"Oyez Oyez!

Be it known that the Schola Saint George, right mindful of the vast prowess and noble gentility present amongst chivalric combatants throughout the world, do hereby declare their intention to host a practicum to encourage swordsmanship and the use of other weapons as was done in the days of our ancestors. Mindful also that the practice of arms is best enjoyed in the context of a tournament, we are further minded to host a pas d'armes dedicated to an ancient father of arms, Fiore de Liberi.

We invite all students of the sword  to partake in the words and demonstrations of notable personages who will travel far to share their knowledge and experience with us. Our intent is to provide a forum where combatants in our own region can become acquainted with the new tradition of arms that is burgeoning in the world, that skills might be increased and joi de combat increased manyfold. There will be three whole days dedicated to the celebration of arms, both sword and rapier, and we warmly invite tournament companions, reenactors, stage combatants, fencers and those who might be curious to attend and to share their own experiences."

Note that this is not a reenactment event; this symposium is unaffiiated with any society and the opinions and techniques demonstrated may have limited application within the context of other forms of combat. During the Pas d'Armes, Medieval Dinner and Fencing Tournament, appropriate clothing is to be encouraged but not required. Combat standards for the tournaments will be published separately.
 

Here are a highlight of confirmed event highlights (or look at all the events!):

• SAD NEWS: Andrea Lupo Sinclair's wife has been diagnosed with Leukemia; of course Lupo will be unable to attend. We have rearranged the schedule a bit to account for his loss; he cannot be replaced and our hearts go out to him and to his wife.
• Michael Cawelti, with over 240 professional credits, will teach two modules of fight direction!
• Stephen Hand from the Stoccata School of Defense (Sydney, Australia) will teach three courses--one on I.33 (the Tower Fechtbuch), a module of Saviolo (English, 1595), and another an extrapolation on Talhoffer and the use of large shields.
• Maestro Andrea Lupo Sinclair will be joining us from Italy to teach not one but two modules; one on medieval longsword and another on Italian rapier, including elements from the works of Capoferro,  Marceilli, and Bondi di Mazzo. Meistro Sinclair is a founding member of the Association for Historical Fencing (AHF) and is founder of the Italian Ancient and Historical Fencing Federation.
• A discussion on stage combat techniques and its relation to other historical forms presented by Randal Scott of The Duellists.
• John Clements of the Historical Armed Combat Association (HACA) and author of the popular works "Medieval Swordsmanship" and "Renaissance Swordsmanship" will be present; teaching topics TBD.
• A grand pas d'armes tournament for both rebated and behourd-style weapons. Come see how other folks play!
• An all-day Sunday seminar on Fiore de Liberi by Bob Charron, Academy of Saint Martin for novices and experienced combatants alike
• Presentation by Greg Mele of the Swordplay Symposium International and Chicago Swordplay Guild
• For poleaxe and polearm enthusiasts, a 2-hour special focus on techniques from Jeu de la Hache by Ian Johnson of the Schola Solis
• Cutting practice--try out those techniques and see what they do!
• New! A course in the rapier instruction by Steaphen Fick Davenriche Company, Josephe Swetnam's The School of the Noble and Worth Science of Defence
• Roundtable discussions on tournament armour, chivalry & the medieval tournament!
• Jousting & Equestrian presentations and panel discussions with a special video presentation by the Ordre of the Blak Prince and Order of the Boar.
• LOTS of open sparring with instructors and practitioners from all over the country!
• Renaissance and medieval courses planned--many more are in process--stay tuned!
• A medieval-style dinner to celebrate the tournament
• A rapier-tournament on Friday night!

The Site: Taking place in pictuesque old Livermore, California, just outside of the San Francisco Bay Area, the venue for this event will be a large building dressed for the occasion. "The Barn" has sufficient space to handle even a medium-sized tournament and a large dinner in-doors, so our tournaments are not at weather-risk. The site carries its own insurence (expensive, but worthwhile). We will section it into two zones, one for each "track". Weather permitting, we may also have a third track outdoors.

"The Barn": 3131 Pacific Avenue, Livermore, CA. Click here for the appropriate Mapquest link.

Day-pass registrations will be available at the door at a price of $35 per day or you can Register now!

Meals: Although a light breakfast of pastries, juice and coffee will be available at no charge on Friday and Saturday, and sandwhich lunches available all three days, there are many interesting restaurants within a short driving distance of the event. Click here for a listing. Dinner will be the responsibility of the attendees, although we are contemplating an on-site BBQ on Friday, if people are interested.

Saturday Night Dinner: We will be serving a medieval-style dinner on Saturday night, during which we anticipate an open forum discussion on chivalry, the tournament and the medieval martial arts. Tickets for this dinner are $12.50; there is a limit of 70 spaces. Remaining tickets the day of the event will be $15.00. This dinner will also serve as the "close" for the pas d'armes, during which specific deeds worthy or renown are generally discussed.

Lodging: Several hotels are located close to the site, within reasonable walking distance. Click here to see a list of local hotels.

NEW: We have secured an excellent accomodation rate of $79 per night at a local hotel. To secure the special rate, let them know you want one of the "Schola St. George" rooms. Deadline for early registration is 4/26, so contact the hotel early. A continental breakfast is included and we are checking into the possibility of a morning and evening shuttle from the hotel - site and possibly to the airport.

Hampton Inn
2850 Constitution Dr.
Livermore, CA 94550
(925) 606-6400

Vendors: Space has been allotted to allow vendors to sell products of interest to Medieval or Renaissance martial artists. Vendors will be provided with a 2' x 8' table; a vendor reservation includes one full-conference entry and 1/4 page advertisement in the event's Proceedings. Vendors must be registered no later than April 17th, so sign up now!.