Espada Negra - HEMA Study Group

26/08/2026

Full review up and running, Ferreira - HEMA Instructor tested these out and it's time to share the results. Rui figured they weren't that well known outside of italy so it only felt appropriate to work on a review of an excellent pair of 5 fingered gloves.

In the meantime it seems Fenice did launch their storefront and don't forget, you can use the code Rui10 for a 10% discount when you place the order.

Full disclosure though, this isn't a sponsored add, Rui paid for the gloves in full. But as a celebratory thing they were kind enough to throw in a 10% discount.

Full review up and running, Rui tested these out and it's time to s...

26/08/2026

Full review up and running, Rui Ferreira - HEMA Instructor tested these out and it's time to share the results. Rui figured they weren't that well known outside of italy so it only felt appropriate to work on a review of an excellent pair of 5 fingered gloves.

In the meantime it seems Fenice did launch their storefront and don't forget, you can use the code Rui10 for a 10% discount when you place the order.

Full disclosure though, this isn't a sponsored add, Rui paid for the gloves in full. But as a celebratory thing they were kind enough to throw in a 10% discount.
Fenice

19/08/2026

Last couple of Sundays we had the pleasure of once again being a part of Quetzal Nerd Camp .
Aided by our set of Ruis (Rui Almeida and Rui Santos ) our instructor Rui Ferreira - HEMA Instructor taught some very interesting plays with long sword to keep both classes engaged.
A total of roughly 45 potential fencers ran the course and it's now a matter of seeing if they caught the bug.
Always a fun group to handle and similarly to previous editions we'll always be looking forward to the next.

17/08/2026

Sunday classes are going as strong as always, but Saturday classes are growing fast!
Just a few shots from the last Saturday group session, with the visit of two of our German members Valter and Leo.
Messer class led by Rui Ferreira - HEMA Instructor exploring some basics from Glasgow Fechtbuch and some basic feints as well.

11/08/2026

FinallyRui Ferreira - HEMA Instructor has taken the time to fully go through PIMA designs smallsword hilts including his own model inspired by a different work that he'll get to at a later stage.
These are 3D printed stainless steel hilts which prove to be not only absolutely gorgeous, but incredibly durable too, all while keeping its comfort.
The modular and customisation aspects also make these our go-to smallsword hilts,
As always if you have any questions we'll be happy to reply.
We hope you find this video useful and we'll see you on the next ones!

Also seemingly, some part of the video are a bit twitchy, we don't know what happened there but we'll try to figure out in time for the next review.

P.S. If you look closely at the thumbnail you may spot something interesting Rui has also had the pleasure of working on.

Finally Rui has taken the time to fully go through PIMA designs sma...

11/08/2026

We've been trying to figure out a way to showcase our Capo Ferro plate interpretations on this platform@for quite a while now and turns out this doesn't seem to be that bad.
Of course we have to cut the plate bits out and shorten the videos down to bite size chunks but it still serves the same purpose.
Plus you always have our YouTube channel if you're looking for the full video.
Rui Ferreira - HEMA Instructor and have been taking the time to film these for you so we aim to cover the sword and dagger section quite fast now!

09/08/2026

One of the final videos of Dijon, (we're trying to salvage a missing one still) is that of Rui vs Jerca Primc.
The two met a few years ago already through, surprisingly, Rui's art. What happened then was an awesome friendship between the two born from the Shadowlord commission, and we're happy the two finally were able to fence here even if with rapier and only with just a few touches.
Hopefully next time Rui will take up the canne to go up against Jerca on her own turf.

One of the final videos of Dijon, (we're trying to salvage a missin...

08/08/2026

Getting ever so close to wrapping up all the videos from Dijon, but we couldn't let this one slip by no matter how short it was.
Just 5 touches between our Rui and one of the organising club's instructors, Thibault Ghesquière - De Taille et d'Estoc , a fenomenal fencer whose distance control kept Rui grasping for straws.
We only wish they would've had more time to fence.

Getting ever so close to wrapping up all the videos from Dijon, but...

07/08/2026

Time we feature another fencer, this time one of the instructors from Sprezzatura, Karl Rapp .
We're drawing close to the end of the event so these next few bouts will be shorter since by that time it was already 3 consecutive days of sparring and he was absolute knackered.
A fantastic bout between the two with two very different approaches and we mirror Karl's words in the end, we only wish the two had more time to spar. But without a doubt there will be other occasions in the future.
For now enjoy this short bout and don't worry, we still have a few more left from Dijon.

Time we feature another fencer, this time one of the instructors fr...

06/08/2026

Another long awaited bout between Martin Agerton and Rui Ferreira - HEMA Instructor . These two go all the way back to 2018 when they met for the first time in the first international historical fencing tournament organised by FPE (Federação Portuguesa de Esgrima) where Rui came in second place... using Martin's rapier.
Curiously enough the two never crossed paths again and their sabre bout was for the time being postponed... until they met again in Dijon 2026, some 8 years later!
Hope you enjoy this bout, the next ones will be a series of rapier bouts against several opponents, so keep a close eye on that.

Another long awaited bout between Martin and Rui. These two go all ...