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
- Stephan Kesting — https://grapplearts.com
- Eric Lowe — https://crossroadsswords.com

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🧠 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 — Introducing Eric Lowe and what HEMA is
04:11 — The history of far right infiltration in HEMA
05:29 — John Clements and the "North Korea of HEMA"
09:17 — Viking martial arts and the white supremacist appeal
11:15 — The Warriors of Ashe: Viking pagans who reject Nazis
13:39 — Why how you signal your school matters
19:27 — Symbolism in BJJ vs HEMA
23:10 — The fantasy every martial art sells
27:45 — What positive masculinity actually looks like
37:30 — Building masculine identity without the far right
40:51 — Who gets to own masculinity
45:36 — Dueling culture and honour violence
52:43 — The performative side of all martial arts
01:00:17 — Preserving tradition without white supremacy
01:03:56 — Why women in HEMA matter for everyone
01:05:36 — Where to find Eric