At Black Boar Swordsmanship School there are several  weapon styles studied:

French Smallsword – Liancour / Hope / Girard

One of the classic duelling weapons of history is the court or smallsword. The primary sources for Black Boar are the earlier works of the French school and those of Scotland of the same period.

Equipment required

• A fully blunt and tipped smallsword simulator
• A fencing jacket
• A 1600N fencing mask
• A leather glove
• Additional body protection such as a chest guard or plastron is recommended but not required.

Sabre – The Leith School

The military sabre of the mid to late 19th century is a core weapon for study at Black Boar. The style studied is that of the Schools founding instructor, called the Leith School, which is based on a mix of period sources, notably Alfred Hutton and Richard Burton’s works, but also the instructor’s own views on fencing.

Equipment required

• A blunted sabre of military style, a Henwei ‘Hutton’ Sabre or a duelling style sabre.
• A fencing jacket
• A 1600N fencing mask
• A leather glove
• Protection for the forearm and elbow
• Additional body protection such as a plastron or padded body protector is recommended but not required.

Antagonostics

“Antagonistics” is the catch-all name for the art of self-defence in the 19th Century, comprising elements of Pugilism (boxing), French Boxing (kicking), Grappling (wrestling, jiujitsu, “dirty tricks”), Physical Culture (fitness), Stick (walking canes, umbrellas) and Weapons (knife, truncheon, swordstick). Each aspect will be taught primarily according to the theory and techniques of Emile Andre, a noted French fencing master, who combined these Arts into a simple, yet effective, system of practical self-defence that any Gentleman who has knowledge of the sword arts can learn and apply easily.

Equipment required

• Focus pads and gloves
• A wooden walking stick of approx 3 feet length
• A fencing jacket with body padding or a padded jacket
• A 1600N fencing mask
• Sturdy gloves, such as cricket gloves
• Forearm protection

Most equipment for punching and kicking will be supplied by the school.

Rapier- Henri de Sainct Didier

The latest addition to the Black Boar repertoire, Sainct Didier’s treatise, written in 1573, shows the use of various swords, but is now generally considered suitable for rapier. This early French system is similar in several ways to Scottish backsword techniques.

Equipment required

• a practical, blunted, steel rapier or synthetic basket-hilt training sword
• A fencing jacket
• A 1600N fencing mask
• Leather gloves
• Protection for the forearm and elbow
• Additional body protection, such as a plastron, padded body protector and leg protectors, is recommended, but not required.