Historical Fencing Club of Berkeley
HUMANITIES / SOCIAL SCIENCES - CULTURAL
The Historical Fencing Club of Berkeley is a community dedicated to the study and practice of Historical European Martial Arts, especially historical fencing.
Welcome to The Historical Fencing Club of Berkeley, where we practice swordsmanship using realistically constructed and fully weighted sword replicas, protective equipment, and manuscripts written by fencing masters of old. We aim to reconstruct historical techniques and fighting systems for a wide array of weapons, including but not limited to the longsword, cavalry saber, and rapier. Our meetings involve both guided practice to learn skills and free sparring to put those skills to the test. Come try us out if you’d like to engage in combat in a safe and welcoming environment or just have fun handling a sword!
We teach from a list of manuals, some of which are Keith Farrell's German Longsword Manual for longsword (adapted from the teachings of Johannes Liechtenaur), Fiore de’i Liberi’s Il Fior di Battaglia(c. 1400) for longsword and dagger, and Charles Roworth’s Art of Defence on Foot(1798) for cavalry saber. There is no independent study required for members(though you might find it valuable to read the source for something you’re confused about) and our instructors will give you all the information you need.
We have no club dues, application, need for prior experience, and you don’t need to buy any gear. The club will provide everything you need to participate. While our instructors teach lessons that build upon each other, we welcome new members throughout the year and will be more than happy to get you up to speed on anything you’ve missed!
You might have heard fencing associated with the Olympics and some of our members have backgrounds in sport fencing. In contrast to modern/sport/Olympic fencing, which trains to the rules of the sport in question, historical fencing and other Historical European Martial Arts(HEMA) train in practical swordsmanship for self-defense, dueling, or military contexts of the past. Look no further if you’d like to learn more about swordsmanship and its historical usage!
Come join us on Memorial Glade next to Evans Hall every Saturday from 2:30-5:00 PM if you’d like to get involved!
Join our discord for further information: <a href="https://discord.gg/J6Wzu3PCSY">discord.gg</a>