
22nd & 23rd March 2025, 9.00am – 6.00pm
Ysgol Gyfun Gymraeg Glantaf, Bridge Road, Cardiff, CF14 2JL
The Gathering of Wolves has grown year on year and continues to be the largest HEMA event in Wales. Workshops spanning two days in a variety of styles and systems from world class instructors and specialist vendors from across the UK providing all the weapons, protective equipment and books that an aspiring fencer could possibly need.
Instructors










Workshops
Thrusting with the sabre - Pedro San Miguel, Ausardia
A sabre workshop focused on improving your ability to give thrusts and to defend against them, drawing from both technical source material and competitive experience.
Lecküchner's Messer - Lauren Ireland, York School of Defence
We're going to primarily work with Johannes Lecküchner's epic, witty, majestic, and at-times-bewildering tome in and effort to understand the subtleties underlying the messer as well as how adaptable and unique it as a weapon that works across all ranges, whether you are keeping good measure with your fancy fencing or closing in for disarms, locks, trips, throws and grapples.
You will need a mask, light gloves and groin protection should your anatomy require it. Some spare messers will be available to loan.
Get ready to 'Jump! Jump! Jump around!' - Tobias Hyder, Exmoor HEMA
Cutting with a sharp sword - Keith Farrell, Liverpool HEMA
A cutting lesson to help people understand more about how to use a sharp sword to cut a target. It sounds much easier than it actually is in practice!
You will do some solo drills with your own blunt sword, to practise the mechanics that I will be demonstrating against cutting targets. I will identify various common problems that people tend to have, and will demonstrate why these problems often result in failed cuts. I will also demonstrate how to develop your cutting skills beyond the basics, so that your movements in cutting and sparring begin to look more similar, and so that you can learn to apply more structure and control over the effects of your sword when you are sparring and even competing.
Depending on time, and number of participants, there should be some opportunity to try at least one or two cuts with a sharp sword yourself.
You will need a blunt longsword. If you have your own sharp sword, you are welcome to bring it.
Vadi's Longsword - Jo York, Hotspur School of Defence
Philippo di Vadi Pisano was an Italian fencing master in the late 15th Century.
While sharing some core over-lapping concepts with Fiore de’i Liberi, his treatise explores different ideas about footwork, guards (posta) and generating power.
The class will explore some of his unique and (according to him) original concepts using Longsword and what they reveal to us about different strategies and chains of movement you can use in a fight.
Requirements: You will need a longsword/feder, a fencing mask and padded gloves.
Fencing From the First Fendente - Cosmas Cieplak-Mayr von Baldegg, Ausardia
Two swords by Altoni & Docciolini - Fran Lacuata, The School of the Sword
We will look at the little understood, often overlooked, and surprisingly well documented practice of two swords in Renaissance Italy. The two masters who we will be referencing are Francesco di Sandro Altoni, whose manuscript is dated to circa 1540, and Marco Docciolini, whose work was published in 1601.
This introduction to case will focus on footwork, movement and coordination. If you have studied Bolognese fencing that will help but is not essential.
You will need mask, gloves and two single handed swords, steel or nylon (feders work too).
Sinister Secrets - Sam Ackroyd, Bath Historical Martial Arts
A workshop on tactics and techniques for and against the left hander.
If you’ve ever been frustrated when facing a leftie or if you yourself are left-handed and want to elevate your game this is the class for you.
Taking inspiration from multiple sources we will look at what they advise, what adaptations lefties need to make when performing conventional techniques and the biomechanics that make these differences work.
Requirements: Mask, gloves, single handed sword, arm and leg guards if you want a bit more spice.
Into the Fight, Zufechten and Bravery (German Longsword) - Jack Farthing, Liverpool HEMA
A lesson for entering the fight, whether in the Vor or the Nach, with Bravery and Purpose. We'll look at identifying our own effective distance, how we can enter that distance safely and how we can make purposeful actions in taking the fight to the opponent or allowing the opponent to bring the fight to you.
Students will need a mask, gloves and a longsword. (Optionally) A gorget for comfort.
Vendors



More To Be Announced…
Schedule
Saturday 22nd March 2025
To Be Announced…
Saturday 23rd March 2025
To Be Announced…