Do you love to read fight scenes, or do you skip over them to the outcome and the rest of the book?

I have to confess–I rarely make it past two to three paragraphs of many fight scenes. Sometimes they seem forced; sometimes the fights are long and incoherent. In the latter cases, I can’t follow the action or visualize what the author intended.

I always err on the side of user-error in these cases. Perhaps I, the reader, am the problem.

Then I come across fight scenes that are integral to the plot, maintain my interest, and make total sense when I outline them (and I do). These are the fights every writer wants to write and every reader craves to read.

So how do you improve the fight scenes, especially in fantasy/historical fiction, if you’ve not lived that life? How do you work with a bit more authenticity while keeping your scenes creative and completely yours?

If you are not familiar with the discipline, allow me to introduce you to Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). HEMA is the attempt to recreate the martial arts of Europe through the use of fight manuals from the 1300s on.*

I’ve mentioned HEMA briefly in other articles. Now let’s explore the martial art more in-depth and how understanding it might help you write fight scenes while introducing you to colorful characters from the past.

1. Understanding the variety and uses of weapons

Swords are, by far, NOT the only weapon covered by the old masters, although we tend to consider them as the sexiest death-dealers.

The weapons in the manuals range from common house-hold items (sticks) to farming implements (scythes) to the halberd.

The weapons’ manuals often provide step-by-step use of each weapon along with lavish illustrations.

The more detailed instructions actually offer possibilities for your fight scenes. Take this example from Mair’s treatise on mixed weapons: dagger vs. sword.

This description, while lacking the flair of fiction, offers you possibilities you might not have considered.

2. Understanding the Mindset and Movement of Your Warrior

If you can take a HEMA class or join a club, you’ll go a step further toward creating fight scenes your reader can feel.

First, you’ll begin to develop a more martial mindset. Although HEMA isn’t intended to teach you how to truly go to war, you still have to immerse yourself in a competitive, combatant ethos, especially if you decide to spar.

You’ll begin to understand the bond that happens between people who do battle with and for each other along with the joy of winning.

Beyond the mindset is the feel of training and sparring. Often the movements and muscles you use aren’t something you experience daily, even if you’ve trained in other martial arts.

You’ll start to understand intimately the exhaustion that characters experience during training montages and the wrist/elbow/arm pains that the clash of steel or wood can offer.

Conversely, you’ll discover the strength that comes from training both in your body, mind, and cardiovascular system.

As you think and feel like a warrior, you’ll imbue that spirit into your prose. 3. Discovering the Immense Personalities of the Past
The masters and treatise creators seem to be intense, formidable characters.

The inspiration for one tradition was named Johannes Liechtenauer. His students compiled his teachings and claimed that Liechtenauer was a sword master from the early 1400s who had traveled extensively studying the art.

Liechtenaur’s teachings are in poetic form. The author makes it clear that the poetry is meant to obscure the teaching from the lesser folk!

My personal favorite is Mair, a public servant from the 1500s who embezzled public funds to throw parties and create lavish manuals. He was eventually tried and hanged for theft.

The manuals themselves introduce a wide variety of fighters representing different cultures and ethnicities.

One older manuscript introduces a shadowy figure that illustrates the fights. In the end, the shadowy fighter is revealed as a woman!

These historical personages can provide inspiration for your stories and characters, and the illustrations are delightful studies in costuming, hair styles, and exaggeration.

You can be the Warrior!

Historical European Martial Arts can be a gateway to exciting fight scenes for your writing and terrifyingly delightful moments for your life!

Although the step-by-step processes in the manuals need the transmutation of the writer to create a fight scene, studying HEMA may introduce you to new ideas for your future books.