What Kind of HEMA Club Do You Want?
By Kiana Shurkin
Contributors: Davis Vader of the Chicago Swordplay Guild, Nicholas Allen of Virginia Commonwealth University HEMA, Maryland Kunst des Fechtens, Capital Kunst des Fechtens.
When starting a HEMA group, one of the first things you will need to do is to determine what type of group you would like to build. This means choosing a structure for your group as well as what kind of culture you’re looking to cultivate.
There are ten fundamental questions you should ask yourself to hone in on a model that will work best for you and the members you seek to attract:
Why Do You Want to Start a Group?
Are You a Club or School?
Do You Have (or Want) Affiliations?
Should You Be For Profit or Non-Profit?
Who is Your Audience?
Where Will You Meet?
What Equipment Do You Need?
What is Your Schedule?
What is the Focus of Your Curriculum?
What Are Your Goals?
1. Why Do You Want to Start a Group?
The first and most important question to ask yourself is why you want to start a group. This will not only define your approach, but also help make sure there are no other groups nearby that would serve your needs just as well. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel if what you’re looking for already exists.
If your needs differ from the options available to you, the next nine questions can help guide your direction.
2. Are You a Club or School?
One of the main considerations when defining your HEMA group is whether it’s a club or a school. Both clubs and schools can provide quality instruction and generate competitive success. Choosing which model will work best is a personal decision that largely depends on the culture you want to build.
HEMA Clubs
A club is generally a casual, democratic environment where like-minded people can meet up and learn together. While clubs can have varying degrees of structure, the knowledge and responsibilities tend to be more evenly distributed among members. If you are starting out with less experience in teaching, or if your primary motivation is to meet with people who share your passion for HEMA, a club is likely to serve your needs best.
HEMA Schools
In contrast, a school tends to be more heavily structured in terms of both leadership and curriculum. Knowledge is generally transmitted from the top down, and lessons follow a set curriculum that aligns with the goals of the school. If you have specific goals for your curriculum, such as training people in a system based on the writings of a particular master, then starting a school might work better for you.
3. Do You Have (or Want) Affiliations?
While many independent groups build successful communities on their own, others choose to work within (or “affiliate” with) an existing HEMA network. Choosing an affiliation can broaden your access to resources that can help you develop your group, such as existing curriculums, instructor bases, bank accounts, or safety policies. However, it can also restrict your organizational options, as you may be expected to follow an existing model prescribed by the affiliated body.
Most affiliation groups are regional. Some HEMA groups have branches in multiple locations, and you may choose to affiliate yourself with an existing network. This option may serve you especially well if you were a member of such a group and have since moved to a location where no affiliated group has been established. If you are a university student, you may decide to start a group affiliated with your school. Other affiliations, such as with the HEMA Alliance, can be made anywhere within the United States
4. Should You Be for Profit or Non-profit?
Deciding what the legal financial status of your club will be affects many financial aspects including how you manage dues, how you report taxes, insurance coverage, and your access to additional resources. While you can run your club as an extension of your personal finances, this opens you up to liability. As soon as your club reaches a moderate size, you’ll want to establish it as its own legal entity. Generally your options are to file as a 501c3, also called a ‘non-profit’, or a Limited Liability Company, which is often referred to as ‘for-profit’. The nuances of these different entities, as well as the options beyond them, can get somewhat complicated. Check out [taxes article] for more information on them. For now, just keep in mind that each comes with its own advantages and disadvantages.
5. Who is Your Audience?
Deciding what sort of members you wish to attract will have an enormous impact on your group culture. This includes such considerations as:
what level of diversity in motivations and training goals you will accommodate
what age groups you will serve
what skill and fitness levels you expect of people attending your group
For example, some groups are open and welcome beginners, while others are invitational in nature and serve only advanced students. Some groups accept kids and families, while others take only adults.
Knowing your intended audience will help you to determine what space and equipment you need, ideal training times when your members are most likely to be available, and even what specialized insurance you might need if you intend to accept youth members. It will also guide your curriculum, as you will need to match your instruction to the ability and interests of your members. Ideally, your goals and those of your members should be complementary.
It is also a good idea to remain aware of other groups in your area that serve a different audience. Part of your job as a leader is to help guide people to the resources that will best serve their goals, even if that is another group.
6. Where Will You Meet?
A consistent meeting location is important for long-term member retention. The size of your membership, the budget you have to work with, the time you have available to train, and any affiliations you have may impact what space you choose. Check out Finding a Place to Train for more on this topic.
Indoors or Outdoors?
The main decision you need to make is whether you intend to hold training inside, outside, or a combination of the two. If you hold training outside, your practices may be affected by weather, and you will need to be mindful of environmental hazards and terrain. However, indoor spaces often charge rental fees, and may restrict your schedule or group size.
Many groups choose to rent a gym, dance studio, or similar space during off hours. Some groups with a small or nonexistent initial budget start in an outdoor space like a park then move to an indoor rental space as the group grows to a point where dues can cover the rent (check out [financial management article] for more on this dynamic). Other groups purchase their own space which they either use exclusively or rent out to other groups during off hours to generate additional income. If you are a university club, the school may provide you with a training space.
