Grappling
The foundation of Fiore's art. Wrestling techniques that underpin every weapon system.
Armoured & UnarmouredEst. 2014 · Penzance, Cornwall
HEMA
Penzance
The complete fighting system of
Fiore dei Liberi
I
Capitolo Primo The Art
The Art of Fiore dei Liberi
An Italian master‑at‑arms, a manuscript from 1409, and the system we still teach.
In 1409, the Italian master‑at‑arms Fiore dei Liberi completed his treatise Fior di Battaglia, The Flower of Battle. One of the most comprehensive fighting manuals to survive from the medieval period.
His system is complete: from unarmed grappling through dagger, longsword, spear, and pollaxe, Fiore teaches a unified approach to combat that flows between weapons and ranges.
At HEMA Penzance, we study and practise this system as a living martial art.
II
Capitolo Secondo What We Teach
The Disciplines
Six interlocking weapon systems, taught in the order Fiore teaches them.
Dagger
Close-quarters combat with disarms, locks, and counters.
Armoured & UnarmouredLongsword in One Hand
Single-handed longsword play; the versatility of a true swordsman.
UnarmouredLongsword
The heart of what we do. This is the weapon you will train with every session.
Armoured & UnarmouredSpear
Long-weapon techniques emphasising reach, timing, and transitions to close combat.
Armoured & UnarmouredPollaxe
The premier weapon of armoured foot combat. Head, spike, and butt in devastating combination.
Armoured & Unarmoured
III
Capitolo Terzo Beyond the Longsword
The Other Blades
Two more traditions beside Fiore's art: the Polish sabre, and sword and buckler from the oldest fencing book in Europe.
Szabla polska
Polish Sabre
Fourteenth century onwards. As reconstructed by Akademia Szermierzy from eighteenth-century Polish manuscripts.
The sabre of the Polish Commonwealth: cut fast from the wrist, lunge long, stay covered. Taught with Jake's help, the club learning it together.
Read about it → Sacerdos et scolarisSword & Buckler
Around 1300. Royal Armouries MS I.33, the oldest fencing book in Europe.
Seven wards, a priest, his scholar and a woman named Walpurgis. Arming sword and buckler, from the book that started it all.
Read about it →
V
Capitolo Quinto The Masters
Steve & Andrew
Two people who share a deep love for Fiore's art, teaching here in Penzance since 2014.
Co-Founder & Instructor
Steve Kemp
Twenty years of dedicated study of Fiore's system, on top of decades of practical combat experience across Wing Chun, judo, jujitsu, and karate. Encyclopaedic knowledge of the manuscript paired with the directness of someone who has tested every technique.
Co-Founder & Instructor
Andrew Elcox
An exceptional swordsman with three decades of dedicated practice. Quotes Fiore's manuscripts virtually word for word, and teaches understanding, not just movements, through a deep, lived knowledge of the source.
VII
Capitolo Settimo Your First Lesson
Come on a Tuesday
What you need to know to walk through the door.
Tuesdays, 7pm – 9pm · Penzance Leisure Centre, St Clare, Penzance · £7.00 a session, your first is free · all kit provided.
VIII
Capitolo Ottavo What We Lend
The Armoury
A full sparring kit for everyone in the room. As far as we can find, no other club in the UK lends as much.
- Eight Steel sabres
- Nine Fencing masks
- Nine pairs Sparring gloves
- Nine Throat protectors
- Nine Chest protectors
- Nine sets Forearm, elbow, knee and shin protectors
- Eleven HEMA jackets
- A rack Synthetic longswords
- For everyone Safety glasses
- A pair Sail daggers
Every piece of it bought for the club by our official sponsor, Wilderness Interactive. Nobody at the club is paid; the kit is simply there.
See the whole armoury →
IX
Capitolo Nono Club News
Club News
What we have been up to, in and beyond the leisure centre.
Polish Sabre Comes to Penzance
From Tuesday 22 September 2026 HEMA Penzance trains Polish sabre: taught with Jake's help, the club learning it together, and eight Krieger sabres on the rack. Here is how it happened.
Wilderness Interactive Now Sponsors HEMA Penzance
Our clubmate Jake Arthur Traynor's company has kitted the club out with a full loaner armoury, masks, gloves and eight Krieger sabres, so anyone can spar from their first weeks.
X
Capitolo Decimo From the Blog
Latest Posts
Recent writing on Fiore, the art, and the craft of training.
Do I Need My Own Gear to Start HEMA?
Most HEMA clubs lend a mask and a training sword and little else. Here is what you need at the start, what you can wait for, and what our club lends every member.
How to Lunge With a Sabre
The sabre lunge covers more ground than any step. Here is how it works in Polish sabre: the foot first, the hit before the landing, the chest proud and the free arm back.
Sabre vs Longsword: What Changes When You Pick Up a Sabre
Longsword and sabre are both swords, and they feel completely different. Here is how the grip, the cut, the footwork and the defence change between them.
Vienite a Imparare Come and Learn
Come train with us
No experience necessary. All levels welcome. Come along on a Tuesday evening and discover the martial art of medieval Europe.