Sacramento Historical Fencing Academy
8460 Belvedere Ave, Ste 7, Sacramento, CA 95826
About
Sacramento Historical Fencing Academy offers classes and study groups in Historical European Martial Arts and Historical Fencing, including German Longsword, Italian Rapier, Spanish Rapier, British Broadsword, and TSL “Lightsaber.” Specific activities include Youth Historical Fencing (11 to 13), KdF Messer, Destreza - Montante, Meyer Rappier* - Essentials and Techniques, Introduction to Historical Fencing: Longsword, Longsword: Essentials, Longsword: Techniques, Freeplay Sparring: Longsword, Liechtenauer Lift'n Hour, Wrestling Study Group, and Fencing for Sport. The program also offers a free class to prospective students who want to learn to use a sword.
• Ages: 11–18 years old
• Schedule: On Sunday, June 21, 2026, classes run between 9:30am and 4:00pm, with individual class blocks ranging from 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Price: There is a $20 fee for non-members for Freeplay Sparring: Longsword, and monthly, semi-annual, and annual memberships include free access to Freeplay Sparring: Longsword.
Formed in 2012 as the Sacramento Freifechter, the organization began as a study group focused on Joachim Meyer’s Kunst des Fechtens (the Art of Fighting). The stated mission is that Sacramento Historical Fencing Academy is the home of Historical European Martial Arts and Historical Fencing in the Greater Sacramento area. The leadership and coaching team includes instructors and coaches such as Ted Elsner, Arthur Henry, Alexander Snook, Scott Aldinger, Jenn Blum, Geoffrey Harrington, Douglas “Nytshaed” Leonard, Puck Curtis, Kaden Wang, Kevin Murakoshi, Ronin Richards, Andrew Bradford, Peter Morrow, Andrew Pietersen, Stefan Voss, Chris “Mongoose” Ryan, John Golden, Erro Greenwood, and Brandan Lucas.
Introduction to Historical Fencing: Longsword is a beginner-friendly class that introduces stance, footwork, and cutting mechanics. Longsword: Essentials is a foundational course on the use of the German longsword, where most students spend between 8 and 12 sessions before earning their White Ribbon rank and advancing to Longsword: Techniques. Longsword: Techniques is an intermediate-level class open to students who have completed Longsword: Essentials and earned their White Ribbon, and it focuses on paired drills and named techniques from Joachim Meyer’s Kunst des Fechtens.
Destreza - Montante focuses on foundational rules authored by Diogo Gomes de Figueyredo, supplemented by works of other Iberian masters, and explores concepts from La Verdadera Destreza. For Destreza - Montante, any large greatsword (steel, synthetic, or wooden, including 5-1/2 feet of closet pole) will suffice, but longswords are not suitable for these techniques, and hard protection is not required, though a pair of light gloves is recommended. The montante class specifies that longswords are not suitable for these techniques.
Meyer Rappier* - Essentials and Techniques is a beginner-friendly class focusing on the essentials and techniques needed to understand sidesword/rapier and how it fits into Meyer’s KDF. Liechtenauer Lift'n Hour is a strength training class designed for historical fencers who want to build functional strength and follows a 5x5 strength program. Wrestling Study Group is a study group rooted in American Folk Style wrestling, based on the experience of Ted, and it focuses on takedowns with an emphasis on scenarios that may arise in longsword fencing.
Freeplay Sparring: Longsword is an open session for anyone who wants to fence in a relaxed, self-directed environment and is free to anyone who takes the preceding Longsword: Techniques class. On Sunday, June 21, 2026, the schedule includes KdF Messer from 9:30am to 10:30am, Destreza - Montante from 10:00am to 11:00am, Youth Historical Fencing (11 to 13) from 11:00am to 12:00pm, Meyer Rappier* - Essentials and Techniques from 11:00am to 12:00pm, Introduction to Historical Fencing: Longsword from 12:00pm to 1:00pm, Longsword: Essentials from 12:00pm to 1:00pm, Longsword: Techniques from 1:00pm to 2:30pm, Freeplay Sparring from 2:30pm to 3:00pm, Liechtenauer Lift'n Hour from 2:30pm to 3:30pm, Wrestling Study Group from 2:30pm to 3:30pm, and Fencing for Sport from 3:00pm to 4:00pm. The organization is moving to a new location effective November 1, 2025, and the displayed address is for the new location.
