Please see our schedule for our regular weekly classes.
Below, you can find information about upcoming events and any changes to our usual club schedule.
The section about club dates will be kept up to date as soon as we receive any information from the venue, or as soon as we know that anything else will affect a club session. Please do check back regularly to make sure you stay in the know!
You can also see some information about other events in the wider community that might be worth attending.
Vanguard Centre club dates
2026
October
R.F.A.: The Sidesword of Pietro Monte
A new 6-week course in early Renaissance Italian Sidesword, from soldier, duellist, philosopher, writer and all round adventurer Pietro Monte. Taking principles from wrestling, this course will cover all the useful fundamentals for fighting with a complex hilt straight sword, mostly by itself, but also with an added shield, and for dealing with larger weapons!
Tuesday nights, 13th October to 17th November2026, 7.30pm to 9.15pm.
Tickets on sale now!
Workshop Night: Smallsword Tactics
The first of our new Thursday workshop nights, this class will feature a return to Smallsword of the 18th century, with a look at basic tactics and decision making, and plenty of games to test the process!
This workshop will be novice friendly.
Thursday 8th October2026, 7.30pm to 9.15pm.
Book in using the Intermediate HEMA Booking System for 08/10/26
Workshop Night: Broadsword & Sabre
An intense training session on fencing fundamentals with one hand sword from British Military Fencing. Work on distance, efficiencies of guards, and recognising feints and deceptions.
This workshop is intended for Intermediate and Advanced level practitioners, who have steel level gear.
Thursday 15th October2026, 7.30pm to 9.15pm.
Book in using the Intermediate HEMA Booking System for 15/10/26
Workshop Night: Longsword Grappling
A Longsword class about getting up close and personal, grappling or disarming your opponent… and ideally not have them do the same to you!
This workshop will be suitable for all practitioners.
Thursday 22nd October2026, 7.30pm to 9.15pm
Book in using the Intermediate HEMA Booking System for 22/10/26
Workshop Night: Messer Mechanics
Don’t forget about big knife! This class will be about preparing, delivering, preventing, and guaranteeing thrusts with Messer at all distances. Get shanked.
This workshop will be suitable for all practitioners.
Thursday 29th October2026, 7.30pm to 9.15pm
Book in using the Intermediate HEMA Booking System for 29/10/26
Halloween Pumpkin Shoot
Vanguard’s annual Spooktober Archery event and party – dispatch the dreaded necrosquash once more in our survival horror training range! 🎃
Saturday, 31st October 2026, 7.30pm until 11.30pm Tickets on sale now!
November
Workshop Night: Sword and Buckler
A combination weapon class with all sorts of swords and duelling shields, focusing on avoiding “double hits”, where both fencers strike each other simultaneously. Work on setting up your opponent for failure, and also giving yourself options to escape to safety if things go wrong.
This workshop will be suitable for all practitioners.
Thursday 5th November2026, 7.30pm to 9.15pm
Book in using the regular HEMA Booking System for 05/11/26
R.F.A.: English Quarterstaff and Billhook
A short 4-week course in Elizabethan English staffs and polearms from fencing masters like Zachary Wylde, George Silver, Joseph Swetnam and others.
Tuesday nights, 24th October to 15th December2026, 7.30pm to 9.15pm.
Tickets on sale now!
Workshop Night: Test Cutting With Sharps
A speciality workshop on test-cutting, using live blades to practise the proper mechanics for getting our fencing techniques to perform as intended – actually damaging a target!
The Vanguard Centre will provide sharp one-handed and two-handed swords appropriate for simulating the real weapons from history we train in our regular HEMA lessons. The instructors may have their personal sharps on hand for trusted students to use, and students possessing their own sharps are permitted to bring them for practise, at the owner’s own risk.
Re-usable target clay will provided for all participants, along with at least 2x cardboard poster tube for each participant as a test piece. Additional tubes may be purchased during the session.
PARTICIPANTS MUST HAVE UP TO DATE H.E.M.A. PRACTISE INSURANCE IN ORDER TO PERFORM TEST-CUTTING
Thursday 12th November2026, 7.30pm to 9.15pm
Book in using the Intermediate HEMA Booking System for 12/11/26
Workshop Night: Sabre Games
A change in normal military fencing training, this session will focus on expected (and unexpected) scenarios encountered with using sabres and broadswords, such as fighting while mounted, fighting mismatched weapons, or being assaulted while seated. We will also play plenty of training games designed to improve core skills and judgement in cut-and-thrust fencing!
This workshop will be suitable for all practitioners.
Thursday 19th November2026, 7.30pm to 9.15pm
Book in using the regular HEMA Booking System for 19/11/26
Workshop Night: Rapier Study Group
Finally, a return to thrust fencing at The Vanguard Centre! This session will feature a lesson in the basic techniques and judgement of Tempo from Capo Ferro’s Gran Simulacra, as a useful primer to get people into (or back into) Rapier Fencing.
This class will be suitable for Vanguard Members with a few months’ experience with any other HEMA weapon, and ideally a Newton Rated fencing jacket for protection.
Thursday 26th November2026, 7.30pm to 9.15pm
Book in using the Intermediate HEMA Booking System for 26/11/26
Events in the wider community
2026
October
Stramash 2026
Tournament and workshop weekend hosted by Saorsa Swords!