Academy of Arms

AoA is a very unique place. You can learn the Historical European Martial Arts in both it's martial and academic context. People there are very nice and always helpful.

If you join this school and you're like me, you won't just find a new hobby, you'll find a new obsession with plenty of both physical and intellectual stimulation. AoA encourages not just practice of the art of sword fighting (among other weapons), but also involves academic study of the historical context surrounding the techniques, which is great for people like me who kind of miss college. Wonderful community full of friendly people bonded in the pursuit of athletic nerdery.

This is the most mutually supportive group of people you will find anywhere. I love the history, I love the analytical approach, and of course I love hitting people with swords, but the thing that pulled me in from the get-go (counterintuitive as it may seem) was the sense of family. I've been a member for nearly two years, but before my first class I felt a little intimidated, not having had any previous martial arts experience. That feeling evaporated after about 30 seconds. The welcome was incredibly warm, and there's a great balance between taking accurate fighting arts (and safety!) seriously, and not taking *ourselves* too seriously because, let's face it, we run around a park with swords. Plus, this is not a boys' club: we have quite a few women members, and there is not a trace of toxic masculinity anywhere. Words like "honor" don't come up very often in the modern world, but if you want to know what it looks like, come take a class.

After one cycle as a novice I'll definitely recommend the place to anyone interested in historical sword fighting. I like the approach of the school, when fencing is taught to you as a martial art by people who are really passionate about it.