Links

While by no means exhaustive, we’ve provided an extensive list of links to reliable suppliers of WMA equipment, books and videos, other WMA academies around the world, and a number of educational resources that can be found on the Web.

Suppliers

Links to suppliers of the Western Martial Arts.

Replica Swords and Weapons

Albion Swords New Glarus, Wisconsin, U.S.A.
‘Hand-made, limited edition museum-quality swords’.

Arma Bohemia Prague, Czech Republic
Manufacturer of rebated swords and armour.

Arms and Armor Minneapolis, Minnesota, U.S.A.
Arms and Armor produces high-quality replicas of specific historical European swords and hand weapons.

Arms and Armour Manufacture Prague, Czech Republic
Manufacturer of rebated (blunted) swords and plate armour suitable for light contact combat.

Christian Fletcher Medieval Military Nampa, Idaho, U.S.A.
An excellent source for up-graded Angus Trim Swords.

Darkwood Armouries Laurel, Mississippi, U.S.A.
Darkwood specializes in custom hilts on Del Tin flexible “practice rapiers” and normal sword blades. They also produce aluminum training swords.

Del Tin Swords Maniago, Italy
Since 1965, Del Tin has been manufacturing accurate high quality reproductions of selected old weapons and armour.

Manning Imperial Victoria, Australia
An Australian swordsmith and excellent source for light, well-balanced, rebated weapons.

No Quarters Arms Boulder, Colorado, U.S.A.
‘Renting stage combat weapons for more than 10 years’

Purpleheart Armoury Conroe, Texas, U.S.A.
Complete line of hand-crafted solid wood practice swords (“wasters”), daggers, bayonets, etc, as well as the US distributor for the “KnightShop” nylon training swords. Fully functional and historically accurate. Suitable for training practice and semi or full-contact free-sparring. The wasters are Medieval & Renaissance weapons made from Purpleheart, or Hickory, two of the hardest woods known.

Therion Arms Del Valle, Texas, U.S.A.
An American supplier of Arms and Armour Manufacture swords and armour.

Fencing and Safety Equipment

Revival Clothing Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.
Historically accurate medieval gambesons (padded coats), arming clothing, rapier jackets and WMA wrestling jackets. Highly recommended!

American Fencing Supply San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
A large supplier of fencing equipment.

Negrini Fencing Line Verona, Veneto, Italy
The premier Italian supplier for fencing equipment. They also make attachments for standard fencing masks to protect the back of the head for WMA use.

That Guy’s Products Illinois, U.S.A.
Stainless steel fencing masks that cover the back of the head plus leather-covered fish scale gorgets. Run by Terry Tindill. Highly recommended, but order early, as there is a long waiting list.

Triplette Competition Arms Elkin, North Carolina, U.S.A.
Via their “SCA” line, TCA has a wider line of products geared towards Historical Fencers than most other fencing suppliers.

Giorgio Santelli, Inc. New York, New York, U.S.A.
Founded by Maestro Giorgio Santelli, the “maker of champions”, Giorgio Santelli, Inc. proudly manufactures and distributes fine fencing equipment from their factory and from premiere suppliers like Leon Paul. For over 50 years, the Santelli name has meant the finest fencing equipment and service.

Windrose Armoury, Phoenix, Arizona, USA
A reliable manufacturer of medieval armour, who has designed a special, perforated steel faced “WMA” helmet, perfect for students of medieval swordsmanship. Highly recommended!

Schools

Links to WMA schools, associations, federations, and societies.

Sister Schools

The Chicago Swordplay Guild maintains close fraternal ties to many different Western Martial Arts Organizations. The following organizations are those with whom the Guild closely works to not only share resources and research, but to cross-pollinate curriculum and methodology. Each of these schools comes highly recommended.

Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts Toronto, Ontario, Canada
AEMMA’s focus is the research and study of European medieval martial arts, centered on the 14th and 15th centuries. The foundation of the training is rooted with Fiore dei Liberi’s tradition and includes all of the knightly arts including armoured and unarmoured longsword, grappling, dagger, poleaxe, spear, sword & buckler and mounted training. The emphasis is historical authenticity in the techniques which extends to armoured combat arms and armour. AEMMA’s website includes an extensive online library containing many of the known historical treatises.

Alliance Martial Arts Ithaca, New York, U.S.A.
The purpose of the Alliance Martial Arts site is to raise the level of awareness of western martial arts, and to provide a resource of information, articles and events relevant to the martial arts. Alliance focuses on medieval close combat, bowie knife and American Heritage and Filipino martial arts.

