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

Our Beginners’ Longsword course takes place across seven weeks and acts as a foundation for longsword fencing Our curriculum covers all the core skills and techniques, meaning that by the end of the course you’ll be set up for any challenge.

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.