Sword to Sword is proud to present our 2026 European Seminar Series!
Each year since 2022 Sword to Sword has endeavored to bring some of the best instructors and competitors from the European HEMA scene to give attendees an opportunity to experience the unique perspectives these coaches have to offer, and to make friends with some of the greatest fencers in Europe!
Our 2026 iteration of the Seminar Series will be no different, offering a total of nine seminars spread out over three months and covering a multitude of disciplines ranging from La Verdadera Destreza to Longsword mechanics to more broadly applicable teaching and training methodologies.
Workshops will range in duration from 2 hours for weeknight seminars to 3-4 hours for weekend classes, and tickets can be purchased for full access to all nine seminars or for individual workshops.
Additionally, most instructors will be offering private lessons for the duration of their stay- please contact us for more details regarding scheduling and availability.
Registration details, full seminar schedule and instructor bios listed below. We look forward to seeing you soon!
2026 Instructors
- October 4th – Scott Southworth – USA
- October 25th: Ton Puey- Spain
- November 3rd: Francesco Loda- Italy
- November 3rd: Silvia Tomassetti- Italy
- November 7th: Emilia Skirmuntt- UK
- November 7th: Kristoffer Stanson- Sweden
- November 29th: Kristian Ruokonen- Finland
- December 5th: Mark Wilkie- Scotland
- December 5th: Jack Gassmann- Switzerland
Scott Southworth
Scott Southworth is the Managing Director of Catalyst Personal Training and a Team Instructor with MovNat. Scott’s personal fitness background includes several years of practice in a variety of pursuits including wrestling, parkour, and HEMA. With nearly two decades of coaching experience, Scott specializes in teaching movement mechanics and helping people understand how capable their bodies can be. In his time with MovNat, Scott has taught workshops across North America with the goal of raising up a new generation of movement minded coaches. Workshop – The Fundamentals of Technique There is a saying that fundamentals win championships. This workshop is about understanding the fundamentals of what makes a “technique.” Every technique starts with the same foundational principles. Once you have an understanding of these principles, you will be able to: •Troubleshoot techniques you struggle with •Find the weaknesses in your opponents techniques •Understand which techniques are better suited for your athletic style. This workshop is for athletes of all skill levels and while the discussion will be HEMA focused, all the principles we talk about are universal.
Ton Puey
Ton Puey is the technical director and Master of Arms of Academia da Espada, which is focused on the study of la Verdadera Destreza with the weapons of greatest splendor of the discipline. Such weapons include the rapier (alone or combined with dagger, buckler or rodela) and polearms in addition to work in the interpretation of the rules of the montante of the 16th and 17th centuries. He is also well versed in the study and interpretation of the other fencing systems of the Iberian peninsula, especially the only known preserved Iberian treaty not belonging to la Verdadera Destreza, the “Art of Fencing” by Domingo Luiz Godinho. In addition to his usual work as an instructor in A Coruña, Galicia, he has taught seminars in France, Austria, Italy, Holland, Ireland, Greece, USA, Mexico, Australia, Poland, Russia, Sweden, China, Indonesia, Portugal and Spain. In 2015 he became recognized as Mestre de Armas by HEMA Portugal and in 2018 as the first Non-Italian Historical Fencing Master by the Italian Fencing Federation. Workshop- Tretas single sword in the Verdadera Destreza The most specific way to control the space in the Verdadera Destreza is through the angles and control provided by the Medios Proporcionales; however, we will not have full control of the situation unless we learn this type of action that does not rely on these Medios Proporcionales. We will look at these kinds of techniques using the sword in first and second intention.
Francesco Loda
Francesco started HEMA in 1999, founded the Accademia Romana d’Armi in 2001…and still enjoys it! His accolades in Rapier include over 60 international gold medals (Swordfish, SoCal Swordfight, Longpoint, AimaRoma…), and 14 Italian national titles. Graduated as Master at Arms and 3rd Level Coach, he serves today as the head rapier coach for the Italian Fencing Federation and USAcli, and teaches in Italy and all around Europe, USA and Canada. A Hall of Famer, for HEMA he received several Sport Merits from honorary associations of the Italian Olympic Committee. He is also a university faculty member who is consulted on combat resolution, mythology and religions, and has authored books and papers on the discovery of the Roman School of Fencing (XVIth-XVIIIth C.), which it will be presented at the upcoming event Winterkamp. Lastly he works as stunt coordinator for movies and series for global networks like Disney, Netflix, Sky, Amazon Prime, Rainbow and many more. Workshop- Spear vs Sword and Shield (More detail to come!)
