San Diego Swordfighters current curriculum consists of German Longsword and Military Saber and Broadsword.
German Longsword
Saturdays 2:00-3:30pm
The so-called ‘queen of all weapons’, the two-handed longsword is a versatile, nimble and devastating weapon considered the basis of all combat by the historical German Masters. In this session we cover the technques and tactics of Kunst Des Fechtens, the 'Art of Combat' originating in 15th century Germanic states. This art is attributed to Grandmaster Johannes Liechtenauer who's teaching was passed down orally by means of a neumonic verse known as the Zettel, or 'recital'. The priciples and techniques contained within the Zettel were later recorded and elaborated on by scholars and knights of the Fellowship of Liechtenauer. Many of their works have been rediscovered and made available to modern scholars and martial artists alike. Read more about and download your own copy of these historical sources [here].
Military Saber
Thursday 7:00-8:30pm
Since the late 1600s all the way to the World War One, he saber was the primary sword carried by cavalry and infantry officers, both on and off the battlefield. The single-edged, curved blade can deliver devastating cuts and thrusts, while the hand guard provides considerable protection. Many systems were devised and published in order to quickly train soldiers in the proficient use of the sword. Our study of saber will focus mainly on the method contained in Cold Steel by19th century soldier and swordsmanship scholar, Alfred Hutton, Read more and download your own copy of the manual [here].