About me

My name is Thomas Lorenz Hofer. Born and raised in Salzburg I performed in numerous school- and youththeatreplays which led me to considering a professional carer. In 2010 I was accepted to the Anton-Bruckner-University in Linz where I began my studies to become an actor. During this period I developed my interest in a physical focused style of play which characterises me as an actor. In 2014 I completed my degree with the Bachelor of Arts.

My second great passion concerns Martial Arts. In 2006 I stumbled upon something widely unknown yet hauntingly beautiful, that didn't let go of me since: the Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). This collective term gathers all and every armed and unarmed fighting technique that origins in Europe and doesn't possess a living tradition, but provides scripted sources of advice. 

Since this is a very wide field I specialized in the Liechtenauer Tradition, a series of Fencing Manuskripts that dates back to the late medieval period and provides the most associated sources in central Europe. It concerns itself primarily with the german Longsword but also involves dagger-, staff-, Langmesser and grabbling techniques both on and off horseback. 
The longer however I am occupied with this Martial Art, the more striking - sometimes even painful - becomes in my view the difference between the common spread picture of medeival fighting and the motions I train, teach and research with my fellow martial artists.

This difference fuels my will to bring authentic swordplay to the screen and therefore to a wider audience. 

Über HEMA und Film