USTFA
United States Traditional Fencing Association

About Us

The USTFA is an association of Traditional Fencing Academies and Traditional Fencing Masters. The USTFA was founded to provide systematic training, certification and accreditation in the traditional Western martial arts of Swordsmanship, while promoting the Aristocratic values of Honor and Integrity.

Since the majority of people are only familiar with the style of fencing known as modern fencing (also called Sport Fencing, Collegiate Fencing, Competitive Fencing, or Olympic Fencing), we often find ourselves having to explain our style of fencing by showing how it differentiates from the modern sport version.

The term "traditional" was coined by our founder to paint the most accurate picture of our style. By "traditional" we mean the original historical and classical martial arts of swordsmanship as opposed to the modern "competitive" sport fencing version. The modern version has evolved so far away from it's traditional martial art roots that it is no longer a viable means of self defense. Instead it has become a highly athletic game of tag in which competitors use extremely flexible electrified rods of steel to flick (whip) touches onto each other in an attempt to make an electronic scoring machine light up. Many other changes over the last 100 years to the weapons, rules of engagement, goals, and teaching methods have increasingly transformed fencing from martial effectiveness into pure sport form.

We are not trying to denigrate modern fencing here. It is a vigorous sport which offers the athletes who enjoy it many years of fun and fitness. However the truth remains that it bears only vestigial similarities to the original martial arts of fencing and swordsmanship and has lost all usefulness as a dueling art. Simply put, modern fencing is a game, an athletic sport. Traditional fencing on the other hand is a martial art, a dueling art, an ancient and viable means of self-defense with sword.

Some of our members have had previous experience and careers as competitive sport fencers and as certified sport fencing coaches. However, they all share a preference and respect for the traditional version which has prompted them to give up the modern sport version in pursuit of the original martial art.

Unlike modern sport fencing clubs where the primary goal is competing in tournaments, beating people, winning medals, and increasing one's national (or international) rating, the goals of traditional fencing schools are self-improvement, character building, and perfecting one's ability to perform the original fencing techniques which allowed Aristocratic gentlemen to survive real duels with sharp swords. Traditional Fencing is the only type of fencing which still preserves the character of a courteous and honest encounter with sharp swords between gentlemen and genteel women.

Traditional Fencing Academies teach the full technical progression of each weapon using the original methodology and pedagogy of the Fencing Academies and Fencing Masters of the 16th through 19th centuries. Unlike it's modern counterpart which attempts to get students "into the game as quickly as possible," traditional fencing schools prefer to develop "complete fencers" who are competent in the entire repertoire of their weapon's techniques and tactics, who "observe a fine position, whose attacks are fully developed, whose hits are marvelously accurate, whose parries are firm, whose ripostes are executed with precision," who's moral character is above reproach, and who highly value honor and integrity foremost over "winning."

Traditional Fencing students are required to pass through the entire technical progression and then the entire tactical progression of a weapon before beginning assault training and before finally being allowed to bout. This level of training requires maturity and patience on the part of the traditional student who must be willing to forego the instant gratification of jumping into bouting by replacing it with years of disciplined training in perfection of form and technique.

Along the way, students measure their progress by passing through a series of levels of advancement similar to that of our Eastern martial arts counterparts. In the USTFA it is possible through years of dedicated training to receive a "black belt" in one or more of the traditional weapons. As in the Eastern martial arts, the black belt rank in the USTFA marks the student’s mastery of the basics of a weapon. After receiving their black belt rank students continue their training by progressing through higher degrees of advanced knowledge and technical and tactical ability in their chosen weapon. Highly qualified black belts who desire to become professional instructors may pursue the long road of training through various weapons and instructor levels which lead to USTFA Fencing Master certification.

While the USTFA does sponsor occasional fencing tournaments and dueling events for qualified members who are interested, competition is never required, nor is it our primary focus. Whereas in sport fencing the goal is primarily winning by beating people, our focus is on developing the skills which would allow us to survive a real duel, if God forbid, we had to fight one. Don't get us wrong now, we do not practice or advocate dueling. We abhor the taking of another's life. Nor do we practice or advocate the settling of disagreements or matters honor by dueling, instead we encourage mutually edifying dialog. However, just as many Eastern martial arts train for proficiency with weapons, we engage in the historical practice of the original Western martial art which trained duelists and swordsmen of yesteryear.

In traditional fencing, as in life, the real winner is not the person who defeats another human opponent, but rather the person who defeats his own inadequacies, who develops self-discipline and self-control over his own thoughts, tongue, attitude, and actions. Who aspires to continually improve himself to become a better fencer, and more importantly a better person, by developing the traditional Christian character traits of honesty, integrity, courtesy, reliability, loyalty, patience, perseverance and genteel manners. Who chooses to live his life, in all he does, both public and private, honorably in accordance with this code of conduct. This is the true meaning of The Code of Honor. Without this code of honor fencing is reduced to a mere sport with no inherent life-changing values to contribute. The Code of Honor is considered paramount in the USTFA and by it’s member academies, salles, instructors, and fencers. If you also hold to these views we welcome you to join us.

Our website is still under construction.

We plan to offer more details soon on how you can become
a member of the USTFA and one of our Traditional Fencing Academies.



The United States Traditional Fencing Association (USTFA)
is a national member of Traditional Fencing International (TFI),
the international association of traditional fencing masters, academies, and salles.