Upcoming Clinics
Historical Coaching Clinic, Columbia, SC – February 1 & 2, 2025
Short Description: This is a live-in person clinic focusing on coaching skills in single-handed and two-handed weapons styles. The sessions will revolve around major themes: Footwork, Defense, Offense and Counter-Offense. Attendees will learn to build these simple themes into full lessons, using multiple tempos, distances and tactical options, and adapt them to the techniques used in a particular historical style or school.
Clinic Accreditation and Alignment: This clinic is conducted by the Classical Academy of Arms, a coach development program accredited by the National Committee for the Accreditation of Coaching Education. Attendees may test for the ‘Instructor’ ranking at this clinic.
This clinic has been postponed due to some unforeseen issues. We will announce its rescheduled date shortly.
Previous Clinics
Patton’s Point Fencing
Short Description: This is a Zoom clinic taught in 12 online sessions. The clinic focuses on how to teach George Patton’s Point Fencing system. His training system is unique in that it is designed for use with either a sport sabre or the epee, ignores the cut with the sabre, and focuses on offence with the point. Patton’s work was the foundation for how US Army used the sword from 1915 until it was finally withdrawn from service starting in the mid-1930s.
Clinic Accreditation and Alignment: This clinic is conducted by the Classical Academy of Arms, a coach development program accredited by the National Committee for the Accreditation of Coaching Education. Its contents are aligned with the National Standards for Sports Coaches and the requirements of the Academie d’Armes Internationale for initial qualification in Levels 1 through 4 and for continuing education for Levels 2, 3, and 4. The Clinic is approved by the United States Fencing Coaches Association.
Dates: 2022 September Saturday sessions 10, 17, 24 October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29, November 5, 12, 19, December 3 at 10:00 am Eastern time. The same lesson is repeated on the immediately following Monday at 7:30 pm Eastern time. Participants may attend either or both sessions.
Course length: Twelve 45 minute sessions for a total of 9 contact hours.
Required Individual Equipment: This clinic is presented online. Participants should wear comfortable clothes that allow movement – fencing uniforms are not required. In respect to the weapon and to provide a better feel of its performance under realistic conditions, we prefer that participants use a fencing glove. Lessons in this series can be performed using the standard modern fencing sabre and/or epee. The course does not use the United States Army Model 1913 Cavalry Sword.
Recommended readings: Patton, George S., Jr.; Diary of the Instructor in Swordsmanship; reprinted edition; [fencing manual]; United States Army Mounted Service School Press, Fort Riley, Kansas, United States of America; reprint by Dale Street Books, Silver Springs, Maryland, United States of America; 1915 reprint 2016. Recommended and available as reprint from Amazon.com.
Credit awarded: 9 hours of continuing professional education (0.9 CEU). Classical Academy of Arms members may use these hours toward annual continuing education requirements by documenting them as described at the Academy’s website at http://classicalacademyofarms.com/continuing-education. Course completion is documented by a certificate issued electronically as a .jpeg.