Fightcamp/Campfight : Royal Gunpowder Mills Schola Gladiatoria Event

On Friday 6th – Sunday 8th July 2007 Schola Gladiatoria ( http://www.fioredeiliberi.org ) will be hosting the 4th annual historical European martial Arts gathering at the Royal Gunpowder Mills, Waltham Abbey (just north of London): http://www.royalgunpowdermills.com/SpecialEventsList2007.htm

Fightcamp is a relaxed and friendly historical martial arts experience, with workshops and presentations by instructors from various respected and well-known historical martial arts groups, games and competitions, as well as informal freeplay and discussion. Workshops will cover documented European martial arts from the 13th to the 21th century.

This year will see people attending from the across the UK, from France, Sweden and elsewhere.

Fightcamp is open to members of all organisations (though we ask that you email us if you want to take part) and only costs £5 per person for the whole weekend (payable on arrival). People with minimal or no experience of western martial arts are welcome, as well as experienced practitioners.

Camping space is on-site and free, and there are on-site toilet facilities and wash basins. Near by are shops and eating/drinking establishments. The venue is also easily accessable by train from Stansted Airport (via Liverpool Street station), and also by rail and car.

The site is open to the public each day to observe the classes going on or ask questions of our representatives there. The public are not permitted to take part in the classes and are kept a safe distance from them. Hopefully this serves to increase the profile of historical European martial arts amongst the public, while at the same time enabling the students and teachers to be unhindered in their classes.

Fightcamp will open on Thursday night for people arriving and setting up camp. Workshops and events will run through Friday, Saturday and Sunday, covering a wide range of subjects, from medieval and renaissance sources, through to modern combatives (a programme will follow). There will be several casual and competitive freeplay events throughout the weekend, as well as test-cutting. A programme will come soon.
After the site has been closed to the public each evening there is space for traditional archery practice. Saturday night sees everyone gathering near the camping area for a main barbeque.

There will also be a jousting display present at the Mills at the same time as us.

You can see a few photos from the 2005 event here: http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/gallery2/main.php?g2_view=core.ShowItem&g2_itemId=

If you are interested in attending the event then please email: schola-gladiatoria@hotmail.co.uk or matt_easton@hotmail.com

If you are interested in teaching at, or recommending a teacher for the event, then please also email one of the above addresses – we can always accomodate more workshops or presentations!

Provisional list of instructors:

Confirmed –
Matt Easton – Schola Gladiatoria (UK)
James Marwood – Schola Gladiatoria (UK)
Nigel Plum – Schola Gladiatoria (UK)
Gordon Hart – Schola Gladiatoria (UK)
Dave Rawlings – Boar’s Tooth Fight School (UK)
Pete Samworth – Boar’s Tooth Fight School (UK)
Fabrice Cognot – De Taille et d’Estoc (France)
Milo Thurston – Linacre School of Defense (UK)
Anders Linnard – Gothenburg Historical Fencing School (Sweden)
Paul Bennett – Kunst Des Fechten (UK)
Mike Stillwell – Independent (UK)
Martin Austwick – Independent (UK)
Herman Singh – Baba Fateh Singh Gatka Akhara (UK)
Jonathan Miller – Linacre School of Defense (UK)
Herbert Schmidt – Ars Gladii (Austria)

Possible –
Chris Stride – School of Traditional Medieval Fencing (UK)
Philippe Willaume – School of Traditional Medieval Fencing (UK)
Mark Donnelly – Society of the Study of Swordsmanship (UK)
Rob Lovett – The Exiles (UK)

Regards,
Matt Easton
Schola Gladiatoria
BFHS
HEMAC