The Exiles CMMA Dagenham, Barking and Dagenham, Greater  London, England, U.K.
The Exiles CMMA (Company of Medieval Martial Artists) or TE. Training is principally based on the 1409 Fior di Battaglia manuscript of Fiore dei Liberi, and includes instruction in grappling, dagger fighting, one and two-handed swords and the poleaxe. TE also does some training in a “mixed” form of staff combat.

Northwest Academy of Arms Eugene, Oregon, U.S.A.
The Northwest Fencing Academy is a school which is engaged in the development and training of traditional fencing techniques including a classical curriculum Italian foil, épée and sabre. Other areas of research and instruction include shortsword, sidesword and rapier.

Order of the Seven Hearts Alexandria, Virginia, U.S.A.
The Order of the Seven Hearts is an Internationally-recognized research group devoted to studying and practicing Italian rapier and the historical fencing and dueling arts of old Europe. Named after the Chivalrous Order of which legendary fencing master Salvator Fabris was supreme knight, our mission is to conduct a methodical, philological research of the historical fencing and dueling texts of the 1500s-1800s period, perform the theory and practice of what we learn as faithfully as possible to the letter of the text, and to share our research with the growing Historical Western Martial Arts community.

Rocky Mountain Swordplay Guild Denver, Colorado, U.S.A.
Located in the Denver, Colorado area, the Rocky Mountain Swordplay Guild (RSG) is a daughter-school to the CSG, and uses its medieval curriculum and grading system. Training focuses on the longsword, abrazare and dagger of the dei Liberi tradition, with additional training in the American bowie knife, modern knife combatives and the spear.

Selohaar Fechtschule Oxford, Connecticut, U.S.A.
Our good friend Christian Tobler, a well-known WMA author, heads this school, which has affiliated branches in Connecticut, Kansas, New York City and Washington state. Focus is on swordsmanship, armoured combat, dagger combat and wrestling as taught by the 15th century German masters of the Liechtenauer tradition.

Schools in the United States of America

Below is an alphabetical listing of Western Martial Arts academies, clubs and schools in the United States of America.

Academia della Spada Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
The Academia della Spada, Academy for the Noble Art & Science of Fence, was formed in August of 1999. The Academy teaches 16th century rapier techniques gleaned from study and practice of the period fencing treatises. To recreate this Western martial art as practiced during its time, they use reproductions of period blades and equipment. As students advance in their study of this art and science we recommend they obtain period clothes and accoutrements to further their overall education of the history, movement, rhythm, and mind-set which spawned this martial art.

The Black Falcon School of Arms Colorado Springs, Colorado, U.S.A.
The Black Falcon School of Arms’ purpose is to re-construct the art of late medieval and early Renaissance English combat, with an emphasis upon the use of the longsword. To accomplish this goal, the group will make use of primary sources from England and other regions, when applicable.

Davenriche European Martial Arts School San Jose, California, U.S.A.
The Davenriche European Martial Arts School (DEMAS) teaches the unarmoured techniques as illustrated by the old masters, including longsword, rapier/dagger, & side sword. The period of focus ranges from the 15th through to the 17th centuries. DEMAS teaches the techniques illustrated and documented by the old masters in their historical fighting treatises including: Flos Duellatorum, Swetman, Marozzo and Talhoffer.

Gallowglass Academy, Inc. Leaf River, Illinois, U.S.A.
Gallowglass Academy, Inc., provides an eclectic variety of short classes and seminars to the Student of Defence. The Scholar of Western Martial Arts will find classes on Historic European Martial Arts as well as 19th Century American martial arts and workshops with guest instructors expert in other historical combat styles.

Higgins Armory Sword Guild Worcester, Massachusetts, U.S.A.
The Sword Guild practices techniques from medieval and Renaissance combat manuals with a unique combination of martial arts expertise with academic training. Currently, focus is on the techniques of the medieval longsword (also called the hand-and-a-half sword or bastard sword) as described by Joachim Meyer in 1570. Future plans include practice of the rapier and staff weapons.

The Martinez Academy of Arms New York, New York, U.S.A.
The Martinez Academy of Arms is a unique school that preserves the tradition of viewing fencing as the study of the sword in its realistic application in personal combat. Entering the school one steps into another era and finds a serious group of practitioners dedicated to the art of the sword.

