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# How HEMA Pushed Out White Supremacists (And What BJJ Can Learn)
- URL: https://fightingmatters.com/how-hema-pushed-out-white-supremacists-and-what-bjj-can-learn/
- Published: 2026-04-09T02:03:49.000Z
- Updated: 2026-10-12T05:16:08.000Z
- Description: In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan and Stephan Kesting sit down with Eric Lowe, a 13-year HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) instructor and school founder. HEMA had a serious white supremacist problem, and they actually did something about it.
- Author: Fighting Matters
- Tags: Podcast, Video, Extremism, Gym Culture

In this episode of Fighting Matters, Steve Kwan and Stephan Kesting sit down with Eric Lowe, a 13-year HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) instructor and school founder. HEMA had a serious white supremacist problem, and they actually did something about it. Eric walks through what worked, what didn't, and what BJJ and MMA can steal from the playbook.  
  
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👥 Featuring:

- Steve Kwan — [https://bjjmentalmodels.com](https://bjjmentalmodels.com/?ref=fightingmatters.com)
- Stephan Kesting — [https://grapplearts.com](https://grapplearts.com/?ref=fightingmatters.com)
- Eric Lowe — [https://crossroadsswords.com](https://crossroadsswords.com/?ref=fightingmatters.com)

⸻  
  
🧠 Topics Discussed:

- How HEMA's early days were dominated by a near-Nazi gatekeeper (and how the community rejected him)
- Why your gym's website and signaling matter more than you think
- The Warriors of Ashe: Viking pagans with 30% transgender membership who keep turning away white supremacists
- What "welcoming" actually means when your school has real beliefs
- Constructing a version of masculinity the far right can't co-opt
- Why every martial art sells a fantasy, and how that fantasy either attracts or repels extremists
- What HEMA borrowed from Filipino martial arts (and why that matters)
- Preserving European martial tradition without white supremacy

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📖 Chapters:  
[00:00](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Introducing Eric Lowe and what HEMA is  
[04:11](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=251s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — The history of far right infiltration in HEMA  
[05:29](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=329s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — John Clements and the "North Korea of HEMA"  
[09:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=557s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Viking martial arts and the white supremacist appeal  
[11:15](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=675s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — The Warriors of Ashe: Viking pagans who reject Nazis  
[13:39](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=819s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Why how you signal your school matters  
[19:27](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=1167s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Symbolism in BJJ vs HEMA  
[23:10](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=1390s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — The fantasy every martial art sells  
[27:45](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=1665s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — What positive masculinity actually looks like  
[37:30](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=2250s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Building masculine identity without the far right  
[40:51](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=2451s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Who gets to own masculinity  
[45:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=2736s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Dueling culture and honour violence  
[52:43](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=3163s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — The performative side of all martial arts  
[01:00:17](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=3617s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Preserving tradition without white supremacy  
[01:03:56](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=3836s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Why women in HEMA matter for everyone  
[01:05:36](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YZGA%5FnL4Ygc&t=3936s&ref=fightingmatters.com) — Where to find Eric