Silvia Tomassetti
Silvia began her HEMA career in 2011, following a judo career with the “Fiamme Oro” State Police team. She qualified for the 2019 European Games, and has won 30 national and international medals. Training under Master Francesco Lodà, she attained the rank of Master at Arms and 3rd Level Coach in 2025. Specializing in youth education, she has played a key role in the HEMAKids program and served as an International Development Coordinator. As a researcher, she authored “Close Play! Grabs and disarms in Baroque fencing”, a transcription and translation of the manuscript by Obizzo Annibale Marescalchi (17th century). A politician, strong advocate for gender equality and inclusive sports, she received the “Women in Sports Management Award in 2026” and several sports merits from recognized honorary associations of the Italian Olympic Committee.
Emilia Skirmuntt
Emilia has trained how to hit people with swords and other objects for more than 20 years. During that time she has studied multiple weapons, systems, and in multiple different clubs, starting in Poland and then moving to London and Oxford. She has won medals in both women’s as well as open competitions both in the UK and abroad, fighting with longsword, rapier, rapier and dagger, saber, sidesword, and sidesword and buckler. She was also voted best technical fencer of By the Sword 2019. Emilia has travelled around Europe leading workshops and seminars and was one of the representatives for the UK and Ireland HEMA team in the European Games taking place in Minsk in 2019. She is a member of the organising committees for the Wessex League, and Albion Cup, the biggest international competition in the UK. She also organised the English Sidesword Open In Oxford in 2018. Currently she is the head instructor for the Oxford Chapter of The School of the Sword and she teaches Italian longsword, dagger, rapier, sidesword, unarmed, and tomahawk techniques. Workshop- Fiore vs German Longsword: A Comparative Study How similar are the Italian and German longsword traditions? In this class, we’ll compare the teachings of Fiore dei Liberi and the German longsword techniques looking at both their shared principles and key differences. We’ll explore how each system approaches timing, distance, binds, grappling, and transitions between techniques through practical drills and partner exercises. By the end of the session, you’ll have a better understanding of the strengths and tactical ideas behind both.
Kristoffer Stanson
With close to 1400 registered HEMA tournament matches, Kristoffer Stanson is one of the most experienced tournament fencers in the community. He has a large focus on one handed weapons and sparring (mostly outdoors in most weathers- even Swedish winters) since 2003 and when he is not actively competing at events you can usually find Stanson being a referee, judge or away sparring. Workshop- Sabre according to Richard Francis Burton: A New System of Sword Exercise for Infantry The system that RFB suggested be introduced for the infantry in the latter half of the 19th century based on his experiences of battles in India. We will be focusing on a lot of wrist work.
Kristian Ruokonen
Kristian Ruokonen started sport fencing at the age of 9, fencing epee for 10 years before switching to HEMA. He has been involved in historical fencing for the past 15+ years. Kristian’s main interests is German longsword, though he dabbles also in “funny weapons = everything else” He has participated in competitive HEMA in Europe & the US with some success. Kristian is also one of the instructors at HFF (Historical Fencing Finland).
Mark Wilkie
Mark Wilkie has over 16 years of experience studying, training, and teaching German Longsword. His practice is primarily focused on the RDL tradition, with an emphasis on structure, timing, and the efficient application of historical principles in live fencing. He also brings extensive competitive experience to his instruction, having tested his skills across a wide range of tournaments and rule sets. This background strongly shapes how he teaches, allowing him to connect the historical source material with pressure-tested, practical execution. He focuses on helping students understand not just how techniques are performed, but why they work under pressure. Hid approach is pragmatic and detail-oriented, supporting fencers at all levels—from building solid fundamentals to refining advanced tactical decision-making—while maintaining a deep respect for the historical roots of the art.
Workshop- Tactics and timing
This high-energy workshop sharpens your sense of timing, distance, and tactical awareness through a fast-evolving fencing drill that feels closer to a real fight than a static exercise. We start up close, where students learn to spot obvious openings and strike cleanly and decisively, while coaches push their defensive reactions to the limit. As the distance opens up, the challenge ramps up—reading guard changes, controlling the approach, and choosing the perfect moment to commit, with every mistake carrying consequences. In the final phase, feints, counter-attacks, and stolen initiative come into play, turning preparation into pressure and pressure into opportunity. Each stage blends seamlessly into sparring, keeping the intensity high and the lessons immediately transferable to the bout.
Jack Gassmann
Jack Gassmann started HEMA in 2008. He has been teaching and competing internationally for over a decade using his competitive experience to pressure test his understanding of Liechtenauers 5 words. He has taught on both sides of the Atlantic. He successfully competed in the US and Europe, at one time ranking 5th on HEMA ratings and taking Bronze at the European games. Jack also researches and publishes on the military background of the Fechtbücher. His teaching style combines his research on historical training methods with modern sports science and his background in game design and horse training. He’s always happy to chat about the historical context of KDF or Rossfechten.
Workshop- Don’t “Park and Pray”
All too often we can descend into just guessing where our opponents next strike will land and moving there, but in this workshop we will focus on what I call “active defense”. We will work on defensive strategies that allow you to actively disrupt your opponents attacks and degrade his offensive capabilities to open him up for a parry. This workshop will be taught with the Longsword, but the principles we go over are weapon agnostic.
