Guild Philosophy

The philosophy, teaching and beliefs of the Guild are those advocated by John Waller, the Guild Master. These have been used successfully for over 40 years in the practice and teaching of European Historical combat. It is held that there are certain factors that can be held to determine the way in which a combat takes place. They are:

• Body mechanics (Physiology and Psychology)
• The design intention weapons being used
• The clothing/protection worn by the combatants
• The Physical environment in which the combat takes place
• The Social environment in which the combat takes place
• The intention of the combatants

John Waller's system is based on certain Principles, many of which are borne out by the old European manuals as well as being shared by other martial arts around the world.

Each fighter/student shall be assessed on an individual basis, allowing for height, size and speed of learning, and the techniques taught should suit their particular physicality.

All weapons training should encourage students to become aware of their body's responses when carrying out various physical actions of attack and defence, and how these responses can be controlled. This awareness can be experienced from the beginning of training, if all offensive or defensive actions are made using Awareness/eye contact, Balance and Intent