Past

Sword Fighting: Medieval Martial Arts

This class has passed
This class has passed

What’s it all about?

Movies and TV shows are full of knights that fight like turtles with clunky heavy swords, and nimble characters that run rings around them with their rapiers. But what was sword fighting really like?

Have a go at old-fashioned sword fighting and learn about the different types of martial arts in Europe, and the different contexts they were used in: from judicial duels to sporting tournaments and back-alley brawls. Find out about sword weights and types and you might even learn a technique or two!

What will we cover?

We will learn a bit about the history of sword fighting, and what movies and TV get wrong about European combat. Find out about the differences between longswords, arming swords, rapiers, and greatswords. Learn a couple of techniques and experiment with foam swords.

This class will be a mix of theory and practice and afterwards you should be able to strike and parry with a sword and know when a sword fight is good and bad.

Who will be teaching?

Gindi Wauchope has been teaching medieval and renaissance combat using a variety of weapons since 2010. He currently teaches rapier, sword & buckler, and longsword combat at the School of Historical Fencing.