VISS 2026: The Pursuit of Mastery

This year, our theme is Mastery. Join us for a transformative 3-day event featuring six immersive intensives, where you’ll dive deep into the path of mastery, exploring technique, strategy, and the mindset that turns skill into art. Each intensive (you choose two) offers 9 hours of focused instruction, giving you the chance to make significant progress in your martial practice.

The symposium offers three focused training tracks, designed to challenge and elevate your skills. You can choose one track or mix and match 2 intensives in different tracks:

Single-Handed Cutting Swords

• Devon Boorman — Bolognese Sidesword & Buckler: From Form to Fight

• Eric Myers — Classical Italian Saber, a Living Tradition

Two-Handed Swords

• Christian Tobler — Mastering the German Longsword

• Matheus Alfred-Olmedo — The Ten Parts of Marozzo’s Spadone – The First Assalto of the Two-Handed Sword

Duelling Swords

• Marli Vlok — The Last Rapier: 18th Century Duelling Sword

• Matthew Howden — From Diagram to Duel: Thibault in Practice

Single-Handed Thrusting

Longsword

Single-Handed Cutting

Grappling

Armoured

Other

 

	Friday
	Track 1	Track 2	Track 3	Lecture
8:00 AM	Registration Opens
8:30 AM	Welcome
9:00 AM	Italian Sabre Eric Myers	Marozzo's Spadone Matheus Alfred-Olmedo	Thibault Matthew Howden
12:00 PM	Lunch Break
1:00 PM	German Sabre Braun McAsh	Blades of the East & West Shawn Zirger	Weapons Grappling Mike Panian
2:30 PM	Passing Period
3:00 PM	Sidesword & Buckler Devon Boorman	German Longsword Christian Tobler	Italian Duelling Swords Marli Vlok
6:00 PM	Dinner Break
7:30 PM	Open Sparring + Working Groups
10:00 PM	Site Closes

 

	Saturday
	Track 1	Track 2	Track 3	Lecture
9:00 AM	Italian Sabre Eric Myers	Marozzo's Spadone Matheus Alfred-Olmedo	Thibault Matthew Howden
11:45 AM	Lunch Break + Panel: Learning by Unlearning: Myths, Half-Truths, and Useful Lies in Martial Arts
1:15 PM	Armoured Combat Ben Davis	Blades of the East & West Shawn Zirger	Intro to Mounted Combat Jen Landels	What Lineage Reveals Michael Heveran
2:45 PM	Passing Period
3:15 PM	Sidesword & Buckler Devon Boorman	German Longsword Christian Tobler	Italian Duelling Swords Marli Vlok
6:00 PM	Dinner Break
7:30 PM	Gala
12:00 AM	Site Closes

 

	Sunday
	Track 1	Track 2	Track 3	Lecture
9:00 AM	Italian Sabre Eric Myers	Marozzo's Spadone Matheus Alfred-Olmedo	Thibault Matthew Howden
11:45 AM	Lunch Break + Panel: Is Technique Enough? Traditional Culture in Non-Traditional Martial Arts
1:15 PM	Combat Knife Braun McAsh	Blades of the East & West Shawn Zirger	Resilience Mike Panian	Understanding Guards & Systems Michael Heveran
2:45 PM	Passing Period
3:15 PM	Sidesword & Buckler Devon Boorman	German Longsword Christian Tobler	Italian Duelling Swords Marli Vlok
6:00 PM	Official Event Ends - Closing Remarks
7:30 PM	Open Sparring + Volunteer Party
10:00 PM	Site Closes