Gladiatores Karlsruhe
We're a school for historical European martial arts.
Gladiatores Karlsruhe was founded in 2005 by Sven Baumgarten. Our focus is on the European fencing arts of the 14th to 17th century. The longsword is at the center, complemented by other historical weapons and forms of combat.
What unites us is a fascination with the sword and curiosity about how to actually fence with it. Our training is grounded in Europe's historical fencing manuals. From them we reconstruct techniques and principles and test them step by step in systematic training with our training partners.
Over the years, the fencing school has grown into a close-knit community. Many of our members have been training with us for years and bring their experience into shared training. That's how we learn from each other and keep developing together.
Historical fencing isn't learned through free sparring alone. That's why we follow a clear training system, where every stage builds on the one before it.
It starts with the Fundamentals. Here you learn the basic movements and principles of fencing: safe handling of the sword, body control, parries, counterattacks, and the interplay of movement, distance, and timing.
Building on that is the Advanced Curriculum. Here we work with specific plays and techniques from the historical fencing manuals and learn how they function within a larger fencing system.
Then there's Sparring. Once the fundamentals are solid, it complements regular training, letting you test what you've learned under freer conditions. Sparring isn't an end in itself — it's another part of learning.
Regular exams give you a sense of where you stand and concrete feedback on your progress.
Our team of trainers brings different areas of focus and years of experience in historical fencing. Together, we make sure technique, understanding, and the enjoyment of training all have their place.
With Gladiatores since 2017
Adrian's interest in HEMA was sparked on a trip, watching a stage-combat choreographer at work. Since then he's focused especially on the longsword and now passes that knowledge on in training. He's also part of the performance group Vox Ferrea, which combines historical fencing with live music and stage shows.
Weapons Longsword · Dagger
With Gladiatores since 2006
Martin has many years of experience in historical fencing and has studied a wide range of historical fencing sources. His particular passion is the poleaxe. He is fascinated by its versatility: it excels in combat against armored opponents and allows for a variety of techniques at both long range and close quarters.
Weapons Longsword · Italian Rapier · Polearms · Broadsword · Langes Messer · Dagger
With Gladiatores since 2015
Moritz focuses especially on the longsword and the Langes Messer. He's interested in the practical side of historical fencing: how does the body need to move for a technique to work? How do movement, body tension, and timing come together? And how does a technique actually hold up once you try it with a partner?
Weapons Longsword · Langes Messer
With Gladiatores since 2017 · Location Lead
As a kid, Simon played with wooden swords. Today he teaches with steel, and still loves the moment when beginners get to fence with one for the first time. As a trainer, it matters to him that his students know not just what they're doing, but why a technique works.
Weapons Longsword · Langes Messer · Dagger
Fencing is a partner sport. We learn together, give each other feedback, and rely on one another during training. Over time, that builds real trust with your training partners: you know you can count on each other, learn together, and are allowed to make mistakes.
That's why an open, welcoming atmosphere matters to us. Many people keep coming back not just for the training, but for the people.
“Really lovely atmosphere — I can forget about everyday life and get a workout at the same time.”
Beyond regular training, we also want to create opportunities to spend time together and help the community keep growing.
Our fencing hall is in Karlsruhe-Mühlburg:
Gablonzer Str. 8 · 76185 Karlsruhe
It's about a five-minute walk from the Neureuter Straße or Mühlburg West tram stops.
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Gladiatores Karlsruhe is part of the Gladiatores network. What connects us to the other locations is a shared enthusiasm for historical European martial arts and a common training approach.
