Our Mission
We are all united by our shared passion for swords and fencing. Our top goal is to build community and create a safe and inviting atmosphere open to everyone regardless of sex, gender, race, sexual preference, or economic status. Everyone is treated with respect and kindness.
Core Values
Courage
Courage does not mean, not being afraid. Courage is willingly doing something in spite of your fear.
Sword fighting is inherently dangerous and chaotic, sometimes we have to go against our instincts and be courageous by stepping forward into what we perceive is harm’s way in order to be successful.
People come from all walks of life but together through our training we learn to be brave in all types of situations. It also takes courage to be compassionate and kind, which is the atmosphere we bring into our community.
Humility
Martial Arts are a wonderful tool to see into yourself. Your martial art is a personal journey guided by your instructors and peers. At the end of the day, you will only ever be as proficient as the work that you have put in. That can be incredibly humbling but also empowering when you realize just how much you are capable of.
At SDS we choose to nourish the principles of self-discipline and self-control. Humility to learn, humility to allow someone else to succeed, humility to admit when you’re wrong, are all vital components to being an excellent fencer and martial artist.
Tenacity
Through our courage, humility, and practice we become tenacious. Unyielding in our desire for excellence, we strive to become the best version of ourselves. We strive to build a fun, trusting, community where we can make mistakes and devote ourselves to helping each other prosper.
In the spirit of our mascot, the Owl Pheonix, we rise again after any defeat to set the sky ablaze with our tenacity.
HOW WE STARTED
The club was founded in March of 2022 by our Head Instructor Lorenzo Mendoza. Since then we have steadily grown in members, expanded to multiple practices per week, and spead awareness of HEMA in our community. We now have 4 instructors teaching multiple weapons and new members joining all the time!