Matthew Ward (MyTHS President) will be directing for the tournament and we will have fighters fighting the tournament.

ARFL July 26th: Rapier alone and Sidesword alone

Sun, 26 Jul 2026

12:30 PM - 09:00 PM

Atlantic Renaissance Fencing Saber/Sidesword and Buckler

The Atlantic Renaissance Fencing League is putting on two tournaments on July 26th, 2026:

• Rapier alone

• Sidesword alone

This is a friendly tournament aimed primarily at HEMA fencers in the DC-Baltimore area, though fighters from anywhere are welcome to attend.

Registration is limited to 32 entrants for each tournament. If registration is full and you are interested in participating, please contact ARFL at the following address to be placed on the waitlist: arfl.hema@gmail.com

The event will be hosted July 26th 2026, at Top Tier Columbia in Columbia, MD.  Check in begins at 12:30 pm for Rapier alone with pools beginning at 1 PM.  Arming and Buckler check in will begin after the conclusion of the other two events, at approximately 4pm.

After the conclusion of both tournaments, ARFL will be hosting a FREE tailgate in the Top Tier parking lot featuring grilled foods and tables for card/board games.  While this is free, we ask that you please sign up for a free tailgate ticket so that we can get a headcount.    

Previous volunteers get priority registration for future events and payment for their time!  If you'd like to be considered to volunteer, please email us at arfl.hema@gmail.com.  

Spectators get in free and DO NOT need to purchase their own ticket.  

Event Rules:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1uoetndSYkd4OR85Ai5Kg8vP9yexD48ADuBChhyX-vFI/edit?tab=t.0

Rapier and Sidesword will both follow Format 1 and Scoring System 1.

These rules are subject to change up to the date of the event while we get and process feedback from our previous events.  While we do not anticipate drastic changes, please check back before you compete to ensure your understanding of the rules is as up to date as possible.  

The Beginner Class starts July 7th 2026 and meets every Tuesday night until August 25th, 2026.

The Beginner Course will meet once a week on Tuesday evenings from 8:15 pm to 9:30 pm at Crossfit Bel Air (350 Granary Rd, Forest Hill, MD 21050). The cost of $130 for individuals will cover all 8 weeks. If you are signing up with multiple people, please fill out the form for each participant. 

Our club focuses on fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for adults interested in Historical European Martial Arts. Come make new friends and hit them with swords! What can be cooler than that? All you will need is comfortable athletic clothing and a water bottle, everything else will be provided by the club. We do NOT require any knowledge or experience with swords, weapons or martial arts. 

If you have any questions please email mythshema@gmail.com

Students must be 16 years or older, but exceptions can be made for those that are physically and mentally mature. Physical limitations because the protective equipment is sized for adults, so they must be able to fit into the protective gear to participate. 

Note: We are renting space from Crossfit Bel Air so we require a different membership. We only use synthetic and blunt swords for safety purposes. 

Sign up today!