Forteza Fitness

From the Blog

Archery

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Situated about Forteza’s main floor is “the Rookery”, a 3000 sf, competition-length 8-lane archery range! Here students and practiced archers alike can practice one of humanity’s oldest leisure activities and martial arts.

Beginners welcome! No familiarity or previous experience is required; bows and arrows will be provided for all students with archery lessons for beginners.

There are three ways you can participate!

Our Introduction to Archery course is designed to get new archers up and running, and knock the rust of a bow-arm that may not have drawn a string in quite some time. Students learn the fundamentals of how to shoot the modern recurve bow but will also learn about the history of archery and the many forms it has taken over the years, from the famed English longbow to the Asiatic composite bow. Class will instill range safety and etiquette, the history of archery, the operation and care of various bows, and will give you all you need to become a regular shooter at the range.

Open Range is a drop-in or punch-card program for archers looking for a flexible shooting schedule and is bought in one-hour blocks. You can use our equipment or bring your own (60 lb draw-maximum).

Youth Archery is an on-going, open-ended after school/Saturday morning program for kids 9 – 13. We provide the gear and the instructor; your kids bring the enthusiasm and together we have fun! For children who want to get their Robin Hood on adding the swordplay taught in our Cavaliers program, this can be combined at a dramatic discount in a Yeoman membership.

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Armizare: Medieval Swordsmanship

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Martial Arts are literally, the “Arts of Mars” literally means the arts of Mars, the Roman god of war, so it should be no surprise that Europe boasts a complex martial culture that extends back into antiquity and continues to this day.

Armizare (are-mee-TZAR-ay) is the medieval Italian name for the martial arts of the warrior class of Europe – the knight.  Like his Asian counterpart, the samurai, the knight was the developer and inheritor of a sophisticated martial arts system that encompasses more than just fencing with the medieval sword; it is a comprehensive combat system useful in a variety of contexts: armed with sword, lance, axe or dagger, unarmed and in or out of plate armour. The system also covers the use of improvised weapons, such as heavy clubs, a small baton and flexible weapons.

Through the study of Armizare, you will learn:

  • A 600 year old fighting art, tested on the battlefield by generations of medieval warriors;
  • A solid foundation in natural, elegant movement and universal body mechanics;
  • How to wield a wide variety of  swords, daggers and polearms, in and out of armour;
  • Combative integration – learn how to move from weapon range to grappling range, and how to fight with and against diverse weapons in dissimilar combat scenarios;
  • The evolution of the many tools in the knightly arsenal;
  • The history of our tradition and the stories of its most famous (and infamous) students;
  • The ethical system of chivalry, in theory vs. practice, and its evolution over time.

Forteza is the home studio of the Chicago Swordplay Guild, an internationally renowned organization that offers two distinct tracks of historical fighting arts from Medieval and Renaissance Italy (1350 – 1650). Ranking is based on a traditional system of licensing used by fighting guilds found throughout late medieval Europe.

You can combine this class with SwordFit!, one of our most popular classes. Combined with the use of staff weapons, body-weight exercises and “old school” fitness techniques that literally extend back thousands of years, you can now use the tools of the warrior to build endurance, agility, raw power, reaction time, and fluid motion, this class is designed to add one of the things swordsfolk are often missing: muscular endurance and aerobic conditioning.

How do I begin?

Mastery is difficult, but beginning is easy! Just enroll in our Taste of the Knightly Arts  introductory class and let your journey begin.

You can also learn more about our unique medieval swordplay curriculum in the Armizare: The Knightly Fighting Art of Medieval Italy article on our blog.

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Renaissance Swordsmanship

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Learn the truth behind the swashbuckling swordplay of the Renaissance! By the later 16th century the two-handed longsword had been replaced by the elegant and deadly rapier as the principal weapon of the trained swordsman. Only once this weapon had been mastered was the use of companion arms taught, occasionally followed by the older polearms and two-handed sword.

