We are a Brighton and Hove based martial arts school, teaching the ancient fighting arts of the Elizabethan court.

The art we teach is based on universal principles and is therefore adaptable to many different weapons and situations.

The primary focus of our school is the use of the single sword, although our training covers other weapon forms.

We have developed a structured syllabus designed to take you from beginner to master, increasing your knowledge and skill at each level.

These levels are as follows:

Beginner – A casual attendee not yet signed as a member. Beginners will learn basic body mechanics and simple attacks and defence.

Novice – A member of the club. Novices are on the path to mastery and will begin to learn the basic principles of the system. They will learn how to use their judgement and how to parry.

Scholar – An established student. The scholar has shown ability to use good judgement and is able to engage in ‘free play’. Here the scholar will learn to use this judgement in a dynamic and changing situation. The scholar understands the importance of safety when fighting, and uses judgement and timing to prevent their opponent from striking them.

Free Scholar – A student gaining independence. The free scholar shows good use of judgement and timing. Now able to maintain their own safety, they will learn a more offensive style. They will use their own actions and their opponent’s to notice and take opportunities. They will also begin to to control their opponent’s weapon. The scholar can read their opponent and adapt their fight to gain the advantage. They are able to utilise four different ways of fighting to achieve this.

Provost – A teacher. The provost has an advanced knowledge of the fight and uses impeccable judgement in timing and distance. They can read their opponent and use this to their advantage. They are sure of their attacks whilst rendering their opponent uncertain. The provost can fight across all ranges and knows which of the four types of fight to utilise and when. They are adaptable, using a variety of actions to defeat their opponent including kicks, punches, grappling and pommel strikes. They use skill to overthrow their opponent whilst avoiding being overthrown. The provost can use and adapt strategies on the fly as their opponent tries to thwart them, making decisions ahead of time. The provost should parry very little as their skill render them infrequently in need of this action. The provost is able to control the fight, themselves and their opponent through domination, positioning, and cunning.

Master – A complete fencer. The master demonstrates a finessed use of everything that has come before, and will now begin to train in the eight times. The master learns to position themselves in such a way that they can always move more quickly than their opponent. The master’s training is not finished: although these skills will have been learned throughout their training, they now seek to perfect this. They will safely position themselves in such a manner that their opponent must take a longer course of action to gain a position, attack or defend. By doing this the master aims to achieve the perfect fight in which they cannot be hurt, and yet can hurt their opponent.

For more information, check out our FAQ page.