THE SMALL-SWORD ACADEMY 2013

May 27 - June 1, 2013

A Weeklong Intensive Immersion in the Art and Science

The Martinez Academy of Arms is pleased to announce this weeklong Academy in the art & science of French small-sword.

Train in New York City where gentlemen wore the small-sword as an everyday article of dress and dueling took place during the 18th century. Between 1754 & 1787 alone, NYC was a veritable hub for American fencers, with at least fourteen fencing schools, eleven of which operated in a concentrated area of lower Manhattan.

Under the guidance of four expert Instructors, participants will receive instruction suited to their level of experience and ability. Therefore, this workshop will be divided in to two levels.

Level I:

Designed for students with no previous training in small-sword, this will serve as an introduction to the art & science. Instruction will include:

  • Proper posture via skeletal alignment for the positioning of the body
  • Understanding how to establish balance
  • Proper grip of the weapon
  • Fluidity of movement and the importance of maintaining the guard position
  • Fundamental attacks and defense
  • The importance of maintaining blade opposition
  • Practical fencing assaults with supervision and individual assessment

Level II:

Designed for students of small-sword. Instruction will cover technical refinements and advanced application of the art & science such as:

  • How the hand positions facilitate technique
  • Developing blade sensitivity (sentiment du fer)
  • Manipulation of the weapon with the fingers (doighté)
  • Knowing your measure (distance) and entering it safely
  • How the proper posture facilitates offense as well as defense
  • Exercises designed to develop technical skills (tirer au mur)
  • In depth analysis of the technical aspects of each technique
  • Discerning the appropriate use of time
  • And for the first time:One-on-one plastron lessons with the masters for individual correction

Both levels will culminate in fencers bringing their technical knowledge to the assault to apply it in an adversarial situation.

For inquiries regarding which Level to register for please feel free to email Jared Kirby

Instructors

Location

330 Broome St. New York, NY

Schedule

  • M: 12pm-5pm, dinner break, 7-9:45pm
  • T: 12pm-5pm, evening free for cultural exploration of NYC
  • W: 12pm-5pm, dinner break, 7-9:45pm
  • T: 12pm-5pm, evening free
  • F: 12pm-5pm, dinner break, 7-9:00pm
  • S: 2pm-6pm
    Sunday: We encourage you to visit the Arms and Armor collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.

Equipment and Weapons Required for the Course

Students must bring their own equipment and come prepared with jackets, 3-weapon fencing masks, groin protectors for men, breast protection for women, and gloves for both hands. You will need a small-sword, practice small-sword or at least a foil. Inexpensive handcrafted Practice small-swords are available at http://www.martinez-destreza.com/shop/weapons.php
For assistance procuring any other equipment contact Jared Kirby.

Cost and Deadlines

Registration (after May 1st)

Level I - $750




Level II - $900




After May 1st no refunds will be made under any circumstances.

Class size is limited due to space, so be sure to register early! Once registered you will receive a confirmation email.

All inquiries should be directed to Jared Kirby: jaredkirby@hotmail.com or 646-382-6945.
Participants must be 18 years old and over.

Housing

For your convenience below are some useful websites. We also recommend checking with friends and 'friends of friends' in the area to arrange for housing.

Another option is to team up with other participants to share the cost of a hotel room. We may be able to help arrange for cheap housing with New Yorkers. This would typically be on a sofa, etc. but it will be cheaper than a hotel. If you are interested in either option please contact Jared Kirby.

Cheapest: Using Hostel will give you a great list of available hostels in and around the city. Please be careful with the area you stay in and feel free to contact us before booking to verify that it is a safe area. Booking thru Hostels.com may give you a cheaper price! Many include breakfast and have links to Airport shuttle services.

AirBnB has worked out well for people staying a week. Here is how it works: sign up, build a short profile and contact the host of the place you want to stay with the dates of your travel. Payment is made to AirBnB (they charge a 6 to 12 percent booking fee) so you don't need to hand over cash or credit card numbers to your hosts. More details are in this New York Times article.

There are also many great hotels in the city. If you can spend a little more, here are great places to start looking:
Top Cheap Hotels
Hotels.com

Travel

Check fares to all NYC airports as airfares may vary considerably.
If you are staying in NYC, flying into LGA (LaGuardia) or JFK (John F. Kennedy) may be more convenient.
However, also check EWR (Newark, NJ) as there is bus and train service directly into the city.
We recommend checking several different services like www.travelocity.com and
www.kayak.com.