Beginners Course
The Quest you never knew you needed
Learn the historic art of sword fighting in this 10 week course tailored specifically to beginners. Whether you’re looking for a fun adventure or your next training arc, your journey starts here!
Registration closes once the course begins — spots go fast!
What this course covers
A structured ten-week introduction to historical fencing. No prior experience, no personal gear, all equipment provided — just footwork, guards, basic attacks and parries, building toward your first controlled bout.
The curriculum stays deliberately simple. Every class builds toward the same goal: enough vocabulary to move safely, read a phrase of fencing, and hold your own in a slow, controlled exchange.
Longsword
Two hands, both edges
Grip, stance, and core guards
Footwork, measure, and timing
Slow, partnered drilling
Sidesword
One hand, both edges
Grip, stance, and guard transitions
Footwork adapted to a single handed sword
The basic cuts and thrusts
Body mechanics cutting and thrusting with one hand
Parrying and a simple riposte
Basic binds and simple disengages
Controlled freeplay with steel trainers
No personal gear required. All drilling and freeplay in this course uses steel trainers, sparring uses foam trainers. All the equipment you need is provided in class.
The path through the course
Beginner rank isn't the finish line — it's the on-ramp. Here's how the ten weeks turn into your invitation to join the school as a full member.
1
2
Ten weeks of classes
Two absences, catch up in office hours
3
4
Steady, cumulative sessions in longsword and sidesword fundamentals, one skill building on the last.
Miss a class and you can make it up during office hours. Miss more than two, and you won't be eligible to graduate to Apprentice
graduation trials
In the final week, you'll demonstrate what you've learned through a short series of trials in front of the instructors.
Apprentice rank
Pass, and you move from beginner to apprentice — with an invitation to join the fundamentals class as a full member of the school.
Miss too many classes to graduate? You can retake the course free at the next available opportunity, space permitting — no need to pay twice for the same ten weeks.
ENROLLMENT AT A GLANCE
Course fee
$199, paid in full before the course begins.
Duration
10 weeks, one class per cohort — the beginner course runs on a fixed schedule, not on demand.
Registration
Gear
Open until the course begins, then closed for the rest of the run. No joining mid-course.
None required. All equipment provided.
Attendance
Up to 2 missed classes and you're still eligible to graduate. Make-up sessions run during office hours.
Outcome
Graduation trials in week 10. Pass, and you advance to apprentice rank and the fundamentals class.
Upcoming Courses
A 10-week introduction to historical fencing covering longsword and sidesword fundamentals — no prior experience or personal gear required. Classes explore beginner drills leading to controlled freeplay, building each week toward a set of graduation trials in the final session. Students who pass move from beginner to apprentice rank and are invited to join the fundamentals class as full members. $199 for the full quarter, paid up front; registration closes when the course begins.
A 10-week introduction to historical fencing covering longsword and sidesword fundamentals — no prior experience or personal gear required. Classes explore beginner drills leading to controlled freeplay, building each week toward a set of graduation trials in the final session. Students who pass move from beginner to apprentice rank and are invited to join the fundamentals class as full members. $199 for the full quarter, paid up front; registration closes when the course begins.
A 10-week introduction to historical fencing covering longsword and sidesword fundamentals — no prior experience or personal gear required. Classes explore beginner drills leading to controlled freeplay, building each week toward a set of graduation trials in the final session. Students who pass move from beginner to apprentice rank and are invited to join the fundamentals class as full members. $199 for the full quarter, paid up front; registration closes when the course begins.
A 10-week introduction to historical fencing covering longsword and sidesword fundamentals — no prior experience or personal gear required. Classes explore beginner drills leading to controlled freeplay, building each week toward a set of graduation trials in the final session. Students who pass move from beginner to apprentice rank and are invited to join the fundamentals class as full members. $199 for the full quarter, paid up front; registration closes when the course begins.