Sword fighting draws student attention to Rice’s history programs

The unmistakable clanging of clashing swords rang out across campus March 22 as members of Houston’s historical European martial arts community put on a series of skirmishes in the Central Quad outside Brochstein Pavilion.

Organized by Erin Baezner, department coordinator for the Rice Department of History, as a pre-registration event to attract undergrads to the department and the Medieval and Early Modern Studies Program, the afternoon’s melees and demonstrations certainly proved to be a popular attraction.

Historical European martial artists employ primary source documents for historical accuracy—and for hitting each other.

“I thought if I just threw some sword fighters in the middle of campus … everybody loves ‘Game of Thrones,’” Baezner said.

Between battles, the fighters talked with students about the ways in which they employ primary source documents to ensure every element of the martial arts they practice is historically accurate. Meanwhile, Medieval and Early Modern Studies professors spoke to interested students about the classes they could take next semester and the value of history classes.

Onlooker Friday Genung, a Wiess College junior and history major, can already attest to the value of her classes. But the afternoon’s martial arts demonstration, she said, offered a unique perspective on her studies. “It definitely makes history come alive in a way that it doesn’t always,” Genung said. (Video by Brandon Martin, photos by Jeff Fitlow)