TRIPLE WINNER at the MEAD CRAFTERS COMPETITION 
The FIRST AMERICAN MEADERY to MEDAL at the MEAD MADNESS CUP
MAZER CUP AWARD WINNER: TRY OUR AWARD-WINNING MEADS!
Continuing with our historic blog theme, after the return of Monks Mead to the Georgia Renaissance Festival blog, this one is on the return of the Knights. So if you’re not able to make it to the Renaissance Festival to see them Joust and to try our newest Bacchus Blushed mead, or you just want in on the action now, we have great news for you!
Palmetto Knights return to Monks Meadery to demonstrate historic armored combat dueling on Saturday, April 16th from 3:00 to 5:00 pm. Not only will they provide entertainment while you sip on the delicious nectar of the gods, but this time, you can join in. While the Palmetto Knights duels are practiced and performed with real armor and weapons, they’ll go easy on you. No armor, and foam weapons, basically newbie practice for your safety.
This image from @monksmead & feature image from Palmetto Knights on FB
Knights Don’t Just Swordplay
If you have ever witnessed a practice in passing and thought that you saw a bunch of people playing with sharp toys, that thought is the equivalent of calling Fencing “two people poking each other with sticks.” I can raise my hand in embarrassment on this one. You have actually witnessed an armored combat team practicing for a legitimate sport of the Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) or the Historic Medieval Battles (HMB). Both of which can fall under the generalized name of Western Martial Arts (WMA), and Fencing is a modern variation of one of them.
Here’s Why:
Over the last 30 years, researchers with an interest in historic battles and combat have uncovered surviving materials such as manuscripts and fight books on the subject. We’re not talking blogs or newspaper-type articles when we say manuscripts and fight books. We’re talking about something that was written by the original swordsmen and would most closely resemble textbooks. Textbooks that listed detailed techniques and combat theories.
Image from Palmetto Knights on FB
HEMA is a very demanding sport that is practiced worldwide. Participants of this sport study and apply source-based techniques that were recorded in the manuscripts and fight books from the late Middle Ages through the Renaissance period. Practice will consist of warm-ups and stretches, sword work, grappling drills, technique review, new technique introduction, and practice of those new techniques in sparring. They wear recreated armor that will weigh around 70 pounds, and use recreated longswords.
Speaking of weapons, the longsword is the most commonly used weapon in the sport today, but there is still a variety of weapons and techniques that were historically used. Other weapons included are a rapier, a small sword, a dagger, a sword and buckler, and a great sword. Some weapons such as a poleaxe were specifically designed to break armor and triumph over the opponent. In armored longsword battles, certain techniques were used to manhandle the opponent into a position that opens a weak spot in the armor. And of course, there was unarmored combat such as grappling which is where modern wrestling most likely came from.
Image from Palmetto Knights on FB
Just like mead being so old, it’s new, HEMA isn’t a new sport at all but rather the oldest sport of all. If you’re reading this blog from anywhere outside of Atlanta and are thinking of trying HEMA out, you can find worldwide Palmetto Knights practices here.
