All persons attending The Old Sword Club are required to abide by following. These rules are designed to create a safe space where we can all train to be dangerous with weapons together, and enjoy a fun hobby.

If you have an issue, either from a violation of these rules or just a general concern, contact the Complaints Officer to sort things out.

The rules are ordered by importance, should a situation arise where the rules are contradictory those higher on this list be given priority over those lower on the list.

Warning

It should be understood that our hobby is an inherently dangerous recreational activity. It can never be completely safe, even when all safety rules are followed. While we seek to mitigate the frequency and severity of injury participants cannot reasonably expect to never be injured whilst participating.

Expected behaviour at the club

  1. Mutual respect - the Club’s culture is built on a basis of mutual respect. As such all members and guests are expected to:
    1. Treat every single person, member or not, that is attached to the Club with courtesy, respect and politeness.
    2. Understand that regardless of background or level of experience everyone has something to contribute.
    3. Help others provided they have indicated they want your help. Make sure you check in with them before offering them advice, critique or feedback.
    4. Don't promote or invent rivalries between different systems, styles or weapons. There is no best system or weapon and trying to create rivalries or hierarchies between them is not acceptable behaviour.
  2. Respect for boundaries
    1. Do not touch, hug or enter into the personal space of someone without checking if they're okay with it first.
    2. Do not contact people you have met through the club without their consent. And do not continue to contact someone if they are not reciprocating conversation or have asked you to stop.
    3. Don't use the Club or its communications to stalk or harass anyone.
  3. We are progressive and very anti-bigotry - the Club is designed to be a safe space for marginalised groups. As such:
    1. The Club does not tolerate sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, classism or ageism. Persons expressing such prejudices are not welcome at the club.
    2. Acts of bigotry being a “joke” or otherwise done without serious intent shall be considered either equal to acts done with malicious intent or of greater concern if they are deemed to have come from a general desire to cause offence. Displays of contrition and/or demonstrating that the act of bigotry was unintentional may, depending on specifics, partially ameliorate the offence.
  4. Don't play to win, Win by playing - Sword fighting is a fun hobby, and while there are competitive aspects our main goal is to create a cooperative and friendly atmosphere that is enjoyable for everyone. As such:
    1. Don't get fixated if you "win" or "lose", the point of the club is to have fun fencing without needing to keep score or be better than anyone else.
    2. Don't give excessive or undue resistance when drilling.
    3. Don't try to adjust the structure of drills or sparring to give you an unfair advantage.
    4. Try and give constructive feedback and focus on positives, and even then check first if the advice is wanted.

Consent

    1. The most important rule of safety is consent. When engaging in any activity involving weapons you must have the full informed consent of your training partners. A person may withdraw their consent at any time, they are not required to explain why or justify doing so. Likewise implying or miming that you will do something that would violate a person’s consent is considered the same as performing the action even if there was no intention to actually perform it.
    2. This specifically means:
      1. Always ask before engaging in an activity with someone.
      2. A person can be reasonably assumed to consent to a drill if they are in a designated training area, though they may vocally indicate at any time that they do not wish to participate in some or all of the drill.
      3. When seeking consent for bouting, a person must be asked and agree. Don’t enter a bouting area assuming that because someone is bouting they will bout you. Don’t attack someone without their knowledge.
      4. Any person not wishing to participate in an activity must vacate an area designated for it.
      5. Don’t hit, touch, etc people with weapons or imply that you will do so outside of designated lessons or bouting without asking them prior.
      6. Keep clear of activities you’re not participating in.
    3. Penalties for violation of consent rules will vary depending on the severity and frequency of offences. Likewise an Instructor or complaints officer will need to use their discretion when an individual has made multiple different offences. For a rough outline of punitive measures:
      1. Minor violations such as poking a fellow club members with a weapon without prior asking or walking through an area being used for drilling will typically result in a warning and only result in a penalty (such as being barred from specific activities or using specific weapons) for repeated offences.
      2. Medium violations such as initiating a bout with someone without asking them or directly interfering with a drill will result in a warning for the first offence, a penalty such as banning from specific activities for the second and likely banning from the club for the third.
      3. For serious violations such as striking a person outside of a drill or bouting, bouting someone who has expressly said to stop or trying to abuse the consent rules a person will be given a warning and possible penalties including being banned from specific activities or using specific weapons, and being banned from the club for a second offence.

