Academy of Historical Fencing
Encyclopedia
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
and includes a school in South Wales (AHF Caerleon
Caerleon
Caerleon is a suburban village and community, situated on the River Usk in the northern outskirts of the city of Newport, South Wales. Caerleon is a site of archaeological importance, being the site of a notable Roman legionary fortress, Isca Augusta, and an Iron Age hill fort...
) and in the West of England (AHF Bristol). The school is run by a group of martial artists looking to develop their skills and knowledge whilst also sharing knowledge with like minded people. The club has over 100 members and four instructors with skills in weapon forms, combat
Combat
Combat, or fighting, is a purposeful violent conflict meant to establish dominance over the opposition, or to terminate the opposition forever, or drive the opposition away from a location where it is not wanted or needed....
and research. AHF instructors are all writers or researchers and have produced papers and books on the study of swordsmanship
Swordsmanship
Swordsmanship refers to the skills of a swordsman, a person versed in the art of the sword. The term is modern, and as such was mainly used to refer to smallsword fencing, but by extension it can also be applied to any martial art involving the use of a sword...
, military history and martial arts. The AHF runs programmes in Italian rapier fencing from the school of Capo Ferro, German longsword from the Ringeck and Meyer traditions as well as broadsword and messer fighting from additional masters.
Structure of Group
Unlike many martial artsMartial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
, historical fencing has no ‘grading
Grade (education)
Grades are standardized measurements of varying levels of comprehension within a subject area. Grades can be assigned in letters , as a range , as a number out of a possible total , as descriptors , in percentages, or, as is common in some post-secondary...
’ system for its members. This fact helps members to developing their skills rather than aiming to pass a test.
There are two classifications of people in the group:
- Instructor
- Member
New students to the school are required to fight for the prize of becoming a fully fledged member of the school. This takes place when the student is at a sufficient stage of training, skill and equipment. They will fight 10-30 bouts against all members present at the session and must give a strong, safe and effective account of themselves.
Rules on equipment
For the purposes of free-sparring both period and modern armourArmour
Armour or armor is protective covering used to prevent damage from being inflicted to an object, individual or a vehicle through use of direct contact weapons or projectiles, usually during combat, or from damage caused by a potentially dangerous environment or action...
may be worn. However, participants are advised against using ‘LARP’ fantasy armour as it is important to see the fencing as a martial art rather than role-playing as LARP equipment does not provide adequate protection against steel weapons.
During free-sparring the minimum requirements are:
- Head protection – use an approved fencing mask. It must include a bib to protect the throat.
- Torso Protection - period or modern armour may be worn though rapier fencing jackets or gambesons are recommended.
- Hand protection - the requirement for hand protection is thick leather gloves. Police riot gloves, mail topped gloves, or plate armoured gloves are all used.
External links
- Club website
- http://www.southwalesargus.co.uk/search/display.var.1358189.0.fancy_a_bit_of_swashbuckling.php