Historical Fencing

 At Power Palace we teach Historical fencing, sometimes also referred to as Historical European martial arts (HEMA). We teach Armizare (Italian: “Art of Arms”), a style of knightly combat as recorded in the manuscript Fior di Battaglia (“The Flower of Battle”), written by Fiore dei Liberi, a 14th century Imperial Knight of the Holy Roman Empire. Fiore described Armizare as “the secret art of princes and kings”.

This is not modern sport Olympic fencing nor is it a roleplaying group; this is a sport reconstruction of the authentic techniques used by actual historical knights for combat. Armizare does incorporate grappling. This is a full contact sport using blunted steel weapons and specialized protective equipment made of puncture resistant material in case a weapon breaks (which is very rare, even in tournaments). While beginner classes will not be intense, at a high level of skill this can be a physically demanding sport that teaches genuine weapons combat that can be applied to self-defense situations, if need be. Armizare is more than just sword fighting, and includes unarmed combat techniques. For these classes I will be focusing on the swordsmanship aspect because it is a novel and fun way to exercise that appeals to many people that normally are not interested in sports or the martial arts. 

We teach the long sword techniques of Armizare, and later may offer rapier classes if there is sufficient interest. We have enough loaner equipment (practice swords, fencing masks, neck protectors, etc) to handle 10 students per class. We also sell this equipment via Power Palace co-founder Carey Martell’s store https://federschwert.com/

Each class will be 30 minutes long in duration. The only thing students will need to bring are a full water bottle and to dress in loose-fitting clothing (sweat pants, t-shirt / long sleeve shirt, and comfortable athletic shoes such as sneakers). Depending on interest we may teach 2-3 classes per day. 

The min. age requirement for steel practice is that students must be at least 13 years of age.  Adults and teens will be in the same beginner classes.

We also have soft vinyl swords for teaching younger children, if there is sufficient interest for a youth class. 

While Armizare is taught using steel practice weapons, serious injuries are unlikely to occur if students follow instructions. The practice weapons are not sharp and are designed to safely bend when thrusting an opponent.  Students will be expected to follow instructions and treat the weapons as if they were real, so as to learn proper safety and discipline. Reckless behavior will result in ejection from class.  

If you are interested in learning the secret knightly art of princes and kings from me, please contact us.