Follow directions from the Instructor

    1. In matters of safety the Instructor’s word is law. If an Instructor gives a direction on the grounds of safety participants in The Old Sword Club must make all reasonable efforts to abide by it.
    2. Should a participant disagree with a direction from an instructor they are still expected to abide it or sit aside from club activities while direction is relevant. They are however permitted to raise their objection privately with the instructor later in person, through electronic communication, or by talking to the complaints officer.
    3. Penalties for failing will be at the discretion of the instructor, for a rough guide:
      1. Minor infractions from having not understood a direction without seeking clarification will typically result in a warning and only result in a penalty (such as being barred from specific activities or using specific weapons) for repeated offences unless someone is injured in which case a specific penalty will be imposed.
      2. Major infractions like ignoring or arguing with the instructor will result in a warning and possible penalties including being banned from specific activities or using specific weapons, and being banned from the club for a second offence. Offences will be more severe if someone is injured as a result of the infraction.

Communication and responsibility

    1. Participants are responsible for ensuring their own safety and the safety of others through actively communicating with one another to ensure, safety, comfort and enjoyment. Each participant is responsible for ensuring they pay attention to other participants.
    2. During the course of drills participants should communicate with their partners to ensure that they are enjoying and understanding the drill.
    3. If a participant is visibly flinching or recoiling from blows their partner should slow the drill or otherwise seek to conduct it at a level where their flinching is reduced.
    4. Participants should not modify drills or add additional resistance (such as parrying when they are meant to be struck) without the express agreement of their partner. In cases where a participant wants to show their training partner why their technique may be flawed they are expected to acknowledge that they are doing so vocally first.
    5. Participants who attack or lash out at others during drilling when not expressly condoned by the drill may be removed from the lesson.
    6. During the course of bouting participants should communicate with one another to ensure their enjoyment and good state. In instances where a participant seems to be in distress (such as swearing, grunting or crying) their partner should pause to ensure they are not hurt or distressed.
    7. Penalties for failing to communicate are at the discretion of the instructor or complaints officer. For a rough guide:
      1. For minor infractions like changing drill without communicating first will typically result in a warning and only result in a penalty (such as being barred from specific activities or using specific weapons) for repeated offences unless someone is injured in which case a specific penalty will be imposed.
      2. For moderate infractions like not checking in with a clearly distressed partner or attacking unexpectedly during a drill or demonstration will result in a warning for the first offence, a penalty such as banning from specific activities for the second and likely banning from the club for the third.
      3. Major infractions such as ignoring clear communication from a training partner will result in a warning and possible penalties including being banned from specific activities or using specific weapons, and being banned from the club for a second offence. Offences will be more severe if someone is injured as a result of the infraction.

Risks to be avoided

    1. If a weapon breaks or if anything comes off any equipment stop immediately. This includes minor faults like rubber tips falling off or tape visibly breaking. Failure to do so by either party will result in a warning for the first offence, a penalty such as banning from specific activities for the second and likely banning from the club for the third.
    2. If protective gear is coming loose or undone during an activity then the activity must pause so it can be fixed immediately. If the gear frequently comes loose or undone during a bout even after fixing it then bouting must end. Failure to do so by either party will result in a warning for the first offence, a penalty such as banning from specific activities for the second and likely banning from the club for the third.
    3. If a weapon becomes bent or misshapen frequently and easily then the bout must end and it must be presented to the instructor for inspection to assess if it needs to be retired before it breaks.

