In the mid 16th century Kamiizumi Nobutsuna had an idea. Rather than have his students injure each other in class when practicing at full speed, with either boku or blunt steel, he developed the hikihada shinai. This bamboo sword allowed practitioners to fight at full intensity with minimal chance of injury. Or perhaps a chance of minimal injury. Either way, you get the idea. Interestingly enough, the federschwert (feather-sword) was developed around the same time in the West, for a similar purpose — to prevent injury. Here they added the schilt to a light, flexible blade. The schilt ..read more

Hello friends, Registration is now open for the next run of our programs that will be starting in April. Programs will be running as per our usual schedule: Medieval Longsword: Thursdays 8-10pm, starting on April 11 (5 sessions) Napoleonic Sabre: Mondays 7-8.30pm starting on April 22 (4 sessions) Renaissance Rapier: Mondays 8.30-10pm starting on April 22 (4 sessions) Classes will continue to take place at our new venue: Holy Name of Mary College School 2241 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, L5K2H8   If you haven’t booked your spot yet, please visit our registration page to do so. We ar ..read more

In a momentous event, the Vatican Archives have opened their secretive gates to release a historical document that has remained hidden from the public eye for centuries. This unprecedented move offers HEMA practitioners and historians alike a rare opportunity to delve into the annals of fencing history and uncover the hidden secrets held within. The Vatican's decision to make this document accessible to the public marks a pivotal moment in the study of fencing, offering a fresh perspective on Italian Swordsmanship. The manuscript entitled Magnus Iocus, now dubbed the BS-420/69, has been d ..read more

by Andriy Holuk Sport vs Tradition. Martial Artists love this debate. For HEMA, this discussion is even more nuanced given our primary focus is the interpretation of historical sources. Some practitioners proclaim, like Martin Luther, that the study of scripture (our fencing treatises and manuscripts) are of paramount importance; expressing disdain for anything resembling ‘sport’. In contrast others place an emphasis on 'real' deeds of arms (live sparring, tournaments etc ‘sport’) above all else. Of course, the majority of HEMA practitioners are somewhere in the middle of this spectrum. The qu ..read more

Hello friends, Next run of our programs are starting shortly - Longsword on Thursday February 22 and Sabre and Rapier on Monday February 26. There are very few spots left, so if you are looking to joins, make sure to sign up quickly! See you in the salle! Signum Corvus team ..read more

Hello friends, after weeks of searching, we have been able to find a new training venue! Starting from the Monday, January 29, all our programs are taking place in the gym at the Holy Name of Mary College School in Mississauga! School address is: Holy Name of Mary College School 2241 Mississauga Rd, Mississauga, L5K2H8 Ontario We are looking forward to using this new space in the months to come and help us accommodate ever growing number of our students. Please note, that as before we do not have any staff at this location at times other than during the classes. If you need to contact us, plea ..read more

It is a given that Signum Corvus School of Arms is a martial arts school. I mean, it’s right in the name, isn’t it? But the question arises: what does that mean? If you look around, you’ll find a huge variety in approaches to the martial arts, ranging from storied traditions such as kendo and kenjustsu to the very different traditions of Brazilian jiu-jitsu and even the MMA. HEMA sits in a very different, yet also familiar place. The first generation of practitioners were frequently influenced by their disillusionment with olympic sport fencing, as well as their respect for more culturally em ..read more

At the King’s Cup My heart is racing like overwound clockworks though I’m doing nothing but sit in the nave of the church, half-watching the bouts ahead of mine. It’s a wonderful space – fuel for my slightly frenetic imagination. Visions of Templars in surcoats, knights pledging fealty, and Cardinals plotting against musketeers flicker briefly through my mind. These fleeting fancies are driven away as another clash of steel draws my attention. Two of the other fencers in my pool have begun. It’s just after 9:00 in the morning and I will be among the first to fight, though the band of red or b ..read more

On September 9 and 10, 2023 Signum Corvus School of Arms and Fencer's guild organized a 2-day workshop in Mississauga on the use of longsword and dussack based on the system of 16th century fencing master Joachim Meyer. Workshop was led by Petr Turya, founder of the Fencers guild - a premier European fencing organization based in Czechia. Petr is a veteran martial arts practitioner, beginning his journey into HEMA back in 1997. A translator and therapist, in 2010 he co-founded the Fencers' Guild, a project devoted to the research, publishing and instruction of the art of combat using a great a ..read more

Giacomo DiGrassi wrote an influential fencing treatise and published it on March 6th 1570. It is one of very few fencing treatises translated into English in that era, although the translation is not excellent. This is one of the first historical fencing treatises that I ever encountered, back in the early 1990s in the special collections department of Mills Library at McMaster University. DiGrassi promises that one can learn fencing from his book without needing a teacher. His book is divided into three main parts and treats of quite an assortment of weapons and weapon combinations. The three ..read more