Although the rapier has come to symbolize the era, the older, military sword continued to be used throughout the same period in an elegant, cut-and-thrust style learned by soldiers and civilian fencers alike. Your training begins with the rapier and then adds the use of the older, cutting sword. Together, these two weapons form the foundation of an extensive curriculum derived from the teachings of the 16th and 17th century masters of defense that pairs the sword with the shield, dagger and cloak, and also includes knife-fighting and unarmed knife defense.

Through the study of Renaissance Swordsmanship, you will learn:

  • A more than 400 year-old fighting art that revolutionized swordsmanship and gave rise to modern fencing;
  • How to wield the elegant, agile and deadly rapier and the powerful cutting sword, both alone and when combined with daggers, shields or cloaks;
  • A solid foundation in natural, elegant movement and universal body mechanics;
  • Combative integration – learn how to move from weapon range to grappling range, and how to fight with against diverse weapons in dissimilar combat scenarios;
  • The evolution of both the sword and dagger during the Renaissance;
  • The history of the duel;
  • The history of our tradition and the stories of its most famous (and infamous) students;
  • The ethical system of chivalry, in theory vs. practice, and its evolution over time.

Forteza is the home studio of the Chicago Swordplay Guild, an internationally renowned organization that offers two distinct tracks of historical fighting arts from Medieval and Renaissance Italy (1350 – 1650). Ranking is based on a traditional system of licensing used by fighting guilds found throughout late medieval Europe.

You can combine this class with SwordFit!, one of our most popular classes. Combined with the use of staff weapons, body-weight exercises and “old school” fitness techniques that literally extend back thousands of years, you can now use the tools of the warrior to build endurance, agility, raw power, reaction time, and fluid motion, this class is designed to add one of the things swordsfolk are often missing: muscular endurance and aerobic conditioning.

How do I begin?

Mastery is difficult, but beginning is easy! Just enroll in our Taste of the Renaissance introductory class and let your journey begin.

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Cavaliers — Youth Swordplay and Martial Arts

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Our youth swordplay program is specifically tailored to meet the needs of children ages 8 – 15 in a unique athletic program designed to engage your child’s mind and body, instill self-confidence, and promote teamwork.

More than just another martial arts class, our youth program is designed to develop life skills and ethical, self-confident young men and women, based on the traditional, seven chivalric virtues of the medieval knight.

  • Prowess
  • Humility
  • Courage
  • Courtesy
  • Largesse (Generosity)
  • Justice
  • Temperance (Balance and Self-Control)

Classes interweave physical training with teamwork exercises, lessons on medieval and Renaissance military history arms and armour, heraldry, and short reading assignments to hone their minds and surely as their bodies.

Students will come away from these classes with:

  • An improved sense of poise and confidence, as well as a high degree of athleticism.
  • Improved self-discipline as a result of our supportive environment where respect and accomplishment are encouraged.
  • Inspiration to learn about history.
  • An understanding of the responsibility of studying martial arts, and the ethics of their use.
  • Experience working with longswords, rapiers, polearms, as well as medieval and renaissance wrestling techniques.
  • Practical martial arts skill that will allow them to seamlessly continue in our adult program, if they wish to continue on.

This exciting program meets on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:00 – 6:00 PM, and Saturdays from 9:00 – 10:00 AM. Watch for a new “Teen Tuesdays” in January 2020!

Try a Free Class or  Register now!

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Swordplay Online: Distance Learning

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You’ve always wanted to learn to swordfight.

But the question has been how?

Opportunity seems slim — maybe there are no teachers nearby. Sure you’ve read some books or found a DVD, but going it alone is difficult. Without someone to correct and coach, it’s hard to know if you’re even doing it right. And you could use a little motivation to keep at it.

Swordplay Online was made for you!

When you sign up you aren’t just getting some home study videos or even a do-it-yourself course.

You are joining an ongoing, living program that has been researched and refined for over 20 years.

