The instructors for the Historical Fencing Training Camp are:
Mark Holgate
Mark is a professional HEMA instructor and head of Adelaide Sword Academy. His major interests are in 16th and early 17th century fencing, especially Joachim Meyer’s works. He is a successful tournament fencer across multiple weapon forms, and has instructed throughout Australia and the US. Mark’s passion is for the embodiment and mastery of the Art at a grass roots level – master to student, and peer to peer.
Mosh Hewson
Mosh teaches Military Side Arm Fencing at the Fitzroy College of Arms in Melbourne Australia. Mosh began Historical Fencing after years of full contact combat Sports, competition strongman and a formal education in athlete-specific training.He studies lots of historical fencing manuals, regardless of weapon and style, lineage and nationality. He adores modern historical fencing competitions and the development of the Salle and sporting side of fencing from the very early 1600’s to modern day sport fencing.
Ted Elsner
Ted Elsner is the founder and lead instructor of the Sacramento Historical Fencing Academy, and US West Coast regional director for the Meyer Freifechter Guild. He specializes in the works of Joachim Meyer and utilizes a rules based approach to Meyer’s work. Drawing upon Meyer’s manuscripts and writings from contemporary authors he seeks to understand the place that KdF occupied in late 16th century Germany. Ted first got started in HEMA in the late 90s as part of a reenactment group. This led him to Meyer’s works as part of a quest to more accurately portray period fencing. Since 2012 Ted has run regular classes in Sacramento and in 2020 his group made the jump from being a part time club into a full time school with a dedicated location. Ted teaches classes on Meyer throughout the United States, most recently at SoCal Swordfight and the upcoming Texas Sword Retreat.
Woody Craig
Woody Craig is well known for promoting Salvatore Fabris’ Rapier system in Australia. He is also an exceptionally fierce and well-rounded fencer with most other weapon systems, winning the 2018 AP Mixed Weapons Challenge amongst other tournaments. Woody has shared his passion for fencing across the country, having been invited to teach workshops in Brisbane, Adelaide and Festival of the Sword. He taught Rapier & Longsword classes at the School of Historical fencing from 2017 – 2020 and currently teaches a private group of local up and coming fencers. Woody is passionate about reading the whole text and feels keenly that most fencing problems would be solved by reading Fabris.
Daniel Pope
Daniel is the head coach at Melbourne’s Scholar Victoria. He has more than a decade of Historical Fencing experience, concentrating on systems spanning Liechtenauer & Meyer, as well as 19th century sabre & backsword. This is supported by more than 15 years of experience in other martial arts, including Kenjutsu/Iaijutso, Wushu, and Jujitsu. Daniel is also an avid competition fencer, and has been in the top 20 longsword ratings since 2017.Daniel’s area of special interest is in the pedagogy and fundamental precepts of fencing systems. By stripping back a system to its context and principles, the historical techniques for that system emerge organically through natural cues, rather than as dogmatic sequences of action and reaction.
Gindi Wauchope
Gindi Wauchope began swordfighting as a young child, taking up rapier more seriously in 2009. Soon after he began teaching with the Society for Creative Anachronism, then Melbourne Swordplay Guild, and now teaches full time at The School of Historical Fencing. He practices Northern Italian fencing from Fiore to Alfieri with a focus on Rapier, Sidesword (& Buckler), & Two Handed Sword.Gindi is known for his attention to detail, systematic technical orientation, and welcoming approach. In his teaching practice he actively works to foster an inclusive and diverse teaching environment, helping everyone to grow towards meeting their HEMA goals. Any ‘spare time’ he has is spent translating 16th century Italian texts, reading fiction, and playing with his children.