Our next Intro to Italian Rapier program begins Tuesday May 9, 2023 at the Friendship Lodge in Belmont, MA.

Ready to begin your journey as a duelist or a Musketeer?

This 6-week beginner-level program will teach you the fundamental skills of fencing with the iconic rapier. Learn how to stand, move, attack, defend with the sword, and more!

The goal is to introduce you to the Italian style of rapier combat from the 17th Century. You’ll learn the same techniques and tactics taught throughout Europe in Renaissance and early-modern fencing schools to keep yourself safe in a duel.

Rapier fencing is an amazingly fun and rewarding system that can be enjoyed by fencers of all ages, genders, shapes, and athletic ability.

Our next Intro to Italian Rapier program begins on Tuesday, May 9th from 7:30-9:30pm at the Friendship Lodge in Belmont, MA.

Justin demoing Capoferro's lunge with the rapier.Capoferro's plate 5 showing the lunge with the rapier, superimposed over old parchment texture.
From Intro to Italian Rapier program, an NB historical fencer practices their lunge by striking a buckler their training partner is holding.
Yelena slips her lead leg to counter an attack to leg while striking her partner's chest in contratempo
Anezka performs a tutta girata to void around an attack via seconda on the inside line.

Alfieri, hand parry (closed prima)

The rapier was the primary sword used in continental Europe during the late 16th through the 17th Centuries. Primarily built for thrusting, it was wielded in one hand, letting the fencer use their “off-hand” to hold another item for protection, such as a dagger, cloak, buckler, or baton.

It’s long, slender blade ranged between 38-45″ giving its wielder a long offensive reach. The rapier’s hilt or guard came in a variety of shapes and sizes, providing the fencer with much-needed hand protection as well as a sense of flair.

It was during the age of the rapier that the art of the duel began to flourish. It’s also the weapon found in swashbucklers such as The Three Musketeers, The Princess Bride, and Captain Alatriste.

Classes will include a general warmup, fencing games, block drills, tactical option drills, and more. Every game and drill is opt-in and students may sit out and take extra breaks without penalty.

This is intro-level class aimed at folks with no experience in historical fencing at all, as well as SCA, HEMA, and WMA practitioners with little to no experience in the Italian fencing system. The goal is to give new students an understanding of the fundamentals of rapier fighting in a fun and safe environment.

Missing a class is perfectly fine. We do a heavy review each week before moving on to new material, so we’ll be able to catch you up without worry.

Graduates of the program will be able to join our weekly Tuesday & Saturday mixed-level group classes.

Shoot us a message if you have any questions about class or the Academie.

What to Expect

  • Fundamental techniques and principles of rapier fencing in the Italian system, which dominated most of Europe in the early-17th Century.
  • Group warm up to improve physical literacy, athletic ability, and tactical decision making via fun obstacle courses and fencing games.
  • Expert and compassionate coaching with the ability to adapt the “ideals” of rapier fencing to work with your body’s needs (including working with and around injuries and disabilities).
  • Access to supplementary online rapier course videos for optional at-home practice and future review.

Protective Gear

Boston Academie d’Armes will provide loaner swords and safety gear (except athletic cups), so no worries about getting your own fencing gear yet. Here’s what we use for the Intro class:

  • Fencing mask
  • Gorget (rigid throat protector)
  • Rigid chest protector (optional)
  • Padded underarm plastron (optional)

If you have your own gear you’d like to use in class, please get in touch ahead of time so we can make sure it’ll fit our class’s safety needs.

What to Bring

  • Comfortable gym/athletic clothing
  • Water bottle (and any snacks)
  • Inside-only sneakers — aka not shoes you wear when walking around town outside
  • Thin gloves or gauntlets (optional)
  • A facemask (optional to combat against COVID)

Fencers with testicles will also need to provide their own rigid groin protection, such as an athletic cup.

We seek to combine the old with the new by taking the techniques, tactics, and philosophies taught in Renaissance and early-modern fencing manuals and combine those works with modern sports training strategy and pedagogy.

We look at the “ideals” presented by historical fencing masters, analyze the objectives of the various postures and techniques, and then adapt those ideas to work in a practical environment and with a variety of body shapes, sizes, and degrees of athletic ability.

Our goal is to not only study how swords work but to also improve our awareness of how our bodies move and our brains react. We put an emphasis on good body mechanics and work with our students to improve their physical literacy and athletic ability while operating within their current physical limitations, including those caused by injury or disability. We believe anyone can have fun and find success in historical fencing and we train our students for long-term health and longevity.

At the end of the day, our coaching goal is to give our students as many tools as possible, and to help them discover what works best for their mind and body.

Class & Site Info

Dates: May 9 – June 13, 2023 (6-week program)
Day/Time: Tuesdays at 7:30pm
Where: Odd Fellows Hall – Friendship Lodge #20 IOOF (16 Maple St, Belmont, MA 02478)

🚗 PARKING: There is free street parking in front of the Lodge and the surrounding area.