bout AEMMA

The Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts or AEMMA (pronounced "ehma"), is a historical European martial arts school focused on the research, reconstruction and resurrection of authentic medieval martial arts of all fighting styles (armed, unarmed, armoured and unarmoured), firmly based on the works of the late 14th century Friulian swordsmaster by the name of Fiore dei Liberi, demonstrating the deadly practicality and effectiveness of the art as it applies to today's personal self-defense.

AEMMA was initially created in May of 1998 in Toronto and under the laws of Ontario's Corporations Act and the Regulations of the Ministry of the Attorney General, was incorporated as a not-for-profit corporation (NPO Corporation Number: 1468524) in May 28, 2001. It has as its mission:

"The mission of AEMMA is to resurrect the combat skills, philosophies and principles of an accomplished European Medieval martial artist and to achieve a state which would be consistent with that of a medieval warrior in both technology and ideal."

1. to research and study historical sources in the form of treatises, manuscripts, illuminations, etc. as well as the physical examination of other artifacts such as historical arms and armour accessed through the museums, in order to facilitate accurately resurrecting and reconstructing historical European/Western medieval martial arts to the best of our abilities;
    
2. to provide a training environment to permit the application of the research into practice and their later inclusion into the relevant training programs, and to enable the instruction and training of these fighting arts in order to develop the student's personal defensive and offensive skills based on this research.

The Academy will train individuals in the art known as l´arte dell´armizare [ 1 ] or simply armizare, an Italian systematic approach to training covering both unarmoured and armoured combat utilizing a variety of arms and armour in a manner that are close as possible and practical to that of 11th - 15th century Europe, specifically, the art as described by Fiore dei Liberi.

The Academy currently is developing another training system, known as fechtkunst, a German systematic approach, currently focused on German longsword, based on the Liechtenauer tradition.

The Academy does not promote nor engage in role playing, re-enactment, fantasies, nor medieval social structure and formalities (i.e. knights, pages, squires, barons, etc.) - it is simply a fighting arts training school.

To accomplish the mission of the Academy, AEMMA will:

1. Develop, enhance and train the European medieval martial artist in the areas of unarmoured and armoured combat utilizing a variety of weapons, including wooden training wasters (swords, daggers, quarterstaffs, etc.) and steel and/or aluminum weapons (blunted swords & daggers, spears, pollaxe, etc.).
2. To provide a training environment for students to build experience in historical swordmanship, un-armed fighting skills and other weapons-based fighting skills.
3. Develop and deliver training and fighting programs, based on research on the 11th to 15th century European manuscripts and treatises, such as the Italian libri (treatises or books) and German fechtbücher (fight books), with a major emphasis on the early period fencing [ 2 ] of the XIV and XV centuries.
4. Fostering good will and sportsmanship; and such other complementary purposes not inconsistent with the mission.
5. Organize and coordinate sparring & fencing practices, training sessions, demonstrations, competitions and tournaments.
6. To identify and develop mutually beneficial relationships with both domestic and international arms & armourer developers and suppliers for historically consistent equipment including armour, chain mail, weaponry, etc.
7. To identify and develop professional relationships with both domestic and international historical European martial arts schools, academies and associations in order to contribute to the growth and development of historical fighting arts world-wide and to promote historical European martial arts world-wide as a credible and viable martial arts form.

Professional Relationships

Association for Historical Fencing (AHF)	Fighting Arts Collective Toronto (FACT)	Royal Ontario Museum (ROM)	Swordplay Symposium International (SSI)	Toronto Tactical Airsoft Close Combat College (TTAC3)

Important Information

Disclaimer: AEMMA maintains this Website as a resource for the historical European martial arts practitioner, researcher, students and individuals who share a common interest in these historical fighting arts. Please click our Disclaimer for more information.

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Organizational Structure

AEMMA is comprised of dedicated individuals, whose contribution and efforts will ensure the continuing evolution and development of historical European martial arts. To review the background or bios of key individuals that make up the AEMMA executive and advisors, as well as recognized "scholler" students and above, selected bios are available which include photos of the individuals by clicking on their names below.

