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Haitian Machete Fencing Workshop 2025

Gotham Swords is excited to welcome back Michael Rogers of the Haitian Fencing Project for an intensive six-hour workshop this July!

In Haiti, the traditional art of machete fencing goes by many names, among them Tire Machèt (“Pulling Machetes”). Tire Machèt has roots in the Haitian Revolution, when the revolutionaries were often forced to fight with fewer guns than soldiers. Its combination of ancestral African combat systems proved highly effective both in battle and as a means of individual self-defense.

Tickets are $225, with all proceeds from this event benefiting the people of Haiti through the nonprofit organization Cultural Capital Haiti.  We hope that you can join us once again for this unique and amazing experience and help do some good in the world:

TIRE MACHÈT WORKSHOP WITH MICHAEL ROGERS Sunday, July 13th, 12pm-6pm 520 8th Ave., New York, NY Tickets Here Interested in Learning More about Haitian Machete Fencing?

Buy the official training manual! Haitian Machete Fencing Project • Gotham Swords • Bauernwehr

The Manual

Haitian Machete Fencing is a functional martial art with deep roots in Haiti’s struggle for freedom. Over the course of a ten-year apprenticeship with master fencer Alfred Avril in Haiti, we were privileged to document this art form in ways never seen by the wider world.

Now, in collaborating with his children and other committed students, this book provides a deeper and more technical exploration of Haitian Machete Fencing than anything available so far, while preserving the respect for tradition upon which our teacher always insisted.

Lush photography by Charles Espey captures thrilling and informative images of Haitian Machete Fencing in action, as well as lovingly rendered portraits. Oral histories and essays – including an extended interview with Professor Avril that has never-before been made public – provide essential insight into the spiritual and cultural significance of this art form.

All author royalties benefit the people of Haiti through our nonprofit organization Cultural Capital Haiti.

GET YOUR COPY TODAY

About

Michael Rogers (Fencing Instructor & Program Coordinator) Michael is an assistant professor of humanities at Pacific Northwest College of Art in Portland, Oregon. He first traveled to Haiti in 2002 and has spent over four years living and working there. He is the only non-Haitian known to have mastered the art of Haitian machete fencing, and is featured in the documentary short Papa Machete, which he worked on as a consultant from concept through post-production. He holds a PhD in history from the University of Cambridge.

Gotham Swords: The Gotham European Martial Arts Collective is NYC’s premiere historical fencing social club.  The centuries old Art of Swordsmanship offers countless challenges, rewards, and opportunities for personal growth. From general fitness to tournament training, Gotham Swords look forward to being a part of your journey! www.gemac.club

Gotham Bauernwehr — invites students to experience a unique fencing system of Ringen (wrestling), Messer (machete), and Stock (Stick) outside the context of the “noble” historical duel; favoring defensive approaches to an engagement.  Our program is greatly influenced by the Avril Family Method of Tiré Machét, a living tradition of Haitian martial arts which serves as the heart of our practice. https://www.gemac.club/bauernwehr

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A short reflection on our practice of THE GAME: An essential component of our Bauernwehr training program, the Game comes to us through the Haitian tradition of Tire Machèt and the amazing folks at the @haitian_machete_fencing Project. In this exercise the Mentor, or leader of the practice, gives hits to a Scholar, who is (almost) exclusively focused on defending, replying to each attack with the correct protective action — always abiding the Core Principles.

The Game is infinitely adaptable and open to students of all experience levels. Mentors slowly adjust the intensity and anticipated responses for each individual Scholar, who, in turn, is able to experience their skills in action. Our major objective is to champion the spirit of a defensive-first mindset:

"Resistance isn’t about winning battles but about surviving. If you can survive as a committed antagonist, victory is inevitable." — Haitian Machete Fencing: The Avril Family Method (p.216).

Grab your copy of Haitian Machete Fencing, now available!

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A short reflection on our practice of THE GAME: An essential component of our Bauernwehr training program, the Game comes to us through the Haitian tradition of Tire Machèt and the amazing folks at the @haitian_machete_fencing Project. In this exercise the Mentor, or leader of the practice, gives hits to a Scholar, who is (almost) exclusively focused on defending, replying to each attack with the correct protective action — always abiding the Core Principles.

