Building a Community with Sword Fighting: Why We Gather at the Edge of the Blade
When youswing a weapon at another human,likesword fighting,it isshockingly intimate.There isnothing like the communication that you get at the point of a blade. Muchlike when you show up toSXPevent,expecting choreography and cool moves,butsomehow leave with new friends, a renewed senseof confidence, and a strange craving for wooden bokken.
AtThe Sword Experience, we’ve seen this happen again and again. Strangers arrive from different cities,different careers, different fitness levels—and by the end of the day, they’ve sparred, trained, laughed,and sometimes dramaticallychange the way they perceive theshows they secretly still rewatch onstreaming platforms.You can feel it when it clicks: sword fighting isn’t just a skill. It’s a catalyst forconnection.It’s no accident.
The Sword Experience was built on that very idea.
Adrian Paul—yes, the one from Highlander—spent decades perfecting his craft on screen and in the dojo. He’s trained in Hung Gar and Shaolin Kung Fu for over 25 years and spent even longer choreographing sword fights for film and TV. But when he founded The Sword Experience in 2016, the goal wasn’t to create a stunt school. It was to create a place where people could do something epic together.
That’s what happens at our live events and tours. These aren’t sterile training sessions with clipboards and whistles. They’re immersive experiences—often held in places like castles, wineries, and museums—where you learn real techniques used by real stunt pros. And somehow, between the footwork drills and fight sequences, something else happens. People connect. They cheer each other on. They trade tips. They grab dinner after. Some of them start traveling together to other events. It’s weirdly wholesome for something built around combat.
But we get it—not everyone can fly across the country every month to swing swords in abandoned forts. That’s why the Sword Experience Academy exists. The online training platform lets you dive deep into the same high-level techniques from anywhere in the world. Whether you’re brushing up on targeting, exploring distance and timing, or learning to move like a camera-ready warrior, the academy’s designed to build your skill and community. There’s even a numbering system, so everyone’s speaking the same language—except instead of small talk, it’s “block five, attack six, camera angle three.”
And then there’s the gear. It might sound silly, but nothing bonds a group faster than showing up in matching SXP swag. That shared look becomes a badge of honor. And using quality equipment—like our handcrafted bokkens or the versatile Pro Trainer—isn’t just about performance. It’s about belonging. When everyone’s holding the same blade and sweating through the same drills, you’re not just training. You’re becoming part of something. Take a look at some of our retreats, where you receive as part of your package, a unique retreat T shirt. People training together wearing the “uniform T shirt” gives a sense of teamwork and community.
It’s tempting to romanticize this, to say sword fighting builds community because it feels cinematic or heroic. But it’s simpler than that. When you cross blades with someone, you’re forced to be present. You learn to read body language. You become attuned to rhythm, emotion, and trust. At one of our Corporate events, the comment that stood out was one by a business owner, who said “ taking part in the event made me understand that my customers weren’t my opponents but my partners”. That shared vulnerability—especially in a world drowning in surface-level connections—is rare. And it’s powerful.
So yes, come for the swords. Absolutely. Come for the thrill of learning from a guy who’s choreographed more fight scenes than most people have watched. Come for the castles, the costumes, the cool photos. But know that what you’re really signing up for is a chance to do something real—with people who get it.
And if you’re not sure where to start?
Find your nearest event.
Join the online academy.
Grab the gear and show up like you mean it.
We’ll see you on the mat. Try not to fall in love with it. (You will.)
