New Jersey Historical Fencing Association

New Jersey Historical Fencing Association is dedicated to reconstructing the martial arts of medieval and Renaissance Europe. These ancient fighting arts survive in hundreds of treatises or fencing manuals written by masters who used these arts as a science of defence.

The NJHFA studies these pan-European martial arts as they existed roughly between the years of 1300-1700.

We study the German longsword school of fencing  in the tradition of Master Johannes Liechtenauer as exemplified by Joachim Meyer in his treatise "The Art of Combat, A German Martial Arts Treatise of 1570.

Students are encouraged to study and train on their own as well as with the club to reconstruct this ancient martial art through interpretation and training.

The NJHFA also uses numerous sources written in the Liechtenauer tradition such as manuscript MS 3227a, Pseudo-Peter von Danzig, Sigmund Ringeck, Jude Lew, and others to help in reconstructing this ancient martial art.

In addition to the longsword, our members study diverse weapons of the  medieval and Renaissance period including sword and buckler, dussack, rapier, dagger, messer, sabre, and others.