend class, have fun swinging a sword and make friends, you are equally welcome to train with us without pressure to compete. These two goals are what our club logo represents with the quokka and the honey badger: friendship and community alongside martial excellence and competition.
You might love HEMA if:
- You love history.
- You love martial arts.
- You've ever picked up a stick and pretended it was a sword.
- You need a physical activity for the sake of fitness, but the ones you've tried out so far were boring. Swordfighting *cannot* be boring.
- You enjoy self-development and improving a skill over time, and pressure-testing it against other skilled practitioners.
- You'd like to be part of a warm, welcoming community made up of people with a wide variety of backgrounds and interests.
If any of that sounds good to you, contact us. We'd love to meet you!
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General information and frequently asked questions:
Q: What should I bring to a lesson as a first-time attendee?
A: We advise athletic clothing so that you can move around unrestricted, as well as your own source of hydration. If we're meeting outside on a warm day, bring more hydration.
Q: What is the minimum age for a student?
A: We require new students for our regular Sunday meet to be above the age of 12. We are open to teaching younger folks, so let us know if you're interested, but at the moment we don't hold a meet for students 12 and younger.
Q: Do I need to bring any fencing equipment though?
A: You don't! We have enough loaner gear to equip several beginners for light-to-medium contact drills/sparring, although not enough to fully gear someone up for full-contact sparring or competition - yet. HEMAists usually start out using their club's loaner stash and then build up their own personal set of equipment over time after they've decided to keep at it.
Q: Do I need any prior experience?
A: No.
Q: What? You want my money?
A: Yes, unfortunately someone has to pay for all of this, although the first two meets you attend are completely free, or if you opt for private lessons, the first two hours are discounted 50%. Here are our prices at the moment:
Single 2-hour outdoor meet: $15
Single 2-hour indoor meet: $20
Private lesson (send us a DM if interested to schedule; outdoor only at the moment): $20/hr
Pass to attend all meets during a month: $50 when meeting indoors; $40 when outdoors
Q: Is there a waiting list?
A: Not at the moment, but we appreciate you signing up as an attendee on our Meetup Event or sending us a message so that we know who to expect.
