Part of the goal of the Sword Fighters Discuss Game Combat Panel may have been to inspire you to get into real world sword fighting. We hope it did. Here’s a handy guide for where to find a friendly sword club in whichever type of sword fighting you most appeals to you (though practising multiple approaches to sword fighting is super fun as well, so don’t feel limited to one).
Getting involved with The Old Sword Club:
To join in the (very queer) fun at The Old Sword Club we train every Tuesday and Wednesday night from 7.00pm in Glebe Town Hall (until May when we go back to Redfern Town Hall). We’ll be training in Victorian Era sabre, epee and knife fencing in a friendly, student centred, learning environment. To book in go to the classes page and book a class, or several.
For more events, and also memes, follow our socials at:
- https://www.facebook.com/theoldswordclub/
- https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCF4XQGnPl1ZLRNTlX5AWGIw
- https://twitter.com/theoldswordclub
But it’s important that you check out all different types of sword fighting and find the group that’s right for you, so make sure you have a look through the:
Other places you can do sword fighting:
For a list of Australian based HEMA clubs go to: https://www.aushistoricalfencing.com/schools
For a list of LARP groups and events check out: https://ofscienceandswords.com.au/australian-larp-directory
For a list of metal weapons re-enactment groups check out: https://www.alhf.org.au/mem_grps.html
For a list of places that do Buhurt/HMB go to https://www.australianmedievalcombat.com/affiliated-clubs/all-clubs
Key Terms:
HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts)
The practice of reconstructing historical martial arts, mostly swordplay, from Europe and its colonies through interpretation of sources designed to tell you how to fight.
LARP (Live Action Role Play)
Acting out rpg stories in real life, often using simulated combat for fight scenes.
Buhurt/HMB (Historical Medieval Battle)
A modern combat sport recreating medieval armoured tournaments, mostly focused on group combat, known for its brutality.
Metal weapons re-enactment
Historical re-enactment involving mock combat wearing historical armour and using blunt versions of historical weapons while placing limitations on technique to render that safe.