Come on a Tuesday
- Tuesdays, 7pm – 9pm
- Penzance Leisure Centre, St Clare, Penzance
- First lesson free, £7.00 a session after that
No experience, no kit and no booking needed. Wear something you can move in, walk into the sports hall, and say hello to Steve or Andrew.
What Happens
Two hours, in the order they come.
-
Before 7pm
Walk in
The sports hall is inside Penzance Leisure Centre at St Clare. Come in a few minutes early, find the people with swords, and say hello to Steve or Andrew. They will hand you a synthetic longsword and a pair of safety glasses and put you with a partner.
-
7pm
The first hour: technique
Steve or Andrew shows a play from Fiore's book and breaks it down. Then everyone pairs up and practises it, taking turns to attack and defend, while the instructors come round and help. This is where you spend your first night, and it is where everyone here started.
-
8pm
The second hour: sparring, or more practice
Members who want to spar put on masks, gloves and jackets and fence. The club lends all of that kit, so when you are ready to try it, you can. Sparring is always your choice. If you would rather keep practising the technique, you do that instead, and nobody minds.
-
9pm
Done
Swords back on the rack. Your first night costs nothing. If you come back the next week, it is £7.00 a session, paid on the night, and after your third paid session the club covers your yearly insurance.
The Room
Two instructors, and a club where everyone was new once.
Steve Kemp
Co‑founder and instructor. Twenty years in Fiore's system on top of decades of other martial arts.
Andrew Elcox
Co‑founder and instructor. Three decades of practice, and he can quote Fiore from memory.
Around them, a mixed room: men and women, all ages, some who have fenced for years and some who came for the first time last month. Nobody is paid to be here. Steve and Andrew have run the club for free since 2014.
The Essentials
Tuesdays. Penzance. First lesson free.
When
Tuesdays, 7pm – 9pm
Every week, all year.
Where
Penzance Leisure Centre, St Clare, Penzance
Open in Google Maps. The sports hall is inside the leisure centre.
Cost
First lesson free.
£7.00 a session after that, paid on the night. No membership fee.
Kit
The club lends everything, from a synthetic longsword on your first night to a full sparring kit.
See the armoury. Wear clothes you can move in and trainers.
Insurance and Safety
Fully insured. Your own yearly cover after a month of training.
HEMA Penzance is fully insured. After your third paid session, about a month of training, the club provides your personal yearly martial arts insurance at no cost to you.
Sparring is by consent. To spar you wear a HEMA‑rated mask, padded gloves, a padded jacket and a throat protector, and the club lends all of them. Before each bout you and your partner agree how hard you are going, and either of you can stop at any time.
Before You Come
The things people ask us most.
Do I need any experience?
No. Most of our members started with none. The art is taught from the ground up, and you train alongside people of every level.
How fit do I need to be?
Fit enough to walk in. Training builds fitness over time, we work at a pace that suits everyone in the room, and you can rest whenever you like.
Is there an age requirement?
Training is for adults. If you are under 18, get in touch first and we will talk about whether the sessions would suit you.
Will I get hit?
Only if you spar, and sparring is always your choice. When you want to try it, the club lends the mask, gloves, jacket and protectors, and you and your partner agree how hard to go before you start.
What should I wear?
Clothes you can move in: tracksuit bottoms or shorts, a t-shirt, and trainers or indoor sports shoes. Avoid zips, hard buttons and anything that could catch on kit.
Do I need to bring a sword?
No. The club lends a synthetic longsword and safety glasses on your first night and for as long as you need them, and a full sparring kit when you are ready for it.
Can I come and watch first?
Yes. Come along, watch a session, ask questions, and decide afterwards.
Any Questions
Ask us anything first, or just turn up. Both are fine.
Just turn up
Tuesday, 7pm, Penzance Leisure Centre. Your first lesson is free and the club lends everything you need.