Red Sun Classical Fencing

I had the opportunity to visit The School of Classical Swordplay this past Friday. It had been several years since last I visited, as both its founder Will Christy, and swordcutler extraordinaire Dennis Graves have since passed away (may they rest in peace). Will’s student Dirk has thankfully kept the club going. I had the opportunity to fence him, as well as my former student John Rechtoris and other of the club’s students, with sabre, rapier, smallsword, and smarra vs espadina. The fencing, discussion, and dinner after were all most enjoyable, and I look forward to future meetings. Thanks again for the opportunity to come by!

Congratulations to the new Provost and Instructor, and the largest FMCP class to date!

Please note the updated day and time for this workshop.

Hi all, These are the new times and dates for the event in San Jose. Please distribute as you see fit.

Event Announcement - Rapier/Dagger/Grappling Workshop

On another stop of an FMCP-sponsored Bay Area seminar "tour", Saturday July 15th, Italian Renaissance Swordsmanship Academy and Fencing Masters Certificate Program is hosting Maestro Francesco Loda and Instructor Silvia Tomasetti as they lead a workshop focused on rapier & dagger, and grappling techniques.

The event will be held at IRSA's location in San Jose CA (705 W Capitol Expressway, Ste 30), July 15th, 10AM-4PM.

Registration and event information attached.

Event Announcement - Marcelli Rapier Seminar

On Thursday July 6th, En Garde Fencing and Fencing Masters Certificate Program is hosting Maestro Francesco Loda as he teaches the Marcelli system of Italian rapier.

Maestro Loda is the Director of AIMA (Associazione Italiana Maestri d'Arme), and a champion rapier fighter in his own right.

The event will be held at En Garde's location in Santa Rosa CA (917 Piner Rd), July 6th, 6-8PM.

Registration and event information attached.

Castille’s offering a possible option for our sabre training.

Prep session in Sacramento for FMCP.

Hi All,

We will be hosting the spring FMCP Tune Up event at the Sacramento Historical Fencing Academy on April 22nd, 10am-4pm.

This event is focused on the classical Italian material taught at the Sonoma State University Fencing Masters Certificate Program. Attendees who are pursuing certification will receive focused exam prep assistance. Other attendees will be accommodated according to experience and class size.

This class is not for beginning fencers.

Attendees should bring their own equipment; loaner foils and sabres may be available, please inquire ahead of time.

Date: Saturday, April 22nd, 2023
Time: 10am-4pm
Place:
Sacramento Historical Fencing Academy
3463 Ramona Ave STE 20
Sacramento, CA 95826
Cost:
* $100/person: https://www.sachema.com/page/fencing-masters-certificate-program-tune-up

*. $80 for SHFA members and people who have paid tuition for an FMCP class within the last 24 months.

Please contact SHFA or FMCP for registration information if you qualify for the discount.

Provost Tony Barajas took photos of all the instructors at this year’s Rapier and Sabre Pedagogy seminar.

Participants at RASP. The front row is all the instructors.

Rasp crew!

Holzman’s latest translation has been made available for sale. Please note the significant discount code lasts through today only.

Baron Giuseppe Rosaroll-Scorza's "La Spadancia", originally published in 1818, is now available in English translation in hardcover and paperback. Lulu is running a Cyber Monday code JOYFUL30 for 30% off, good through Tuesday, Nov. 29th.

This book covers the cut and thrust sword (and sabre) of Giuseppe Rosaroll-Scorza, as a sequel to the 1803 "Science of Fencing". In addition to covering cuts and parrying cuts, the tactical application of a great deal of offline footwork is discussed, how to fight in a running retreat, and additional pommel strikes and grapples.

Rosaroll was a veteran of the Army of the Cisalpine Republic and later the (first) Kingdom of Italy, in the service of Napoleon, and this method would more or less be appropriate to the sabre and cut and thrust sword of the era.

Also included are copious additional quotations from Torquato Tasso's "Jerusalem Delivered", and I'm sure you're all very, very excited about that, and will buy an additional copy simply so you can treasure those quotes appropriately.

https://www.lulu.com/spotlight/chrisholzman

Tonight’s class session (Tuesday 11/29) is canceled due to unavailability of sala personnel.

We will resume classes as normal this Thursday, 12/1.

Apologies for the short notice.

A little something from Arms & Armor Inc.

Sword Pics for Shut Ins- a custom Italian Dueling Rapier built to customer specs based on surviving examples. All steel with wire bound wooden grip.

