Rapier & Dagger
Our primary discipline and the focus of most of our curriculum. The rapier was the civilian sword of the Renaissance — carried daily, used in duels and street fights, and documented in extraordinary detail by masters who depended on it for survival.
We draw from the systems of Girard Thibault d'Anvers, Nicoletto Giganti, and Salvator Fabris — three of the most complete and technically precise fencing manuals in the historical record. The addition of the dagger in the off-hand adds a second layer of tactical complexity that rewards long-term study.
What you'll work on
- Point control and precision thrusting mechanics
- Footwork — the foundation of the Italian and Spanish rapier systems
- Line control and how to dominate the geometry of a fight
- Off-hand dagger: parries, counterattacks, presence, and measure
- Period-accurate voiding, evasion, and time
- Structured drilling, then controlled sparring when ready
Longsword
The two-handed sword of the medieval battlefield and the tournament ground. The longsword was arguably the most versatile weapon of the medieval period, and the German and Italian masters who wrote about it produced some of the most sophisticated and well-preserved fighting manuals we have.
We draw from the tradition of Johannes Liechtenauer and his successors — the German school that forms the backbone of most modern longsword practice — and the Italian system of Fiore dei Liberi, which provides an excellent parallel perspective on many of the same problems.
What you'll work on
- Fundamental cuts and thrusts with proper structure and mechanics
- Guards (Huten), their properties, and transitions between them
- Measure and timing — the two most important concepts in sword fighting
- Blade-binding: Fühlen (feeling), winding, and wrestling at the sword
- Half-swording and close-range techniques
- Structured partner drilling and sparring
Class Structure
All classes follow the same general format regardless of level:
- Warm-up — footwork, movement, and body preparation
- Technical review — revisiting previously covered material
- New material — introduction and drilling of new techniques
- Partner work — applying techniques in structured drilling
- Sparring — free or constrained sparring for students who are ready
Beginner students work through the same class alongside more experienced students — we simply scale the complexity of the material and the intensity of partner work to where each person is.