International Rapier Seminar 2022
August 19th - 21st
Thank you all for coming!
3 days of rapier madness from August 19th to 21st, Friday to Sunday.
We’re following up on the success in 2019 where over 50 fencers came from near and far to learn from renowned instructors and each other.
The International rapier seminar is an annual gathering dedicated to the study and reconstruction of historical rapier fencing treatises and traditions. Expect cool workshops, wonderful fencing and great times with new and old stabby friends.
Program
Grey squares mean the hall is unavailable.
Instructors & Workshops
Aleix Basullas Vendrell
-
Aleix is the instructor or AEEA, teaching Rada’s Destreza.
Workshop 1: Explosiveness and Destreza
Workshop 2: Diestro vs. Siniestro -
I started HEMA at some point before 2009, when we founded the club, coming from reenactment and doing mostly longsword. With some guidance from Alberto Bomprezzi and the AEEA we started doing rapier, and I started reading sources. Eventually I became the main instructor for the club, and after suffering through Pacheco for a while, found my way to Ettenhard and eventually Rada, which became my favourite source and focus.
-
Explosiveness and Destreza, name a less iconic duo
A pretty common issue with Destreza training is learning actions that end up too slow to really use in sparring because they take too long to reach the proper position. In this workshop we'll look at some drills and ideas aimed at fixing that so Italians stop making fun of us.
Diestro vs siniestroA look at a Spanish dictionary will show Diestros are the natural enemies of left handers, much like Diestros and Vulgars, Diestros and Italians, and Diestros and other Diestros. As such we must learn how to handle this terrible foe, and Rada, as usual, has actual answers for us (not involving pretending they're bad fencers by default or making our students beat them up until they switch hands unlike some other masters). In this workshop we'll take a look his advice, and also try to compare it to his usual game plan to gain a better understanding of it.
Rob Childs
-
Rob is a gold-medalist in both single Rapier & Rapier and Dagger and wrote a new book titled “Revelations of Rapier”.
Workshop 1: Beginner’s Class - Foundations of Rapier
Workshop 2: Advanced Class: Blade Manipulation -
Robert Childs is a swordsman out of the United States who began his fencing career 34 years ago at the age of 17.
Though a multi-gold medalist in saber, single stick and longsword, Robert’s expertise and passion is for the rapier. His unique approach and style of fence has garnered international attention and owes its genesis to a life of travel competing and learning from a variety of styles and cultures.
His most recent tournament performances include winning gold at Sweden’s Swordfish for rapier and dagger, and gold medals each for rapier and saber at the United States SoCal Swordfight competition in Southern California.
In keeping with his desire to help other fencers achieve their greatest potential, Robert Childs has further written his treatise on rapier combat titled, “Revelations of Rapier”, due for release in May of 2022.
-
Beginner’s Class - Foundations of Rapier:
Just as you would not build a house without a strong foundation, so too can you not master the rapier without strong fundamentals to serve as the foundation of your art. In this class, geared toward the beginning fencer, Robert Childs will provide an explanation of his core philosophy that underpins all swordplay.
Following this, he will detail the common mistakes he has seen around the world as he guides the class through his method of moving, attacking, recovering and, finally, how to build the foundation of a powerful defense with the rapier and dagger.
Advanced Class: Blade Manipulation
Control of your opponent’s weapon is a vital skill if your goal is to go beyond point scoring and strike your opponent without being struck in return. Over the course of this instruction, Robert Childs will take you through a master class on blade manipulation. Here you will start by learning his fundamentals of controlling the opposing weapon.Then you will apply those lessons as Robert guides you through the steps of his more often used techniques for blade captures and disarms. As there are numerous sub-skills that must already be in place to make use of this knowledge, it is important to note this class is aimed at the advanced fencer.
George Zacharopoulos
-
George is the administrator and instructor at the Academia da Espada Hellas.
