Combat styles

BSIS offers the option of two different styles of combat:

  • Scholar’s Privilege training and combat, which is kept deliberately light with restricted target areas so as to ensure safety with a minimum of protective gear.
  • Light Sparring or Competitive (Tournament) training and combat, which involves greater speed and intensity of sparring, and hence requires more protective gear.

Our classes are based on the lighter Scholar’s Privilege style, and free combat may be done in either style once qualified.  We recommend training in both to get a fully rounded understanding of Iberian fencing.

Our protective gear requirements are set at varying levels to be appropriate to the intensity of the chosen activity:

  1. Minimal Protective Equipment, requiring protective eye-wear (safety glasses) and recommending all skin covered.
  2. Light Protective Equipment, requiring mask and throat protector.
  3. Competitive Protective Equipment, requiring more extensive equipment.

For more detail on our combat styles and safety requirements, please refer to the BSIS Protective Equipment & Safety Standards document on our policies page.