Final Results of the Red Sun Classical Fencing 10th Anniversary Tournament are as follows:

Foil:
1st Place - Gryphon Nayman (Phoenix Society of Historical Swordsmanship)
2nd Place - Sam Schonfeld (Red Sun Classical Fencing)
3rd Place (tie) - Eric Nassos (Fencing at Marquette University)
- Brock Smiley (Red Sun Classical Fencing)

Epee:
1st Place - Sam Schonfeld (Red Sun Classical Fencing)
2nd Place - Brock Smiley (Red Sun Classical Fencing)
3rd Place - Gryphon Nayman (Phoenix Society of Historical Swordsmanship)

Sabre:
1st Place - Gryphon Nayman (Phoenix Society of Historical Swordsmanship)
2nd Place - John Bova (Red Sun Classical Fencing)
3rd Place - Brock Smiley (Red Sun Classical Fencing)

1st place finishers were awarded a $50 gift certificate towards purchases at Rockwell Classical Fencing Equipment!

Additionally, Maestro Ryan Mank, Head Instructor of RSCF and organizer of the tournament, wishes to extend his most sincere thanks to the following:

- John Mainzer (former head instructor of the University of Illinois Classical Fencing Club) for serving as Director of the second piste, and additionally providing feedback and commentary as requested.

- Joshua Alan Gilbrech (head instructor of Albuquerque Sword Labs and former assistant instructor at Red Sun Classical Fencing), Collin Shipley, Jennifer Morris, and Dresden Craig (all current or former students at RSCF) for serving as judges.

- the fencers from Marquette University Classical Fencing Society, who, when not fencing in a given weapon, graciously served as additional judges upon Maestro Mank's request.

- Last, but certainly not least, the competitors, without whose enthusiasm to participate we would not have had a successful event.

Everyone had a great time, and we look forward to the next event!

FMCP exam prep session open for registration.

Classical Fencing Colleagues:

FINAL Reminder: Registration is OPEN for the Red Sun Classical Fencing 10th Anniversary Tournament, to be held on Saturday October 22nd, less than a month away!

Registration for the event will close on Saturday October 15th (one week prior to the tournament), so if you or any of your membership (if applicable) are going to be attending, please register using the link below.

Additionally, on Sunday, October 23rd (the day after the tournament), the tournament venue will re-open for free fencing from 10am-2pm. If you want to fence someone from the tournament again, or even some of the officials, this is when you can!

For complete details, including Rules and Regulations, as well as to register, please visit the following site:
https://redsunfencing.com/events

We hope to see you here!

Events Visit the post for more.

Reminder, this week’s practice sessions (9/13 and 9/15), and private lessons (9/17) are cancelled.

Classical Fencing Colleagues:

Reminder: Registration is OPEN for the Red Sun Classical Fencing 10th Anniversary Tournament, to be held on Saturday October 22nd, less than 2 months away!

And an UPDATE: On Sunday, October 23rd (the day after the tournament), the tournament venue will re-open for free fencing from 10am-2pm. If you want to fence someone from the tournament again, or even some of the officials, this is when you can!

For complete details, including Rules and Regulations, as well as to register, please visit the following site:
https://redsunfencing.com/events

We hope to see you here!

Events Visit the post for more.

Reminder, this week’s practice sessions (8/23 and 8/25) and private lessons (8/27) are cancelled.

Some make-up private lessons will be held Sunday 8/28, and the next class session will be Tuesday 8/30.

Classical Fencing Colleagues:

Reminder: Registration is OPEN for the Red Sun Classical Fencing 10th Anniversary Tournament, to be held on Saturday October 22nd!

For complete details, including Rules and Regulations, as well as to register, please visit the following site:
https://redsunfencing.com/events

We hope to see you here!

Events Visit the post for more.

Red Sun Classical Fencing is pleased to announce that Maestro Antone Blair (of the Destreza Pacifica School of Arms) will be making his annual post-CombatCon visit at this evening’s class session!

An announcement, but first, how we got here:

I've been fencing since 2000, and teaching fencing since 2006. In 2010, I decided to begin undertaking the certification process for the commonly recognized certifications in fencing instruction; Instructor at Arms, Provost at Arms, and finally Master at Arms.

I obtained the first two in relatively quick succession (in 2011 and 2013, respectively). While I didn't set foot upon the path without the intention to reach the end, the intervention of unexpected life events (a divorce, and then later a job loss), and the desire to remain in the competitive fencing space, threw a wrench in my plans, and put me in no mood to move forward with the requirements and study needed to pass a Fencing Master's exam. So I just kept teaching, and fencing, and along the way I also became a competitive ballroom dancer.

Then Covid hit, and I could no longer do those things for a while...it was then I decided, because I would never have this kind of time again, that I would, in earnest, devote time to completing my thesis, as well as the practice, study, and discipline required to take the Masters exam. Despite all the adversity, I've finally made it.

With great pride, it is my honor and pleasure to announce that, after nearly a dozen years spent in pursuit, on Sunday July 3 2022 at the Sonoma State University Fencing Masters Certificate Program (headed by Professor John Sullins, Military Master at Arms, Director of the Program), before a board of 5 Masters at Arms, I successfully passed the final examination for the certification of Master at Arms.

