The Historical Maritime Combat Association (HMCA) is a collective of instructors and students of personal maritime weaponry from the 17th though the 19th centuries. Personal maritime weaponry pertains to weapons of an individual nature, i.e., cutlass, saber, boarding axe, tomahawk, knife, belaying pin, slung shot, smallsword, pike, bayonet, and pistol, but is not limited to these weapons.

The HMCA was the result of the creative efforts of three of its instructors who found themselves working closely together at the International Swordplay and Martial Arts Convention (ISMAC) in 2004.

The HMCA motto is taken from a report by Commodore Preble in a report to Tobias Lear, the US Consular General in Algiers concerning the Frigate Philidelphia. The Frigate was captured by Tripolines in 1804 and Lt. Comm. Decatur was sent in the Ketch Intrepid to burn her if he could not retake her.

Decatur entered the harnor, brought Intrepid alongside Philidelphia and boarded under heavy resistance from the Tripolitans. He succeeded in setting her afire and as Preble put it:

"Capt. Decatur did not lose a man and had but one wounded: The Tripolines had between twenty and thirty killed: not a musket was fired on our side, everything by the sword and tomahawk."
(From Boarders Away, Volume I by William Gilkerson)

Gareth Thomas, John Lennox and Steve Huff, all came from a variety of backgrounds, as you may read in the Instructors Bios section of this site. Yet all three believed that the uses of the weapons mentioned above had only been partially explored. These weapons, taken out of the context of a duel or any confrontation on land must be adapted in an entirely different way to the confines of a close quarter, or closed-quarter engagement such as found on a ship during a boarding action.

By clicking on the proper icons you will be taken to various pages on this site concerning instructors, upcoming events, classes, weapons, book reviews; even the occasional lesson concerning a particular maritime-related weapon. The lesson portion of this website is still under development. Also check back for updates to our Suggested Reading page for the release of our first book, By Sword and Tomahawk due out in 2006.

The lessons, classes and styles of fighting promoted on this site are not necessarily found word-for-word in any period manual, but are often logical extrapolations of texts and personal accounts based on the exposure of these weapons to various cultures, environments and the probable adaptation by the individual of the period.

These lessons and techniques should never be practiced without the direct supervision of a qualified instructor. The information contained herein is for academic study only. The instructors, web designers and authors of the information on this site disclaim any liability from damage or injuries of any type that may occur from the attempted use of this information.

Gareth Thomas
Director; Historical Maritime Combat Association

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