The British Federation for Historical Swordplay

Society for the Study of Swordsmanship – Sheffield


The Society for the Study of Swordsmanship was founded in 1998 as a Western Martial Arts (WMA) group. At times we have had chapters in several areas including Durham, Leeds, Sheffield, and Whitby though some chapters have moved on to become independent.

We are part of the British Federation for Historical Swordplay (BFHS).

Let’s start with a few common questions…

What are Western Martial Arts?

Most people are at least vaguely familiar with Oriental (Or Eastern) Martial Arts, but Europe has an equally rich martial heritage. Western Martial Arts (WMA) include combat systems such as Boxe Francaise, Military Combatives, Catch Wrestling and Bartitsu as well as a great many styles of swordsmanship.

What does SSS Teach?

As our name suggests, we study and practice various forms of European swordsmanship including but not restricted to the Rapier and Sidesword, the Backsword, the Smallsword and the Military Sabre. We are fencers, not re-enactors or LARPers, though these activities are not mutually exclusive. That means that we are interested in the practical applications of traditional swordsmanship.

This Looks Different from Fencing at the Olympics…?

It is indeed different. Modern Olympic or ‘sport’ fencing is where swordsmanship has evolved to today. We are interested in everything that happened before that. Historically, there have been a great many different weapons and styles of swordsmanship. Sport fencers have a choice of three disciplines (foil, epee and sabre) with broadly similar physical requirements. We can choose to study any of dozens of different systems making it more likely that you’ll find one that suits you well.

Who is this Suitable For?

Anyone over 18 can learn historical fencing, though we do have some rules about safety and general conduct in the class. You don’t need to be fit and there is no requirement to compete. Some people want to win tournament medals, others are more interested in the history of swordplay. All of us like playing with swords. So long as that’s your thing, this is suitable for you.

All students start off looking at 19th Century British Military Sabre, initially at the works of Capt. Alfred Hutton, but then moving towards including the principles of the much earlier works of George Silver.

Once a student attains Free Scholar rank, he may then request lessons in other weapons including Longsword (Fiore, Ringeck), Smallsword (Angelo, Hope) and Rapier (Fabris).

Based in Slough and concentrating on the work of Sigmund Ringeck (Liechtenauer tradition).

We practice swordsmanship from the medieval period, specialising in the German Longsword.
Classes are on Mondays, 7.30 – 9.15 in the Donegall Pass Community Centre, Belfast.

The Linacre School of Defence exists to train its members in a pragmatic and martial approach to 18th-century British martial arts.

Training is conducted in the small-sword, back-sword and pugilism as if preparing for a serious encounter rather than school play. The intention is to produce martial artists capable of competently defending their lives in a manner with which our ancestors would have been familiar. To develop the skills of our students we attempt to meet and train with practitioners of diverse (primarily Western) systems whenever possible. We aim also to promote an understanding of the theory of the art through the study of period texts.

The HSD pursues the historically accurate study of Europe’s traditional fighting arts, most commonly the use of sword between the years 1300 and 1500. Our ethos is to research, practice and uphold the teachings and legacy of the original historical masters of defence, according to the principles they recorded for all time.

The School has six chapters, located in Alnwick (Northumberland), Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Consett (County Durham) and Coldstream in the Scottish Borders, along with a chapter in Washington State in the US.

Methods studied for all students include longsword and messer. Students can then play for their scholar’s prize and broaden their horizons by studying from the full corpus of arms, including dagger, wrestling, spear, pollaxe, glaive, quaterstaff and off-hand weapons with the messer and/or arming sword.

We are a Swansea based Western Martial Arts group, studying in the main techniques for long-handled and single-handed sword combat used in the period from the 13th and 16th Centuries.
Training every Wednesday 18:00 to 19:30 at St. Phillips Community Hall, Swansea.

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