The AEMMA Executive
Position	Name	Rank/Description
President, Founder & Instructor:	David M. Cvet	Provost
Vice President, co-Founder & Principal Instructor:	Brian McIlmoyle	Provost
Director, Instructor & Secretary:	David B. Murphy	Free Scholler
Director & Instructor:	Frank T. Williams	Free Scholler
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Director at large:	Anton J. Cvet	Free Scholler

 

AAG* Representatives
Name	Position	Arms	AAG Name, Location
Mishaël Abia Lopes Cardozo	President & Founder		European Medieval Combat Academy Haarlem, North Holland, The Netherlands
Anton J. Cvet	President & Founder		Ottawa Medieval Sword Guild Ottawa, ON, Canada
* AAG = AEMMA Associate Group. Click here for more info.

 

Academic Advisors
Photo	Bios
	was born in 1950 in Freiburg, Germany. Between the period of 1970-74, he studied for a teaching profession. Following that, from 1974-79, he held a teacher's assistant position at the University of Freiburg. In 1981, he assumed a teaching position and in 1984 received his doctorate based on this dissertation at the University of Freiburg entitled "Meister Johann Liechtenauers Kunst des langen Schwertes".
	is currently Professor of Military History at American Military University in Virginia. Lindgren teaches graduate and undergraduate courses in religious military orders, heraldic history, Church history, and chivalry. Lindgren attended the University of Mississippi between 1970-72 earning his B.A.E. (Bachelor of Arts in Education). He continued his studies at the University and earned his M.Ed. in 1977 in history and education. During this time he was an E.D.P.A. Graduate Fellow (government fellowship) and became a Fellow of the Robert A. Taft Institute of Government in 1977. Later he received his Specialist in Education (S.Ed.) from the University in curriculum and instruction. In 1989 he entered the College of Preceptors in Essex, England and in 1993 earned his Fellowship (F.C.P.) diploma (eq. M.Phil) in educational history. Lindgren is Co-founder and Past President (1974-77, 1990-93, 1999-2002) of the American Academy for Medieval and Chivalric Research. Some of Lindgren's honours received: an Ecclesiastical Decoration from the Patriarchate of Antioch (i.e. Venerable Order of Saint Ignatius of Antioch - Chevalier de Commende du Venerable Ordre Patriarcal de S. Ignace d' Antioche) and member of the Noble Compania de Ballesteros Hijosdalgo de San Felipe y Santiago or The Noble Company of Knights Arballisters of Saint Philip and Saint James.
	is an archaeologist in the Royal Ontario Museum's (ROM) Near Eastern and Asian Civilizations collection. Robert's research interests cover ancient technology, trade and industry from the beginnings of time to the industrial revolution. Although his research covers the globe, his current field work is in Syria, where he studies high-technology pottery and castles of the mediaeval period. He received a doctorate in archaeological science from the University of Oxford, and a B.A in anthropology and geology from the University of Toronto. Robert is also cross-appointed to the University of Toronto.
	is an Associate Professor of History at Nipissing University in North Bay, Ontario. His doctoral studies at the University of Toronto were in the field of late ancient and early medieval chronicles. His current research concerns the function of jousts and other formal combats in late medieval society. He is the author of Jousts and Tournaments (2003) and the forthcoming Deeds of Arms, both published by Chivalry Bookshelf.
	is currently the Vice-President, Content Communication, Governor's Office at the Royal Ontario Museum. Prior to this position, he was Head of Broadcast and Narrative Development at the Science Museum, London, UK. He received a BA (Hons) and MA in archaeology from the Institute of Archaeology, London University, and in 1997, a Ph.D. in prehistoric archaeology from the University of Toronto. Over the last five years he has taught undergraduate courses in archaeology at the University of Toronto, Trent University and the Universite Canadienne en France, in Nice. Involved in archaeology since the age of thirteen, he has been on numerous excavations in England, France, Israel and Jordan. His primary interest is ancient archery with a particular focus on the Medieval English Longbow.