Power of blows

    1. Blows shall never be delivered with enough force that they hurt and/or injure a participant except as part of very controlled drills.
      1. If a blow that does not land is delivered with sufficient force to cause injury it will result in a warning for the first offence and possible penalties including being banned from specific activities or using specific weapons, and being banned from the club for a second offence.
      2. If the blow does land and causes injury penalties will be more severe.
    2. Blows should not be delivered with such force that they have a high risk of causing injury or regularly cause minor injury or hurt. If a participant is wincing from blows or complaining that someone is hitting too hard, even if they are not always being injured or the blows do not connect, then those blows are too hard.
      1. It should be noted that how hard someone can be struck is often specific to them. As such one should always communicate with their training partners to check how hard they should be struck.
      2. Delivering overly hard blows will result in a warning for the first offence, and penalties such as banning from specific activities for the second and likely banning from the club for the third.
    3. Participants who cannot prevent themselves from applying undue resistance in drills, unless due to reasonable concern for their safety, may be asked to sit out of drilling. If a participant is told to sit out drilling due to overly hard hitting they may be prevented from bouting or restricted to bouting specific weapons also. Should a participant be required to sit out of drilling over multiple training sessions they may be restricted to only practice with certain weapons or banned from the club.

Grappling with weapons

    1. Participants must be cautious when grappling due to the high risk of injury posed. While grappling is permitted in safe and controlled drills, when bouting with weapons comes to grips students not trained in wrestling:
      1. May grab each other’s arms, hands or weapons so long as they do not grab protective equipment in a way that may pull it off.
      2. Must cease the bout once there is contact with legs, heads or chests during a grapple.
      3. May not engage in any other grappling techniques such as throws, trips or submission holds.
    2. Students trained in wrestling may employ grappling techniques such as throws and take-downs while bouting with weapons if:
      1. Both participants have practiced falling safely.
      2. Both participants are not only experienced grapplers but also grapple with each other enough to be familiar with one another.
      3. Are on a padded mat or surface.
      4. Are using fall safe weapons such as boffers.
      5. Do not use submission holds, joint locks or throws involving tangled limbs.

Grappling without weapons/wrestling

    1. When drilling wrestling techniques without weapons participants must:
      1. Have practiced falling safely prior.
      2. Be on a padded mat or surface.
      3. Immediately stop regardless of circumstances if their partner starts tapping out or calls a stop.
      4. Seek to avoid uncontrolled falling directly on their training partner.
    2. When sparring wrestling participants must
      1. Wear a mouthguard.
      2. Avoid techniques that are excessively dangerous like throwing their partner while limbs are tangled.
      3. Abide all of the above rules for wrestling practice.

Practice area

    1. Participants are expected to be aware of their surroundings and where others are in the training hall and to take active steps to avoid harming them.
    2. At no point should a person walk through the middle of a drilling or bouting pair and are assumed to have violated the pair's consent by doing so.

Weapon standards

    1. Any training weapon not explicitly mentioned here can only be used with the express permission of the instructor.
    2. Boffer sabres
      1. Must have a proper sabre shell or basket hilt to protect the hand.
      2. Only authorised boffer sabres may be used. Current authorised boffers include:
        1. Go Now boffers available through SPES, black armoury and other suppliers
      3. Boffer sabres must be in good repair with no significant dents in the foam, loose or broken parts.
    3. Padded knifes
      1. Core of pvc pipe or plastic training knife
      2. At least 20mm of padding above core for tip
      3. At least 10mm of foam over blade, pommel and any protruding bits.
      4. Any rips in the tape must be covered over.
      5. Any breaks or damage to the core mean that the weapon must be retired
    4. Steel sabres, cutlasses and all other metal single handed swords not mentioned elsewhere in the rules
      1. When bouting with steel sabres, cutlasses or other single handed swords medium protection must be worn.
      2. All edges must be at least 1mm thick for sword under 800 grams or 3mm thick for heavier swords.
      3. Tip must be blunt and either folded, rounded, spatulated or fitted a rubber with at least a 10mm by 15mm or 15mm in diameter for round tips.
      4. Blade must easily flex when pressed against something.
      5. Blade must be kept sufficiently smooth that a hand or cloth can be rubbed up and down it without catching.
      6. Blades that repeatedly become bent or show signs that they will soon break need to be retired from use.
      7. Single handed swords with only a cross hilt or knuckle bow require a heavy glove (see heavy protection) rather than a medium.
    5. Foil, Epee and smallsword
      1. When bouting with foils, epee or smallswords light protection must be worn.
      2. All edges must be at least 1mm thick
      3. All swords must have a blunt tip that is either 5mm in diameter or fit with a rubber tip.
      4. Blade must easily flex when pressed against something but must not be floppy when waved about.
      5. Blade must be kept sufficiently smooth that a hand or cloth can be rubbed up and down it without catching.
      6. Blades that repeatedly become bent or show signs that they will soon break need to be retired from use.

