Guild House rules
RULES & REGULATIONS
Welcome to our guild! Before engaging in any activities, it’s important to familiarise yourself with our rules. These rules ensure a safe and respectful environment for all participants, promoting camaraderie and adherence to fencing tradition. Many of these rules come from actual historical rulesets, so please review them carefully to uphold the spirit of our community.
• Treat other fencers with respect and practise polite, friendly manners
• Handle weapons in a safe manner
• Keep control of the point of your weapon
• Rest the sword against the shoulder during instruction
• Assume swords are sharp until you confirm otherwise
• Do not handle other people’s weapons without asking permission
• Use the required protection during training
• Greet each other and the portraits of the masters before training
• Salute before and after each fencing session. After completing a bout, salute, remove the mask, shake hands without gloves
• Be dressed appropriately when training begins
• The club ranks in accordance with the Ranking Guild
• Line up according to rank. The highest-ranked members stand to the left from the instructor’s perspective. Unless late to the line-up, in which case the fencer does not interrupt the line but goes to the end of the line (at the right, from the instructor’s perspective).
• Be quiet when the instructor speaks; raise your hand if you have a question
• Follow the club’s directives regarding equipment and colours
• Approved symbols and badges allowed on club clothing are: the guild’s coat of arms, the guild’s grading badges, the Swedish flag according to regulations, a personally approved symbol or name by an Alderman
• No political symbols are allowed on club clothing or on the premises; this also applies to guests who are not allowed to wear symbols that can be interpreted as political, not even as part of their logos.
• Keep your equipment well-maintained and hygienic
• Do not throw your equipment on the floor, and do not place swords on the floor
• Do not use foul language or gestures; keep control of your emotions
• Do not deliberately hurt or use excessive force on your training partners
• Adapt to the agreed-upon level of force and speed with your training partner
• When using wrestling techniques, make sure to control falls and blades
• Do not use foul language or gestures; keep control of your emotions
• Assist with cleanup and setup
• Respect the guild and its traditions
• Embrace the guild’s values
THE KNIGHTLY OATH
Our younger fencers always start training by swearing the Knightly oath, which is based on the cardinal virtues with an additional line of camraderie. The instructor says each line first and the students then repeat.
I am responsible for my behaviour (Prudentia)
I fence honestly and honourably (Justitia)
I never give up (Fortitudo)
I have control over my weapon and my emotions (Temperantia)
I take care of my friends
GEAR REQUIREMENTS
When you start training all you need are regular training clothes and indoor shoes. But over time you are required to purchase some equipment. We offer special prices and packages for guild members.
Term 1:
Fencing mask with mask protector
Cup/Chest protector
Gloves
Throat protector
Term 2:
Forearm and elbow guards
Knee and shin guards
Term 3:
Jacket
Term 4:
Training sword
Fencing breeches and socks
UNIFORM
Guild uniform
Navy blue jacket (Optional black jacket for instructors)
White breeches
Single coloured socks
Emblems, symbols and flags
NOTE: These are the only accepted symbols on fencing gear. All political symbols are forbidden at any St Mark event or during training. This includes symbols that are made part of club logos.
The following regulations regard only St Mark guild:
Left upper arm
Top: National flag
Middle: Club logo
Below: St Mark Guild patch
Chest
Merit badges are carried on the right hand side of the chest
Garters
Garters are tied around one or both legs, under the knee
OUR THREE SALUTES
The grand salute
The grand salute is performed before a public competition towards the enemy. We also begin training and end each training with the grand salute. The grand salute is performed in the following way:
1. For Longsword: Place your heels together, with your left foot forward, hold your sword pointing 45 degrees downwards in a thumb grip, with the the flat towards the ground.
For single-handed swords: Put the right foot forward.
2. Raise your extended arms upwards, pointing the sword forwards
3. Bend the elbows so the the sword is vertical in front of your face, pointing upwards. From this position you can perform several small salutes if you want to greet several people (for example an instructor greeting students. In which case, the students only greet the instructor).
4. Go into guard and put your left foot forward. Or lower your sword.
The small salute
The small salute is used in a more informal way, often at the beginning of a club bout or drill. It can be used to salute several people, like the referee, the judges or an audience.
The small salute is performed in the following way:
1. For Longsword: Place your heels together, with your left foot forward, hold your sword pointing upwards with the flat of the blade forwards.
2. Tip the sword forwards by bending your elbows forward at a 45 degree angle quickly and succinctly, and return the sword to upright position in front of your face. You can extend this greeting to several people in a quick and easy fashion.
The handshake
The handshake is done after a bout and generally after a match, and is then preceded by the small or big salute. It is sometimes also done before a competitive bout, when the fencers are called to greet each other and receive instructions from a referee, but then not preceded by a salute. Read more about the history of the handshake in fencing here.
1. Remove your mask and right hand glove and hold the mask under your left armpit firmly, with the mask facing forward, hold your sword with the tip facing down and backwards.
2. Shake hands.
