Code of conduct

On the floor

• Fencing is for learning. Ego stays off the floor.
• Control your intensity. Never hit harder than your training partner is comfortable with.
• Respect consent. Consent is ongoing — no one is ever pressured into drills or fencing they don't want to do.
• Mind your gear. Make sure everything you use is in good condition, before and after you use it.
• Feel good about where your skills are, not where you wish they were. We all start somewhere.

How we treat each other

Support one another and recognize that we each come to fencing from different places. Treat each other with kindness, respect, and generosity — newcomers and veterans alike.

We're committed to an inclusive club and we value the diversity of racial and cultural identity, background, nationality, sexual orientation, gender identity, religious belief, marital status, family structure, age, and class. Harassment and discrimination have no place here.

Reporting a problem

If something crosses a line — whether it happened to you or you saw it happen to someone else — bring it to our head instructor, John Dickens. Talk to him at practice, pull him aside before or after class, or email buffalohistoricalfencing@gmail.com. You don't need proof, you don't need to be certain, and you don't need to be the person it happened to.

If your concern is about the head instructor, it goes to the club's directors instead, so that no one has to report a problem to the person causing it. Buffalo Historical Fencing is in the process of incorporating as a 501(c)(7) with a board of directors, and this page will list their contact details as soon as that's finalized. In the meantime, ask any club member to put you in touch with a director directly.

We will take you seriously, keep what you tell us as private as we can while still acting on it, and never punish anyone for raising a concern in good faith.

Accountability

Unsafe behavior costs you fencing privileges. Failure to meet our safety requirements, non-compliance with this code of conduct, or non-payment of membership can lead to revocation of club membership. We'd always rather talk it through first — but everyone's safety comes before anyone's ego.