Demonstration of the fighting techniques employed by the Royal Armouries at Leeds

We all want to be healthy and in shape to “kick butt” at our respective martial art, but the question is how do you do that?  People waste thousands of dollars on exercise equipment and gym memberships that only leave them thinner in the pocketbook.  Others jump into fad diets or follow dubious advise from the Internet.  Some give up entirely!

What if I told you that the answers were right in front of you, and that in our rush to get more and more high-tech with everything (including diet and exercise) people had abandoned a lot of very powerful secrets as being outdated?

What if I told you that this “old-school” training not only was good for your health, but also directly translated into martial skills, so that you were getting a two-for-one benefit in all your work-outs?

Could it get better than that?  YOU BET IT COULD! What if I told you it was lots of fun and wouldn’t hardly cost you a dime to get started? Would you want to learn more?  I hope so!  This class is a hoot and the more the merrier!

We will be exploring a number of traditional European and American folk games, 18th and 19th century physical culture, breathing exercises for power, speed, and internal strength, and the conditioning workout all those clowns on late night TV hope you never hear about…because once you know it you will realize what crap those exercise machines they sell really are!

Please bring a bandanna, a rope or martial arts canvas belt, and a stick or staff if you are able!  The more people who have these, the better for the whole class.
 

From Renaissance Faires to back yards, from parks to classrooms, Gereg has been teaching people double-sword styles for over twenty years.  It’s been somewhere upward of thirty years, by the most conservative estimate, since his own childhood preoccupation with swords and self-defense techniques evolved into serious study.  He has trained with combat veterans, formal stylists both Eastern and Western, historical reënactors, SCA and street fighters, in a variety of international weapon and empty-hand styles.
 

George Silver: The Last Medieval Swordsman
Stephen Hand, Stoccata School of Defence
Class Limited to 50 participants--sign up early!
George Silver's Bref Instructions was written around 1605 and describes a style of single sword play closer to that of MSS I.33 and Fiore Dei Liberi than to that taught by Joseph Swetnam just 12 years later. This one day course will examine Silver's system of single sword, sword and dagger and sword and buckler. It is indeed a system, with the same principles applying to all three combinations. Esentially if you know Silver's single sword then you know his sword and dagger and his sword and buckler. Furthermore, Silver's system is designed to be simple and easy to learn. It is designed for gentlemen who have lives away from swordsmanship, not for professional swordsmen. Hence it is a perfect system for the novice swordsman, delivering excellent results in a relatively short space of time. The vast majority of this class is single sword, but ideally you should bring a sword (Steel or waster. NB. Silver works best with basket hilts, but is fine with medieval swords) a dagger (steel or wooden) and a buckler.
 

Fencing in the Spanish Style
Ramon Martinez, Martinez Academy of Arms, AHF, FISAS
Class Limited to 50 participants--sign up early!

Description TBD

Medieval Unarmed and Knife Techniques
Pete Kautz, Alliance Martial Arts

Many of the medieval masters felt--as do many modern WMA teachers--that the fundamentals of swordsmanship lies in solid basics built with unarmed and knife techniques. Pete Kautz brings his extensive experience to bear with a whole day immersion that will serve as a strong foundation for the study of the Medieval and Renaissance sword arts, delivered with useful drills and with applications for the modern, post September 11th world. 

The rapier of Fabris I
Tom Leoni – Historical Martial Arts Society of Maryland
This course on the “Science of the Rapier” (1606) will be highly beneficial to both the experienced rapier practitioner and the serious beginner. Arguably the most sought-after rapier master of his time, Fabris remained an International legend until long after his death.  His highly technical, athletic and scientific style will be explored in this course, where the most solid bases of Italian rapier and rapier and dagger will be presented. Topics will include  the tactical knowledge of the sword and its parts, effective and dynamic guards, dominating the opponent’s blade, footwork, attacks, feints, trades, voids and parries. 
But most of all, the vital theory of misure and tempi will be thoroughly explained  - two often-misunderstood concepts that will  help sword enthusiasts greatly improve their effectiveness and grasp the very essence of Italian rapier.

In the true spirit of Fabris, this course will help channel every movement of the body and the sword into a clear and specific tactical purpose, and will be concentrating equally on theory and practice.   Plenty of drills (solo and with partner) will give everyone the opportunity to learn each technique, execute it with style and integrate it with the rest of the system. 

Roughly two thirds of the course will focus on rapier alone, with the remainder devoted to rapier and dagger. 

Equipment needed:  practice rapier, three-weapon fencing mask, fencing jacket or doublet, fencing gloves, cup/breast protector.  Gorget highly recommended.
 

Bring standard fencing kit, (mask, jacket, gloves, fencing nickers or sturdy, loose pants) and weapon. Italian or French Epee preferred, foils acceptable. Please, no orthopedic handles. Contact mailto:hayes@efn.org with any questions. 
http://www.efn.org/~hayes/