Workshop 1: Detain and Disarm, using Destreza. -
George Zacharopoulos is studying and training in Historical European Martial Arts for more than 15 years with a fondness for the German longsword and the Italian & Spanish rapier.
He is currently the administrator and instructor of Academia da Espada Hellas but also teaches La Verdadera Destreza in S.C. Academy of Hoplomachia and Marxbrueder Guild Hellas and Smallsword at Athens Bartitsu Club 1900. Provost of the HISTORICAL FENCING AFFILIATES and founder of the Athens Bartitsu Club 1900.
Previous experience include Ninjutsu, Combined Chinese and Filipino Boxing (by Angelos Fasois), Sport Fencing, Sport Archery. Also certified Knife Instructor of the Reality Based Personal Protection system by Jim Wagner. He has participated in HEMA events and taught workshops in Greece, Europe and USA. Co-author (with Chrysovalantis Tampakakis) of the first book for HEMA in Greek, entitled “The Knightly art of the Sword” by Batsioulas Publications in 2011. His latest book, a translation in English from Greek, Philipp Muller’s “Theoretical and Applied introduction to Swordsmanship” 1847 military sabre treatise (with Elias Stypas) is out by Fallen Rook Publishing.
Member of HEMAC and secretary of the Hellenic Federation of Historical European Martial Arts. -
In the Spanish science of La Veradera Destreza conclusion -detain and disarm- is considered of high value and are used quite often due to the distance (closer) and position the Diestros choose to fight from.
In Italian systems disarms are also present, though less frequent but still there. In this workshop we will examine and learn to identify the proper conditions in order to have a successful disarm or detainment: distance, moment (tempo), angles, body position, swords position etc.
The Spanish school uses geometry and physics as a pedagogy tool. We shall do the same. After we establish the conditions we will work on the ways in order to have our opponent follow our will, in other words how to manipulate and control them: feints, invitations, deflections etc.
Disarm as a concept is easy.
The difficulty, during the fight, is to recognise fast that the conditions are set or how to set them yourself. Besides the Spanish conclusions, we will train in disarms from the early 17th century systems.
Sam Bud
-
Sam teaches rapier and sidesword in the Renaissance Sword Club.
Workshop 1: Close plays from Thibault -
Sam teaches rapier and sidesword in the Renaissance Sword Club, working from a range of sources including Thibault, the Book of Lessons, and Manciolino.Sam began Olympic sabre fencing as a child, and competed throughout his teens. He has studied Muay Thai and Filipino Martial Arts, even briefly dabbling in Capoeira.
After taking up HEMA, he developed a keen interest in forms prevalent through the 16th & 17th centuries. As well as swordplay, Sam studies the partisan, a form of spear common throughout Europe during the Renaissance and beyond.
Sam competes in the UK and internationally, and was awarded a prize at Dijon 2018 for remaining undefeated after 21 continued bouts. He is increasingly sought after for workshops on the single rapier.
In 2019, Sam represented the United Kingdom and Eire region at the HEMA demonstration competition at the European Games in Minsk, fighting in rapier and dagger.
-
A detailed examination of a number of close plays from the work of Gérard Thibault d'Anvers. Focusing on common themes, actions which occur frequently in his work, & the principles which inform these actions.
Initially we'll be looking at performing these techniques easily & efficiently, looking at the biomechanics of the actions to more efficiently use our strength.
Following from that we'll be looking at training to use these actions in practice, seeking to bridge the gap between technical training & freeplay.
Emilia Cecylia Skirmuntt
-
Emilia is the head instructor for the Oxford Chapter of The School of the Sword.
Workshop 1: Bringing rapier to a bar fight
-
Emilia has trained how to hit people with swords and other objects for the last 19 years. She has won medals in both women as well as open competitions both in the UK and abroad, fighting with longsword, rapier, rapier and dagger, saber, sidesword, and sidesword and buckler. She is a member of the organising committes for the Wessex League, and Albion Cup, the biggest international competition in the UK. Currently she is the head instructor for the Oxford Chapter of The School of the Sword. She teaches Italian longsword, dagger, rapier, sidesword, unarmed, and tomahawk techniques.