 

Fencing Advisors
Photo	Bios
	began her training under the tutelage of Maître dArmes Frederick Rohdes, and after his death in 1983, continued with his protege Maestro Ramon Martinez. In all, she has spent a total of 18 years studying traditional fencing, both classical and historical. She received a master's certification from the Martinez Academy of Arms the following November, thus becoming the only other Master certified to teach the Rohdes system of classical fencing and the Martinez system of Spanish Rapier fence. Maestro Acosta-Martinez is also the Vice President of the Association for Historical Fencing (AHF).
	BA, BA, was born in 1964 in Florence and has been training in traditional fencing for over 17 years. He was a student of traditional Italian Rapier (Striscia da Duello) for ten years under the late Maestro H. Le Squezec, and later studied under Maestro Italo Manusardi. Maestro Lupo-Sinclair is the founder & technical director of Federazione Italiana Scherma Antica e Storica (FISAS), the Italian Ancient & Historical Fencing Federation. Maestro Lupo-Sinclair is a member of the Martinez Academy of Arms and Association for Historical Fencing (USA), and British Federation for Historical Swordplay (UK). He is a member of the Advisors Council of the Swordplay Symposium International (SSI).
	was born in 1972 in the West Highland village of Glenuig, Moidart, Scotland. He began his study of fencing in the 1992 at Napier University, in Edinburgh. With a keen interest in historial swordsmanship, he founded the Dawn Duellists Society in 1994. During this same period he became a fencing instructor at Napier University. In 1995 Maestro Macdonald definitively ceased his sport fencing, dedicating himself solely to traditional fencing. In 1999, he helped to found the British Federation for Historical Swordplay (BFHS) becoming its president. After extensive study and training in sword making, Maestro Macdonald established Macdonald Armoury in 1998. His work as a swordsmith is highly regarded for its high level of quality and historical accuracy. Maestro Macdonald is a member of the Association for Historical Fencing and has given instruction at the Martinez Academy of Arms and the Italian Ancient & Historical Fencing Federation.He is a member of the Advisory Council for the Swordplay Symposium International (SSI).
	BA, began his 29 year study of both classical and historical fencing under the tutelage of the late Maître d'Armes Frederick Rohdes in New York City. Maître Rohdes (see bio) was one of the last fencing masters to teach fencing as a martial art. During his ten years of study Mr. Martinez became assistant and protege of Maître Rohdes and was the only one of his pupils permitted to teach with full authorization at the Rohdes Academy. In late 1982, shortly before his death, Maître Rohdes conferred the rank of Fencing Master on Mr. Martinez. Maestro Martinez is the founder and director of Martinez Academy of Arms. He is associated with the Federazione Italiana Scherma Antica e Storica (FISAS) and the British Federation for Historical Swordplay. He is the current president of the Association for Historical Fencing (AHF), founded to promote, preserve and revive classical and historical fencing. He sits on the Council of Advisors of Swordplay Symposium International (SSI).

Research Associates
Photo	Bios
	has studied Japanese martial arts off and on since 1967 to this day, and a medieval reenactor until he began his serious research into the history and practice of European martial arts in the late 1980s when he decided to stop fooling around.
	has been a member of AEMMA since December 1998. His fighting arts background includes Judo as a kid, a brief exposure to modern epee fencing in the late-90's, dabbling with rapier and sabre in 2000-2001, and extensive study of longsword with AEMMA. He is currently also exploring messer with AEMMA's Brian McIlmoyle and is trying to learn more dagger and open handed techniques as a student of AEMMA and FACT. His main focus is the research and development of a German fighting arts curriculum within AEMMA, primarily as a researcher and translator, with physical and interpretive assistance by senior members of the academy.

1. l´arte dell´armizare The name l´arte dell´armizare or simply armizare identifies this particular form of Western Martial Art, which is based on the tradition of Fiore dei Liberi. In the three versions of the Liberi treatise, it is referred to as:
   • Getty: "armiçare arte de combatter"
   • Morgan: "armizare e arte de combater"
   • Pisani-Dossi: "armiçar e de conbatere"
   The term "armizare" is derived from the above examples, and is felt that it uniquely identifies this art. Liberi in his texts would often refer to this as simply "the art".
    
2. Early Period Fencing (XIV and XV Centuries) a periodization for the classification of the eras of the history of fencing based on the various periods in the development of the historical European fighting arts.