Our group is named for Saint Didacus of Alcalá, known locally as San Diego. As a lay brother he, like common merchants and tradesmen, would have learned sword fighting for both exercise and civil defense. Without access to professional fencing masters from the large cities, they learned from manuals, travelers, and each other.
The Scholars of Alcalá focus on fencing manuals written in the 16th and early 17th century. This includes the knightly arming sword, the two-handed longsword, the common soldiers’ long knife, and the civilian’s rapier.
The Scholars of Alcala was founded in December of 2012 and joined the HEMA Alliance, a 501c3 non-profit, the next year.