Starting out at FSV
FSV welcomes all newcomers to Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA).
How do I get started?
Just show up! Your first class is always free.
Do I need to wait for a specific beginner's class/the start of semester?
No! We believe that it is important for people to strike while the iron is hot (so to speak) and engage with the hobby when they become interested in it. To that end, we work to facilitate people starting at any time during our class structure. If you are commencing at a mid-semester start date, an experienced student or assistant instructor will be assigned to you in your first lesson/s to guide you through the basics of the style being taught in the class.
We find that this approach works the best because it is our experience that learning HEMA/swordfighting is an ongoing process involving complicated and interactive systems. Real learning is achieved through repetition and revision, so all students benefit from returning to the basics on a regular basis. Furthermore, the information/learning you gain from the classes in the latter parts of the semester often informs and provides context to the information/learning in the basics/beginner classes.
Beyond that, it also gives you time and space to make friends and feel comfortable in the class, which will also improve your information retention if/when you go through the basics once again. In particular, it often gives beginning students the opportunity to interact with and build friendships with more senior students, who can act as a mentor or support for the newer student - giving them someone to go ask questions of if/when they don't fully understand the instructions.
So the way we see it, you can wait (up to 6 months) to get started and come to the beginner classes with less information and less friends in the class. Alternatively, you can get started right away and when you attend those (same) beginner classes, you will have more information and context about how the system works, permitting you to get more out of those classes.
Which class should I attend?
Whichever is most convenient for you.
You can find our class schedule here and a description of each class here.
If you are interested in the long sword, you can learn that at either Footscray on Tuesdays or Kew on Saturdays. It is worth noting that beginners benefit significantly from the Theory class, so attendance from 7:00pm in Footscray or 11:00am in Kew is recommended. That will also give you opportunities to meet and get to know the other people training with us. That said, don't worry if you can't make it exactly on time - as long as you get there within 30 minutes of class starting, we will be able to work you in.
If you are interested in sabre or smallsword, you can learn that at Footscray on Thursdays. Because of how Thursdays are structured, it is perfectly fine to only attend for sabre or smallsword class. Although, please note that sometimes classes will run longer than the 7:00pm - 8:00pm and 8:00pm - 9:00pm timeslots despite our best efforts, so we encourage you to plan for a little bit of flexibility in your scheduling. It is also worth being aware that the majority of the Thursday night class trains in both the sabre and smallsword classes and that there are some overlapping skills in each that benefits the other, particularly in regards to footwork and movement. As such, if possible, we suggest that duelling sword aficionados consider training in both weapons at both classes.
What do I need to bring?
Yourself, a water bottle, comfortable clothes and a good attitude.
If you have your own HEMA or fencing equipment, you are welcome to bring it, but the club provides a reasonable quantity of masks, training swords and where relevant, protective gloves that are made available to students, prioritising beginner fencers.
I really enjoyed my first class, what should I do next?
Great! You can sign up for our Beginner's Package below. This will allow you to attend as many classes as you'd like for eight weeks at a cost of $80.00. You can also check out our (user-controlled) ongoing subscriptions here.
Please also make sure you familiarise yourself with our code of conduct, safety and other policies, and complete the Membership Form - which you will be redirected to after signing up for the Beginner's Package or an ongoing subscription.
Beginner's Package sign up - Eight weeks of unlimited classes, $80.00 per person.
To register, please click 'Pay Now'. Once payment has been completed, select 'return to sellers website' and complete the redirected Membership Forms (you will be required to log in to access forms and complete registration).
For assistance, please email info@fechtschulevictoria.org.au or contact us at https://www.facebook.com/fechtschulevictoria/