Benney Koch, Contributing Writer
On a tennis court in Richmond, athletes gather with heavy bags of gear to clash with their blades. Donning great masks and thick gloves, fencers tap their swords before engaging with one another in quick combat. In an instant, one fighter strikes another, and they ready themselves to go at it again.
It looks like something out of a historical or fantasy film, but for Zach Showalter, it is the result of nearly a decade of disciplined training.
Showalter, founder of the Scuffletown Fetterfechters, is currently ranked No. 10 in the world at longsword in Historical European Martial Arts, or HEMA.
What began as curiosity after watching an online video has grown into a competitive career and a central role in shaping Richmond’s expanding HEMA scene.
“I thought it was the coolest thing,” Showalter said. “I was like, I have to do this.”
HEMA is a martial art practiced through historical European fighting systems. Athletes read centuries-old manuals to adapt them into a modern, historically researched sport where they can compete against one another.
While HEMA is sometimes mistaken for LARPing — live action role playing — or Olympic fencing, the historical aspect and study balances it between the two and differentiates itself from them both.
For Showalter, that balance is part of the appeal, but competition is what drives him.
“I’m serious about competing,” Showalter said. “I love the challenge of it.”
Showalter has been competing consistently since getting into HEMA in 2016 — gaining experience in tournaments across the East Coast and the rest of the country.
Recently, he achieved a long-time goal of rising to be the 10th best longsword competitor in the world — a reflection of his years of refinement and moments of failure that reshaped his approach and allowed him to improve.
“I had one action that was so successful, I knew no one would be able to stop it,” Showalter said. “I visited a club in New York, and had a match with one of their coaches who would block it every single time. I left from that very humbled.”
The process of adjusting, learning and humility defines Showalter and the Scuffletown Fetterfechters’ training to this day. Even when reaching new heights in his career, he continues to emphasize within himself and those he trains how important it is to stay adaptable.
Showalter’s influence extends beyond competition and training. Through the Scuffletown Fetterfechters, Showalter has helped foster a collaborative and inclusive environment within Richmond’s HEMA community.
“It should be for everybody,” Showalter said. “It doesn’t matter if you just want to learn about fencing, if you like the historical aspect of it, or if you’re looking for community.”
HEMA at VCU
Showalter and the Fetterfechters’ notion of accessibility and inclusivity is echoed at VCU, where the student-run HEMA club introduces new practitioners to the sport each year.
Brodie Persson, president of the VCU HEMA club, first discovered the organization as a freshman and quickly became invested.
“Going into college, I wanted to have some sort of physical activity and make more friends,” Persson said. “After talking with the president at the time, I was fully invested in wanting to show up. Every lesson, I loved it even more and more.”
VCU’s HEMA club focuses on offering beginner-friendly instruction, and teaching the fundamentals like footwork and how to position and control strikes before members begin sparring.
For Persson and the VCU HEMA club, safety is their number one priority, especially because of the physical nature of the sport.
“The biggest thing is understanding the risk level,” Persson said. “VCU has a safety officer, we gear the rule set towards a safe environment, and we make sure that we have the highest level kit requirement possible.”
That approach is especially important for events like Lambpoint 2026, a local tournament that took place on April 11 designed for newer competitors. Unlike larger regional competitions, Lambpoint limited participation to those with minimal tournament experience, creating a low-pressure environment.
“We want to ensure a very safe first-tournament experience,” Persson said. “It’s a high contact sport and that can be intimidating. So Lambpoint is geared towards getting your foot in the door.”
Creating a larger community
Beyond the university, Richmond’s HEMA network includes multiple clubs with overlapping membership, creating a tightly connected but diverse community.
Bizhan Khodabandeh, a VCU professor and coach within the VCU club, described the scene as one where practitioners often train across organizations, sometimes multiple times a week.
Khodabandeh approaches HEMA primarily through its historical lens, viewing it as a way to engage directly with the past.
“The history side of things is really exciting because it’s a window to the past,” Khodabandeh said. “The plus side is that we get to participate in that history by swinging swords around and experiencing it in real time.”
The part sport and part historical practice aspect of HEMA continues to shape it and allows it to evolve. While some practitioners prioritize competition, others focus on research or community-building, and many — like Showalter — navigate all three.
HEMA grows every year, and in turn so does its visibility. Larger tournaments in places like Maryland, Philadelphia and California draw competitors from across the country, while local events like Lambpoint help sustain Richmond and VCU’s HEMA communities’ development.
For Showalter, that growth is both exciting and motivating.
“There’s never been a better time to get into HEMA,” Showalter said. “Watching the work that [Persson] and everybody at the VCU HEMA club has been putting in keeps me sharp, because they’re gonna be right on my heels. It’s very motivating.”
Even at No. 10 in the world, the work continues.
“I’ve got to stay on my game,” Showalter said. “There’s always some way to improve.”