Okanagan Combat Guild

09/04/2025

08/14/2025

Congratulations to our medalists!

Beginner Longsword Tournament
Collin Bishop: 2nd Place

Mixed Weapons Tournament
Nolan Cummings: 3rd Place
Adam Ritz: 4th Place

Every one of our students represented the Guild gloriously! Good fighting, sportsmanship, and times 🙂

02/24/2025

Happy Meyerstag!

455 years ago TODAY, Joachim Meyer signed the forward to his greatest work, Gründtliche Beschreibung, der freyen Ritterlichen unnd Adelichen kunst des Fechtens, in allerley gebreuchlichen Wehren ("Foundational Description of the Free, Chivalric, and Noble Art of Fencing in All Customary Weapons").

https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Joachim_Meyer

We might argue over who was the greatest master of the tradition founded by Johannes Liechtenauer, but Meyer was certainly the most prolific writer, unmatched in word and page count and rarely equaled in the diversity of weapons he covered--not only in that enormous book, but also in two extensive manuscripts written for noble students of his--Georg Johan von Veldenz and Otto von Solms--and the beginnings of a third documenting the rapier teachings of Stefan Heinrich von Eberstein.

Sadly, 454 years ago (also today), Johann Albrecht, Duke of Mecklenburg and Meyer's newest employer, was notified that he had died of illness (probably in the few days prior). He was just 33 years old when he died, and what further works of fencing he might have contributed to the canon if he'd had the lifespan of a Fabris or a Giganti, we will never know.

In 2021, members of the community crowdfunded a Meyer Translation Project organized by HEMA Bookshelf . The project hired Dr. Rebecca L. R. Garber to produce a new translation of Meyer's greatest work, which was released in three separate editions over the course of 2023:

https://www.hemabookshelf.com/meyer-translation

This translation is licensed for free use under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license, which means that we can put the whole thing on Wiktenauer, but due to limited time and resources, we haven't done so yet (it's going to be a *lot* of work).

But enough is enough. By Meyerstag next, we will have the translation entirely posted to the wiki! Look for more announcements as the year progresses.

(If you'd like to free up more of Michael Chidester, Wiktenauer Director's time to work on free projects like these, the best way is to contribute to his patreon: https://www.patreon.com/michaelchidester )

Picture: f. I.3r of Meyer's 1570 treatise, from the copy owned by the Russian State Library, a presentation copy with a hand-written dedication to August of Saxony signed by Meyer himself and with painting probably likewise commissioned by Meyer.

09/26/2024

Check out Adam Ritz's new article on the Four Types of Combatants in Joachim Meyer’s Fencing System.

Explore the four combatants from Joachim Meyer's The Art of Combat and learn how to apply their strategies in fencing.

06/24/2024

https://www.instagram.com/reel/C8lrxPuugaz/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

03/21/2023

We are full-time at Studio 9 located at 1180 Houghton Rd!

Check the website for class times 🙂

12/29/2022

Hello everyone!

Wanted to thank you all for a year of growing and hard work at the club. Just a reminder that tomorrow December 30th is the club get together. We will be skating at the downtown Stuart Park rink from 5:30pm-7pm. Rental skates are available. After that I am making a reservation at Cactus club for 7:15.

Please everyone who is coming (+1s allowed!) Let me know so I can reserve the proper number of seats. You can let me know in the group chat or by email that you are coming and if you are bringing someone! Current and former members welcome 🙂
See you tomorrow!

Adam Ritz
Guildmaster and Head Instructor
The Okanagan Combat Guild

06/14/2022

Hello Everyone!

We will be having a sparring day June 24th from 6pm-8pm. This will be a free event, available to current and former members. Anyone is welcome to watch. I will be bringing club gear to loan out, though we are limited. If you are borrowing club gear, you will need to share it between people, depending on who makes it out. If you have your own gear, please bring it. To all of our male members, wear a cup. There will be no sparring without one.

I and my Assistant Instructor David will also be gone the week of July 11th-15th teaching a workshop at our sister club 'The Comox Valley Combat Guild' on the island. As we will both be out of town there will be no classes that week, so be sure to get in some training at home.

Looking forward to seeing everyone!

12/15/2021

Check out the story Kelowna10 made on our club! Short, to the point, and well done! Thank you David Hanson!

This school teaches authentic sword fighting techniques.