The rapier was the weapon of civilian life in the 16th and 17th centuries — elegant, lightning-fast, and surprisingly accessible. Rapier fencing does not live by raw strength, but by distance, timing, and quick thinking. Here the stronger fighter does not win — the smarter one does — and that is what makes it so compelling, regardless of how athletic you are.
You may have seen fencing on television before — Olympic sport fencing, white suits, lightning-fast touches on a strip. Historical rapier fencing has the same roots, but feels entirely different: no points system, no standardised strip, just the free play of distance and timing. It is not about light contact; it is about understanding how a duel actually worked.
We will show you the basics step by step: how to stand, how to move, how to read the distance, and how to set your first thrusts and parries. Before long you will notice how individual movements come together into a real game at blade’s length — a small chess match where mind and body work as one.
And what you will learn is no invention of ours: our techniques come from the textbooks of real fencing masters such as Salvator Fabris and Ridolfo Capo Ferro, whose works are still regarded as the pinnacle of the rapier art today. You are learning fencing exactly as it was practised 400 years ago.
Fun, safety, and learning are our priorities. You need no prior experience — just the desire to try something new.
What to expect:
- Guard, posture, and the fundamentals of blade work
- Measure, distance awareness, and timing — the heart of rapier fencing
- Thrusts, parries, and first tactical concepts
- Training fine motor skills, coordination, and concentration
- Safe, active training in a friendly group
- Depending on pace and participants: a first glimpse of fencing with rapier and left-hand dagger (parrying dagger)
After the workshop you will have actively practised the fundamentals of Italian rapier fencing and will go home with a whole new feel for distance, timing, and blade control.