Joining the AOAA - FAQs

Stuart Memorial Hall, Church St, Tempsford, Sandy SG19 2AW

Venues & directions 

Classes every Wednesday 7:45 pm for 8:00pm - 10:pm

Sparring and free practice every third Sunday 10:00 am -1:00pm 

Annual fee £35, renews every April

Monthly fee £25

Payable by standing order. Bank details will be supplied in your membership pack.

Your first session is free. Continued attendance incurs a fee of £25 PCM. 

You need to have insurance before you can spar, so you will need to join within the your first month.

At the moment, classes are at capacity. We don’t have the space for one-offs, so sorry, no.

Occasionally, if there is enough general interest. Look out for announcements on social media.

That’s the way we like it! You don’t come laden with other schools’ teachings, however good those schools may be, as we all teach different weapon sets and teach from different works by old masters.

Modern HEMA encompasses a thousand years of European swordsmanship, and we can only teach our our fragments of it. We do try to cover as much as possible though.

Tee shirt (no slogans or OTT images please. (You may love your Witcher tee, but you ain’t no dragon killer yet! ) Jogging pants or similar are ideal, no need for full fencing kit to begin with, wear trainers or grippy racquet-court type shoes. Gloves: A pair of leather or decent gardening or rigger gloves would be useful. 

Not immediately. Your instructor will advise on what to buy. Your first but should be a pair of gloves, A pair of leather or decent gardening or rigger gloves would be useful, or you could buy HEMA gloves. Be advised by your instructor or coach.

You will need a fencing mask fairly quickly. We don’t normally keep these in stock, although we do have a few loaners. Red Dragon Armouries are a first choice for most new fencers. 

Please note that, unlike several other clubs, we do not allow painted masks in class or for club competitions. 

Not immediately. There are hundreds of designs and types of sword available from a wide variety of makers and suppliers. Each sits in its own period, and may not be compatible with our syllabus.

Your instructor or coach will advise. Senior students have plenty of experience and are always keen to help.

There are hundreds of designs and types of sword available from a wide variety of makers and suppliers. Each sits in its own period, and may not be compatible with our syllabus.

Your instructor or coach will advise. Senior students have plenty of experience with the weaponry and are keen to share their knowledge.

A guide to buying equipment can be found here

By prior arrangement, yes, as the Maisters need to consider the available space. Contact Maister Jed to register

Sorry. Strictly over-18s only. 

Sorry. Strictly over-18s only. There are many reasons, but we don’t want to mansplain them here.

We can accommodate most people, but it’s best to discuss any concerns when you first contact the Maisters. 

We have proved to be very popular for a small club with limited facilities, so unfortunately, we have a waiting list. We are happy to add you to it, if that suits.

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