The weapon of choice for knights and nobles. The longsword is probably the most well-known type of sword – made famous by mythology, movies, TV, and video games. The longsword is typically used in both hands, though can occasionally be wielded as a single-handed weapon. We train mainly from Philippo di Vadi’s De Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi (“On the Art of Swordsmanship”) – a 15th Century Italian fencing master. We also occasionally teach from other sources, most notably Fiore dei Liberi’s Fior di Battaglia (“The Flower of Battle”) and Joachim Meyer’s works.

At LHFC, we know why you joined – to swordfight! Our training is based around giving you a strong grasp of fundamental in order to get started with the fun of sparring. Other than that, we encourage our students to learn in their own way, according to what they feel comfortable and capable of trying. While our instructors are there as guides and teachers, we trust our students to know their own bodies best, setting their own pace for drills and choosing which exercises to participate in.

Beginners’ Longsword

There’s two ways of joining our Longsword class. Firstly, our 7-week Course takes place across seven evening classes and acts as a foundation for longsword fencing.

You can also join through a Crash Course, which is a half-day class that typically takes place on a Sunday.

Both of these classes use the same curriculum, which covers all the core skills and techniques meaning that by the end of the course you’ll be set up for any fencing challenge. All equipment is provided, so you just need to turn up with exercise clothes and a water bottle.

All attendees must be at least 18 years old.

Longsword Foundations

A longsword class geared towards mastering the foundations of our interpretation of Vadi’s system, run as a series following our Beginners Intake. This is perfect refresher for returning fencers or members of other classes who’d like to join in with our regular longsword slot. We’ll also have more advanced exercises for more experienced members and regulars, so you’ll still be able to work on your foundations in an engaging way.

If you’ve joined us as part of a Beginners Class (not a Crash Course), these are part of your 7-week curriculum.

Book a Class

If you’re a regular, returning student, or part of the current Beginners intake you can book classes here. If this is your first class, please do not book a regular class as we only accept new students via the Beginners’ Intake. If you have prior HEMA experience from a different club or school, please get in touch and we’ll try to slot you into our regular classes.