History
The ARMA began in 1992 as the Historical Armed Combat Association (HACA), a group led principally by Hank Reinhardt, an avid sword enthusiast. Reinhardt's idea was to provide an umbrella organization for individuals interested in Western swords and historical weaponry. In 1993, John Clements took over the HACA 1993 saw the beginning of reforms within the organization and the foundation of its first Study Group. HACA began focusing more intently on the study and interpretation of the historical source literature of Renaissance Martial Arts, much of which was presented on the website along with example training methods.
In 2001, the decision was made for the HACA to expand and evolve into what was believed would be a more effective educational organization for the study and practice of Medieval and Renaissance fencing. An efficient study curriculum for practice had also been developed at this time using the source literature. As one of the changes, the organization was renamed "the ARMA." 2001 also saw the introduction of a "national training program" (a series of seminars and workshops), ranking and certifications in the curricula, and the implementation of the basic philosophy and methodology used by the ARMA today.
The ARMA's conceptualization was also influenced by the work of Sydney Anglo, as presented in his work, The Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe (Yale University Press 2000), hailed as the first academic treatment of Western martial arts in English.
During the ARMA International Event in August, 2009, ARMA Director John Clements introduced to the ARMA membership a new curriculum for the Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe (MARE), referred to within ARMA as the "Rosetta Stone". Clements inteded this new curriculum as based on "how the historical masters were teaching the art".
In September 2010 the ARMA became an official representative for the Martial Arts of Renaissance Europe (MARE) to the World Martial Arts Union (WoMAU).
Read more about this topic: Association For Renaissance Martial Arts
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