Swordplay Online offers a combination of:

  • Pre-recorded Courses, organized with handouts, drills and supporting documents, organized just like our live programs.
  • An option to add Live Classes and Coaching
  • Class Recordings, so you can go back and review.
  • An ever-growing library of short Technique Videos
  • Storytime Archive — Have an appetite for history? Get excited to pick up a sword by learning about the real people who practiced these martial arts, and the world they lived in! Monthly live lectures and a library of past events.

Sign up for classes HERE

What You’ll Learn

We offer a variety of weapon topics to explore. If you are new to a style, feel free to listen in on a class anyway.

Armizare (are-mee-TZAR-ay) is the medieval Italian name for the martial arts of the warrior class of Europe – the knight. Like his Asian counterpart, the samurai, the knight was the developer and inheritor of a sophisticated martial arts system that encompasses more than just fencing with the medieval sword; it is a comprehensive combat system useful in a variety of contexts: armed with sword, lance, axe or dagger, unarmed and in or out of plate armour. The system also covers the use of improvised weapons, such as heavy clubs, a small baton and flexible weapons.

Renaissance Swordsmanship will show you the truth behind the swashbuckling swordplay of the Renaissance! By the later 16th century the two-handed longsword had been replaced by the elegant and deadly rapier as the principal weapon of the trained swordsman.  Although the rapier has come to symbolize the era, the older, military sword continued to be used throughout the same period in an elegant, cut-and-thrust style learned by soldiers and civilian fencers alike. Your training begins with the rapier and then adds the use of the older, cutting sword. Together, these two weapons form the foundation of an extensive curriculum derived from the teachings of the 16th and 17th century masters of defense that pairs the sword with the shield, dagger and cloak, and also includes knife-fighting and unarmed knife defense.

 

Why us?

For one thing, our classes are live. You can ask questions in the chat. You can turn your camera on, submit homework and otherwise interact. It’s the closest thing to being there that can be offered.

What more is, we’re the experts. Forteza is the home studio of the Chicago Swordplay Guild, an internationally renowned organization that offers two distinct tracks of historical fighting arts from Medieval and Renaissance Italy (1350 – 1650).  We’ve been teaching swordplay since 1999, and are happy to expand our reach to students around the world, via live on-line classes.

 

How do I begin?

Mastery is difficult, but beginning is easy! Just enroll in any of our SwordplayOnline programs and let the journey begin!

 

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Historical African Martial Arts

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Akwaba (Welcome)

Africa is the second largest continent, home to the single largest diversity of human cultures, languages, even genetic diversity, in the world. Not, surprisingly, it has also been home to a wide variety of martial arts, many still living, using a wide variety of weapons (swords, spears, shields, staves, knives, wrist-hooks, maces and more!), wrestling and unarmed striking. These vast collection of traditions intermingled and cross-pollinated with other traditions throughout the African diaspora, particularly in the Caribbean and South America.

Forteza is pleased to be home to an African Marital Arts program, taught under the mentorship and guidance of Da’mon Stith, founder of the the Historical African Martial Arts Association (HAMAA). HAMAA is dedicated to the research, preservation, restoration, and propagation of the martial disciplines of Africa and its global diaspora community. This is achieved through academic research, experimental archaeology, and building a global community of practitioners, historians, and enthusiasts.

Currently, the Forteza HAMA program focuses on two specific disciplines:

Ethiopian shotel (sickle-sword) and buckler

Grima: Columbian Machete fencing.

Our Sunday Study Group will be expanding in time to include:

Al Matrag: A form of stick fencing practiced in western Algeria and Morocco. The stick was used to prepare the warriors of the Maghreb (Northwest Africa) for the sword, such as the Tuareg Takouba

Tahtib: Egyptian stick-fighting

HAMA Training at Forteza

Forteza’s HAMA Study Group trains in intensive, monthly workshops, that meet for three hours, on the third Sunday of every month. Membership in the club is included in our All-Inclusive or  memberships, or you can pay a $40 drop-in fee each class.

