ARMA's Member Training Program Seminar Series

Below is a current list of courses for our Member Training Program (MTP) that can be scheduled for our active associates. To inquire about scheduling an official instructional seminar just email us. We assist in both promotion and registration of attendees once a suitable location is arranged and a date confirmed. We require a facility with a high ceiling and an area of at least 30x30 square feet.  Let us know which series or program and what dates you are looking for. Both weekends and weekdays are available (weekends are preferable). 

The rate for an 6 to 7-hour course is approximately $1100, or $1350 for a 2-day combination event.  Plus travel and lodging.  Participation per student typically runs $75 - $125 per member.  While non-members may attend Open Workshops, participation in MTP courses is for for members only. Students must be registered as an active ARMA member at least 6 months prior to participating or else request a waiver.

For for non-member instruction see our Open Workshops here.

MTP Course 1 – Longsword Foundation: Suited to general enthusiasts seeking a firm grounding in historical skills, but ideal for every practitioner, this introduction covers fundamentals of the Italian and German masters for unarmored long-sword and great-sword. Material covers Tier-1 components including - basic principles, concepts, terminology, stances, guards, cuts, strikes, thrusts, major counters, plus introduction to training under the ARMA Study Approach and the essential practice drills and exercises of our Training Methodology.  This workshop prepares the student for Free Scholar rate certification. 

An extended sample of the fundamentals of our Armatura: drills, basic cutting exercises, and core practice routines of the ARMA System for this workshop are:

• Background & Context: sword forms, anatomy and parts function, essential Masters of Defence history and historical source literature, overview of major Italian and German longsword teachings of the 14th - 16th centuries.
• Basic Stances & Guards: primary, secondary, posture, gripping.
• Footwork & Stepping.
• Basic Strikes & Blows: Oberhau & Unterhau, Meisterhau,  8-Cut & 16-Cut Exercises, Pressure & Pressing, Winding & Binding.
• Armatura (conditioning exercises & open-drills):  distance/touch drill, foundational attacks, controlled striking & countering exercises for basic techniques, Floryshe routines.
• Primary Concepts & Principles:   Timing (tempo),  Distance (range/measure), Technique (cuts, thrusts, slices, blows, grips/seizures),  Perception (judgment/place), the three fighting Ranges, the ways and 3 Times of attack.
• Defense & Deflections: Versetzen, Absetzen, and Abwenden. 
• Introduction to Closing & Entering - trapping and disarming actions.
• Half-Swording Fundamentals.
• Free-Play: Introduction to sparring with wasters and padded-contact weapons (unhelmed & unarmored).
• Plus: Training tips, advice, and personal evaluation from the instructor.

MTP Seminar 1.1 - Longsword Progression: Building from MTP 1.0 for returning students, this course focuses on Tier-2 components: proficiency in techniques, comprehension of key concepts, and individual skill development. Intended more for long-term oriented practitioners seeking eventual instructor-level certification from ARMA, it stresses proper energy and intent in actions. This session also prepares the student for Senior Free Scholar testing.  Content includes:

• Development of strong, fluid, and unpredictable technique.
• Comprehension of core principles.
• Proficiency in the Meisterhau.
• Advanced drills & practice routines.
• Half-Swording techniques.
• Free-hand use.
• Proficiency in closing & disarming.
• Key grappling moves.
• Introduction to facing Long-staffs & Spears.
• Introduction to facing Shields & Bucklers.
• Single-Combat Tactics.
• Fighting Multiple Opponents.
• Long vs. short sword.
• Dagger vs. sword.
• Free-play tactics.

Following this course, the next Progression course offers material extending from the fundamentals of the ARMA Study Approach to incorporate more of the teaching of the historical manuals. Content continues with: Improving form and style, Progressing in shield work, Multiple opponents, Tactics, Test-cutting with sharps, Sword vs. polearms, Introduction to Armored swordplay and Anti-armor blades (bastard-swords and spadones), unarmed escapes, and dagger vs. long-sword. Further Progression courses consists of advanced lessons in preparation for Senior Scholar ranking and eventual Free-Scholar Prize Playing for long-sword.

MTP Seminar 2 - Single-Sword
Prerequisite: MTP 1.0.
Introduction to Renaissance military swordplay of the cut-and-thrust/side-sword also known as the shorte-sword, field sword, and arming sword. Learn about these major Renaissance blade forms and often ignored and misunderstood fighting styles. Suited to general enthusiasts seeking a firm grounding in historical skills, but ideal for every practitioner, material here also covers back-swords and the use of bucklers. Discover the origins of this fighting style, its application with daggers and its relationship to the rapier. Prerequisite MTP 1. Content includes:

• Renaissance sword forms and anatomy
• Renaissance masters & manual source foundation
• Basic stances and footwork/stepping
• Fundamental, cuts, thrusts, and strikes
• Essential fighting techniques
• Attacks and counters
• Basic defense
• Second-hand use
• Closing grips & seizures
• Facing double-hand swords & pole-arms
• Core Drills, Routines, and Exercises

