We are holding our first ever tournament this July (single sword and longsword categories)! Sign up at The Prince Bishop Tourney at the Cavendish Convivial
The cost of the session is £12 per person per class, or £36/£50 a month depending on whether you come to 1 or 2 sessions a week.
The first session is free, then students are requested to fill in the membership form and pay for sessions after that.
If you pay monthly, the payment is made before the first class of the month, for the upcoming month, regardless of how many sessions you attended in practice. Paying monthly means you choose to support the club and share the financial risks with us, in exchange for a discount.
But: if you’re struggling financially, if you missed the sessions due to a medical condition or a different emergency, speak to us, and we can work something out.
We accept students from 14 years old onwards, and may accept younger students subject to a trial lesson and at the discretion of the lead instructor. If you are under 16, a parent or guardian must accompany you during classes (they do not have to take part in the training). Please consider that students must be physically capable of wielding a sword in a controlled way, and mature enough to behave responsibly.
No, not at first. We have some spare swords and protective equipment, but as you progress this won’t be enough to take part in free play/sparring.
Students who become full members are encouraged to buy their own equipment, the priority being items that are difficult or impossible to borrow (for example: jackets, groin protection). See the section on “Equipment” for more details of requirements for different parts of practice. There will always be something you can take part in with only minimal borrowed equipment.
Be careful not to buy just any sword. A lot of cheap so-called “swords” are actually nothing more than fantasy wall hangers and not safe for HEMA. Check our website for a list of reputable suppliers of HEMA swords, or ask experienced members of the club. Unusual weapons, or items from unknown manufacturers must be approved by an instructor before they can be used in class.
We are always happy to provide advice once you start thinking about buying your own gear.
As this involves some intense physical activity, sports gear is preferable. Bring something to drink as you can get dehydrated. The leisure centre asks for no outside shoes in the hall, so bring reasonably clean shoes, ideally indoor trainers.
We train regularly: Saturday mornings and Monday evenings in Durham. Check the location, dates, timing and location on FB or our website:
www.durhammedievalcombatacademy.org/Training&Contact.html
We are only covered by insurance to train when an instructor is present.
Beginners should get in touch before coming to make sure someone will be available to teach the basics.
No, we are based in Durham, England, UK.
if you are looking for something in Durham, NC, check out:
1. Historical fencing programme at Forge Fencing club: https://forgefencing.com/historical-fencing/
2. Triangle Sword Guild in Raleigh: https://www.triangleswordguild.com/
We mainly study longsword. We use steel and synthetic weapons. We sometimes do sessions on other medieval weapons and combat systems, but this is up to the instructors.
During training, the level of physical activity is low to moderate. Members who are experienced are allowed to engage in free competitive fights and the level of activity becomes very high.
The instructors are insured for their activity but students are not. Coming to train with us implies that you accept the risks associated with a martial art - although we have a thorough risk assessment and make what mitigations we can, there are inherent risks that are unavoidable. If you do not understand the risks, please get in touch. Even if injuries are very rare, this martial art is not devoid of them. Personal insurance can be obtained. There are at least several insurers in the UK who specialise in martial arts, and you can easily obtain insurance from them online. Some tournaments and external events may require having personal insurance.