I am new to Forteza, how do I begin?

Easy! Just sign up for one of the monthly workshops that run throughout the year and let your journey begin!

 

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Antagonistics: Bartitsu and American Fighting Arts

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About Bartitsu

Although we imagine this time as a refined, elegant period of gentlemen with tailcoats and top hats, and ladies with crinoline dresses and lacy parasols, the streets of Victorian London, New York, Chicago and New Orleans were often far darker, rougher and more dangerous than they are now.  Born from those rough streets, E.W. Barton-Wright’s “New Art of Self Defence”, or Bartitsu is a combination of fisticuffs (scientific boxing), low kicking, wrestling, jujitsu and self defense with a cane, umbrella or walking stick.  Until it closed suddenly in 1902, Barton-Wright’s School of Arms and Physical Culture quickly became a place to see and be seen.  Ladies and gentlemen of distinction, famous actors, soldiers and athletes all passed through its doors, eager to learn the mysteries of Bartitsu.

In 2002, the international Bartitsu Society was formed to investigate and revive Barton-Wright’s cross-training experiments into the 21st century.  The art has also recently been popularized on the screen in the Guy Ritchie/Robert Downey, Jr. Sherlock Holmes movies.

Antagonistics = Victorian & Edwardian Martial Arts

In the late 1800’s, soldiers of all social classes were trained in the use of saber, rifle, handgun, bayonet and boxing. In many quarters it was also considered every citizen’s duty to be morally upright and physically fit, which inspired the proliferation of fencing schools, boxing clubs and gymnasiums. This combination of fencing, boxing, wrestling and shooting was often referred to collectively as antagonistics, and was typically combined with physical culture (calisthenics, gymnastics, weight-training and swimming).

American Heritage Fighting Arts

Part of our Antagonistics program has a particularly “Americana” bent, covering a number of weapons associated with frontier life, such as the bowie knife and tomahawk, as well as uniquely American expressions of disciplines such as bare-knuckle boxing, Catch-as-Catch-Can wrestling, bayonet and saber fencing. Our American Heritage classes are offered as a series of short-courses that run throughout the year.

Forteza’s Antagonistics program is a unique entry for modern men and women into Victorian era martial arts and fitness programs:

  • Bartitsu: an eclectic combination of Jujitsu, English Scientific Boxing, wrestling, kicking and self-defense with the cane or umbrella;
  • Sabre Fencing;
  • Stick Fighting;
  • Bowie Knife and Tomahawk combat (a most distinctly American weapon);
  • Physical Culture; a truly “old school” workout regimen of calisthenics, Indian clubs, and more!

How Do I Begin?

Entering the is as easy as signing up for our new six week Bartitsu course, or any Anatognistics/American Heritage short course, which are offered throughout the year! Thereafter, we invite you to join the Bartitsu Club of Chicago which meets monthly at Forteza to train and explore the fascintating world of Victorian martial arts and physical culture.

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SwordFit — Martial Arts Bootcamp

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Knightly Arts Meets Peak Performance Fitness

Swordfighting is one of the most effective forms of cross-training available. It combines aerobic and anaerobic exercise with a diverse workout that builds core strength, cardiovascular fitness, hand-eye coordination, balance, and timing; all through practicing a fun and engaging martial art. SwordFit! is a solo training program that combines a great way to build confidence, bust stress, and get in touch with your inner warrior with one of the most exciting tools available: the medieval longsword. Combined with the use of staff weapons, body-weight exercises and “old school” fitness techniques that literally extend back thousands of years, you can now use the tools of the warrior to build endurance, agility, raw power, reaction time, and fluid motion.

SwordFit! will push you physically and mentally to new limits to enhance your ability as a fighter or athlete. You will learn greater balance, speed, strength, stamina and more that will transform you into a more formidable warrior, with or without a sword. Whatever your fitness goals are, you’ll get an amazing and different kind of workout, while having a ton of fun in the process.

