Dagger Dagger Dagger (Alen Lovrič)
Dagger is such a lovely weapon. A dagger duel is like two people fighting each other wielding wolverines – although your opponent is definitely in for a bad time, you’ll probably catch a few strays as well.
Since dagger is sadly not a very common weapon, we will be looking at just a few simple techniques, which we will also try to incorporate into some light sparring with simulators that are the farthest things from actual weapons. If you ever met me, you might know what they are.
Gear: mask, if you can bring gloves with knuckle protectors, even better. Regular HEMA gloves are mostly too bulky. Jacket will be optional.
Bio:
A connoisseur of all things sharp and pointy, Alen started his HEMA journey a long time ago, in a place that is doubtlessly far away for some of you. Though his training was thorough and challenging, not even swords could beat the dumbassery out of him, so he had no choice but to channel it into his approach to HEMA. Besides the twenty years of training HEMA and the art of silliness, he has been an instructor to many international events, and is an active competitor in tournaments. He likes having fun, and figures hitting people with weapons is the apex of having fun.
Managing Space with a Rapier and Dagger (Aljaž Košmerlj)
Our weapons shape the space around us, dividing it into zones of threat and opportunity; with rapier and dagger, this becomes more complex, sometimes feeling like an impenetrable wall in the opponent’s hands and strangely full of gaps in our own. In this workshop we’ll explore practical principles of space management from the Italian tradition—mainly Giganti—to understand how different dagger positions (“sometimes high, sometimes low, sometimes extended”) strengthen or weaken our defence, feints, and attacks.
Level: Beginner / Medium
Gear: Rapier, dagger, and mask required. Intensity will be moderate, but groin and chest protection are strongly recommended; for higher-intensity work, they become mandatory, along with a fencing jacket.
Bio:
Having started my HEMA journey way back at the start of the millennium (as I realise with horror), I have swung some type of sword for most of my life now. At the start I trained mostly in German longsword in the vein of Joachim Meyer. For the past dozen or so years however my focus has been almost entirely on the rapier and I have been running the rapier group in Academia Artis Dimicatoriae in Ljubljana. Though the majority of my study so far has centered on Italian sources, I have been expanding my knowledge in Destreza for the past two years as part of the Academia da Espada.
Harvest people – not herbs (Franziska Müller)
This workshop is about fighting with the sickle, a peasant weapon for which Paulus Hector Mair left written records. In his books he not only focused on classic knightly weapons, but also incorporated elements of peasant combat arts. We will explore the basic movement patterns and principles of the sickle in a playful and experiential manner and take a look at one of the written sickle plays. Due to the distance at which the sickle is used, we will also practise friendly embraces and wrestling.
Bio:
I began my fencing journey in 2019 with the longsword. I have trained at Schwert & Bogen ever since and have been teaching there for over four years. I am currently helping to organise the kids training. I have also gained experience in kickboxing and jiu-jitsu, which further developed my passion for fighting. Learning different movement patterns and engaging in physical activity brings me great joy, which I love to share with others.
Estimated level: all levels
Required gear: light gloves, training sickles – i will bring some to borrow if you don’t have one 🙂
A Fast Reply: False Edge (Irena Matović)
This workshop will focus on defenses with the false edge and follow-up ripostes, as well as setting up the perfect situation for a false edge action, in the style of the Anonimo Bolognese.
Level: intermediate
Required gear: mask, gorget, chest protector, jacket, forearm protection for the weapon arm
Bio
Irena has been training sidesword in Terca since 2016, and teaching for more than 4 years. She also has some experience in other weapons like rapier, longsword, and just a bit of saber and arming sword. Even though she had recently started becoming more active on competitions and achieving successes on women’s tournaments, her primary focus is still practicing and teaching technique as a means to spread the majestic beauty of sidesword far and wide.
Swinging in the rain (Jerca Primc)
What’s your go-to comfort on a rainy day? Box of cookies? Cup of coffee? Or perhaps…a can of whoopass? This workshop will focus on utilizing a wonderful self defence weapon – the umbrella. Join us in learning how the gentry of the late 19th/early 20th century London was instructed on dealing with the dangers the city might have thrown their way. Curtesy of our cool uncle and cane wizzard: E. W. Barton – Wright.
Level: beginner
Gear: mask, gloves
Bio:
I’ve always felt at home in sticky situations, so my gateway drug into HEMA came as no surprise to anyone. I’ve dabbed in cane fighting in its various forms; from competitive sport, to defensive and dueling techniques. In 2010, I have gathered a band of stick fighting enthusiats under the flag of Canne klub Kamnik. Its members continue to terrorize a certain slovene mountain range, to this day.
Sword manipulation through the Meyer square (Luca Venchi)
Through my personal interpretation of the square exercise, we play at reconstructing the movements and cuts we can perform with the Longsword in an exercise that may never end.
Estimated level: all levels
Required gear: The Longsword is required for all exercises, but protections such as a mask, gloves and other protective gear could be used for some pair exercises or some examples.
Bio:
Co-founder of the ASD SeptemCustodie association in Trieste, Italy, in 2007.
Level I Olympic fencing coach and national historical fencing instructor since 2013, FIS (Italian Fencing Federation).
In the past, I have taught several seminars on longsword and dussack. I am a great admirer of German fencing, particularly the treatises of Joachim Meyer and the manuscript 3227a “Hanko Dobringer.”
Cuts from below – an impolite conversation (Luka Grifoni)
Description: A short summary on some uses of the various cuts from below paired with a neat and unnecessary metaphor.
Expected level: any
Gear: full protective gear for steel sabers. Mask, groin protector and undergloves for foam sabers (chest protector optional)
Bio:
I started my HEMA journey in 2021 with the very good people and fencers of Ars Gladiatoria in Zagreb, and since then I’ve become an intructor as well as participated in a number of tournaments and workshops. Though my journey started with longsword and Meyer, I soon found an affinity for sidesword and the Bolognese masters, which is still my main weapon of choice, with the occasional dabbling in saber, smallsword and various sidearm combinations for the sidesword.
Feint it till you make it (Matic Zupan)
Feints are one of those things everyone knows they should use, yet they often end up looking like either a completely honest attack or a suspicious little sword wiggle that convinces absolutely no one. In this workshop, we will take a practical look at feints in longsword fencing: when to use them, how to make them believable and how distance and timing affect everything. A good feint is not just pretending to attack — it is giving your opponent a real problem, forcing them to answer it and then making them regret answering too soon.
Level: The workshop is built around useful principles rather than overly complicated tricks, making it suitable for fencers of all experience levels.
Gear:
Longsword, mask, gloves, jacket, chest protector, groin protector
Bio:
I started training HEMA in 2018. After trying out several weapons in my first year, I settled on longsword, which has remained my main focus ever since. Coming from AAD, my training is mostly based on Joachim Meyer. I have also spent some time learning rapier, and I am always happy to pick up a sabre for a sparring or two. Over the years, I have attended various workshops in Slovenia and abroad and gradually became more involved in helping with longsword training sessions in AAD. In the past year, I have also started competing more actively in tournaments.