Don’t worry, we got you! Our town-side practice on Sundays is at Moanalua Community Park. We’re on the east side of the park on the concrete patio near the picnic benches. On Thursdays you can find us at Makiki District Park on the grassy area right outside the tennis courts on the Makiki St. side of the park.

Our Kaneohe satellite on Sundays will generally be held on the big field by the tennis courts in Kaneohe District Park.

Please check with us for cancellations or changes in location.

HEMA (pronounced as "HEE-mah") is an acronym that stands for Historical European Martial Arts, and it is the study of historical fighting techniques of western origin, particularly those from the medieval and early modern periods. It can include everything from wrestling to armored combat, and while HEMA is not exclusively sword fighting, you will find that the more commonly practiced systems are sword based. In recent years the community has expanded globally and has moved beyond learning only European techniques, so you will now often hear the terms “Historical Fencing” and “Historical Martial Arts” (HMA).

We currently teach German longsword (aka: bloßfechten), saber, and Italian rapier.

If this is your first time joining our club the only things you will need are exercise clothes, a bottle of water, and a positive attitude. If you like it and want to come back there you can find a gear list here. We have some loaner gear and club weapons to allow new students to participate in class curriculum and drills while they start to acquire their kit. Expect to eventually spend $500-1000 if you intend on sparring competitively. Please ask the instructors if you have more questions regarding gear.

Not necessarily. The gear requirements listed are for full-contact sparring with steel, and nobody is required to spar. If you aren’t interested in anything full-contact and just want to take it easy and learn a few things with plastic swords or boffers, acquiring a mask, gloves, and groin/chest protection will be fine.

With parental permission 16+ can train and take classes, but you must be 18+ to spar with steel.

OCHS does not charge any money to attend our practices/classes. We are a volunteer-run organization and function entirely off donations. However, members are required to join the HEMA Alliance. See below.

We are an affiliate of the HEMA Alliance so you will need to acquire a membership through them. They provide a 2-month intro class membership for free. After those 2 months an In-network Discounted Alliance Membership is $26/year. More information can be found here. For insurance purposes, you must show proof of HEMA Alliance membership before you are allowed to participate in any activities.

We use sword simulators specifically designed for historical fencing. They are made of either steel, nylon, or foam. OCHS does not permit the use of any sharp weapons at our club events. Check our gear page for more information.

Nope! HEMA/Historical fencing is not LARP (Live Action Role Playing), historical reenacting, or stage combat. It is full-contact martial art and combat sport comparable to Kendo and Escrima, and as such is inherently dangerous. While we love the LARP and historical reenacting communities, often participate in their events, and have an overlap in members, the focus of OCHS is learning historical combat techniques. We make this distinction simply to emphasize that when training with steel sword simulators students must be careful and conscientious.

Of course! We love having guests. Just be sure you have coverage under the HEMA Alliance Insurance before attending. See the membership page if you have any questions.

Not directly. We are a different type of organization, but we have an overlap in members and you are welcome to attend any all and other nerd groups on island. We promise we won’t get jealous.

Info about the SCA Barony of Western Seas here.

If you wish to learn more about Fiorian armored combat techniques of the medieval tournament feel free to check out our friends at Schola Saint George.

And if you are interested in boffer fighting there are the Blood Coast Belegarth and the Manoa Medieval Combat Club.

There are no attendance requirements. As long as your HEMA Alliance membership is up to date you are welcome to attend any class or event that is convenient for you.