SwordFit! Is available as a stand-alone work-out, as part of our comprehensive, FightingFit! bootcamp program or as a free, bonus class for students with Swordsman Memberships.

We also livestream this class, so you can follow along at home!

Is This Program Right for Me?

SwordFit! is excellent for those who:

  • Are looking for a form of fitness that is exciting, dynamic and unique.
  • Enjoy focusing on one technique at a time and having the opportunity to rigorously test it.
  • Want to challenge themselves to lose weight, build endurance, build strength and balance and increase speed and reaction time.
  • Learn an exciting new skill.
  • Have an interest in swordplay, but are not sure you have the time or interest to dedicate to a martial art.
  • Are a swordplay student who wants to refine your core attributes.

SwordFit! participants may also be interested in taking one of our swordplay Taster Classes

Not sure? Try a Free Class!

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FightingFit! Bootcamp Conditioning

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Get fit, build confidence, and feel like a warrior with Chicago’s most unique boot camp: FightingFit!, A unique program of seven separate, but inter-related modules that will let you toughen-up and push yourself in new ways.

FightingFit! is not a work out, it is a Philosophy. The warrior mind-set drives our concepts of fitness: the Ability to go forward and achieve, regardless of setbacks and resistance.

Endurance. Power. Resilience.  These are the pillars that make up true strength. FightingFit! will provide all of these, and more. Both a multi-disciplinary program of 30-minute classes designed to increase martial arts and sports performance, and an innovative “functional fitness” program for anyone looking to “mix it up”,  We work in a fun, encouraging environment to sharpen the best “you”. We not only sweat, we learn to improve our bodies and our lives. Do you want to discover the best you? To refine you will and your body until nothing can stop you from living your life? There is no end to life challenges, on the field, in the ring, and in the board room, you need to be at your best. Find out what that means.

FightFit Flow emphasizes elasticity, suppleness and joint stabilization. Have wobbly knees when you lunge? Hike your shoulders whenever you cut? Or do you just feel like you need a warm-up to get your body conditioned before training for the night? This class is for you!

FightingFit Warrior is based on using weapon’s work as a way to create true, “functional fitness”. Strengthen your body with the weapon of your choice and hone it for the rigors of martial arts training.

FightingFit Grit deepens your gas tank and acclimates you to performing under stresses — whether that is adventure racing, sparring or being chased by tigers. (OK, we don’t have tigers in Chicago, but if you ever move someplace that does, you’ll be ready!)

FightingFit Bit is our online, mid-day workout. Get away from your desk and work out some tension, improve posture and fight the ravages of the desk-worker’s life — all without having to go anywhere!

Fluidity. Functional Strength. Aerobic performance under stress. The three pillars to peak performance. You can come in and take just one of the three pieces on any given night, or take them all for a full-body workout. Stick with these core classes or build out with two of our specialty classes:

SwordFit! Swordfighting is one of the most effective forms of cross-training available. It combines aerobic and anaerobic exercise with a diverse workout that builds core strength, cardiovascular fitness, hand-eye coordination, balance, and timing; all through practicing a fun and engaging martial art. SwordFit! is a solo training program that combines a great way to build confidence, bust stress, and get in touch with your inner warrior with one of the most exciting tools available: the medieval longsword. Combined with the use of staff weapons, body-weight exercises and “old school” fitness techniques that literally extend back thousands of years, you can now use the tools of the warrior to build endurance, agility, raw power, reaction time, and fluid motion.

SpartanFit! Push yourself to be your best in our Sunday morning bootcamps! Specifically designed with the needs and objectives of Spartan and other adventure racers in mind, this is our “bring your best and leave behind the rest” workout! Each week offers a new challenge.  The entire fighting fit team will pitch in to design work outs designed to prepare you for upcoming team challenges. Workouts range over a wide variety of topics but one thing is certain, it will push you to your limits and sweat away your fear. You may be fit, but are you Spartan fit?

