Welcome to the Chicago Swordplay Guild , where the art of the sword is undergoing a second Renaissance!  We train four times a week at our home studio, Forteza Fitness, Physical Culture & Martial Arts.  Located in the beautiful Ravenswood neighborhood on Chicago’s near northside, Forteza is an almost 5000 sf facility that was designed and built specifically for the study of western martial arts.

The Guild also offers introductory classes in the suburbs. In Chicago, you can find introductory classes at Forteza, in the popular Ravenswood neighborhood. In the Western Suburbs, you can join us in Glen Ellyn at the College of DuPage, through their Adult Continuing Education program. Outside of Chicago, training in Armizare (medieval swordsmanship) is available via our Milwaukee Training Group, and through our daughter school, the Rocky Mountain Swordplay Guild, in Denver, Colorado.

Below you’ll find a complete description of where we train, sub-pages on our curriculum and ranking system, and best of all, how you can become a part of it. You can find out a great deal more about the specific martial arts we study under the Tradition, and if you have additional questions, feel free to contact us.

Introductory Classes

Do you feel the “song of the sword” calling to you? Our introductory classes are designed to give students a basic overview of the style of swordsmanship and methods of practice used by the Guild. These classes are organized by theme and are offered multiple times each year at a variety of locations and times. Check under the individual classes to see when the next session begins.

Introduction to the Longsword – A Taste of the Knightly Arts

Learn an actual historical style of medieval European swordsmanship, based entirely on the documented methods of 14th and 15th century Italian masters of defense! This introductory and continuing course provides the basics of medieval swordsmanship training as a foundation for more advanced practice, including stances, posture, movement, and methods of striking and defending with the medieval “hand and a half” sword. The course will include demonstrations, drills, and free-play with safety gear and simulated weapons. Beginners welcome. No prior martial arts experience is required.

Introduction to the Rapier – A Taste of the Renaissance

The rapier was the dueling weapon of the Renaissance — the sword of Shakespeare, Cyrano de Bergerac, and the Three Musketeers! This class surveys 16th century fencing texts to teach the basic use of this elegant and deadly weapon, which many a gentleman used to defend his life and honor. Through drills and free-fencing using weapons with flexible blades, students will learn the basics of the rapier fight: balance and footwork, blade control, time, distance, attack, and defense. Fencing equipment is provided. Beginners welcome. No prior experience is necessary.

Member Classes

Membership in the Chicago Swordplay Guild is by invitation only, and may be offered to students who have completed at least one session of either the introductory rapier or longsword classes. Visitors are welcome to come and observe. However,  participation is restricted to Guild members. Interested students should begin by enrolling in one of the introductory classes.

All classes have a formal structure, including warm-ups and conditioning exercises, core mechanics drills, and lessons on a specific topic. You can find details on how we train lower on this page.

LOCATIONS and COST

CHICAGO

INTRODUCTORY CLASSES – 2 Exciting Options!

Monday and Wednesday Evenings

• CSG at Forteza Fitness, Physical Culture & Martial Arts
• Address: 4437 N. Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640.

What and When:

Next Session- Introduction to the Longsword: Taste of the Knightly Arts

• Our next 6 week session starts April 1st and goes to May 8th, 2013; 6:00pm-7:30 pm.  For questions or to pre-register for the next session, email us. Please specify “Weekday longsword”.

Next Session -Introduction to the Rapier: Taste of the Renaissance

• Our next 6 week session starts April 1st and goes to May 8th, 2013; 6:00pm-7:30pm pm. For questions or to pre-register for the next session, email us. Please specify “Weekday rapier”.

Cost:
Introductory classes at Forteza are $125 for a six or twelve week, 12 class session, payable by cash, check, credit card or money order. No equipment fee. You will pay and fill out the registration form on the first day of class.  Email us to pre-register.

 Saturday mornings

 

• CSG at Forteza Fitness, Physical Culture & Martial Arts
• Address: 4437 N. Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640.

Introduction to the Longsword – Saturdays 9:30 am-11:00 am. Instructor:  Jacques Marcotte. To pre-register for the next session, email us and please specify “Saturday longsword”.

Introduction to the Rapier – Saturdays 9:30 am-11:00 am. Instructor: John O’Meara. To pre-register for the next session, email us and please specify “Saturday rapier”.

• Our next 12 week session starts March 30th and goes to June 15th, 2013; 9:30am – 11:00am.

Cost:
Introductory classes at Forteza are $125 for a six-week, 12 class session, payable by cash, check, credit card or money order. No equipment fee. You will pay and fill out the registration form on the first day of class.  Email us to pre-register.

ON-GOING CLASSES - Guild Members only.

