Sundays, 10:30am – 1pm at The Foundry | Kendall Square (Cambridge, MA)

Classical Fencing in Boston

Classical fencing is a martial art that bridges the gap between the Napoleonic and Victorian dueling field and the modern sport fencing piste. It trains not to just land touches, but to not be touched in return.

In our weekly classical fencing program, you’ll learn how to swashbuckle with the Italian foil, dueling sword and dueling saber as performed in the 18th through early 20th Centuries.

At Boston Academie d’Armes, we focus on the Italian school of fencing. Our training is based primarily on Maestro William Gaugler’s book, The Science of Fencing, as well as earlier classical fencing masters, such as Luigi Barbasetti; Pecoraro & Pessina; Scorza & Grisetti; and Masaniello Parise.

If you’re interested in trying it out, shoot us a message! We’d love to have you!

At its heart, our training mindset is preparing for the duel. Because of this, we put an emphasis on the art of defense. Landing a blow against your opponent means little if they’ve also struck you. We train with the classical Italian foil, the dueling sword and the dueling saber.

The dueling sword (spada), sometimes called the Italian smallsword, is an incredibly light and maneuverable weapon that evolved from the older rapier fencing systems. It’s a thrust-centric weapon with lightning-fast blade actions, explosive attacks, dynamic blade exchanges, and limited grappling.

The Italian foil isn’t a weapon, per say, but a training tool for teaching the science of fencing in the salle. Much like modern foil fencing, it’s thrust-only and works off a limited target and priority ruleset.

The dueling saber (sciabola) is a slightly curved sword designed to cut and thrust. While other saber systems are rudimentary (designed to give the common soldier a bare level of fencing education), the Italian dueling saber is a robust system, giving practitioners a wide variety of techniques and tactics to utilize in combat.

Both weapons are light, fast, and fun. You’ll learn a dynamic and fulfilling system that can be enjoyed by anyone looking to live out their duelist dreams.

If you want to learn the epitome of historical swordplay and the duel, our classical fencing class is for you! No experience is necessary and we have loaner gear to get you started. Just get in touch!

If you’re interested in older sword fighting systems, you may be interested in our Italian Rapier program.

If you’re a fan of the old black and white swashbucklers such as Zorro, Scaramouche, and Captain Blood, or the likes of Errol Flynn, Tyrone Power, Guy Williams, and Douglas Fairbanks, then our classical fencing class is for you! Learn the same swordplay techniques found in your favorite swashbuckling films.

Drop by our classical fencing class and learn how to sword fight like the golden age of swashbucklers.

Classical fencing is the epitome of historical swordplay. You’ll learn a wide variety of sword fighting techniques and tactics that will both challenge and improve your physical skills and cognitive abilities. It’s also a fun way of getting some exercise!

The weapons are light and extremely safe, so it’s great for beginner sword fighters of all ages, as well as experienced historical fencers looking to get in additional training time.

Ready to give it a swing? Drop us a line and we’ll set you up for your first lesson!

You can also learn more about our school, training methods, and culture here.

Class Info

When: Sundays, 10:30am-1pm
Where: The Foundry (101 Rogers St, Cambridge, MA 02142)

Our classical fencing class is broken up into two halves. The first half focuses on the Italian dueling sword and the second half on the Italian saber. Class includes a warmup, fencing games, and technical & tactical drills.

This is a beginner-level class and no prior fencing experience is necessary! Loaner gear is available.

New fencers & out-of-town guests are welcome to drop by. Just get in touch with us, so we’ll know to expect you!