Malta Historical Fencing Association

If a person in Malta wanted to feel the thrill of using a sword and to learn some techniques, he had no choice but to join a sport fencing club, and take part in competitions for points and medals.

This is exactly what Andrei Xuereb did in 1997, where he immersed himself in the training of foil for a couple years and later on specialized in epee. At the fencing club he made friends with Carlos DeBattista, who like himself shared a passionate, almost chivalric approach to fencing. That whippy foil they’ve been given, felt to them like the noblest of swords.

In the few years to come, between training and competitions in sport fencing, the two sought other directions where they could learn more on the practice of swords. Their journey took them from theatre, to re-enactments and mock battles, from afternoons spent going through various historical books to numerous visits to the National Palace Armoury studying the blades and armour that forged our national heritage.

In 2000 Martin Farrugia, an old friend of Carlos and also a fencer, came back to Malta after some years working abroad, and joined the two in organizing a number of fighting re-enactments.

After realizing that sport fencing and winning medals is not what they were really after, Carlos and Andrei left their sport fencing club, to continue their pursuit to something more ‘true’ and ‘realistic’.

For three years they met up regularly for some free assaults, to practice and to share personal research and projects.

Early in 2004 while doing some free assaults, a common friend of Carlos, Andrei and Martin suggested that they should consider the idea of opening their own fencing club. At first this idea seemed impossible and they had already rejected the idea of competitions for titles and medals. But then after some thought, the three decided to give it a try, as long as they practiced in a more traditional way, with discipline, and an element of realism. For this reason they chose to practice mainly epee since from the 3 sport fencing weapons (Foil Epee Sabre) it was the one closer to reality with less rules, and having every part of the body as a valid target.

In the same period Andrei and Martin joined a course for stuntmen in movies, which apart from having fun learning to fall head first from a storey high building, making hand-brake turns with cars and shooting guns, it also offered lessons in hand to hand combat and sword-fighting. They soon found out that these lessons were taught by Sport Fencing Master Daniel Sammut, who happens to be Malta’s most experienced sport fencing master with over forty years of fencing practice behind him. Maestro Sammut still teaches sport fencing and had learned and taught classical fencing as part of his life-long studies. They were very honored when Maestro Daniel Sammut gladly offered to help them and their club members in their Italian Epee training, and to prepare Andrei, Carlos and Martin for their exams to become Sport Fencing Masters like himself.

In October 2005 Mithras Sword Fight Club, opened its doors to the public and a good number of people joined. The lessons taught were mainly Italian epee and Italain and French foil which were all approached with a good classical foundation.

During this year while still holding regular classes Andrei, Carlos and Martin, together with some selected experienced fencers started practicing the basics of the hand and a half sword, rapier and smallsword techniques. When everyone had put all his experiences and ideas together, they realized that this is the true direction which they all wanted to follow.

In the meantime, while making research on Italian rapier techniques and methods of how it used to be taught, Andrei stumbled upon the name of Maestro Andrea Lupo Sinclair, who is the founder of the Federazione Italiana di Scherma Antica e Storica (FISAS). This federation is dedicated to the teaching of fencing as a true European martial art, as it used to be taught in the Sale d’armi as a means of combat and self defence. Andrei started corresponding with Maestro Sinclair and was invited to go to Italy for their yearly National Academy held in Rome. And so he did!

Over there he met up with Maestro Andrea Lupo Sinclair, and other instructors who, for a whole intensive weekend gave lessons in Rapier, Hand and a half sword, Side sword and Sabre. Attending the lessons were about 70 fencers mostly Italians and others from UK and Scotland.

Back from this experience Andrei brought back a new type of energy to Mithras Sword Fight Club, and a stronger determination to make their plans a reality. By this time the leadership of the club came entirely in the hands of Andrei as both Carlos and Martin resigned due to other commitments. Andrei made the very important decision, not to continue training towards a qualification of Sport Fencing Master under Daniel Sammut, in order to dedicate himself entirely to his research and training of Historical Fencing and European martial arts.

Many other visits followed in the recent past years to events organized by the Federazione Italiana Scherma Antica e Storica (FISAS). During these events Andrei took classes and made friends with teachers from Historical Fencing Groups from all over Europe and USA. In order to give our club members the most accurate and detailed teaching of such a complex and vast subject as that of Historical fencing, regular visits to similar events and seminars are always in the agenda of Mithras Sword Fight Club.

1. Punctuality

   Proper behavior starts by arriving on time for the lessons. This means you should be early so that you have time to wear your fencing uniform and prepare your equipment for the official salute to mark the beginning of the class.

