The Humboldt State University Fencing Club invites you to...

...the Redwood Coast Assault of Arms on Saturday and Sunday April 5th and 6th.  The Redwood Coast Assault of Arms has been the premier Association for Historical Fencing tournament on the west coast for seven years running. This event will be held in Northern California at Humboldt State University, known for its redwood forests and clean air.

The Humboldt State University Fencing Club was established in 1955 and has been endeavoring to cultivate appreciation for fencing for 59 years. The Redwood Coast Assault of Arms is designed to highlight the diversity of  classical fencing and it's enthusiasts to the public. In addition, we also treat this tournament as a great learning opportunity and crucial to a fencer’s education; we will strive to give the participants as many bouts as we can.

The Sunday public event will showcase the best fencers of the previous day and provide an opportunity for community members to learn about our art.

Register Now! 

Scoring Mechanics

Our tournament ideology is very different than most tournaments. We don't rank our participants by their victories, but by the touches they deliver and receive. This system awards the individuals who use their skills to keep themselves safe before hitting their adversay; the individuals who deliver the most touches while receiving the least are victorious and continue to the finals. The finals are scored the same way.

Example Tournament: 3 competitors, Round Robin

Bout 1

Fencer A: 1 delivered, 3 received

Fencer B: 3 delivered, 1 received (Victorious)

Bout 2

Fencer A: 2 delivered, 3 received

Fencer C: 3 delivered, 2 received (Victorious)

Bout 3

Fencer B: 0 delivered, 3 received

Fencer C: 3 delivered, 0 received (Victorious)

Scores

(Total Delivered minus Total Received)

Fencer A: (3-6 = -3) Third Place

Fencer B: (3-4 = -1) Second Place

Fencer C: (6-2 = 4) First Place

*We will strive to organize the tournament in the Round Robin style, but may resort to single or double elimination if participant quantity requires it.

Rules & Required Equipment

The Redwood Coast Assault of Arms is an Association for Historical Fencing officiated event. As such this tournament will comply with all AHF rules and regulations including those pertaining to tournament facilitation and required equipment. Briefly, all equipment must be in good condition and safe to use, pants and shoes must be worn with no exposed skin with exception to the back of the head and unarmed hand (foil & epee only; sabre requires no off-hand glove). Some equipment is available for rental through the HSU Fencing club and can be reserved at registration.

Participants are responsible for reviewing all AHF rules before the event, and complying with ALL equipment requirements!

Weapons

All accepted variations of foils, epees and sabres are listed in the rules, please read them carefully to see if your weapon qualifies. Smallswords and rapiers are the only weapons allowed in the historical bracket and no companion weapons are permitted (daggers, cloaks, etc).

Register Now! 

Schedule of Events

Saturday, April 5th, TBA Location: Preliminary Fencing up to the final four competitors in each weapon bracket. Doors open at 8:00am for warm up and equipment check with fencing at 9:00.

Weapons fenced in order will be foil, epee, sabre and historical weapons. Fencing will commence after a brief discussion of the rules, and will continue until a one-hour lunch break. Fencing will continue after lunch until completion.

We will ideally be holding this tournament in a round robbin style, meaning each participant fences all others in their bracket. Depending on registration volume, we may be forced to resort to a single or double elimination method.

Participant’s dinner is scheduled for 8:00 pm at a TBA local restaurant. Seat reservations are available for participants and a guest at registration.

Sunday, April 6th, TBA Location: Venue doors open at 11:30 for participants with public doors at 12:00 noon and will close at 4:00.

This reception available to the public will feature the top four finalists in each weapon bracket fencing for first place. Before the fencing, refreshments will be served and informational displays & demonstrations will be available for public viewing. Individual weapon champions will be crowned, along with a Tournament Grand Champion determined via assaults between the top fencers in each bracket (excluding foil). All final bouts will be fenced in the single elimination style and prizes will be granted to the victors.

Registered participants receive free admission regardless of placement and may bring any guests they desire.

Register Now! 

Lodging

Hotel Arcata – Link  – The Hotel Arcata is within 15 minute walking distance of Saturday's preliminaries and is centrally located in Arcata. From their website: Located on the town square of historic Arcata on the coast of Northern California, Hotel Arcata is convenient to all of the attractions of Humboldt County, within steps of a wide variety of quality restaurants, fitness facilities and other services and only minutes from the regional airport and downtown Eureka. Within a 5 minute stroll of Hotel Arcata is Redwood Park with its walking trails through a majestic and inspiring redwood forest.

Best Western Inn, Arcata – Link – A few minutes drive (not walking distance) from Saturday's preliminaries and is high in customer satisfaction. From their website: Welcome to the BEST WESTERN Arcata Inn, a family friendly hotel located close to a variety of Northern California activities and attractions. This Arcata hotel offers well-appointed guest rooms with cable satellite television with HBO® and high-speed internet access. This hotel also features a variety of amenities including a complimentary continental breakfast, heated indoor/outdoor swimming pool, hot tub and limited business services. Pets are welcome!

Student Housing – Extremely limited! If you’re on a tight budget and looking to attend the RCAA, some Humboldt State University students and local fencers may have couch / extra bed space available. Please contact us early to make these arrangements.

Register Now!