Protective equipment

The old sword club requires the following rules be followed:

  1. All sparring at The Old Sword Club requires fencers wear appropriate protective equipment for the weapon they are using.
  2. All gear must be in good condition with no cracks, burs, dents or splinters.
  3. If you are fighting with mixed weapons then you must wear the required equipment for the weapon your sparring partner or partners wield.
  4. Home gear may only be used with direct permission from an instructor specifying what it might be used for and how it fits into the protective gear rules. Once an instructor has given permission for equipment to be used they will provide the gear owner in written notification (though they will likely give an oral okay so the gear owner can jump in and bout straight away).
  5. Gear with integrated bits for multiple body parts such as jackets with integrated gorgets and vambraces are allowed, and even encouraged due to convenience.

The club divides required protective equipment in to three categories: light, medium and heavy. These indicate the potential for injury from a weapon. Note that some weapons such as padded knives and boffer sabres will fall outside of these categories, in which case the protection required will be noted separately.

Boffer cutlasses and sabres

  • Head
    • Fencing mask rated to at least 350 newtons
  • Body
    • Avoiding having exposed skin is recommended to minimise scraps and bruises.
  • Groin
    • Groin guard for penis-havers.

Padded knives

  • Head
    • Fencing mask rated to at least 350 newtons
  • Body
    • Avoiding having exposed skin is recommended to minimise scraps and bruises.
  • Hands
    • Medium gloves such as red dragon gloves or lacrosse gloves. Boxing gloves are also acceptable.
  • Groin
    • Groin guard for penis-havers.

Light protection - used for Foil, Epee and Smallsword

  • Head
    • Fencing mask rated to at least 350 newtons
  • Hands
    • Thick gloves made of at least 2mm leather or purpose made sports fencing or light HEMA gloves
  • Arms
    • Jacket or sleeves rated to 350 newtons
  • Torso
    • Jacket rated to 350 newtons
    • Plastic chest guards are recommended but not required
  • Groin
    • Groin guard for penis havers and plastic chest guard for those with significant boobs.

Medium protection - used for steel single handed swords (sabres, cutlass, broadsword, rapier or medieval single handed sword) under 1200 grams, single stick, cane, bayonet, any other metal single handed weapon and any plastic weapon not noted elsewhere.

  • Head
    • Fencing mask rated to at least 350 newtons with back of head protection.
  • Neck
    • Semi rigid or rigid gorget.
  • Hands
    • Medium gloves such as red dragon gloves or lacrosse gloves. Or having the hand enclosed in a basket hilt.
    • Single handed swords with only a cross hilt or knuckle bow require a heavy glove (see heavy protection) rather than a medium.
  • Arms
    • Purpose made HEMA vambrace or leather vambrace at least 4mm thick that include elbow coverage.
  • Torso
    • Purpose made HEMA jacket rated to at least 350 newtons such as an SPES officers jacket
    • Plastic chest guards are recommended but not required
  • Groin
    • Groin guard for penis-havers
  • Upper thigh
    • Padding rated to at least 350 newtons
  • Legs
    •  Plastic, neoprene or metal guards covering the knee and shin.

Heavy weapons - Steel longsword, pole weapons, rattan quarterstaff, single handed swords over 1200 grams

  • Head
    • Fencing mask rated to at least 350 newtons with back of head protection
    • Extra padding in helmet or arming cap
  • Hands
  • Arms
    • Purpose made HEMA vambrace or leather vambrace at least 4mm thick that include elbow coverage.
  • Torso
    • Purpose made HEMA jacket rated to at least 350 newtons such as an SPES officers jacket
    • Plastic chest protector for all
  • Groin
    • Groin guard for penis-havers
  • Upper thigh
    • Padding rated to at least 350 newtons
  • Legs
    •  Plastic, neoprene or metal guards covering the knee and shin.

Banned gear list (outside of gear that explicitly doesn’t fit the descriptions above).

  • Re-enactor or LARP gambersons with soft squishy padding
  • Cold Steel plastic swords