Chapters
The Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts (AEMMA) is currently has four full training locations (Chapters), headed by a Provost or Free Scholar:
There is also a London Study Group.
Ranks
Our ranking structure is modelled after the historical “Company of Masters,” using an academic analogy to track a student’s progress from novice to master.
The Five Ranks
- Recruit: The entry-level student beginning their journey, learning wrestling, dagger and sword in one and two hands.
- Scholar (Scholler): Equivalent to an undergraduate student. Scholars refine and expand the skills developed in recruit classes, as well as being able to learn spear, poleaxe, fighting in armour, and any other specializations taught by their Chapter (e.g. Bolognese sidesword, sword & buckler, etc.)
- Free Scholar: Equivalent to a graduate student, the Free Scholar must demonstrate the entirety of Fiore’s Art of Armizare, in and out of armour; theoretical knowledge is sufficient for the mounted section.
- Provost: Equivalent to a doctoral candidate. A Provost not only can perform the entire Art, but can teach it to a sufficient standard that one of their students has gained the rank of Free Scholar.
- Maestro: The highest designation, left unfilled, signifying that we are all students of a master, like Fiore.
Chapters may choose to subdivide these ranks to aid in the day-to-day operation of their Salles. For details on Toronto-specific requirements, please visit the AEMMA Toronto – Rank Structure document.
Playing for the Prize
Promotion between ranks (specifically from Recruit to Scholar and Scholar to Free Scholar) is achieved through a traditional “Prize Play.” This process consists of two phases:
- The Pre-Test: The student’s skills are assessed internally by the senior member of their Chapter; this step is to aid the candidate in discerning where to focus their training.
- The Public Challenge: Once the student is ready, they issue a formal challenge. They must face at least three opponents of their desired rank to prove their technical proficiency and martial spirit.
Note: Promotions for Provost are governed by time-in-rank requirements and significant contributions rather than the Prize Play system; typically, a Free Scholar may be made Provost when they have been a student’s primary instructor from Recruit to Free Scholar.
Training Expectations
While skill and safety are our primary concerns, a dedicated student can reach the rank of Free Scholar within 5 to 10 years.
Progression speed is highly individual and depends on:
- Regular attendance and physical stamina.
- Commitment to academic research and historical study.
- Natural aptitude and mastery of safety protocols.
Historical Basis
The AEMMA ranking system is rooted in the 16th-century English martial arts tradition. We mirror the organizational structure of the “Four Ancient Maisters” (later known as the Company of Maisters), a powerful London-based guild authorized to govern the “Noble Science of Defence.” In the 16th century, the system followed a strict four-grade progression (as above): Scholler, Free Scholler, Provost, Maister. The title of Ancient Maister was used as a mark of courtesy to acknowledge the organization’s most senior members. While the organization’s formal name remains a subject of historical debate, its authority was recognized by the English Crown through several royal warrants:
- 1605 (King James I): Reaffirmed these duties, granting the Masters significant power—including the authority to imprison those who taught without a license or rebelled against the guild’s standards.
- 1540 (King Henry VIII): Commissioned the “Masters of the Science of Defence” to regulate martial instruction.
Sources
- Liber Albus (White Book) contains the laws and customs of the city of London, compiled in 1419, by John Carpenter, common clerk.
- Riley, H.T. (trans), 1861 Liber Albus
- Brown, Terry. “English Martial Arts“. 1997