Keith Farrell is one of the senior instructors for the Academy of Historical Arts. He teaches HEMA professionally, often at international events, and has an interest in coaching instructors to become better teachers. His main area of expertise is fencing with the two-handed longsword according to the teachings of 15th century masters in the Liechtenauer tradition. However, he also enjoys fencing with the Scottish basket-hilted broadsword, with the sabre, and with a variety of different swords!
Keith has authored several books for Fallen Rook Publishing, including Scottish Broadsword and British Singlestick and the award-winning AHA German Longsword Study Guide. He maintains an active blog, posting at least once a week, and has also had several articles and interviews published in a variety of magazines and journals.
He teaches regularly at Liverpool HEMA, and helps behind the scenes with running HEMA in Glasgow at the Vanguard Centre.
He has been a member of HEMAC since 2011 and was awarded a HEMA Scholar Award for Best Instructor for research published in 2013. Although not a competitive person by nature, Keith has won several medals in karate and historical fencing tournaments around the world.
Read my recent articles
- New translation: an anonymous 15th century poem about longsword
I’m happy to announce another translation – an anonymous 15th century poem about longsword. In fact, this is two translations, one more technical, and one with some poetic licence in order to look and sound like a poem even in English. It is a somewhat obscure set of instructions, made all … - New translation: messer by Jobst von Württemberg
Hot on the heels of my longsword translation posted just a couple of weeks ago, I have a new translation ready to go – the messer treatise by Jobst von Württemberg. Although messer is not my area of expertise, I thought it would be interesting to do this piece, because the … - New translation: longsword by Jobst von Württemberg
My first translation of the new year – the short longsword treatise by Jobst von Württemberg. It is quite an interesting little treatise, because it talks about the Five Cuts, but says that they are all done with the short edge, and also describes the list a bit differently from Liechtenauer. … - New translation: Jakob Sutor’s rappier
Another new translation – the rappier chapter of Jakob Sutor’s fechtbuch from 1612. This is the final part that I still had to translate, meaning that all of the fencing instructions in the book are now complete! I haven’t yet done the introduction, but I’m not very motivated to do it. … - New translation: Jakob Sutor’s staff and halberd
Another new translation – the staff and halberd chapter of Jakob Sutor’s fechtbuch from 1612. This leaves just the rappier chapter, and then the whole book will be finished! Making my own translation has been difficult, since it has not been the easiest or most straight-forward text to translate, and … - New translation: Jakob Sutor’s longsword
I have just posted my most recent translation – the longsword chapter of Jakob Sutor’s fechtbuch from 1612. Although I have been working with this text for more than a decade, the available translations never quite made sense in my mind. Making my own translation has been difficult, it has … - New translation: Jakob Sutor’s dussack
I have just posted my most recent translation – the dussack chapter of Jakob Sutor’s fechtbuch from 1612. Although I have been working with this text for more than a decade, the available translations never quite made sense in my mind. Making my own translation has been difficult, it has … - New translation: Hans Czynner
I have just posted my most recent translation – a poem by Hans Czynner about fencing with the longsword. I find it quite an interesting little source, because it illustrates the psychology of a fencer who stands ready to fight, as well as mentioning a variety of techniques and technical …