The British Federation for Historical Swordplay

UK Swordsmanship and Western Martial Arts Societies

• The British Federation for Historical Swordplay
  An umbrella group for schools practising Western martial arts in Great Britain.
  • The Aberdeen Swordsmanship Group
    (Aberdeen)
  • Aise O'var Backswording Clubbe
    Aisle O'var are scholars and practitioners of the Ancient and Noble Science of Defence and that most excellent of ancient country sports, English Country Backswording Circa 1600.
  • Cut and Thrust - The Schoole of Defence
    Stuart Huntley's site, with details of swordplay displays for English Heritage and treatises available on-line.
  • The Dawn Duellists Society
    A long established Western martial arts group (Edinburgh).
  • The Exiles
    Mediaeval Martial Artists studying several pre-16th C. forms and specialising in interpretation of and training from Fiore de' Liberi's 1410 manuscript (Dagenham).
  • The Linacre School of Defence
    Promoting smallsword, backsword and pugilism, and in particular the works of Sir William Hope.
  • Schola Gladiatoria
    Fiore de Liberi's longsword etc, also sabre and other eighteenth and nineteenth-century arts (West London).
  • The School of the Sword
    Rapier tuition according to masters such as Alfieri (Wantage, Oxfordshire).
  • The School of Tradtional Medieval Fencing
    Longsword according to Sigmund Ringeck (High Wycombe and Slough).
  • The Society for the Study of Swordsmanship
    19th-century swordsmanship (Leeds, York, Durham, Whitby).
  • Sussex Rapier School
    Based in Brighton, the SRS conduct research and training in 16th and 17th century rapier fighting (Brighton).
• Boar's Tooth
  A fight school specialising in Mediaeval martial arts particularly Ringeck's system and I.33 (Folkestone, Kent).
• The Company of Maisters
  Terry Brown's London based group, teaching the traditional English system.

Foreign Swordsmanship and Western Martial Arts Societies

• Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts (AEMMA)
  A group concentrating on mediaeval military combat, this site also offers excellent resources, including the on-line marketplace and discussion forums.
• The Academy of European Swordsmanship, Canada.
  
• Accademia Scherma Tradizionale "Manuela Lecchi"
  Legano, Italy.
• Alliance Martial Arts
  An excellent site for mediaeval dagger combat and wrestling.
• American Heritage Fighting Arts Association
  An organisation to promote and teach the martial arts used in the US during the 18th and 19th centuries. Good selection of on-line resource materials.
• Australian Historical Swordplay Federation (AHSF)
  
• Association for Historical Fencing (AHF)
  
• Association for Renaissance Martial Arts (ARMA)
  Probably the most well known site for European martial arts, ARMA offer an excellent selection of articles, links and on-line treatises. Previously known as HACA.
• The Chicago Swordplay Guild
  The Chicago Swordplay Guild provides organized instruction in the serious study of western swordplay from 1300 to 1650, through controlled drills and fencing with wooden and steel weapons.
• Classical Fencing Ireland
  A site set up to promote the practice of both Classical and Historical Fencing in Ireland.
• FISAS
  The Italian historical fencing federation, an organisation devoted to the practice and research of traditional Italian weapon techniques.
• International Masters at Arms Federation (IMAF)
  
• Macdonald Academy of Arms
  Maestro Macdonald's fencing school, teaching smallsword and backsword (Edinburgh).
• Martinez Academy of Arms
  A group covering classical fencing, and also offering training in the Spanish rapier school, a system practiced little elsewhere.
• MASHS
  The Mid-Atlantic Society for Historic Swordsmanship, based in Maryland, US.
• North West Fencing Academy
  Oregon, USA
• The Ochs Historiche Kampfkünste
  A top-notch German group studying traditional Germans swordsmanship of the fourteenth and fifteenth-centuries.
• The School of European Swordsmanship
  Guy Windsor's Western martial arts school, based in Helsinki.
• The Stoccata School of Defence
  This group practises rapier and sword technique circa 1600.

Suppliers

• Allstar Fencing
  Allstar provide good quality equipment at reasonable prices. They have excellent sizing information.
• The Cane Store
  Can provide rattan, for training weapons.
• "Crafty John"
  Supplier of top quality wooden weapons to order.
• Duellist Fencing Equipment
  (Twickenham, London)
• K & K Art
  Czech Republic
• Leon Paul
  Their Theatrical Sword is a good starting weapon - though ask them to be so kind as NOT to bend the tang when they assemble it.
• Lutel
  Manufacturer of swords etc, Czech Republic
• Macdonald Armouries
  Maestro Macdonald's swordmaking business
• Merlin
  A sport fencing supplier who also stocks double-wides and similar useful items. Second hand kit is often available as well.
• Popinjay's armoury
  Do a selection of smallsword hilts at reasonable prices. Postage and customs charges can bump up the price.
• Purpleheart
  American supplier of wooden swords and other weapons - bayonets and singlesticks are recommended.
• The Swordsmith
  A UK based importer of weapons, including both sharps and blunts (double-wides and schalegers).
• Triplette
  A supplier of excellent double-wide epee blades, and other useful equipment.

Other Web Sites and Places of interest

• Classical Fencing
  A handy site providing details of various classical and historical fencing groups throughout the world.
• Chivalry Bookshelf
  A source for very useful books on swordplay, including a re-print of Hope's New Method, and McBane.
• The Duellist
  Info on UK sites promoting European swordsmanship.
• Elizabethen Fencing / Historical Fencing
  
• Historical European Martial Arts Coalition (HEMAC)
  A site containing articles on European martial arts, contributed by HEMAC members.
• Journal of Western Martial Arts
  Various interesting (and in some cases quite rare) articles.
• NetSword
  Discussion forum
• The Royal Armouries
  Well worth a visit. Better still, make several, visits. View the excellent demonstrations of their fight interpreters and purchase treatises from their library.
• Sword Forum International
  A discussion forum for every possible niche in the field of swords and swordsmanship.
• Western Arts
  An excellent selection of links to all manner of Western martial arts. Includes on-line Parkyns!