In Chicago, the Guild trains four days a week in the main auditorium at Forteza Fitness, Physical Culture & Martial Arts, 4437 N. Ravenswood Ave, Chicago, IL 60640.

Monday
6:00-7:30 PM  – Introductory Classes
7:30 – 8:30 Italian Rapier & Armizare – concurrent classes for all levels of student.
8:30 – 10:00 Bolognese Swordsmanship – Advanced students only

Wednesday
6:00 – 7:300 PM – Introductory Classes
7:30 – 8:30 Abrazare (Medieval grappling and dagger combat) ) – all student levels.
8:30 – 10:00 Rapier and Longsword Foundations – concurrent classes for Novice students.

Friday
6:00 – 7:30 PM – Abrazare Foundations – Medieval grappling and dagger combat for Novice students.
7:30 – 9:00 PM – The last Friday of each month we proudly host our Friday Night Fights! Coached sparring, open-mat training, and in-house competitions!

Saturdays
9:30 – 11:00 AM – Introductory Classes
11:00 AM – 1:00 PM – Foundations: Rapier, Longsword and Abrazare classes for novices.
1:00 – 2:30 – Scholar’s Class: Advanced student training.

GREATER CHICAGOLAND

Where:

• CSG at College of DuPage (CoD)
• Address: 425 Fawell Boulevard, Glen Ellyn, Illinois 60137, U.S.A. West Campus/Fawell E, Building K, West Commons/Cafeteria

What and When:

• Class: Introduction to the Longsword.
• Instructors:  Dan Roeges
• Monday nights, 7:00p.m. to 8:30 p.m., K Bldg, Room WC
• Next session begins January, 2013. See CoD website for Summer Session dates.
• Ages 18 and up, beginners welcome.

Cost: $159; pay instructor a $10 fee for rental of training “sword” and equipment

To Register: You can only register through the CoD website or by phone at 630-942-2208. CoD Continuing Education Class Code # LEISR-0062-001.

Membership Fees

Association Fee: $40 per year.
All active CSG members, members of daughter schools and “inactive” members, who wish to remain a part of the larger Guild family. Associate Members who live more than 60 miles from Chicago, or study with a daughter school, may attend intro classes in Chicago as time allows, and may train in appropriate level on-going classes by paying a simple mat-fee at Forteza. “Inactive” members are those who are not attending classes but still want to maintain a relationship with the Guild.

Guild membership is required for all students to progress beyond the Taster classes, but provides students with a number of benefits, including:

• Access to rank testing within the Guild
• Discounted admission to related workshops and seminars at Forteza;
• Discounted admission to the Guild sponsored Western Martial Arts Workshop, the world’s premier seminar for the study of European swordplay and fighting traditions.

Monthly Tuition
On-going tuition is not paid to the Chicago Swordplay Guild, but rather to Forteza Fitness, Physical Culture & Martial Arts. Tuition rates are based on a sliding scale, depending on how often students wish to train; from a casual, drop-in fee to an all-inclusive package. Depending on your interest and activity, monthly tuition ranges from $60 – 150/month. Discounts for family members, active military, police and full-time students are available.

DAUGHTER SCHOOLS

Milwaukee Study Group (Chicago Swordplay Guild)

What, When & Where:

The Milwaukee Training Group (Chicago Swordplay Guild)  trains in the Art of Armizare – longsword, dagger and abrazare (grappling).

• Classes are held Tuesday evenings from 6:30 PM to 8:00 PM.
• Training takes place at the Big Backyard in New Berlin, Wisconsin.  The address is 2857 S. 160th St New Berlin, WI 53151
• Instructors: Shannon Winslow and Karl Jacobs

The course includes demonstrations, drills, and free-play with safety gear and simulated weapons. Beginners welcome, age 18 and older. No prior martial arts experience required.

Cost: The Introductory class is $100 for the 12-week session. Ongoing classes thereafter are $80 quarterly.

To Register or make an inquiry: Email us at CSG_Milwaukee@wi.rr.com

Rocky Mountain Swordplay Guild (Denver, Colorado)

Located in the Denver, Colorado area; the Rocky Mountain Swordplay Guild (RMSG) is a daughter-school to the CSG, and uses its armizare curriculum and grading system. Training focuses on the longsword, grappling, dagger and counter-dagger of the dei Liberi tradition.

Contact:

• rockymountainswordplayguild.com

When:

• Saturday – 1-3pm  Novice/Intro
• Wednesday – 7pm-9pm  Scholar/Advanced
• Other class times available by request.

Where:

• Andean Health Club, 21111 South Dahlia St, Denver, CO 80222