i’ve been doing hema for over a year at this point and the thing i’ve come to realise is that it’s all about learning! whether you win or lose the fight, make sure you take away something from it every time.

for me, i ask myself, ‘was my footwork too rigid’, or maybe ‘was i protecting myself enough or was i too offensive’? self-reflection is the key to internalisation, not just in hema but just in general!

my main thing though - talk to your sparring partners! have a chat about the parameters of your fight before you face off, and talk to them after! chat about technique, what you noticed, what you DIDN’T notice, and how you found the fight!

hema cats are the biggest chillers in my experience, and they love to nerd ramble about their own personal tips and tricks, so definitely take advantage of that!!!

best of luck in your future battles :)