   In the interests of one’s health, members arriving late are expected to do their own warming up before joining the lesson. It is therefore in the members’ interest to be on time so as not to miss the lesson.

2. Respect your teachers

   No interruptions while the instructor is addressing the class.

   If you have questions which are relevant to the subject, wait until the instructor finishes what he has to say, then raise your hand for permission to speak. If your question is not directly relevant to the current subject, wait until the lesson is over and approach the teacher with your question in private.

   No bad language, obscene words or gestures are tolerated in the club.

3. Proper clothing and equipment

   Members who have been practicing for more than 6 months are expected to have their own full uniform and equipment.

   Members will wear a plain black shirt, black trousers and indoor sport shoes (ideally black). Although masks and weapons may be provided by the club subject to availability, beginners are encouraged to start buying their own.

   The official club uniform is a white fencing jacket bearing the badge of the club on the left shoulder, black gloves, black breeches, black socks, black shoes, a leather plastron of neutral colour, and a fencing mask. Additional protective equipment in the form of kneepads and elbow guards may be worn, provided they are dark, or may be worn under the uniform. The use of groin guards for men and chest protectors for women is highly recommended.

   All personal equipment should be properly cleaned and maintained.

4. Weapons

   Every student is expected to take good care of his weapons. Blades must be suitably clean and free of burrs and notches, and safety tips must be firmly attached.

   Training weapons must be treated with the same respect as though they were sharp and dangerous. This is important in order to cultivate a sense of ‘reality’ to our practice, respect for the weapons and safety for ourselves and our fellow fencers.

5. Behaviour with other Students

   When practicing drills with another student, make sure that the drill is practiced as instructed. Do not show off or experiment with techniques other the ones being practiced at the moment.

   For example, do not try to ‘win’ when you are supposed to take a hit. This behavior is disrespectful to the instructor and hinders the learning process, both for yourself and your fellow student. With certain weapons this behavior can also endanger your partner and yourself. Note that this does not mean that one should adopt bad form for the sake of an excercise.

   No student should give instructions or lessons to other students without the permission of the Maestro or authorized club instructors.

   In case of personal quarrels between students over any matter, the use of violence is prohibited in resolving the issue. Any issues should be resolved immediately and with total openness. Violations of this rule are extremely harmful both to those involved and the club as a whole, and will not be tolerated.

   No student is permitted to participate in a free assault before at least a few months of regular attendance to classes. Only after this time will a student posses enough skills and control of technique to take part in a free assault in safety.

   No student will take part in free assaults without the permission of the instructor.

   Before and after every free assault a salute is performed as a gesture of courtesy to your partner. Similarly, the official club salute will be performed to mark the beginning and the end of a lesson.

6. Damage to Club Equipment

   Damages to blades and other club property is to be paid by whoever caused the damage. Special cases will be dealt with individually.

7. Outside the Club

   No student is allowed to practice what is learned outside the walls of the club, unless special permission is granted by the Maestro or authorized instructors.

   Members outside the club are expected to maintain a level of decency and decorum, especially, but not only, when wearing the club colours.

Sessions at the Mithras Sword Fight Club are held twice a week – Mondays and Thursdays from 18:30 to 20:30, except on public holidays.

The sessions are structured in a way where experienced senior members of the club can demonstrate the knowledge they have gathered through their research and practice to the beginners and to less experienced members. These sessions vary by weapon and personal research of the person giving them.

They might vary from for example; footwork drills and weapon techniques to distance and strategy exercises.

In order to be faithful to our goal of reviving the European Martial Arts of the past, all the sessions done in the club are backed up by researched historical documentation from treatises left by masters of the past.

Andrei Xuereb

President & Co-Founder – Mithras Sword Fight Club

Andrei Xuereb born in 1975,started his journey in fencing in 1997 where he joined a sport fencing club, and specialized in French foil and epee. Andrei studied design and fine art. He practiced yoga and meditation, which he found to be quite useful to stay in focus during sword fighting encounters. Andrei studied Italian epee under Sport Fencing Master Daniel Sammut. Andrei stopped his journey towards becoming a Sport Fencing Master in order to totally devote himself to the research and practice of Historical Fencing and European Martial Arts.

In order to enrich his knowledge and always learning from the best international teachers in this discipline Andrei has attended and regularly still attends academies and international meetings on historical fencing organized by the Federazione Italiana di Scherma Antica e Storica. (FISAS).