Last updated June 25, 2026.
• Ages: 11–18 years old
• Schedule: On Sunday, June 21, 2026, classes run between 9:30am and 4:00pm, with individual class blocks ranging from 1 to 1.5 hours.
• Price: There is a $20 fee for non-members for Freeplay Sparring: Longsword, and monthly, semi-annual, and annual memberships include free access to Freeplay Sparring: Longsword.
Formed in 2012 as the Sacramento Freifechter, the organization began as a study group focused on Joachim Meyer’s Kunst des Fechtens (the Art of Fighting). The stated mission is that Sacramento Historical Fencing Academy is the home of Historical European Martial Arts and Historical Fencing in the Greater Sacramento area. The leadership and coaching team includes instructors and coaches such as Ted Elsner, Arthur Henry, Alexander Snook, Scott Aldinger, Jenn Blum, Geoffrey Harrington, Douglas “Nytshaed” Leonard, Puck Curtis, Kaden Wang, Kevin Murakoshi, Ronin Richards, Andrew Bradford, Peter Morrow, Andrew Pietersen, Stefan Voss, Chris “Mongoose” Ryan, John Golden, Erro Greenwood, and Brandan Lucas.
Introduction to Historical Fencing: Longsword is a beginner-friendly class that introduces stance, footwork, and cutting mechanics. Longsword: Essentials is a foundational course on the use of the German longsword, where most students spend between 8 and 12 sessions before earning their White Ribbon rank and advancing to Longsword: Techniques. Longsword: Techniques is an intermediate-level class open to students who have completed Longsword: Essentials and earned their White Ribbon, and it focuses on paired drills and named techniques from Joachim Meyer’s Kunst des Fechtens.
Destreza - Montante focuses on foundational rules authored by Diogo Gomes de Figueyredo, supplemented by works of other Iberian masters, and explores concepts from La Verdadera Destreza. For Destreza - Montante, any large greatsword (steel, synthetic, or wooden, including 5-1/2 feet of closet pole) will suffice, but longswords are not suitable for these techniques, and hard protection is not required, though a pair of light gloves is recommended. The montante class specifies that longswords are not suitable for these techniques.
Meyer Rappier* - Essentials and Techniques is a beginner-friendly class focusing on the essentials and techniques needed to understand sidesword/rapier and how it fits into Meyer’s KDF. Liechtenauer Lift'n Hour is a strength training class designed for historical fencers who want to build functional strength and follows a 5x5 strength program. Wrestling Study Group is a study group rooted in American Folk Style wrestling, based on the experience of Ted, and it focuses on takedowns with an emphasis on scenarios that may arise in longsword fencing.
Freeplay Sparring: Longsword is an open session for anyone who wants to fence in a relaxed, self-directed environment and is free to anyone who takes the preceding Longsword: Techniques class. On Sunday, June 21, 2026, the schedule includes KdF Messer from 9:30am to 10:30am, Destreza - Montante from 10:00am to 11:00am, Youth Historical Fencing (11 to 13) from 11:00am to 12:00pm, Meyer Rappier* - Essentials and Techniques from 11:00am to 12:00pm, Introduction to Historical Fencing: Longsword from 12:00pm to 1:00pm, Longsword: Essentials from 12:00pm to 1:00pm, Longsword: Techniques from 1:00pm to 2:30pm, Freeplay Sparring from 2:30pm to 3:00pm, Liechtenauer Lift'n Hour from 2:30pm to 3:30pm, Wrestling Study Group from 2:30pm to 3:30pm, and Fencing for Sport from 3:00pm to 4:00pm. The organization is moving to a new location effective November 1, 2025, and the displayed address is for the new location.
Last updated June 25, 2026.
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