Instructors

Fencing Drills and Games to Improve Your Conditioning

Liz Scott is a historical fencer, sports medicine surgeon, and international coach specializing in sports performance training for HEMA athletes. From armored combat to smallsword, Liz combines her background in sports science and the human body to help fencers move with speed, power, and resilience. She regularly teaches seminars across the U.S. and internationally on conditioning, injury prevention, and historical martial arts techniques, and coaches fencers of all disciplines through her business, Sprezzatura Sports & Wellness.

Most fencers know they should do conditioning work, but not everyone loves hitting the gym - and that's ok! Join Liz for a hands-on workshop where we'll turn fencing drills into powerful conditioning tools. You’ll learn footwork and partner exercises to build endurance, speed, and explosive power, and creative games that keep fencers moving, competing, and improving without realizing how hard they’re working. Perfect for individual fencers looking to level up their fitness or for coaches who want to bring structured, fun conditioning to their classes. No prior fitness experience required. Bring your mask, gloves, gorget, sword of choice, waterbottle, and a willingness to sweat and have fun.

Rapier Bindwork

Kari Baker has been training HEMA with Mordhau Historical Combat since October 2021, and took up instructing rapier November 2024. She is active in the competition circuit, medaling across multiple weapons including longsword, rapier, rapier+dagger, smallsword, messer, and dussack. Kari is a statistics nerd and contributes articles to SwordSTEM.com.

Welcome to a system-agnostic course on how to navigate the bind in rapier. We will start the class figuring out measure, then work on scenarios with light, medium, and heavy binds. We will end with a fun bonus activity testing your ability to feel pressure and take action! Though we will focus on applying these plays with rapier, the principles in this class can be used with virtually any weapon where bindwork comes into play Required Gear: Mask, Rapier Gloves, Gorget, Rapier (will have limited loaner rapiers)

Recommended gear: Plastron, Fencing Jacket

Intro to Sidesword

Leanna Sadorf is the founder of Ironwood Historical Swordsmanship, where she brings her love of martial arts, history, and community to the training floor. She specializes in longsword and has been an active part of the HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) community for a decade. Most recently, Leanna took home the Gold in Women’s Longsword at the 2025 Cactus Cup. Her classes focus on practical skill-building, historical technique, and creating an encouraging space for students of all levels to grow—and have a little fun along the way."

This one-hour class is the perfect way to step into the world of sidesword—a fast, elegant, and versatile Renaissance weapon. We’ll cover foundational guards, basic footwork, and introductory concepts for attacking with control and intention. Designed for students of all experience levels, , this class builds on general martial principles while introducing the unique rhythm and tactics of the sidesword.

Required equipment: Mask, gorget, basic rapier gloves. Optional: Sidesword, rapier, broadsword, or arming sword in either steel or synthetic.

Gamesmanship & Sportsmanship

Marie Meservy is a physician with a Psychology degree and long-time passion for sports and performance coaching. Her sports psychology series is a part of the Noble Science Academy’s HEMA For Life initiative and new workshops are presented every year exclusively at FrauFecht and Battle Born.

In this interactive workshop, we will learn of the mental health impacts of good and poor sportsmanship, and explore strategies for maintaining a healthy competition mindset.