Medieval European Martial Arts Guild Salisbury, Maryland, U.S.A.
‘The Medieval European Martial Arts Guild strives to teach the combat system developed by the German Grandmaster Johannes Liechtenauer as accurately and efficiently as possible. Our studies focus mainly on the commentaries made by Sigmund Ringeck, Peter von Danzig, Jude Lew, as well as the techniques depicted by Paulus Kal and Hans Talhoffer. We have two locations; the main school in Salisbury, Maryland and a secondary branch in southeastern Pennsylvania’

New York Historical Fencing Association New York City, New York, U.S.A.
The New York Historical Fencing Association is an organization dedicated to the research, practice and proliferation of Historical European Swordsmanship (HES). We are primarily focused on the study of the medieval longsword, based on the teachings of the 14th century German master Johannes Liechtenauer and those that expanded upon his verses, including the works of Sigmund Ringeck and Hans Talhoffer.

Schola Saint George San Francisco, California, U.S.A.
The Schola’s core curriculum focuses on Fiore dei Liberi’s late 14th century longsword as the introductory module, but also focuses on techniques of wrestling, dagger, spear and poleaxe, with the last as an area of particular specialty. A significant number of the Schola companions also practice the armoured aspects of the art as well. “To study, practice and refine the arts of swordsmanship and horsemanship as they might have been practiced in the Middle Ages, supporting and incorporating the rich corpus of materials left to us by our ancestors in the medieval fechtbucher.”

Tattershall School of Defense Phoenix, Arizona, U.S.A.
The Tattershall School of Defense is a nonprofit corporation founded to meet the needs of the historical-oriented fencing community. The TSD exists to teach, preserve and support the art of the historical fencing (15th, 16th & 17th Centuries) as well as the classical period. Along with the teaching of the mechanical aspects of historical fencing, TSD will promote the study of the philosophical and social aspects of the historical and classical fencing eras.

Other Western Martial Arts Academies

Below is an alphabetical listing of Western Martial Arts academies, clubs and schools around the world.

Australia

Australian Academy of Arms Australia
The ACA is an organization that is promoting the art of Western Swordsmanship by adopting an eclectic approach to training. This training revolves around the mastery of those three key bladed weapons of Western Europe from the 14th through to 17th centuries, those being the Sword, Longsword and Rapier. These weapons are taught as part of a structured training syllabus that is based upon or extrapolated from period texts.

Gemeiner Academy of European Combat Arts Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Craig Gemeiner is a savate instructor whose academy also teaches canne, baton and swordsmanship.

Stoccata School of Defence Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
The Stoccata School of Defence is based in Sydney, Australia, and is dedicated to the study of European swordsmanship using replicas of historic weapons, and techniques drawn from manuals of the period. They conduct regular classes in rapier and sword, including the use of companion weapons.

Austria

Dreynschlag Vienna, Austria
This school, although not specifically a historical martial arts school base their training on the style of Liechtenauer delivering historically authentic fighting styles to their spectators. They train and fight principally in armoured longsword fighting techniques of the 14th and 15th centuries.

Canada

Academy of European Swordsmanship Edmonton, Alberta, Canada
The Academy of European Swordsmanship or AES pursues the academic and physical study of European swordsmanship. They strive to further their knowledge and the dissemination of knowledge regarding the rich heritage of historical western martial arts. The AES strives to offer a legitimate martial experience to all those who express an interest in the European martial arts. They emphasize the use of historical sources, accurate replica weapons, and effective, realistic practice without fantasy, choreography or sporting concerns.

Ottawa Medieval Sword Guild Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
The OMSG is an AEMMA Associate Group focused on the study, practice and training in the armoured fighting arts within the period of 14-15th century Europe.

Finland

School of European Swordsmanship, Helsinki Helsinki, Finland
The School of European Swordsmanship, Helsinki or SESH, has as its purpose to train students in a correct and complete method of European Swordsmanship, firmly grounded in historical techniques, and maintaining a constant awareness of the truly martial nature of this art.

France

Ancienne Escrime France
The folks at Ancienne Escrimme are focused on the medieval tradition and have many useful transcriptions, articles and manuscripts on-line.

Germany

Gladiatores Various locations, Germany
A branch of Peter Koza’s “Magisterium”, the Gladiatores is a school for the study of the Liechtenauer tradition of medieval swordplay and the Italian rapier fencing of the 17th century.

