So you’re stuck at home…

The COVID pandemic spotlighted how difficult it is to practice stage combat while quarantined at home or if you don’t have access to in-person classes and equipment. If you don’t have the luxury of owning your own steel (or aluminum) swords or a large open practice space, here are some resources for making or acquiring your own trainers so that you can continue to practice while at home!

A note about safety: Please be aware of your environment when you practice, including other people, pets, furniture, ceilings, and objects. We do not recommend damaging things that you do not intend to damage. If you choose to make your own training weapons, neither Theatrica Gladiatoria nor the individuals in the linked video tutorials are responsible for the outcome of the product, any results of the building process, or use of the prop constructed by any one individual.

 

Training Swords (Rapiers, Single Swords, Longswords)

Specifications

Rapier: A homemade rapier or stand-in facsimile should be approximately 3.5’ in total length (31”-36” for the blade, 4”-6” for the handle) and weighs 1-2lbs.

Arming Sword: An arming sword (theatrically known as single-hand broadsword) is approximately 3’ in total length (28” for the blade, 4”-6” for the handle) and weighs 1.5-2.2lbs.

Two-Handed Sword: A hand-and-half sword or longsword is approximately 3.5’-4’ in total length (34-36” for the blade, 7”-12” for the handle) and weighs 2-3.5lbs.

Don’t have a steel sword? Here are some trainers you can use!

Making/Buying Your Own Trainer:

Common Household Stand-ins:

  • Dowel, stick, or broom handle (~1” wide and 24-36” long)

  • Umbrella

  • Wooden spoon

  • Toy lightsaber

Dagger and Knife Trainers

Trainers

Making/Buying Your Own Trainer:

  • Synthetic Dagger: A cheap, plastic option to get used to using a parrying dagger in the off-hand

  • Rubber Knife Trainer: A Cold Steel rubber knife trainer

  • Bowie Knife Trainer: Another knife trainer from Cold Steel

  • Go to your local hardware store, grab a handful of paint stir sticks, and tape them together!

Common Household Stand-Ins:

  • Short dowel (1” wide, no longer than 24” long) or stick

  • Wooden spoon or spatula

  • Dull knife

  • Carrot, celery, or banana (we do not recommend these for extensive or long-term use)

Specifications

Dagger: A basic parrying dagger is approximately 1.5’ in total length (12”-18” for the blade, 5”-7” for the handle) and weighs approximately 1lb.

Knife: A basic knife is approximately 12” in total length (7”-10” for the blade, 5”-6” for the handle).

These specifications may vary depending on the specific dagger or knife style you’re looking to practice.

Training Partners

If you don’t have other individuals you can safely practice with, here are some inanimate training “buddies” that can serve as a stand-in!

  • Tape the silhouette of a body on a wall to help with visualizing aim points

  • Hang a shirt or clothespin a piece of paper on a line to act as a target focus

  • Clamp a wooden dowel to a door jam or wooden table, or secure the dowel in a laundry basket to act as a training dummy

  • “Ladder Buddy": Build your own training dummy out of an A-frame ladder and some bungee cords! Links to reference images:

Sanitation & Maintenance

Here are some guidelines or sanitizing your weapons (training and steel) and maintaining them while quarantined:

  • Sanitation Guidelines: Great guide from Rogue Steel on how to sanitize metal, leather, wire, paracord, rubber, and wood.

  • Weapon Maintenance: Rogue Steel’s recommendations on how to care for your theatrical weapons