Grades in the Guild
Postulant - een introduction
At the Guild of Saint Michael, everyone starts as a postulant. As a beginner in the martial art, you will be included in long sword instruction during your first year. Here you will learn the basics at the Saint Michael's Guild based on techniques from the Liechtenauer tradition.
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After a year of consistent lessons, you can take the student test. In this test, the teaching material of the past year is tested and if you complete this positively, you can call yourself a student of the Guild of St. Michael.
Leerling [Student]
Beyond longsword
In earlier times, a student was actually like a student today. The student receives instruction in a subject from a master (or teacher). While it may now be English or Economics, it used to be a craft such as bricklaying.
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At the Guild of St. Michael, education really begins with apprenticeship. In addition to rights such as participation in tournaments, the student receives instruction in the other weapons of the Guild: the rapier, staff and dagger & ringen.
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After two years of consistent training, you can participate in the first journeyman test, your further deepening of the martial art.
Gezel [Journeyman]
An arsenal of arts
After demonstrating sufficient skill, one could rise in a guild to the rank of Companion. A journeyman was instructed by a master and worked on the finer points of a trade, whereby the master had to teach the journeyman everything he knew. If a journeyman met the requirements for mastership, he could take a master's test to obtain this rank.
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At the Guild of St. Michael, the total period of the company spanned six years. As before, the journeyman immerses himself in the finer points of the various weapons and focuses on refining his fencing skills.
