Ashton Family Fire Fund

As some of you may know, on June 21st, 2016, one of my students, Joey Ashton, lost his home to fire. Luckily, no one was hurt, but the house and most everything in it was a total loss.

Joey is the product of an amazing family - he is a hard worker, diligent, and a true pleasure to be around.

At 16 years old, he is also one the the upcoming generation of HEMA practitioners most promising, having won 1st place in the Teen Arming Sword and 2nd in the Teen Longsword tournaments at the DC Open this past January -- his first event ever. He is also Body & Blade Swordsmanship's youngest Adept (2nd rank test student), and assists with helping to mentor newer students in basic fencing skills.

HEMA is more than just about studying historic martial arts; it's about community. It's a pretty common trope that the H in HEMA stands for hugs.

Joey and his family need a bit more than hugs right now. We have a pretty large community. What I ask is that everyone please donate whatever you can, so that Joey and his family might be able to rebuild and replace whatever they need to resume normalcy as quickly as possible. 

Let them know what I know -- the HEMA community is a family of the best people on Earth, and though we face off against each other in the ring, we stand together outside it, now and always.

Thank you and all the love in the world!