Heartland Hema Trophy case
Tournaments are not the primary fuscous of our school. We hone our skills as martial artists independently of how well and often we participate in tournaments. However, tournaments are the best objective measure of one’s progress.
There are many reasons to attend tournaments. The main reason is that attending tournaments is fun. It is a great way to interact with fellow sword minded folk, make new friends, and support and grow our community.
There is however a much deeper meaning to tournament play. We are attempting to train in the deadly martial art of defense with swords. We can never truly recreate the feeling of fear and anxiety that one would feel if truly fighting with live steel where life and limb were on the line. It is there, in that feeling of panic, that the highest level of martial training exists. The deepest level of martial training is not the fight between you and your opponent, but between you and your self. to strive to master one’s heart and mind is the greats achievement in martial arts and swordplay. And while we can never recreate this, tournament play is the closest we can come to it.
You will routinely see Heartland HEMA competing in local, regional, national, and international competitions; as well as finishing in the top eight, medaling, and winning gold. Several of Heartland members are ranked as top fighters in the United States and in the world across various weapons systems.
This is a page dedicated to celebrating the victories our club has won and the glory that comes with it. We do not list our accomplishments to brag, but to honor our students and to show the prospective student that our methods get results.