Thank you to everyone who helped, encouraged, and mentored me along the way; my teacher David Achilleus and my dear friend and colleague Maestro Charles Dobbs, Instructor Sean Newton, and innumerable others (including Maestro Jared Kirby and Maestro Ramon Martinez); and to the other examining Maestri (David Coblentz, Dori Coblentz, Kevin Murakoshi, and Puck Curtis), and not least, my student for most of the exam, Provost Tony Barajas, for putting up with me the whole week.

I am now merely the latest in a long line of fencing masters...I hope I can do the tradition, and all who came before me, proud. I know that while I've reached the end of one path, another begins.

Classical Fencing Colleagues:

As promised in a previous post, a website for the Red Sun Classical Fencing 10th Anniversary Tournament, to be held on Saturday October 22nd, is now up!

Registration is now OPEN for the tournament! For complete details, including Rules and Regulations, as well as to register, please visit the following site:
https://redsunfencing.com/events

We hope to see you here!

Classical Fencing Colleagues:

I wanted to post a preliminary notice for this event on October 22, 2022, so that travel plans can be made if you want to attend. A website containing complete rules, regulations, and registration should be up within the next couple of weeks at this website:
https://redsunfencing.com/events/

October of this year will mark 10 years(!) since the founding of Red Sun Classical Fencing. In celebration of this occasion, much as we did for our 5th anniversary, we will be holding a tournament. Since there haven't been a lot of such events over the last few years due to Covid, I'm hoping that this will be a welcome break from that.

Here are the preliminary details for the event:
What: Red Sun Classical Fencing 10th Anniversary Tournament
When: Saturday, October 22nd 2022
Where: Red Sun Classical Fencing (located within Duke City Fencing, 2840 Girard Blvd NE, Albuquerque NM 87107)
Covid19 policy: We are currently a "face covering optional" facility. However, we feel that the responsible thing to do is attempt ensure the safety of attendees to the best of our ability, therefore, proof of Covid19 vaccination/booster(s), a negative Covid19 test result taken just prior to the tournament, or proof of recovery from Covid19 within the 90 days prior to the tournament is required.
There will be a fee to register for the tournament (likely around the $30-$40 range, with a discount for members of Classical Fencing Society schools); the number of weapons a participant wishes to fence will factor into this.
Once registration opens, it will remain so until two weeks before the tournament (October 8th).

Format (high-level): This time around, we are opting for a traditional Classical tournament; there will be 3 weapons; Foil, Epee, and Sabre. Competitors may elect to fence in any or all weapons. Each division will be fenced in a Round Robin, but if there is a high number of competitors, we may resort to a double elimination format. The prize for 1st place in each weapon will be a gift certificate to Rockwell Classical Fencing Equipment (amount TBD). If there is a large number of competitors, prizes may additionally be given for 2nd and 3rd place.

If you have questions in the meantime, feel free to respond to this post....otherwise another notice will be posted when the website is up.

Events Visit the post for more.

Here is the link to register for the SSUFMCP summer intensive. This is an excellent opportunity to meet with others of our community, and receive a great deal of instruction. Exams are held during these sessions. Of note, Provost Mank will be attempting the Master level practical examination at this session.

KIN 311 Fencing Pedagogy Certificate: Practical This course is designed to prepare participants in fencing practice, pedagogy, and coaching. Fencing is one of the ...

Registration is up for the SSUFMCP courses. This one is for the theory course, typically taken before the summer intensive and practical exam.

#1168 KIN 311 Fencing Pedagogy: Theory Please note:This class will have synchronous online meetings to be determined by students' availability. This class i...

Due to planned (& unplanned) absences this evening, and that Provost Mank is having to deal with a few personal matters (and thus won't be present), tonight's (Tuesday 3/15) class session is CANCELED.

See you Thursday if you'll be attending.

Apologies for the short notice.

New Mexico's indoor mask mandate was lifted by Gov Lujan-Grisham, effective Thursday 2/17/22.

In consideration of this announcement, training at Red Sun Classical Fencing group classes and individual lessons will now be "face covering optional".

Another possible smarra option; similar options from this vendor had been posted a while back. Looks like good quality for the price!

Italian smarra. Soon more photos of the finished sword.

Smarra italiana. Pronto más fotos de la espada terminada.

One month left to register for the CombatCon Classical Foil Tournament!

Per CDC and New Mexico Dept of Health guidelines, face coverings are no longer required under fencing masks for training at Red Sun Classical Fencing if the participants are fully vaccinated.

Please still wear them when entering DCF, but they may be removed once our training session begins. Temperature checks are also no longer being administered upon arrival at DCF.