The Game is infinitely adaptable and open to students of all experience levels. Mentors slowly adjust the intensity and anticipated responses for each individual Scholar, who, in turn, is able to experience their skills in action. Our major objective is to champion the spirit of a defensive-first mindset:

"Resistance isn’t about winning battles but about surviving. If you can survive as a committed antagonist, victory is inevitable." — Haitian Machete Fencing: The Avril Family Method (p.216).

Grab your copy of Haitian Machete Fencing, now available!

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PRACTICE: The Experience of Training…

Each session provides a new SKILL, CONCEPT, or INSIGHT into our progress. It’s easy to feel good about “Successful” training days, when everything feels easy & natural. BUT equally important are the days when we struggle.

While difficult in the moment, these sessions are simply revealing our next challenge…  

So how do we face these challenges?

We work hard, ask for help when we need it, and work together to improve! 

It is important to remember the challenges and tough days so we can celebrate our wins!

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Applications class footage

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Sword Fitness: The Yoga Edition!

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2025-03-08 Review Video

Catching on up on posting the videos of our Applications classes for student review!

If you would like more information about our class, check out bauernwehr.nyc!

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Some images from last weekend's class sessions!

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Ostara celebrates the Spring Equinox, a period of time in which "the light and darkness return to balance"! As we escape the deep chill of winter, it's another time for reflection and new beginnings!

We're about three months into 2025, so now is great time to take a moment to think about your training goals for this year. How's it going? How you feeling? What's working? What isn't?

Does progress feel on track — Great, keep on pushing! If things aren't working it's OKAY! Those are simply lessons in what doesn't work. If you need some help adjusting your training program, you can always ask our instructor for advice — we're here to help!

Good training and see you in the Fechtverein!

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Footage from our February Applications classes is now up; great work everybody!!!

About

These sessions are referred to as "Playing the Game": a method of learning by which you work directly with an Instructor or Senior Mentor to refine your practice.  The Mentor gives hits while the Scholar focuses on solely performing the correct defensive actions as a response to those attacks.

We adopted this tool from our study and relationship with the Haitian tradition of Tire Machet.

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Workout Challenge N°.1

"The best solo practice is exercise..." — Kat H., Sword Fitness Instructor

Welcome to the first Bauernwehr weekend workout challenge! Kat and Peter get a lot of requests regarding methods for individual solo-practice, and thus have dreamt up the Workout Challenge!

Initially designed to be a guide for weekends without classes, you can use these challenges to level-up your physical routine any day of the week!

WARM UP

Taiso

Jog in place, getting the knees as high as possible x 120 seconds

SET 1

Wall Sits x30 seconds

Bodyweight Squat x12

Rest 30 seconds

Repeat set two (2) more times.

SET 2

Bodyweight Forward Lunges x15 (for each leg!)

Plank x30 seconds

Rest 30 seconds

Repeat set two (2) more times.

SET 3

Pushup x 15

Bodyweight Backward Lunges x15 (for each leg!)

Rest 30 seconds

Repeat set two (2) more times.

SET 4

Full body crunch x15

Bodyweight Standing Calf Raise x 15

Rest 30 seconds

Repeat set two (2) more times.

COOL DOWN STRETCHES

We've created some instructional videos as well! If you need help with anything, don't hesitate to reach out to us on the Gotham Swords Discord server or directly via e-mail (bauernwehr@gmail)!

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Mentor Peter Haas was interviewed for MAYTT, check out what he has to say about martial arts, the struggle to be a good mentor, and how HEMA is like a Woolly Mammoth!

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More practice during our Bauernwehr training sessions: Distance and Time, the Zoll Versatzung, and, of course, playing The Game.

We love to show off our hot-off-the-presses copy of the Haitian Fencing Manual!

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This weekend was a return to fundamentals: focusing on the straight and roof block... with a little bit of learning the low-sweep thrown in!