Class Structure

Exercises allow for a personal and internal focus on body mechanics, speed, and strength. Exercises are designed to give you a balanced workout of cardiovascular, muscular, and technical training. All equipment is provided. You need only bring your workout gear, supportive footwear, a water bottle, and a sense of determination! A pair of snug-fitting gloves is recommended but not required.

Is FightingFit! for me?

Our FightingFit! boot camp is excellent for those who are looking for a:

  • a unique series of workout regimens, combining exercises of swordplay, unarmed combat, “old school” calisthenics and the best of modern athletic conditioning to give you a warrior’s physique;
  • a form of fitness that is exciting and not monotonous.
  • A fantastic start to your day and a great way to pump up before heading to work
  • perfect cross-training for obstacle racing, personal training or any of our martia arts courses

How do I begin?

If you’ve been wanting to get off your couches and become more comfortable in your own skin, then your journey starts here! Beginning is easy! Enroll in our FightingFit! or All-Inclusive programs and turn up to as many of these classes as you like; be ready to work!

Still not convinced? Why not try a Free Class?

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Personal Training

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Building the Person You Are Inside

Fitness isn’t a way of life. It is the way you stay alive.

Fitness is also about far more than just how much you can lift or how far you can run. No matter your age, profession or hobbies, the goal is the same: maintain strength and flexibility, reduce stress and stay healthy. A true fitness program is one that takes each person’s unique physiology, diet, lifestyle, needs and goals into account holistically to guide them toward their maximum potential.

Whether you are brand new to fitness, a seasoned athlete looking to enhance your performance, or looking for help to shed a few pounds, our commitment is to make all of our fitness programs address your unique needs. Many trainers and dietitians become pleased with their “method,” and focus on having their clients work the method, rather than the method work for the clients. At Forteza we work with you to design a personalized, holistic program that will ensure great success for you. We only succeed if you succeed!

Physical Culture: The Forteza Advantage

Every gym and fitness studio in the western world owes its origins to the physical culture movement of the 19th century, which placed an emphasis on coordinated training in functional strength, agility and endurance, using Indian clubs, gymnastics rings, medicine balls, ropes and rowing machines to focus on natural movement and performance in athletics. At Forteza we take this concept of physical culture literally. You won’t simply come in and swing a kettle bell for 30 minutes or do a little cardio. No fad diets, no bizarre workout regiments. Instead, through a combination of old school calisthenics, modern personal training methods, nutritional counseling and fitness education we provide you with the tools to live a natural, healthy life.

Private Sessions

Working one-on-one with one of our expert Personal Trainers, you will learn real functional strength training using classical calisthenics and equipment – kettle bells, body weight exercises, medicine balls, rope climbing, Indian Clubs, etc – with modern understanding of circuit training, peak performance, bio-rhythms and muscular recovery. Beginning with an initial fitness assessment, we will provide you with a personalized fitness prescription plan that is tailored to fit you and your goals, no matter what your current fitness level may be.

Small Group/Buddy Training

Some people just don’t enjoy working out alone. No problem! Bring a friend or two and come work out together, getting all the benefits of one-on-one personal training at discounted rates.

Group Classes & Boot Camps

Love the results of one-on-one personal training, but haven’t worked it into your budget? Come take one of our small group training classes or our FightingFit! bootcamp!

Although each fitness class takes a different approach, all are designed to create a perfect mix of cardiovascular and resistance training to burn body fat and help to build lean muscle. Our trainers are always coming up with innovative, challenging, and fun circuits. No two classes are the same! Check our schedule page for upcoming sessions and details.

How do I begin?

Enroll now in one of our boot camps, or register online for an initial evaluation, and let your journey begin. We are excited by the opportunity to have you become a part of the Forteza family.

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