If you grew not really enjoying team sports, it can feel difficult to find something to keep you active as an adult.
When was the last time you played? Or just had fun instead of ‘working out’?
And how many of us remember being kids who picked up sticks, or cardboard tubes, or anything vaguely sword shaped and swinging it around, letting your imagination take over?
Learning to swing a sword could be just what you need!
Even if you haven’t exercised since high school. Even if you’ve never done any martial arts. Even if you’re afraid of hitting or being hit.
I can’t think of many reasons not to at least try and find out for yourself.
A Beginner Class session runs 12 weeks, with a 1-hour class per week. We start with the absolute basics and build weekly from there.
Don’t worry. You’ll definitely get a sword in your hand in the first class, and you’ll definitely have the opportunity to swing it at someone. We think it’s the best way to learn.
It's best to wear clothes you're comfortable moving in, like gym clothes. T-shirts are perfect. Jeans aren't a good idea. You also need to wear rigid groin protection - athletic cup or pelvic protector is required for ALL students regardless of gender. Bring a water bottle too because you will be working up a sweat. Everything else is provided.
Classes are divided into a few distinct parts, each one averaging about fifteen minutes.
The Warmup - Don’t worry, you won’t be running laps and rushing through static stretches. We work through some joint loosening exercises, as well as some activities to get the blood pumping while building strength in the necessary muscle groups.
The Lesson - Each week builds on the last, starting with how to stand and how to hold a sword all the way up to what to do when someone aims for your legs.
The Practice - After learning and drilling each new lesson it is important to incorporate it into your working knowledge of when and how to swing a sword. This is where you take a swing at a training partner and see what happens when things are less choreographed than the teaching drills. How and when should you respond? It’s nice and obvious when you get it right - or wrong.
The Cooldown - At the end of every class we get together as a group and stretch while discussing what we learned along the way. Sometimes certain techniques work better for some people than others. There’s a lot we can learn from the way our peers learn.
Ready? Beginner Classes start every three months and you can register here.
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