17-18-19 april 2026.
Brugge, Belgium.
More News coming every week !
Three days of fencing 
, fun 
, food 
, and friends 
(and foolery 
?)!
Fencing workshops and lectures, some local (liquid 
) cultural activities, and a lot of fencing with friends!
Rapier, messer, longsword, sabre, smallsword, side-sword, Destreza, Thibault, …
facebook eventlink: https://fb.me/e/32aQyttDP
There will always be one hall for free fencing.
𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Guido Gezelleplein, 8000 Bruges, Belgium
Instructors:
Dr Rob Runacres (Rapier & dagger)
Vera Martocchia (Sidesword)
Martin Enzi (Messer)
David Pascal (Smallsword)
Thibault Ghesquière (French Rapier)
Marco Danelli (Italian Rapier)
Edu Valera (Sword & buckler/ Italian longsword)
Predrag Agatonović (French Smallsword)
Thomas Van Hoof (Sabre vs bayonet)
𝐄𝐱𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬:
Feather small swords will be displaying and selling some smallswords again and donating something for a tombola!
https://www.feathersmallswords.com
Saturday evening: Crossbow initiation with following dinner…
𝐋𝐨𝐝𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬:
Hostel Lybeer Bruges (https://www.hostellybeer.com/)
D28 (https://www.d28.be/)
Hotel Groeninghe (https://www.hotelgroeninghe.be/en/)
Hotel ’t Putje (https://www.thehotelputje.com/)
Hotel en Gran Kaffee de Passage (https://www.passagebruges.com/en/)
Blabla Hotel (https://hotelblabla.com/)
Snuffel Hostel Brugge (https://snuffel.be/en/)
All these hotels are very close to the location of the event and the city centre of Bruges. The ones on the end are bit further but better price. Do not wait, prices go up every day 
!
Instructors:
Workshops:
Working the Angle: varying the lines of attack in sword and dagger.
Sword and cape.
Biography:
Rob is a historian specialising in fencing masters and martial instruction in the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries as well as related topics in family history and court studies. He also works on translating fencing treatises from this period and has published extensively in this area. Rob is also the lead instructor of the Renaissance Sword Club, researching and teaching early modern sword and associated weapon forms.
Workshop:
Sidesword!
Biography:
Vera Martocchia is a professional sword fighting instructor with over eight years of experience in Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA). She trains and teaches a wide range of weapons, including Sidesword, Longsword, Dagger, Sickle, and more drawing on historical sources such as the Anonimo, Marozzo, Meyer, and Huntfeld. Her approach combines historical depth with practical application, emphasising both precision and flow.
Known for her dynamic teaching style and thoughtful instruction, Vera makes HEMA concepts accessible to students of all levels. She regularly teaches classes and seminars across London and beyond.
In addition to her martial practice, Vera is a certified fitness professional with over 16 years of experience. She holds advanced certifications in Les Mills BodyCombat™️, BodyBalance™️, Pilates, and children’s fitness, integrating strength, balance, and body awareness into her sword instruction.
Fluent in several European languages, Vera brings a diverse and international perspective to her work. She now lives in London with her family, and her swordsmanship reflects a lifelong passion for movement, teaching, and people.
Workshop:
Messer
Biography:
Martin Enzi first got in touch with martial arts by practicing classical boxing, but finally found his passion when he switched to HEMA in 2001 to train longsword, wrestling, dagger and polearms.
2003 he got his hands on the first draft of the transcription of Johannes Leckuechners “Kunst des Messerfechtens”, while work was still in progress. This gave him the possibility to be one of the first persons to dig into this manuscript.
Instantly fascinated while reading the first pages of the manuscript, this was when his fascination with and passion for Messer started.
After intense studies and training, he started as a trainer for Longsword, Messer, and eventually also for the so‐called “peasant weapons” like sickle, scythe or flail plus the not so common use of spear in 15th century sources.
2006 he took part in the transcription of parts of Paulus Hector Mair’s manuscript (scythe, sickle and flail) for the Higgins Armory Museum, which will be published by Jeffrey L. Forgeng.
Even though training in Liechtenauer School of longsword and the peasant weapons from PHM has always been close to his heart, his main focus and deep passion lies with the Messer according to cgm582, taking also into account other Messer‐related sources like Talhoffer, von Baumanns Fechtbuch ( Codex Wallerstein), Pauernfeindt, or Falkner.
After teaching for over 20 years now at international events and martial arts gatherings, Martin Enzi was honoured to be the first European HEMA‐teacher to get an invitation to Tokyo, where he held a masterclass in Messer fencing – in fact, the first Messer class based on European sources in the history of Japan.
He was also asked to contribute 3 articles to the book series “Meditations on HEMA”, and writes articles in magazines and does surveys about finds and originals in museums.
Apart from HEMA, Enzi has been practising stagefighting constantly for 23 years. As an instructor in an SFX agency, he teaches and coaches actors and stuntmen in the use of historical and modern weapons and is an examiner for the practical part of the official Austrian gun licence. He also works as a fight choreographer for film, theatre and television productions and recently received his certificate as a weapons master for film and theatre.
Workshop:
Smallsword
Biography:
David Pascal started fencing when he was very young and soon after he began to study ancient fencing and became interested in the French épée.
He has been studying other martial arts of Japanese origin for some time, such as kenjutsu (Katori Shinto ryu, aikido and iaido among others) and is currently studying two traditions of ancient fencing while continuing his training as a fencer in sport fencing.
The first is a general study of the French school of the late 17th and early 18th century with authors such as La Touche, Liancour and Girard. The second line of study corresponds to the Spanish mixed doctrine with the author Rodriguez del Canto, an original 18th century Spanish school that blends the French, Spanish and Italian schools into a single system.
The class will focus on some of the exercises of the Spanish Mixed Doctrine inspired by the style of Don Diego Rodriguez del Canto, master of this school.
Workshop:
Single tempo vs parade-riposte in early modern french rapier. How to get the most from your time and distance. Single sword, Sword and dagger.
Biography:
Thibault is the main rapier instructor in the association « De Taille et d’Estoc » and has been practicing HEMA since 2008, with a strong emphasis on rapier and associated weapons. He has given workshops about the specificities of French rapier sources in numerous events, including the Dreynevent and several international rapier symposiums.
When he is not fencing, he works as a Medical Doctor in a Hematology ward (believe it or not!).
Workshop:
Italian Rapier
Biography:
Marco Danelli, in parallel with his activity as a swordmaker, started his historical fencing career almost 20 years ago, during which time had a chance to join and practice in various clubs through Italy and the UK. His main focus of studies are the Italian styles from the 16th to the 19th centuries and has taught classes on those topics in various national and international events.
Workshop:
The sword and the buckler in “Arte de Esgrima”.
For the master-at-arms Domingo Luis Godinho, in his 1599 manuscript “Arte de Esgrima”, the combination of the sword and the shield called rodela is the most important, which is why he dedicates an important part of his work to the study of these two weapons. In this workshop we will study their basic positions and movements and some of the techniques described.
Biography:
Eduardo started in the world of historical fencing in 2011 with the master Ton Puey
in A Coruña in the study of the rapier sword following the discipline of Verdadera Destreza. Since 2017 he has been an instructor at the Academia da Espada school.
He has also carried out studies on the two-handed sword following the teachings of the Italian author Achille Marozzo in his treatise Opera Nova in collaboration with other schools, and on the combination of the sword and the buckler by the Portuguese master Domingo Luis Godinho in his manuscript Arte de Esgrima.
Workshop:
The Art of Poking People Politely:
Low-Line Devilry and Defence in French Smallsword tradition.
So, you’ve mastered the art of poking people politely in the chest. Bravo! But what happens when your opponent is rude enough to defend their upper openings?
It’s time to aim lower—with class.
In this workshop, we descend into the low lines of French smallsword fencing: thrusts to the belly, parries near the knees, and tricks the average fencer’s ego never sees coming. Rooted in the elegant, refined (and occasionally
sneaky) French tradition, we’ll explore how to attack and defend the lines less traveled—with flair, precision, and just a touch of disdain.This workshop is suitable for beginners and intermediate fencers alike—whether you’re a nimble newcomer or someone who once fought a duel over the last scone at afternoon tea. We’ll cover the fundamentals of targeting the lower line (because flank and belly are people too), defensive techniques that don’t involve hiding behind your instructor, and how to deliver attacks with the kind of flair that would make Beau Brummell weep with envy (yeah, go ahead, google him).
Have your own smallsword? Fantastic!
Don’t have a smallsword? I’ll bring some! (Just don’t lose it down your breeches).
Expect some laughs, a bit of sweat, and the occasional melodramatic flourish.
Tights optional.
Sass encouraged.
En garde!
Biography:
Predrag Agatonović is president, co-founder, and instructor at the FEATHER School of Fencing from Serbia, with over two decades dedicated to the study, practice, and teaching of the art.
His journey began in 2003, driven by a deep passion for European martial traditions. Over the years, he has mastered a variety of weapons, with particular expertise in the smallsword, rapier, and saber.
Beyond technical skill, Predrag’s approach to fencing encompasses a comprehensive methodology, integrating sociology, psychology, and sports training into his teaching. He believes that fencing is not just a martial discipline but a means of personal and intellectual growth, emphasizing development over competition.
Beyond instruction, Predrag is also an entrepreneur and founder of FEATHER SMALLSWORDS, a company dedicated to crafting high-quality smallswords for historical fencing. His expertise as both a fencer and a swordsmith allows him to create weapons that blend historical accuracy with modern craftsmanship, serving the needs of fencers worldwide.
Workshop:
Thomas Van Hoof will be teaching a workshop on sabre vs bayonet.
Biography:
Thomas is the head instructor of Marmaridae Historical Fencing. This club is located in Mol and has their main focus on military sabre, but they also train in bayonet and smallsword. Thomas started doing HEMA in a self-organized study group in 2018, which then grew into an official club in 2021. The main sources Thomas works from are Hutton and Waite.