Classes and Training
More classes are always in the works, and we also do workshops by request.
Reach out if you don’t see what you’re looking for!
Case of Blades
Sunday, Feb 1, 2026
9:00am - 12:00pm
Herndon, VA
$35 Registration • Ages 18+
Choreography and combat with a blade in each hand - it sure seemed like a good idea at the time. This class will examine the difficulties and possibilities of theatrical double fence, from Three Musketeers to Zorro, and how to contain the chaos
Intro to BJJ
Sunday, Feb 8, 2026
9:00am - 12:00pm
Herndon, VA
$35 Registration • Ages 18+
Brazilian Jiu Jitsu (BJJ) is a martial art that has been around for a century but has only enjoyed widespread popularity since the early 1990s. Its techniques have been used in films such as Flash Point, Haywire, John Wick, The Kingsman, The Mandalorian, and the MCU. This class will look at the basic concepts of Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, focusing on key recognizable elements that differentiate it from other martial arts.
Next. Level. Intimacy!
Sunday, Feb 15, 2026
10:00am - 12:00pm
Herndon, VA
$35 Registration • Ages 18+
Once we have basic consent practices in place, we can explore how distance, movement, shapes, and contact shape characters’ relationships and intimate stories.
Pre-requisite Required.
Smallsword SPT
Sundays, Feb 22 thru May 17, 2026
9:00am - 12:00pm
Herndon, VA
$395 Registration • Ages 18+
This Skills Proficiency Test Class is a total of 30 hours of instruction culminating in an adjudicated performance for a Society of American Fight Directors Fight Master.
The full SPT class has filled! To join the waitlist, click here.
Click below to register for a renewal.
Fight Direction - Prepare for Battle
Sunday, Feb 22, 2026
5:00pm - 7:00pm EST
on ZOOM (Virtual)
$25 Registration • Ages 18+
For those wishing to transition from performing to directing violence, the path forward may feel overwhelming. Thankfully, there are many ways to take the first steps. Join this lecture and discussion, as we prepare for The Play That Goes Wrong to exemplify some ways we can get ready for the first rehearsal.
Break the Drill
Sunday, Mar 1, 2026
1:00pm - 3:00pm
Herndon, VA
$35 Registration • Ages 18+
Martial Arts are a rich source for cultural learning, and their drills can develop strong attributes such as coordination and speed. However, they are often removed from their injurious purpose for safe training. In this class, students will learn some popular kali double-stick drills, before adapting them into sword choreography driven by intent, tactics, and momentum.
SAFD Theatrical Firearms Safety
March 28 & 29, 2026
9:00am - 5:00pm
Silver Spring, MD
$215 – price thru Feb 1
$245 – price thru Feb 28
$285 – Full Registration Fee
The course focuses on terminology for the most common types of firearms and ammunition, the protocols for handling these firearms, techniques for gun wrangling on set or on stage, procedures for cleaning, handling jamming, and other potential malfunctions, as well as a brief history. The course culminates in a written and practical exam
Mid-Atlantic Melee
June 6 & 7, 2026
9:00am - 6:00pm
Columbia MD
$299 – Early Bird Registration (thru March 16)
$355 – Full Registration
$120 – High School Track
A Regional Stage Combat workshop, hosted and sponsored in part by the Noble Blades. Spend two days with world class instructors and artists from all over the country and beyond! All are welcome and there is something for every skill level.
Previous Class Seasons
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• Knife SPT – Robb Hunter
• She Kills Monsters Pre-Production Workshop – Ian Claar and Katie Warner
• Shadowboxing Biomechanics and Solo Training – Justin M. Krall
• Surviving the Fight – Justin Rustle
• Northern Virginia Burn Lab – Sweet Spot of the Flame
• Prop-rioception – Katie Warner
• Not Throwin’ Away My Shot – Josh Coslar -
• Unarmed SPT – Robb Hunter
• Working with Disabled and Chronically Ill Performers – Monty Davis
• Fierce Knife Fighting for Beginners – Bess Kaye
• Feeling Strong with Sword and Shield – Melissa Freilich
• Theatrical Intimacy in the Real World – Bess Kaye
• Rapier and…WTF??? – J. Tyler Jones
• Rope Dart – Chase Whitehurst
• Swashbuckling! – Jon Beal
• O, I am Slain! – Bess Kaye
• Remembering Fight Posture – Gerrad Taylor
• Attention to Intention – Joe Wright
• Sword, with a side of Bolognese Sauce – Joe Wright
• Wing Chun Kung Fu, Deny the Defence – Jan Pan
• Got it? Do it. Learning Fast – Jan Pan
• CORE-terstaff – Jenny Male
• Two-Hand Sword SPT – Casey Kaleba
• How we got There from Here, A History – Brian Guidry LeTraunik
• Making a Better Website – Jen Pan -
• Is It Real? Safety and Story of Visceral Contact Technique – Bess Kaye
• Single Sword SPT – Robb Hunter
• Practical Blood Effects – Casey Kaleba
• Combat Dance: Bar Brawl – Jenny Male
• Combat Dance: Rhythm and Blades – Jenny Male
• Fighting Messy – Melissa Freilich
• Intro to Pro Wrestling – Jonathan Ezra Rubin
• SAFD Theatrical Firearms Safety – Robb Hunter
• Rapier and Dagger SPT – Casey Kaleba
• Rehearsing the Fight – J. Tyler Jones
• Intro to Gore Makeup for the Stage – Celia Konowe
• Fighting on the Spectrum – Hannah Roccisano
• I Feel Very Attacked! – Hannah Roccisano -
• Smallsword SPT – Robb Hunter
• Fighting Backwards in High Heels – Melissa Freilich
• That’s Not a Knife…Or is it!? – Jonathan Ezra Rubin
• How to Fight Like a Pirate – Mallory Shear
• Sword and Shield SPT – Robb Hunter
• Johannes Wick: Medieval Close Quarters Dagger – Casey Kaleba
• High Falls from Low Places – Robb Hunter -
• Unarmed SPT – Robb Hunter
• T.I.E. Consent and Boundaries – Kailey Azure Green
• Rapier Basics – Adam Konowe
• Zero Budget Blood Effects – Casey Kaleba
• Acting the Fight with Alexander Technique – Melissa Freilich
• Knife SPT – Robb Hunter
• SAFD Theatrical Firearms Safety – Robb Hunter
• Maintaining the Actors’ Body – Ian Claar -
• Rapier and Dagger Foundations
• Partnering and Physicality
• Unarmed Foundations
• Blades of Shakespeare