Safety & Risk Management

Head Injuries in HEMA: What You Need to Know

By HILT Official · Dec 05, 2025 · 11 min read

Recognizing concussion symptoms, building a return-to-training protocol, and reducing head impact in your club.

The Risk Nobody Likes Discussing HEMA involves hitting people with metal swords. Even with good masks and controlled intensity, head impacts happen, especially in longsword and messer. Accumulated sub-concussive blows are an emerging concern in all combat sports, and HEMA isn't exempt. This isn't meant to scare anyone. The injury rate in HEMA is comparable to other contact martial arts and lower than rugby or ice hockey. But head injuries specifically deserve extra caution because the consequences are cumulative and not always immediately obvious. Recognizing Concussion After a significant…

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