Jonathan Waller - Guild Founder Member, Senior Teacher and Guild Secretary

Jonathan Waller is a founder member of The European Historical Combat Guild (EHCG), as well being a Guild Senior Teacher and Secretary of the Guild.

As well as having a wide ranging knowledge of medieval life, customs and behaviour, Jonathan carries out extensive practical research into European Arms and Armour and is both a Master Bowman and horseman. His knowledge and skills have been developed since childhood, thanks to his father John Waller.

Jonathan works regularly with The Royal Armouries and has been closely involved in many of their projects, including work on a number of films for their museum in Leeds. 1995 he was a member of a Royal Armouries team invited to Japan, by The Nikko Toshugo Shrine, with whom the Armouries are twinned. This involved demonstrations of European Medieval Martial skills including, archery, and swordsmanship and mounted skill at arms as part of an annual festival, which includes special demonstrations of Yabusame, Japanese mounted archery.

As Guild Secretary and a Senior Teacher of The European Historical Combat Guild, he has been responsible for teaching students in the Guild’s English, Danish, Swedish, German, Dutch, American and Irish Chapters and for the organisation of events for the Guild including Annual seminars at The Royal Armouries museum, Leeds.

Jonathan has taught seminars in the USA, for The Historical Armed Combat Association (HACA, now ARMA) and The Higgins Armoury.

Jonathan also works very closely with Steve Tappin, Guild Senior Teacher and currently the Chief-Instructor and Examiner for Escrima Concepts.

Jonathan is Combat Teacher at:

The London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art
The Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Rutgers University – London Program
Master of Fight, Shakespeare’s Globe

In 2004 Jonathan and Guild Senior Teacher Kristina Soeborg, taught combat at the National University of Mexico. They are now involved in developing the teaching of historical combat in Mexico. Since the visit, combat teachers from Mexico, Korea and Italy have visited London to study with them.

Jonathan has also written magazine articles for different organisations and has contributed to several books. He continues to write for the Guild and is involved in several projects for later publication on the use of historical arms and armour.