Adult Classes:
Adults at Seven Swords are generally considered ages 14 up.
Enrolling in classes
Adult Longsword Beginner’s Blocks last for a month, Monday and Wednesday (comes to 8 sessions, first session is free). These Beginner classes are an introduction to the Seven Swords method and are necessary to some degree before joining regular classes. They are generally held from 5:15-7:00pm and are offered at a discounted rate. After the beginner’s month concludes students will continue working with the Level 1 Beginner’s curriculum and are welcome to come as many times a month as they wish at the regular class times and rates. Check our calendar, or contact us, (phone or email) to find out when the next Beginner’s Block is scheduled to begin.
Note: The Beginner’s Block is not required to begin learning and is not a prerequisite to joining the Regular Classes on Mon. and Wed. at 7:15pm, though it includes highly desirable information, terminology, and fundamental mechanics instruction that is not otherwise included in Regular instruction on the assumption students have already been initiated in that part of the curriculum. Should your schedule not allow you to partake in Beginner’s Blocks due to the time of day, you can still pick up that information an instruction, though it may arrive in bits and pieces out of sequence and context. Please ask an instructor/coach if you get lost or confused at to the instructions at that time.
The Seven Swords Academy is a school of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) and Swordsmanship.
Students will learn Medieval martial techniques from the masters of the Middle Ages handed down to us today through their writings in Textual Treatise and Illustrated Manuals, adapted and Translated/Interpreted for modern users. Students will learn HEMA as primarily a martial discipline and secondly as a competitive sport. They will learn the art of the sword while building physical fitness, agility, defensive skills, mental focus, self-discipline, and self-confidence. Our facility has a large indoor training area, floor mats for falling-safety, a changing room, an observation lounge, and a library. Contact us today!
To come in for your first free class, as well as the first Introductory Month, you will need:
- Yourself
- Mat Shoes (or socks)
- Athletic wear (please, no jeans!).
Though beginners are provided all of the loaner equipment needed to start, as time goes by and you get more involved with partner drilling and/or sparring, you will eventually need more protective gear than we currently have on hand for loaner gear. We will provide students with low-cost resources with a priority list (not everything is required at the same time) to make your purchasing choices more convenient.
Eventually, at minimum, you will need to acquire the following kit
(not necessarily in this order):
- Gambeson
- Gorget
- Helmet w/ Back of Head protection
- Hand Protection (e.g. Hardened Gloves)
- Knee Protection
- Elbow Protection
- A Sword
You do not need to purchase anything immediately. The list above is for your reference to future needs.
