The St. Lawrence Swordfighters Guild is primarily a body of martial artists that study the "lost" combat techniques of the medieval European military tradition. We seek to revive the combat systems of the age by looking to the historical record and doing our best to reverse-engineer any martial aspects that, though not evident, must have been part of the knowledge-base of most fighters of the time.
There is much speculation, supposition, and flights of fancy that populate our modern perceptions of how battle was waged up-close and personal during the Middle Ages. Most of that information is delivered to us through television, movies, and books that are geared towards entertainment and not, necessarily, a reflection of authentic martial concepts.
There are a handful of surviving texts that were written by respected and well-reputed masters of the fighting arts of the medieval period. A good portion of them generally cluster around a 200-year period between 1300 and 1500 AD. Though it does study as much of the existing material as it can, the Guild focuses its training around the manuscripts written by the Medieval Italian Swordsmaster Fiore Furlano de Civida d'Austria delli Liberi da Premariacco (ca. 1350s - 1410s), more commonly known as Fiore dei Liberi.
His masterwork "The Flower of Battle" is, as far as we can tell, a complete combat system that provides a systematic, self-referencing, and simple approach to becoming adept at lethal combat with a wide range of weapons. The manuscript shows techniques using bare-hands, the dagger, the sword, the spear, the poleaxe, and the spear and sword on horseback. Training exclusively using dei Liberi's texts produces a well-rounded and capable warrior - which was likely the purpose of his commissions to create the book.
Becoming skilled in the arts found in the manuscripts is a long and arduous process. It takes many years of diligent study and careful practice to attain the technical, physical, and emotional states required to be an effective, safe, and productive practitioner of these ancient lethal methods.
During that time, there are bumps, bruises, and injuries. Pain is a constant reminder of the danger surrounding this practice. It is not for the faint of heart.
People interested in learning the lost arts of medieval armed combat and joining the Guild should Contact Us to arrange a time when they could come by the Salle (training space) and watch a class. There they can speak to instructors and learn more about the training and the specifics of class times and the availability of space in those classes during sessions. If they are interested in joining, they can enroll as a Novice (see box-out to the right for details on the Member Structure).
COSTS
Like most martial arts, there is a regular cost for being a training Member of the Guild. The training fees are collected monthly - during the first class of that month - and are currently at $50.00 per month.
 This fee includes all requisite reading material, a Guild binder for it, and one uniform T-Shirt - more shirts are available for an additional cost if you want more than one.
At the Novice level, all training equipment is provided (see box-out at right). This allows the Novice to learn the fundamentals of the art without having to make a large financial commitment to start.
Once the Novice has acquired the fundamentals, he or she may test for the rank of Apprentice. If successful, the Novice graduates to the level of Apprentice and may now start to spar in controlled circumstances. The new Apprentice must pay a one-time fee of $50.00 upon their next class in addition to the regular monthly fee.
Upon payment of this additional cost, the Apprentice receives a Guild patch for his or her future gambeson, a large instalment of more advanced reading material, and a wooden rondel training dagger as a symbol of the Apprentice's entry into the Guild as a fighter. The Apprentice also gains a user account on the Guild website and access to the Member areas.
It is at the Apprentice stage that the requirement for equipment takes effect. As a Novice, the basic equipment was provided at no cost but, now that the Apprentice is going to be sparring, safety equipment exclusively for his or her use must be acquired.
The Apprentice can expect to spend roughly $500.00 to $1,000.00 on training equipment over the course of the next year as he or she builds up the necessary equipment to advance further and further into less heavily structured and more dynamic training. There is an ever increasing risk of harm to the participants as the speed and power of techniques grow in order to execute them properly. A lack of protective gear and the proper training equipment can not be allowed.
See the box-out to the right for more information on the required equipment.
TIME
 A question most often asked of us from potential students (apart from costs) is "How long will it take me to start fighting?" The question is most easily answered with "Longer than you would like."
Though that's not something most people want to hear, learning to swing a steel sword at someone's head while they are swinging one at you with no one getting injured takes a great deal of skill and restraint. These things do not come quickly or easily.
A pupil can expect to move from Novice to Apprentice in roughly three to four months. In order for an Apprentice to gain the necessary skills and control required to successfully test for the rank of Scholar, the time a Member could study while an Apprentice might take upwards of a year. This step, especially, should not be rushed.
Once a Scholar, the student will be much more actively sparring, participating in events and tournaments, and studying the manuscripts in depth. This will likely take several years before he or she can be considered a Journeyman.
After that, the study of these arts becomes much more self-directed and the arc of the Journeyman's career is indeterminate.
PLACE
The St. Lawrence Swordfighters Guild is based out of Kemptville, Ontario, Canada. It is an ideal location to serve most of Eastern Ontario with southern Ottawa, Kanata, Barrhaven, Manotick, Smiths Falls, Osgoode, Merrickville, Winchester, and Brockville all within about a half-hour's drive. The Guild currently trains at the North Grenville Municipal Centre, located at 285 County Road 44, Kemptville, Ontario. See the map below for directions.
Novice and Apprentice classes run on Thursday nights from 7:00pm to 9:00pm with an optional hour of free time afterwards.
Contact us if you are interested in observing a class.
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