-
Bringing rapier to a bar fight - grappling techniques in rapier systems and how to use long blade in confined spaces
Steph Holt
-
Steph is a Free Scholar of The 1595 Club and instructor at the club’s London Salle.
Workshop 1: Uses of both the offhand and a dagger from Saviolo
-
Steph is a Free Scholar of The 1595 Club and instructor at the club’s London Salle.
Steph has trained in martial arts for the last 20 years. Initially training in Chinese and Japanese forms including Wing Chun, Aikido and Katori Shinto Ryu, she was introduced to HEMA around 9 years ago. On a recommendation she went to an open workshop with The 1595 Club in Brighton and was instantly hooked! She has an interest in the application of body mechanic, particularly for the shorter fencer, so expect a class looking at the detail of things like footwork. She predominantly trains with the ‘war rapier’ commonly associated with The 1595; replica’s of sword A535 in the Wallace Collection in London, but enjoys working across a range of weapons styles, and unarmed fencing/pugilism. -
Offhand Saviolo: considering the use of the offhand alone and using a dagger in Vincentio Saviolo’s treatise of 1595’ (so covering both the use of the left hand/gauntlet and the dagger)
Lorenzo Braschi
-
Lorenzo has been practising HEMA for 11 years and is currently a Rapier Instructor with ARMA-PL in Poland.
Workshop 1: Engaging the opponent: Rada's bastions and the atajo. -
Lorenzo has been practising HEMA for 11 years, starting in Madrid in the Asociación Española de Esgrima Antigua, where he learned rapier, longsword and sword and buckler.
He moved to Poland in 2015, where he started collaborating with ARMA-PL as a rapier instructor, continuing to this day. He favours a more historical approach to HEMA, without disregarding fitness practice and biomechanics work.
-
"Engaging the opponent: Rada's bastions and the atajo"
In this long workshop we will see how to engage the opponent when entering measure, taking into account the lateral planes of defence to protect our lines as we maneuver into attack range. We will consider Rada's atajos and in particular the acute angle ones. Finally, we'll work with the virtual atajo for the situation where the opponent refuses to bind.
Kristine Konsmo
-
Kristine has competed and placed in several top-level international tournaments in Longsword, Sword & Buckler and Rapier & Dagger.
Kristine has held seminars and workshops on 4 continents.
Workshop 1: Ballet for Rapier -
Kristine Konsmo has been a student of HEMA since 2009, starting her journey in Oslo, Norway.
She spent her formative HEMA years exclusively studying I.33 Sword & Buckler, blissfully unaware other disciplines existed outside of this tiny world. A couple years later her clubmate started a Capo Ferro study group and Rapier & Dagger quickly became her weapon set of choice.
For much of her competitive career, Kristine has competed and placed in several top-level international tournaments in Longsword, Sword & Buckler and Rapier & Dagger. She is proud to have been the first woman to win an open HEMA tournament and even more proud to see how many more women have done and continue to do so since.
Since 2017 Kristine has taken a more serious interest in Longsword, primarily for sport, and is self-taught via sparring and competing.
Beyond competing, Kristine is a sought-after instructor, having held seminars and workshops on 4 continents and has gone on several tours spanning weeks at a time.Her unique background in classical and modern ballet lends to her fencing style which exhibits elegance and body control.
Currently Kristine lives in Sweden where she trains solo as an independent fencer and occasionally spars informally with friends nearby. Beyond HEMA, Kristine has an interest in modern sport fencing which she trains weekly at a local club. -
In this class we will be taking a deep dive into body mechanics which help us fence more elegantly and efficiently by borrowing from classical ballet.
Inspired by revelations that ballet was historically created as a tool to teach fencing, we reimagine what these teachings would look like in a modern HEMA context.
This class is open to all experience levels. You should wear clothes which fit comfortably and do not restrict movement, especially lunging. We will be taking our shoes off so be sure to bring extra socks to change into.
Mike Prendergast
-
Mike is lead instructor at the Historical Combat Academy, Dublin and specialises in Giganti’s rapier and translating and interpreting Pietro Monte’s system.
Workshop 1: Italian Fencing Versus Destreza
-
Mike Prendergast has been researching and practising historical European martial arts since 1999. His main focus is on the fencing of Renaissance Italy, he specialises in the rapier system of Nicoletto Giganti (1606) and the art of Pietro Monte (pub. 1509), whose 'Collectanea' he has published in English translation. He instructs in other Italian styles including Fiore dei Liberi and Manchiolino’s sword and buckler.
As a competitor, he has medalled in international tournaments in rapier, rapier & dagger, sword & buckler and longsword. He was delegate and rapier and dagger competitor on Team UK and Ireland for the invitational HEMA tournament at the European Games in Minsk in 2019.
Mike is founder and chief instructor of the Historical Combat Academy (HCA) and also instructs with SCA Dun in Mara, in Dublin, Ireland. He coordinates the annual International Rapier Seminar (IRS) which he hosted in 2015. He has presented on his translation and interpretation work at academic and public conferences in France and Belarus. -
In balance to all the Destreza content at this event, here is a workshop on how to defeat it!
The Italian and Iberian systems of rapier fencing are frequently taught in a vacuum, without reference to one another. This can often lead to difficulties for practitioners when they encounter fencers from the other style.
This workshop takes as its starting point some of the references in Destreza sources about Italian fencing styles and the few descriptions from Italian-derived treatises about Destreza and extrapolates from there a series of practical approaches to the challenge of fencing against such a significantly different style.
A lot of this content is condensed from the Destreza versus Italian Rapier event hosted by UmeHFS in 2019 and I appreciate the input of my co-instructor at that event (and this!), Aleix Basullas Vendrell, especially on the Destreza versus Italian component.
Because, of course, ‘know your enemy’ is a thing, and as well as the obvious benefit to diestros from practising against what Italian stylists are going to pull out against them, we will also workshop what diestros, in turn, can do to counter these Italian wiles. So, in a way, this is also yet another Destreza workshop!
Tournament
Event Survival Guide
The Survival Guide can be downloaded right here.
It contains
Logitstics of the seminar, where things are and how to get there
How to get the most out of the workshops
How to stay in good shape throughout the days (mentally and physically)
Things to do in the City while you’re here
Map
We made a map of places in the city you might want to take a closer look at.
Location
The event will be held at Grøndal MultiCenter, in Copenhagen.
We are in their Fencing Hall and Hall 34.
The address is:
Hvidkildevej 64
2400 Copenhagen NV
Denmark
Accommodations
We have made a deal with a local school for sleeping arrangements. It’'s free, just bring your own mat and sleeping bag.
Public transport is great so you can easily get to the rest of Copenhagen if you want to grab some cinnamon pastries or shake hands with our mermaids.
Club members also have couches to sleep on. Write us at hemacopenhagen@gmail.com and let’s see if we can work something out while we still have space.
Prices
All spots have been booked. We’re looking foward to stabbing you all!
With your ticket you get:
Workshops with 9 world-class instructors for both beginners and advanced students of the rapier and companion weapons
Free accommodation for all days near the venue
Coffee, water and snacks throughout as well as our Saturday Night Dinner (all food has vegetarian options)
A Tournament for those with a more competitve streak
Dedicated Areas for
Free-play
One-on-One Lessons
Discussing the minutae of this or that technique
Early Bird Discount: Sign up before July 15th and save 20 EUR
Details on everything below.
Alternatives
If you can’t come for all 3 days you can either buy tickets for Two Days or One Day instead.
Snacks and drinks are included for non-full-event tickets.
If you come on Saturday then Tournament participation is included, but joining the Dinner is an extra 10 EUR.
Early Bird Discount only applies to tickets for the Full Event.