Mark Your Calendars!
The Vancouver International Swordplay Symposium is returning March 6–8, 2026!
More details will be available soon. The content below is from our 2024 event and will be updated as the 2026 details are finalized. Stay tuned and get ready to sharpen your skills!
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The theme for our program this year is From Earnest to Honour: Martial Art from Deadly Combat to Tournament and Deeds of Arms.
Join us over this 3-day event for six immersive intensives where you will explore martial traditions from their deadly origins to their contemporary and historical application. Each intensive (you choose 2) offers 9 hours with a single instructor allowing you to make meaningful gains in your martial practice. Attendees will experience a seamless progression that bridges the past to the present, delving deep into the martial techniques, tactical systems, and strategic applications that have defined these arts through the ages.
Each intensive follows a progression from the earnest origins of the tradition to their modern implementation and from technique to application.
Day 1: Techniques & Tradition
Day 2: Tactics & Antagonism
Day 3: Strategy & Application
In addition to our intensives, each day offers a collection of additional 90-minute workshops offered by local and visiting instructors that expand on the theme with technical, tactical, and historic material. This year we will also have a lecture and panel track for those wanting to dive deeper into theory and history.
| Single-handed thrusting | Longsword | Single-handed cutting | Grappling | Armoured | Other |
| Friday | Track 1 | Track 2 | Track 3 | Lectures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8:00 | Registration Opens | |||
| 8:30 | Welcome | |||
| 9:00 | Italian Armoured - Sean Hayes | German Longsword - James Reilly | Rapier to Foil - Eric Myers | |
| 12:00 | Lunch Break | |||
| 1:00 | Capes, Cloaks & Coats - Matheus Olmedo | Sharp Cutting with Longsword - Sihong Fu | Rapier & Lantern - Marli Vlok | The Fabrisian Tradition over the Generations - Michael Heveran |
| 2:30 |
Passing Period |
|||
| 3:00 | From Street to Mat- Mike Panian | Sharpsplay to Swordplay - Devon Boorman | Messer to Dussack - Christian Tobler | |
| 6:00 | Dinner Break | |||
| 7:30 | Open Sparring | |||
| 10:00 | Site Closes | |||
| Saturday | Track 1 | Track 2 | Track 3 | Lectures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 | Italian Armoured - Sean Hayes | German Longsword - James Reilly | Rapier to Foil - Eric Myers | |
| 12:00 | Lunch Break | |||
| 1:00 | Tempo - Italy/Germany/Spain - Devon Boorman, James Reilly, Eric Myers | Gunting & Santikan - Clare Wen | The Feints of Nicoletto Giganti - Arik Mendelevitz | Plagiarism in Historical Martial Arts - Michael Heveran |
| 2:30 |
Passing Period |
|||
| 3:00 | From Street to Mat - Mike Panian | Sharpsplay to Swordplay - Devon Boorman | Messer to Dussack - Christian Tobler | |
| 6:00 | Dinner Break | |||
| 7:30 | Gala | |||
| 10:00 | Site Closes | |||
| Sunday | Track 1 | Track 2 | Track 3 | Lectures |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9:00 | Italian Armoured - Sean Hayes | German Longsword - James Reilly | Rapier to Foil - Eric Myers | |
| 12:00 | Lunch Break | |||
| 1:00 | Warrior Fitness - Tricia Dong | Finding Your Area of Excellence - Arik Mendelevitz | Southern Italian Rapier & Dagger - Marli Vlok | AI Translation for Historical Martial Artists - Michael Heveran |
| 2:30 |
Passing Period |
|||
| 3:00 | From Street to Mat - Mike Panian | Sharpsplay to Swordplay - Devon Boorman | Messer to Dussack - Christian Tobler | |
| 6:00 | Official Event Ends - Closing Remarks | |||
| 7:30 | Open Sparring | |||
| 10:00 | Site Closes | |||