How does the 30-day Knight free trial work?

Any HEMA club officer can activate a one-time, 30-day Knight trial from Guild Settings. Your club gets full access to every Knight feature — tournaments, treasury, armoury, sparring ratings, and more. No credit card required. When the trial ends, your club simply reverts to its previous tier.

Is HILT free for small HEMA clubs?

Yes. HILT offers a free Page tier for small study groups and clubs. Our Tithe model ensures that small clubs can use core tools for free, while professional academies contribute their fair share. We also offer discounts for registered non-profit HEMA clubs.

How does the HEMA Sparring and ELO rating system work?

Knight-tier clubs get access to per-weapon ELO ratings. Log sparring matches, track wins and losses by weapon discipline, and see how your fencers rank on your club's leaderboard. It's a great way to measure progress and motivate regular sparring.

What are Endorsements and the Fencer Passport?

Every fencer gets a digital Passport — a public profile with their weapons, rank, achievements, and training history. Instructors can issue endorsements (e.g., Steel Sparring Approved, Cutting Certified) that are tied to their instructor ID, creating a verifiable safety record.

Can I use HILT without a club?

Yes. Choose Knight-Errant mode during onboarding to use HILT independently. You can browse the Atlas, find guilds near you, and join one later.

What HEMA tournament formats does HILT support?

Knight-tier clubs have unlimited tournament hosting with 6 formats: Swiss, Round Robin, Single Elimination, Double Elimination, Bear Pit, and Pools & Bracket.

Guild Governance & Operations

Planning a HEMA Open Day or Taster Session

By HILT Official · May 10, 2026 · 8 min read

Most HEMA clubs run their open days on autopilot and wonder why nobody comes back. Here's how to plan a HEMA taster session that actually brings new members in.

What an Open Day Actually Does for a HEMA Club A HEMA open day is the cheapest member acquisition tool a club has, and most clubs run them badly. They book a Saturday afternoon, post once on Instagram, lay out a couple of feders, and then act surprised when six people turn up, four of them wander off after twenty minutes, and the two who stayed never come back. A taster session done well does three things at once. It introduces curious people to HEMA in a way they actually retain. It gives the club a low-pressure path from "interested" to "paying member". And it tells the rest of your club…

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The Transition: From Study Group to Academy Most HEMA clubs die in the study group phase. Here's what separates the ones that survive.
Club Finances That Don't Make You Miserable Five financial strategies that keep HEMA clubs solvent without making the treasurer want to quit.
Building a Leadership Pipeline If you're the only person who can run your club, your club is one injury away from closing.

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