"I suggest that sword fighting is not taught, and that it ought to be. Fencing should be encouraged to the utmost, but fighting should be regarded, as it was by Silver, as a distinct subject, and of much greater importance in the majority of cases." -Colonel Cyril Matthey - The Works of George Silver (1898)
Our club was formed in Avebury, Wiltshire, in 2005, initially as a small study group training in Western Martial Arts.
In 2011 we became a member of the British Federation for Historical Swordplay (BFHS). We have run workshops at their flagship event, S.W.A.S.H., and all our instructors carry BFHS instructor qualifications.
We train in an authentic and focused manner while maintaining a friendly learning environment. Our syllabus is flexible enough to accommodate all, from absolute beginners to seasoned martial artists. We draw on a broad range of source material to accomplish this, although everything we study is underpinned by the Principles of the True Fight as set out by George Silver in Paradoxes of Defence (1599) and Brief Instructions Upon My Paradoxes of Defence (Sloane MS 376).
We have forged strong links with other HEMA clubs studying a variety of systems. We actively encourage cross training as a useful way of pressure testing our interpretation and gaining new insights into our own practice. Members of Wessex School of Arms regularly attend Bath Sparring Group sessions as well as participating in national HEMA events. We are also a member of the English Country Backswording Association.