Fencing Practice

Time and Place:
See the Calendar for date/time/place. If there’s any doubt about if there will be practice, check the Facebook group, the mail list  or use the contact form below to check in with the Marshal.

Dress:
Beginners – Exercise clothing with non-marking shoes
Fencers – Full SCA approved Garb

Equipment:
Beginners – none
Fencers – SCA East Kingdom approved weapons and armor

Cost:
FREE – a min $2 donation / participant / night is requested

One type of SCA combat is fencing, also known as rapier combat. Participants use real blades and for protection they wear regulation fencing masks, padded torso protection, and shirts and pants made from heavy fabric to protect their limbs. Unlike modern fencing, SCA fencing is done “in-the-round”, and combatants can fight in close with their opponents. Blows are acknowledged by the recipient (as in armored combat), not by a set of judges. Fencers can face each other one-on-one in tournaments, or in large melee battles with dozens or even hundreds on a side.

Novice fighters are trained by the more experienced fighters. They are taught how to use their weapons, how to defend themselves, and how to judge blows received in combat. Every fighter on the field is on his/her honor to accept a blow sufficient to “wound” or “kill”. At the end of training, if the marshals (our safety officers) decide that the fighter is safe – not necessarily good, but unlikely to hurt him or herself or an opponent – then the fighter is considered authorized to fight. The process of becoming authorized can take from a few weeks to several months.

New fencers must demonstrate their knowledge of the rules and ability to participate safely before they can compete in tournaments.

If you have questions, please don’t hesitate to contact our marshal, Morwill (mundanely known as Frank Hetherington) by using this form: