Welcome! We are a community of Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) practitioners from Central and Western Massachusetts. We fence with longswords, rapiers, bâtons, sabres, and more, and we'd love to have you study with us! Take a class and find out what the art is all about!

We are different from other HEMA clubs in that we learn from both historical sources and living traditions. Rather than trying to copy techniques from two-dimensional, static written sources, we found our practice in the fundamentals of fencing—movement, distance, and timing—and then apply these principles to the techniques and theories found in the written sources. Please see Dr. Mondschein's books for more on our philosophy.

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CLASS INFO

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Pioneer Valley Fencing Academy historical fencing classes in Easthampton are Mondays 6:00 PM–8PM (warmup starts 6:30 sharp). You must be vaccinated and show your vaccine card. Please see class information (both the info hosted on this page and at PVFA) for minimum ages, what to bring, etc., and contact PVFA for more information.

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Worcester Fencing Club: classes are Tuesday evenings from 6:45–8:45 and Sunday mornings (schedule below). Tuesdays are single-handed weapons (and bâton for beginners); Sunday is longsword (and bâton for beginners).

Sunday Worcester schedule: The Women's/LGBTQ Group meets at 10 AM, followed by regular class from 11 AM to approximately 1 PM. Please arrive dressed and ready to go! Please also see class information for minimum ages, what to bring, etc.

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Individual lessons with Ken as a supplement to or introduction to training are available at your own facility or home, PVFA, WFC, or another location are available, as are remote classes. We can do lessons at WFC on Sundays 10 or after 1, or Tuesdays between 5:15–6:45. PVFA lessons are by appointment. Please email us for more information and to get on the mailing list and access the Facebook discussion group.