Learn Sword Fighting Techniques

The Renaissance Sword Club provides tuition and lessons in sword fighting and historical fencing in Surrey and Berkshire.

For general information on our lessons, click here. For more details on sword and buckler in Crowthorne, click here, and for rapier / rapier and dagger in Frimley Green, click here.

We are always open to new students and welcome everyone, gender or background. Our aim is to provide a safe, welcoming and inclusive environment for all. You don’t have to be fit or strong to start!

Our code of conduct can be found here.

At the Renaissance Sword Club we sword fight or fence with rapiers, sideswords and other weapons. We do this not as re-enactment but as a modern martial art. In combination with the swords, we also use daggers, cloaks, bucklers and rotellas (a type of shield). We train, compete and teach sword fighting all over Europe and America. In addition, we even research the original techniques and translate the sources!

The sword fighting styles of the Renaissance Sword Club are from the late sixteenth and early seventeenth centuries, therefore from the time of Henry VIII through to the Cavaliers and Roundheads of the Civil Wars. Our styles even include French rapier from the time of Louis XIII and D’Artagnan of Musketeers fame! Beginners are welcome and we will provide all the equipment that you will need for your training in learning the art and science of sword fighting.

Publications and Research

We research and publish many aspects of historical fencing. One of our main publications is The Book of Lessons, by Rob Runacres, available here. Translated from the French, this book contains highly detailed fencing lessons for sword, sword and dagger and sword and cloak. Dating to the early to mid seventeenth century, this treatise also contains 71 colour pictures from the Swedish Royal Library, published in full for the first time. Links to other research on Giovanni Filoteo Achillini, Charles Besnard, François Dancie and others can be found on our translations and research page.

Four images from Pedro De Heredia (c.1610). Click to enlarge.

We hope you can the take time to look around our site and maybe even like us on Facebook or Instagram. If you have any questions, or would like to learn sword fighting, please contact us via the Lessons page.

© The Renaissance Sword Club

The Renaissance Sword Club is a martial arts club teaching sword fighting and historical fencing classes and lessons in Surrey and Berkshire.