Register early. Class size is limited to 18. Patrick McCaffrey and his assistants from L'Arte Della Bellica will run through the full contents of Fiore dei Liberi's dagger material. The course will take 12 hours... hence the name of the program! There will be a break for lunch. The location is the Fort Belvoir Warrior Training Center (here are directions from the Springfield Mall). It is the first warehouse row next to the Burger King. You will have to come through the visitor's gate (Tulley Gate), which is at the intersection of Backlick/Pohick RD and Route 1.  You will need a government-issued ID card to enter. It's a military base, so don't bring anything that might get confiscated (firearms, explosives, etc.). For equipment, bring a mask and light gloves (and pelvic protection, of course). We will bring dagger trainers, but feel free to bring your own, as well. ARRIVE TO THE GATE EARLY!!!  We start at 7 AM. Please read the HEMA Alliance Liability Waiver. 

By attending this event, you acknowledge that you have read and agree to our liability waiver. www.capitalkdf.org/waiver    Class information This course introduces students to HEMA and prepares them to join our regular Gemeinfechten (common fencing) classes.    Time Each class starts Thursdays at 8pm and is 90 minutes long.  We also have a rapier class that starts at 7pm on Thursday.  You are welcome to drop in to see what it is about. Let an Instructor know you're new and they'll get you situated.   School Location CKDF holds classes at the Capital Area Budokai, 25 S. Quaker Lane, Alexandria, VA.  The school is located about one mile from the King Street metro.   Parking It's pretty easy find parking on the street - just check the signs to make sure you are in a legal spot.  Park wherever you can find a spot.  They do not tow in the lot.     Enter the building (the entrance is to the right of Rockland's Bar-be-que).  Turn right when you enter the lobby.  We are the first room on the left in the hallway.   What to Wear We provide all required gear.  Male students, however, must wear an a protective cup for every class.  We recommend you bring a water bottle.  The fountains on the main floor don't work. Please wear comfortable clothes and clean, indoor shoes. We share the space with a Japanese Sword Art school, and we work to keep the floors nice.    Staying in Touch We invite you join our Facebook Group,  This is where we share information about upcoming events, classes, equipment deals, and other HEMA-related information.   You can check out our website at www.capitalkdf.org.  HEMA isn't just longsword - we study a plethora of weapons like Scottish broadsword, Iberian montante, and unarmed grappling. Feel free to stop by to observe any of our classes.   Equipment It's very easy to dump a lot of money on the wrong equipment, and it's our mission to find the best equipment for each student.  The needs of each student differ by student and experience, so we recommend that students avoid rushing to buy gear.  We encourage new students to try out of few of the study areas before settling on equipment.  Additionally, We have close relationships and knowledge of many HEMA vendors. We periodically do bulk equipment orders through Purpleheart Armoury and Castille Armoury to save students money on shipping.  We provide all the necessary equipment for new students, so it's OK to wait before you buy.     We look forward to seeing you!