MTP Seminar 2.1 Sword & Buckler / Sword & Dagger - Cut & Thrust Progression: Required Prerequisite: MTP 1.  For returning students, this course builds from MTP 1 (and 2) focusing more on proficiency in techniques, comprehension of concepts, and individual skill development. Intended more for long-term oriented practitioners seeking eventual instructor-level certification from ARMA, content includes:

• Tactics and techniques
• Progression in closing & entering actions
• Trapping & disarms
• Buckler fighting
• Sword & dagger
• Test-cutting
• Free-play
• Sword vs. rapier

MTP Seminar 3 Rapier Foundation:
Recommended Prerequisite: MTP 2
Overview: Introduction to Renaissance civilian swordplay. Includes fundamentals of foyning fence, thrusting attacks, foundational footwork, voids and parries, second-hand use, the ignored much and dismissed close-in techniques (closing & entering, trapping & disarms), proper cuts, single rapier and use of the dagger, plus rapier vs. cut & thrust sword.   Students having no prerequisite will first learn the shared foundational elements of MTP Course 1 above:

• Rapier origin and anatomy
• Rapier source literature foundation
• Basic stances and footwork/stepping
• Basic defense
• Fundamental thrusts and strikes and edge blows
• Essential fighting techniques
• Attacks and counters
• Second-hand use
• Closing grips & seizures
• Core Drills, Routines, and Exercises
• Key training essentials

MTP Seminar 3.1 Rapier Skills Progression:
Recommended Prerequisite: MTP 3

• Rapier & Dagger fundamentals – offense and defense
• Rapier & Buckler
• Rapier & Cloak
• Rapier vs. Swords
• Grappling in rapier combat
• Tactics of foyning fence
• Free-Play Essentials

MTP Seminar 4 - Renaissance Grappling & Dagger

Recommended Prerequisite: MTP 1. The core fundamentals of unarmed combat principles and techniques up to and including closure, take downs, joint locks, submission holds, from 14th - 17th century sources. Fundamentals of 14th - 16th century European close-combat techniques for fighting with rondel and edged daggers. Program arranged on request.

Skill Assessment Sessions – An examination for Senior Free Scholar ranking certification available to eligible students having successfully completed prerequisite courses. Additional senior-level classes are designed to certify the student in teaching the ARMA methodology of historical fencing up to their current proficiency rating in all study areas.  Scheduling by appointment. Prerequisite: MTP 1 and one other course.

“...We have developed in ARMA a proven system through our approach, our methodology, and our martial attitude that produces quick results and real self-defense skills.  It enables a student to grasp the core fundamentals of the historical teachings that lead to genuine ability. But its real strength lies in giving the student the tools to teach themselves...” - John Clements, ARMA senior instructor

In its Member Training Program, ARMA stresses a “martial” approach to this subject –by this we mean emphasizing that these skills and techniques were intended to be used with force to cause injury –even though we never use them for this.  To be re-constructed properly today it is only logical that they must –must –be performed in earnest, with energy and speed and we must make the effort to practice them in this way.    This doesn’t come at first and has to be developed over time. The degree to which each student achieves it may vary. While other organizations may focus more on the pageantry and role-playing of knightly tournaments or on the “deportment” of proper “technical exchanges” within a conception of gentlemanly duels, ARMA does not.  Although these may be historical approaches, we feel such things are more ritual than martial and that ritual combats of the period were far outweighed by real fighting.  Thus, one of the things we try to inspire in modern students is a realistic appreciation of the martial content of the subject we study.  We therefore place value on the mental or psychological aspects as well as the physical or technical. The ARMA believes understanding of Medieval and Renaissance fencing must involve much more than simply posing and “dancing” with a weapon, or scoring imaginary “points” in a game, and certainly far more than artistically “faking” a fight.  To demonstrate sound fighting skills with documented historical techniques requires not choreography, nor 19^th century duelling styles, but martial ability and historical authenticity. 

In ARMA, we have a set curriculum of study and frequently present Member seminars and workshops in various cities whenever they are arranged there by local members or other interested parties. We have an established skills certification program for testing members seeking ranking recognition within our curriculum. Testing for ranking follows a set standard of required skills and knowledge laid out in Study Sheets. Essentially, each individual Associate Member or Study Group pursues the curriculum for core skills and specific weapons as they can, and as they see fit, from their own personal interest and or any official instruction they have received at certified ARMA events as well as from just the online member area's guidance. 

• The MS. I.33 Sword and Buckler text of c. 1285
• The Liechtenauer Tradition - 14th - 15th century teachings of the German Fechtmeisters
• The 15th century Italian Masters: Fiore Die Liberi & Filippo Vadi
• The Teachings of Giacomo Di Grassi 1570
• The Kunst de Fechten of Fechtmeister Joachim Meyer 1560-1570
• English and Italian sources on 16th and 17th century Rapier teachings
• The Compiled Teachings of Paulus Hector Mair's Compendia c.1540
• The Grappling and Combat Wrestling from15th and 16th century guidebooks
• Dagger Fighting from 15th and 16th century manuals