On Saturday, June 27th 2009, the Academy of Arms will be presenting a special class at The Gathering on how to survive a historical duel.  Here's the class description:

Surviving a Duel

Imagine yourself in the year 1400 AD.  You are a citizen of the Holy Roman Empire who has been unjustly accused of murder.  The court has mandated that you must fight a longsword duel to the death against the enraged brother of the murder victim.  If you win, you are innocent of all charges.  If you lose, you will die a convicted murderer!

What if you only had a few hours to prepare for this life or death struggle?  What advice would the actual medieval sword masters give you?  We know exactly what they would say because they have handed down their combat manuscripts!  The information you will learn in this class comes directly from these historical documents.  If you learn these lessons well, you have a much better chance of emerging the victor in this deadly duel.

This is a lethal martial art so participants must be 18 years of age or older.  No previous experience necessary.  All equipment is provided.  Keep in mind that this is NOT a class on LARP-style fighting, it is a historical look at a Germanic style of medieval sword fighting taken from surviving manuscripts.  This two-hour class will focus on basic guards, footwork, and cutting mechanics.  There will be no sparring amongst the participants.  Bring a water bottle and wear comfortable clothing.

Contact Rick McCoy for class registration and additional details.

The Academy of Arms is a SoCal sword fighting school that gladly welcomes the LARP community.  Registered members of LARP Space are invited to attend two free sword classes in any of the three combat disciplines we teach!

Web: www.AcademyofArms.com

Email: Info@AcademyofArms.com

Phone: 818-276-1936

The Academy of Arms is a non-profit school dedicated to the study and practice of the historical European martial arts. We draw our curriculum directly from texts written in the 14th-16th centuries. The Academy provides a Van Nuys facility where the greater Los Angeles community can pursue these historic studies in a safe learning environment under the guidance of friendly and knowledgeable teachers. Our goal is to revive these lost arts by increasing awareness and inspiring a passion for this rich period of history.