Dec 10, 2025: The league has 2 bold new martial arts centric competitions in the area. Starting in 2025 with a far more robust program in 2026, applications are open now for fencers across the region to compete in Fight Knight Duels--a traveling competition that seeks to provide a fresh take on tournaments. "Fight-Knight Duels (FKD) is a collaboration of HEMA style combat, publicly displayed for audience entertainment, organized by Sword Circle... The collaboration is to involve as many like-minded HEMA/ HEMA-adjacent clubs that seek to persevere in historical combat in a controlled and professional manner. FKD is NOT a sport setting; this is intended for controlled and disciplined martial artists that are not seeking to play ‘tag’ for the sake of points. "
We have also seen HEMMA (HEMA x MMA) events cropping up last year, with Carolina Historical Fencing hosting events in a few local areas throughout 2025 with more projected in 2026.
Please be sure to check out the calendar of events to ensure you don't miss some of these new things people are working hard to bring to the table for the new year! 

Oct 23, 2025: We have just a few more events on the calendar coming up before the year winds down... 2025 PHFL will see 25 marked calendar events open to the public by this time next month! This doesn't even count the number of club-specific events or events that didn't make it to advertising. In 2017, there were 3 major events in the league -- SERFO, Raleigh Open, and Queen's Gambit. To have grown to being able to attend an event every 2 weeks is an incredible feat. Thank you to all the hard work event organizers have put into creating more variety, interest, and intrigue in this art and space. 

Aug 5, 2025: Last year we initiated an art contest and this summer had voting all summer long. The results are in! Nearly half the league agreed that the "Dual Wielding 'Possnail" was the clear winner for our league's mascot. Congrats to Philip Arista for winning the contest, and an incredibly huge thank you to all the artists that submitted their time and effort to a fun project.  

May 8, 2025: Some incredible data has been published about sword tips and their safety. Data like this helps shape policies for tournaments and schools and helps fencers be safe while training and competing. Check out the video and report on this data and why thermoplastic tips are becoming the preferred method of tipping the sword. Consider reporting your injuries using this form in 2025 for baseline analysis as well. 

April 15, 2025: Tournament season for the league has started with April events! There is an incredible amount of events big and small, competitive and fun, for HEMAists of all sorts. If you need new gear or gear repaired, now is the time to invest in those safety elements so you'll be able to fight all season long!  

Oct 22, 2024: PHFL would like a logo! We'll be taking submissions for your art from now until the last day of May 2025! The league will then vote on their favorites. For details, check out the post on the PHFL facebook page! 

Oct 22, 2024: The Appalachian Mountains and piedmont areas surrounding it are why we get our name! A piedmont is a landform created by shifting streams at the base of a mountain. The word comes from Italian - Piemonte - which means Foothill. This is why we range so far. We also sort of just throw Florida in here from time to time too. 

Sept 24, 2024: We want to see what PHFL is up to! If you'd like a photo, gif, recent news cast, etc. posted on the website, please post it to the FB page and it'll get uploaded here for everyone to see the best PHFL has to offer.  

August 19, 2024: We figured after more than a decade of operation we should have something more official. This is a resource for referencing every school part of PHFL.