Today we’d like to introduce you to Eric Weiss.
Hi Eric, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today.
I suppose if you really get down to it, this all started with my dad putting me to bed with a sword fight. Most kids want a bedtime story, but I wanted a sword fight, and where most parents would probably shake their heads, my dad rolled up his sleeves.
This was an imprint on my psyche so profound that it has carried a torch of inspiration and purpose throughout my entire life.
Prompting me to get a job in a joust show by 19, rising through the ranks from dressing the horse to jousting on one. From learning stage combat to doing it and then training others. By the time I walked out of there, I had a “particular set of skills” that lended well to pursuing a career as a stuntman. This lead to becoming a fight choreographer and during one of my projects, I was asked to choreograph a sword fight with less flash and more grit “like the real thing” was the quote. And in my search, I found HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts). Yeah, there were folks not merely reenacting but studying and practicing a 600 + yr. old martial art. I was of course sold, hook line, and sinker; I mean come on, for someone who loves sword fighting, this was literally it!
As time passed, things changed and so did career path, but the one constant was always the HEMA community. I went from a theatrical sword fighter to an actual fencer and as we come to the present I’ve passed through many schools as a teacher and a founding member until I found it was time to begin a new chapter and start my own school.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
To gloss over the details, 5 more years of that stunt life and I walked away with a few career-ending injuries. At the same time, I had just become an instructor at the fencing school I started at, only to have the injuries leave me unable to do that as well. As time passed, I started heal and get my body back by diligently following the exercises from my physical therapist. It allowed me step back into the fencing school, this time a new one, and one that I co-founded. But my prior hiatus brought some naïveté and I ended up losing my first school to some less than admiral actions from the other co-founder.
I returned to my original school as an assistant instructor and sort of silently went through the motions until I had the most amazing series of experiences. Some of the newer students regarding me as “their” teacher, groups drove down from across state to learn from me, and most profoundly a young student I hugged goodbye before he was about to ship off to become a marine told me “You taught me to be strong.” It was in this moment I realized my full potential as a teacher and the impact I made on people.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am the founder and Head Instructor of Valiant: School of Arms, where we focus on the Historical Fencing Masters of the 16th century, primarily within the Italian tradition. What sets us apart is our unified system of teaching. Instead of teaching through the lens of a single master, we adopt the martial principles of a century’s long tradition. This allows a student in the school to pick up any weapon and perform with competency and prowess. I believe that despite a medieval array of tools, what is learned is still a functional martial art, that anyone walking in or out of the school will realize this and become both more capable and enriched in mind and body.
We offer lessons in many disciplines like Two-handed Sword or the dueling rapier and expanding into sword & shield, wrestling, dagger, spear, and many more. And due to my background and journey through physical rehabilitation, Private lessons in fencing expand into proper body mechanics for a well-rounded and healthy approach the art as well as insight in optimizing your martial art into something more theatrically appealing.
Pricing:
- $60 – $80 Fundamentals Course
- $20/month
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @valiantfencing
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/Valiantfencing/
Image Credits
Michael Connop
Eric Weiss
