On weaponry

So what weapons are covered in HEMA?

It's seems to be one of three. Rapier, Backsword or Longsword. This isn't an exclusive or comprehensive list, you can find many weapons if you look hard enough. At the larger events you will be able to find people willing to teach practically anything.

Rapier is as close as I want to get to sport fencing, it's actually rather fun and there are lots of subtleties. I've not moved on to using a second weapon, but I am looking forward to learning a little rapier and cloak, rapier and dagger or rapier and buckler. Apparently, this kind of admission may result in people questioning my manliness. But I wear nailvarnish and eyeliner, so I'm used to that.

Backsword is interesting- It's a bit simplistic, there's only a few methods of attack and defence but this allows a better understanding of the mechanics of the fight. You don't have to worry about lots of guards and many places to attack. It's a good starter for people who want to get a feel for the dynamics of a fight. Besides. Paradoxes of Defence is actually quite a laugh to read, there might not be a lot of information about fighting but it tells you a lot about the time.

I don't really know much about longsword. It comes in two main flavours, German and Italian. German is a bit forthright and potentially suicidal. Italian is a bit sneakier and complex. It looks interesting, but I've only had brief instruction on the two types so I don't have enough knowledge to form an opinion. It looks fun though.