Hammaborg Hamburg, Germany
“Hammaborg originates from a training group that was founded in Hamburg by re-enactment swordfighters in 1999. Meanwhile, the group dedicates itself exclusively to reconstructing and training historical European martial arts. The sources we work with are transcriptions and facsimiles of German manuscripts from the 14th and 15th century: MS I.33 for instance, the oldest known fechtbuch (fightbook) of the world, as well as several manuscripts in the tradition of Johannes Liechtenauer, a master of martial arts in the late 14th century.”

Krifon – Historische Fechtkunst & Rüstzeug Mannheim, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Krifon was created in 1999 and is focused various fighting styles including longsword, staff and arming sword. The school studies the various fechtbücher of the period, concentrating on Hans Talhoffer’s fechtbücher, whose blended sources of Liechtenauer and Ott provides the school with a solid grounding in the German school of fencing.

Ochs – Historische Kampfknste Munich, Bavaria, Germany
Ochs with key members in Bayreuth, Simbach and Dusseldorf was created in 1999 as a historical European martial arts school that is principally focused on the study, research and practice of the German school of fighting arts between the 14th and 16th centuries which include longsword, dusack, grappling/wrestling and dagger techniques.

Zornhau! – die Frakfurter Freifechter Frankfurt am Main, Hesse, Germany
Zornhau is a historical European martial arts school dedicated to the study and training of historical fencing focused on the period during the medieval and later eras.

Hungary

Orden des Schwertes Hungary
‘An independent Hungarian group which studies and teaches Medieval knightly combat with longsword, dagger, spear, rapier, unarmed wrestling and reflex-bow. Its goal is the collection, transcription, translation and interpretation of Medieval source-texts about European martial arts, while holding on to knightly philosophies and traditions.’

Italy

Nova Scrimia Italy
An organization dedicated to the celebration, preservation and proliferation of the Italian martial tradition. Beginning with the earliest treatises of the XIVth century and continuing through to the modern day, Nova Scrimia promotes training in both a traditional manner, and adaptation of these classical arts to modern self-defense. The curriculum includes the cane, long and short stick, one and two-handed sword, rapier, knife and unarmed combat. The organization maintains branches throughout northern Italy.

Sala d’Arme Achille Marozzo Northern Italy
Marco Rubboli heads this school, dedicated to the study of 15th and 16th century Italian martial arts. Sr. Rubboli is the author of recent (Italian language) works on Fiore dei Liberi and Filippo Vadi and the Sala has several branches in northern Italy.

Slovakia

Fencing Guild of Trnava/Gessellschaft Liechtenauers
A highly regarded historical swordsmanship group founded in 1999, dedicated to the study of the medieval German school, and its contextual role within European society.

Spain

La Asociación Española de Esgrima Antigua Madrid, Spain
A federation of WMA schools throughout Spain, focused on Iberian and Italian styles, led by  Maestro Alberto Bomprezzi.

Switzerland

Gladius et Codex Zürich, Switzerland

United Kingdom

Aberdeen Swordsmanship Group, Aberdeen, Scotland, U.K.
Aberdeen Swordsmanship Group are a Practice Group that has been set up to study Historical European Swordsmanship (HES). Emphasis shall be placed upon the use of historical sources, accurate replica weapons, and effective, realistic practise without fantasy, choreography or sporting concerns.

The Boar’s Tooth London, England, U.K.
The Boar’s Tooth is a fight school with multiple locations based in and around London . It is a society committed to the translation, study, and practice of medieval fighting techniques. At the moment training consists of longsword, sword and buckler, & wrestling in the German tradition.

The Company of Maisters Mill Hill, Barnet, Greater London, England, U.K.
The Company of Maisters was an affiliation of martial arts instructors (maisters of defence) who operated their own academies which were known to the English as “Scholes of Fence”. In 1997, as part of his ongoing plan to re-introduce traditional English fighting systems to modern martial artists, Ancient Maister Terry Brown legally reformed the Company of Maisters. This organization, which is an English martial arts academy not a re-enactment society, will be run as closely as possible (present day legislation permitting) to the manner in which the original Company operated.

Dawn Duellists Society Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.
The Dawn Duellists Society formed in 1994 to revive the ancient traditions of swordplay and other European Martial Arts, as well as the institution of Duelling. Historical Fencing & Swordmanship. Presently, their disciplines range from the 13th to the 19th century and include longsword (also known as a “bastard” or “hand-and-a-half” sword), great sword, side-sword, rapier and dagger, sword and buckler, poleaxe, cavalry sabre, dagger, case-of-rapiers, dussak and single-stick.

