We are happy to announce that we will have a very special guest instructor this year. Phil has been a force in reviving smallsword for over ten years. He has been a personal  friend for nearly as long. We have worked together in publishing his translations of French fencing works. The proceeds from which he has generously donated to this American sister event of the Edinburgh Symposium.  

​Phil has been involved with historic fencing since 1996 and has studied many weapons with several schools throughout the UK, finally dedicating his studies and teaching to the smallsword as a full instructor with the Black Boar Swordsmanship School in Edinburgh. To increase interest in this much misunderstood weapon he also founded the Smallsword Symposium which has proven a success with ever increasing attendance and a sister event in the USA over the last ten years.
He also runs regular workshops in the self-defence weapons of 19th century France, as detailed in the many manuals and articles he has translated and published, is a BFHS IL1 Instructor and holds instructor certificates in Comtech Bowie knife and Drawpoint method.

When not fencing he is a butler to an ever-increasing number of greyhounds and works in addiction and recovery for substance use.

Please make your plans now for June 1-2, 2019 to take advantage of this singular opportunity to study Girard with the author of it's first English translation.  Online registration and payment is open now. There is a limited number of attendees and this event is sure to sell out.