Core Concepts

Two athletes practicing fencing with boxing gloves and headgear, with a third person on a stationary bike in a gym with motivational posters, a whiteboard, and colorful notes on the wall.

Source Agnosticism

Masterless Fencing doesn’t exclusively train a single system or source. Our curriculum covers a wide variety of historical sources and methods on a rotating basis. We have covered early Liechtenauer, Meyer, Fiore, Vadi, and others. Our club is interested in exploring, discovering, and developing universal concepts in fencing as much as the techniques and recommendations described by any one historical author.

People practicing fencing with swords in a gym.

Training Context

Masterless Fencing trains to fence and compete in the modern HEMA tournament context. Rather than attempt to work out how fencing in earnest would happen with sharps, or chase various concepts of “martiality,” our club prioritizes fencer performance, safety, and adaptability under varying competition rulesets. We follow current best practices in modern equipment and safety standards, and we actively train athletic action capacities to improve our fencers’ performance in sparring and judged competitions.

Two individuals practicing martial arts with foam weapons in a gym, supervised by an instructor. The gym has colorful motivational posters on the walls.

Training Approach

Our club’s core training principle is pressure testing. We follow the Ecological Approach / Constraints Led Approach as our pedagogical guide, and focus on outcomes against resisting opponents over ideal form or specific techniques or mechanics. Our goal is to continuously evaluate and re-evaluate the success and function of historical fencing techniques using games, sparring, and competition.

Access & Community

Ultimately, Masterless Fencing is an inclusive community of fencers from a range of backgrounds. We make loaner gear available to lower the barrier to entry to HEMA, and our use of the Ecological Approach means that fencers are free to adapt training to their own bodies and learning styles. We seek to actively develop new and veteran fencers alike. We also like to have parties and celebrations whenever possible, and we actively participate in wider Eugene-area community events such as Pride. We also seek to contribute by hosting our own tournaments and other fencing events that are open to the wider community.

Safety

The safety of our fencers is of the highest importance to us. We enforce an opinionated set of gear requirements for this reason, and we seek to foster a culture of kindness, sportsmanship, and concern for fellow fencers. We believe no one should have to accept risk of bodily harm in order to participate in HEMA.

On Safety:

Historical Fencing is a combat sport. With this being understood, all club members are expected to sign the appropriate waivers, become HEMA Alliance members, and adhere to all rules and guidelines of the club. We value the safety of our members above all else.

We have a zero tolerance policy for anyone fencing maliciously or unsafely. We do not accept anyone fencing in an unsporting manner that puts others at risk of serious injury. While bruises, scrapes, and other minor injuries are an inevitable part of the practice, serious injuries can and should be prevented, and all members are expected to fence in good faith. We require all members to be mindful of safety at all times.

Rules & Practices

Safety

  • Everyone is a safety: if you see something unsafe, say something

  • Always face your partner; do not turn your back on them while fencing; presentation of your back is considered an unsafe action on your part

  • Never fight while under the influence of drugs or alcohol

Limits on Fighting

  • Shout “halt” or “gear” to stop a fight

  • Stop fighting when you hear “halt” or “gear”

  • Standing wrestling must end after a count of 5 seconds if no blade hit has been scored

Etiquette

  • Tell your partner when they've hit you successfully

  • Allow your partner to reset distance and position after a hit has been scored

  • Let your partner know if they are hitting too hard

  • When in doubt, talk to your partner about the intensity you are comfortable with before you start

  • Check in with your partner often to ensure their continued comfort and safety

  • Treat your partner with respect and always keep safety in mind

Disallowed Techniques

  • Throws or takedowns

  • Joint locks

  • Mordschlags or deliberate strikes with the cross/quillons

  • Throwing of weapons

  • Any kind of unarmed strike

  • Any technique you cannot execute with control

Disallowed Targets

  • Any part of the back of the body

  • Groin

  • Feet

We do not tolerate discrimination, harassment, racism, sexism, or any form of bullying and/or prejudice in our club.