There comes a time in everyone’s life when we all need to take a good, hard look in the mirror and ask ourselves an important question: “how screwed would I be if I was suddenly transported back in time to 15th century Italy?” The answer is usually the same: pretty screwed. Unless you’re a fast runner, the first time someone comes at you with a sword will likely also be the last. Fighting with Eur
opean style swords and other weapons was, until relatively recently, a lost art. Martial arts that were used extensively throughout medieval and renaissance Europe gradually died out over the centuries until they were nearly forgotten. In the last few decades, Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) has begun to reconstruct these lost arts using historical texts that detail techniques and principles for using weapons, and training and applying these techniques in a non-cooperative or competitive context. The London Historical Fencing Club (LHFC) is a small charity (registration number 1181581). We were set up with the goal of to promoting HEMA through training, scholarship and competitions and tournaments. We train using in a several different weapons and sword fighting styles. The historical sources which form the basis of our teaching range from the high medieval period (early 15th Century), through the renaissance and into the early modern sources (18th century). We teach a wide range of weapons from throughout these periods. We welcome anyone from all walks of life, and pride ourselves on having an inclusive environment where everyone should feel free to be themselves. Whatever your gender, race or sexual orientation, you can be assured that you will be welcome here. You also shouldn’t be concerned about your fitness level or prior martial arts background, as most exercises can be performed slowly or at speed depending on your comfort zone, and we will do our best to accommodate any disability. So whether you are worried about time travel, the impending zombie apocalypse or just want to have a good time, come join us at one of our regular classes and learn to use a sword the way it was meant to be. Classes:
All classes are £15 for a 2 hour session, which you can book via our website: https://londonhistoricalfencing.club/bookings
Smallsword - Monday, 8-10 pm, Kennington Park Centre, 40 St Agnes Place, Kennington, London, SE11 4BE, London, England
Instructor: Mark Rhind
Longsword - Monday 7-9pm Kennington Park Community Centre, 8 Harleyford Street, London, SE11 5SY
Instructor: Jamie MacIver
Rapier - Wednesday, 7-9 pm, Kennington Park Centre, 40 St Agnes Place, Kennington, London, SE11 4BE, London, England
Instructor: Daniel Weir
Sabre - Thursday, 8pm - 10pm Kennington Park Community Centre, 8 Harleyford Street, London, SE11 5SY
Instructor: Kerri McArthur
[Not currently running]
Longsword - Wednesday, 8-10 pm, Kennington Park Community Centre
8 Harleyford Street | London | SE11 5SY
Instructors: Ian Butcher
Sword and Buckler - Thursday, 8pm - 10pm Kennington Park Community Centre, 8 Harleyford Street, London, SE11 5SY
Instructor: Alyx Austin
Equipment:
We have plenty of club equipment to loan to beginners, so if you are thinking of coming along, all you will need to bring is yourself and clothing that you are comfortable exercising in.