Creative Solutions
Additional creative solutions may be available depending on your location. You could investigate nearby recreational spaces, martial arts schools, warehouses, and other facilities. Make sure to screen any space for hazards such as hard or slippery floors, insufficiently high ceilings, or dangerous obstacles that could cause harm to your members. Also, take note of breakable items such as mirrors or floor mats that could be damaged by your equipment. Make sure there is appropriate clearance, and take precautions like tipping swords to minimize potential damage. Respect any space in which you are a guest to help build your reputation as part of the community.
7. What Equipment Do You Need?
Your access to equipment will have a significant impact on your club model, including whether to be for profit or non-profit, who your audience is, and your choice of affiliations. Consider what training equipment you need for the type of group you want, including anything you already have available or can reasonably provide given your budget. These factors will affect the number of members you can accommodate in a given class and, especially if protective equipment is limited, which drills you can conduct safely.
Funding Your Gear
If your initial resources are limited, there are several ways to get the equipment you need. You could:
encourage members to invest in their own equipment. However, this can create a barrier to entry for some potential participants.
include the cost of basic equipment in the tuition of an introductory class. This can ensure you have enough equipment for everyone, but diverts tuition income into gear when you may need it for other things like rent
start with improvised gear and limited drilling until you can afford to expand
reach out to the HEMA community to see if anyone can provide used gear at a discount or as a donation to help you get started
ask your affiliated body (if applicable) for resources such as funding or loaner gear
For more on this topic, see Club Gear: Where to Start.
8. What is Your Schedule?
Just as it is important to choose a regular location, establishing consistent meeting times is key to the long-term survival of your group. Determining a schedule depends on your availability, the availability of your members, and how much time you and any other group leaders are willing to invest. If you are going to be the primary person running the group, when you are able to attend and how much time you can spend planning sessions will likely be the most important factor.
If other instructors will be leading practices, then their availability will also be a factor. You could take turns leading during a recurring time period to minimize burnout, or each take the lead during different times as your availability allows. The latter option may allow you to cater to members with different schedules or to offer different specialties. For example, some groups choose to study different weapons or hold classes for different skill levels in different time slots.
You will also need to consider when your ideal audience is most likely to be available. For example, working adults may be more able to attend classes scheduled for later in the evenings after the typical workday has concluded. University clubs may choose to schedule sessions around the school’s academic calendar.
Demand may also impact how many sessions per week you are able to offer. If more people are paying dues, then you may be able to afford to rent your space more often. If you have more members regularly attending than can comfortably fit in a space, you can either find a new space or offer additional sessions and stagger attendance to accommodate more people.
The times you choose for training may also be limited by the space you have available. If your location is outdoors, you may need to account for sunrise and sunset times and weather. If you are using a common space such as an athletic field, you may also need to take into account the training times of other sports teams and patrons using the space. Similarly, if you are training indoors in a shared space, you may be limited to when the space is available to rent or, if budget is a concern, to off hours when rental fees are the lowest.
9. What is the Focus of Your Curriculum?
What curriculum you choose will depend on your interests and those of your members, and it will contribute to the shape of your club culture. Some groups are more focused on developing a strong biomechanical foundation, building athleticism, or maximizing tournament performance. Others are centered around a particular master, weapon, or historical model of instruction. Still others choose core fencing or general martial arts principles around which to structure their lessons. Some groups prioritize academic study and devote greater focus to translation, interpretation, or researching historical context.
While your passions are an important starting point, your curriculum focus and structure may also be guided by the time you have available and your member turnover. For example, university students are only members of the club while they are students at the school, and new members are expected with each semester or academic year. This means that the curriculum must establish a strong foundation for newcomers while keeping older students engaged and developing them into instructors to replace those graduating.
Whatever priorities you choose, identifying the most important elements or takeaways of the instruction you provide will help you to determine the best structure for your sessions and ensure your activities follow a direction in line with your goals.
10. What Are Your Goals?
Knowing your goals is crucial to the long-term success of your group. People are drawn to HEMA for diverse reasons, and unclear goals can lead to unmet expectations and frustration.
Those interested in fitness may join a club as a fun way to get in shape. People interested in history might join for the academic challenge of reconstructing arts from manuals or gaining insights into the past. Highly competitive people may prefer an environment where they are encouraged to push past their limits and a curriculum focused on maximizing tournament performance. Others may be drawn to the social aspects of a club. Some people may just be looking for sparring partners.
Ask yourself:
what you want from the experience for yourself
what you want members of your group to take away from the experience
what your members’ goals are
This will allow you to find a happy medium where all of those answers meet and harmonize. It will help you identify your ideal audience, create a group structure that will minimize burnout, and honestly advertise what it is your group offers when the time comes to recruit members.
Stay Open to Evolution
Your answers to all of these questions will give you the building blocks you can use to determine the shape your club will take. But keep in mind that your answers can change over time, and your group should evolve with them. Your goals may shift as your group discovers new passions and interests, or attracts a different audience. Schedules change, budgets fluctuate, and your access to equipment can expand over time.
Remaining flexible can be key to a successful club. It’s good practice to check in with yourself and your members once in a while to see if the club model you have chosen is still a good fit for your needs. If not, you may need to evolve your model to suit your growth. You can always do this by revisiting these core questions and letting them guide your decisions.