The Linacre School of Defence Oxford, Oxfordshire, England, U.K.
The LSD (a student society of Linacre College, University of Oxford) was formed in 1999 for the study of European martial arts, concentrating on the art of the sword as it was in Britain during the late 17th and early 18th centuries. The purpose of training is to prepare students for the defence of their lives with sharps, and therefore do not practice sport fencing, stage combat, re-enactment or any form of choreography.

Macdonald Academy of Arms Edinburgh, Scotland, U.K.
The Macdonald Academy of Arms is solely dedicated to teaching most forms of Western swordsmanship and European martial arts. The Academy follows in the tradition of many popular Edinburgh fencing academies, such as that of Sir William Hope, a Scots fencing master who taught in the city from the late 17th to the early 18th centuries, and the Royal Academy of Exercises, which flourished in Edinburgh under the famous fencing masters John Xavier Angelo and George Roland from c. 1763 to 1870.

Schola Gladiatoria Various locations, U.K.
Schola Gladiatoria is an historical European martial arts group based in the UK, focusing  primarily on the dei Liberi tradition and British swordplay of the 18th and 19th centuries.

1595 Club, Sussex, UK
The 1595 Club was founded in Sussex, England in 2002 & is dedicated to the practise, study & re-birth of the ‘lost’ martial arts of Europe. Our primary source is the work of 16th Century soldier, philosopher & master of fence Vincentio Saviolo & it is from the year of publication of ‘His Practise’ that the club takes its name.

Chicago-Area Eastern Martial Arts Schools

Phil Nearing School of Wing Chung
An internationally renowned martial arts instructor for more than 20 years, Master Philip Nearing began his study of Wing Chun Kung Fu in 1983, and has been a student of Grand Master Samuel Kwok, himself the senior student and instructor for both Ip Ching and Ip Chun, sons of Wing Chun’s founder – Great Grandmaster Ip Man. Today, his academy is one of the country’s leading Wing Chun schools, and enjoys a reputation in Chicago as the definitive school for kung fu study.

Shinjinkai: The Japanese Martial Arts Society
Shinjinkai, The Japanese Martial Arts Society, is a community united by a common purpose: intensive training in classical and modern martial arts arising from Japan’s warrior tradition. Our mission: to make the benefits of this practice – for mind, body, and spirit – available to all. Our headquarters is the Shinjinkan, founded in the mid 1980′s and now a beautiful traditional dojo on Chicago’s north side. The facility is also home to Daiyuzenji, a Rinzai Zen Buddhist temple, which offers training in meditation and traditional fine arts such as tea ceremony (chanoyu) and calligraphy (shodo). In addition, we oversee programs at other locations in the Chicago area, including Mt. Prospect, Chicago Public Schools, Northwestern University in Evanston, and the Chicago Police Academy. We conduct training seminars internationally.

Associations, Federations, and Societies

American Heritage Fighting Arts Association U.S.A.
The AHFAA is dedicated to the preservation and promotion of the Western fighting arts as they evolved in America, and as they were practiced in the countries that the New Americans were leaving behind. This includes both academic research and practical training with a number of historical weapons; blackpowder shooting, unarmed combat skills, physical culture, and traditional health exercise are practiced as well.

Australian Historical Swordplay Federation Australia
AHSF is an informal alliance of the principle historical fencing organizations throughout Australia. It also helps the member bodies coordinate the annual Australasian Historical Swordplay Convention.

British Federation of Historical Swordplay U.K.
The British Federation for Historical Swordplay (BFHS) is a national, non political, umbrella group for all individual UK societies involved in the research, study and practice of historical fencing and the European Martial Arts. The BFHS is comprised of individual societies researching, teaching and practicing historical fencing from the 13th to the 19th centuries with a martial approach, that is the weapons are regarded as sharp and students are prepared for facing an encounter with live blades.

Educational

Links to educational resources related to the Western Martial Arts.

Written Sources

AEMMA Knowledge Base Toronto, Ontario, Canada
The Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts has the largest collection of webbed primary and secondary source material, covering the 11th – 20th centuries.

Freelance Academy Press, Chicago, U.S.A.
Publisher of Western Martial Arts, Medieval History and Chivalric books, DVDs and training materials.  Highly recommended!