The Iron Door Collective
The Iron Door Collective is a group of Historical European Martial Artists concentrating on long sword fighting and other hand-to-hand techniques of Europe during the medieval and early renaissance periods. Founded in Exeter in 2008, the group is dedicated to reconstructing, experimenting and training in Historical European Martial Arts.
We are participants in a growing international HEMA community, interpreting a variety of surviving historical manuals and intensively practicing the techniques we uncover. The sources we work with are transcriptions and facsimiles of manuscripts from the 14th, 15th and 16th centuries.
Whilst our main focus is with unarmoured long sword and dagger fighting according to Fiore we maintain an eclectic, experimental attitude, working with other weapons and drawing on other sources as our interests dictate or when they are relevant to our core training. We also attempt to learn from other periods and practice their styles. The forms that we also study include unarmed grappling, pole-arms (spear, poleaxe), sword & shield, and sword & buckler.
Amongst our members we have men and women with backgrounds in sport fencing, jiu jitsu, karate, SCA, escrima, reenactment fighting and gumdo, but the majority have no martial arts experience at all before they come to train with us. Complete beginners are very welcome to join us at our weekly training sessions in Exeter. We are a friendly, sociable club and frequently retire to the pub after training, which of course is not obligatory, but all are welcome.
