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You are welcome to observe a class before participating in your first free class.  Please fill out the same form and indicate that you will be observing.

Class information

We train at Trinity Lutheran Church, 21 Robert Treat Parkway, Milford, CT 06460

We run three classes per week:

• Fundamentals Class on Sundays from 12:00 - 1:30

• Advanced Techniques class on Sundays from 1:30 - 4:00

• Techniques class on Thursdays from 6:30 - 8:00.  On Thursdays we also offer a 20-minute Mini Fundamentals lesson from 6:00 - 6:20.

Thursday’s Techniques class is a mixed-level class open to all, but in order to attend the Advanced Techniques classes on Sunday afternoons, you must first complete a round of Fundamentals classes with a minimum of 75% attendance and successfully complete a formal test conducted by your instructor.  Details can be found here.  

Fundamentals Classes run on a rolling-admission basis so you can start at any time and when you’ve completed a cycle you are eligible to test out.

Prerequisites

• You must be at least 18 years old.

• You must click here to fill out and sign the Release and Waiver of Liability and agree to PLVA's Code of Conduct and Disciplinary Procedures. The link will open a form for you to enter your name and email address.  Once that is filled out and submitted, please go to your email, open the link, and fill out and sign the documents electronically.  These should be completed before your first class.

• You must sign up for class ahead of time.

What to expect

Our classes focus on medieval European combative arts with longsword, dagger, and unarmed techniques from Fiore dei Liberi's Flower of Battle. Classes are typically 90 minutes of instruction plus 30-45 minutes of open floor time for Q&A, drilling on your own, or sparring. Usually, we'll do warm-ups, some basics of stance and footwork or cutting; and then sessions on close-quarter combat (unarmed techniques or dagger) and sword (this could vary at times to include other aspects of the system).

What to wear

Please wear comfortable clothing and footwear suitable for athletic activities (a special note here: flatter soled shoes are better for this activity than highly wedged running shoes). Jewelry that could become a hazard or at risk of damage should not be worn.  While an athletic endeavor, the class is not meant to be a high intensity workout (usually), but we do advise you to bring a water bottle.

What to bring

Don't worry about gear for now!  While you will be expected to get your own training gear over time, we do have loaner equipment for beginners, including fencing masks, blunt longswords (not feders), and light gloves. You can get an introduction to gear requirements here.