Safety in the practice of HEMA
Publié le 16.01.2021
The situation
Historically, HEMA developed from the study of old combat manuals (reading them is not normally dangerous...). Then came the practice of training with friends.
As soon as there is practice, there must be safety parameters. Reading and applying combat manuals is not as simple as reading a recipe and applying it to create a good meal. And while there are risks involved in cooking (such as poisoning your guests or cutting yourself), they are far removed from our own.
Most physical activities involve risks. These risks can lead to safety problems. In fencing, a weapon is used in a variety of ways and there are physical risks involved.
If we take the example of firefighters, we can describe the potential risks they face during their missions: shocks from falling objects, collapsing walls, the fire itself that firefighters must cross and the degradation of the air by toxic substances or the absence of oxygen, etc.
To put in place the protective equipment best suited to firefighters' activities, studies have been carried out and conclusions drawn to determine what type of equipment should be used to ensure that firefighters intervene in the safest possible way.
In the Middle Ages, fighters went to war wearing steel armour and helmets, so they thought they were well protected. But when we practice this fencing today, we don't arrive in armour and with a helmet on our heads.
As things stand, practitioners wear all sorts of protective gear, which may not be suitable and may not provide sufficient protection. For example, in our competitions, everyone arrives with their "made in personnel" mask or their "Bibendum" outfit in the hope that several layers of textile will resist the shocks.
Finally, in our competitions, nothing is compulsory or required.
While working on a training module on safety in the practice of HEMA, I realised that we lack (at least to my knowledge) a study of the risks, conclusions concerning the protective equipment to be used, norms and standards and no certified/homologated equipment. It is therefore impossible for us to guarantee our members the safest possible practice of HEMA.
What's more, by issuing safety advice or recommendations, we may expose ourselves to legal action in the event of an accident. Once an instructor or competitor has followed this advice or obligation, in the event of an accident, that person could take legal action against the federation, highlighting the safety shortcomings. This would do great harm to the image of HEMA as a practice and as a sport and could lead in the long term to a ban on this activity, which would be considered too dangerous or uncontrolled.
How can we get out of this situation, which is not insoluble?
How can we establish coherent, safe rules to train instructors and impose on competitors? Of course, we can have ideas, we can have opinions based on experience and on the practice of the sport or discipline based on the past, but this is not enough to guarantee the safe practice of HEMA.
- For the time being, it would be useful to establish a regulation based on what is most protective on the market.
This way, even if there are legal problems, we will at least have shown that we have taken a step in the right direction. Allowing the use of equipment that offers little or no protection, when the equipment on the market is already little or not adapted to our sport, exposes us to major risks.
- We should also check whether there are any historical or literary safety regulations (e.g. Meyer, 1600, Absence of thrusts) and analyses of protection or lack of protection.
Master Meyer's ban on the use of thrusts in his armoury around 1600 shows that there were safety concerns that were being addressed through regulations.
The example of metal armour clearly proves that an analysis was carried out at the time. The armour was designed to protect people. Even if it was a cursory analysis, because scientific analysis laboratories didn't exist, there must have been a time when someone thought: "My soldiers are going to be pierced by weapons, I have to protect them. What protects them from steel, is steel".
- We should also look within the HEMA community (IFHEMA, other national federations, etc.) to see if there are people who have attempted to analyse safety. There may also be experts and scientists who could analyse the practice of the sport, attend fights and competitions in order to assess the impact and use of weapons (weight, strength, etc.) and who would be able to create the necessary standards for this practice. And see what work has already been done. That's what networks are for.
- Work with fencing equipment manufacturers. Example: In Germany, the "In Muto" fencing school is researching protective equipment and works closely with Uhlmann. It seems that Uhlmann has just brought out an 800N jacket for HEMA. We need to check whether other manufacturers have produced equipment that we could use.
Perhaps it would be possible to commission one of the manufacturers to research safe equipment. The return on investment for a manufacturer would be that the equipment he produces will be certified/homologated and that the equipment to be used, for example in competitions organised by federations, should come from the certified manufacturer. This is a deal to be made, which could be of interest to IFHEMA.
- Another important point: organise an equipment check before each competition. But to organise equipment checks, standards and norms have to be created.
Conclusion
In the past, men who fought duels did so at their own risk. If they were injured, they could not complain: "You taught me fencing like that, my equipment didn't protect me, I'm injured, it's your fault".
Today, it's no longer a question of individual practice. As soon as we grouped together into associations or federations, we moved to a different status and established collective responsibility. A national federation has a dual responsibility:
- A moral responsibility, i.e. it cannot pretend that nothing is happening, and consider that the dangerous nature of the practice is not its problem. It has a duty to protect its members.
- A responsibility to manage the sport, to regulate competitions, fights and practice.
As soon as we recognise instructors and trainers, we must also instruct them in safety.
With good will and a methodical approach, all these issues can be resolved. The HEMA federations are relatively new entities, so it's normal that there are some steps to be taken.
But now is not the time to wait, we must act.