Hamlet Rehearsal, DCPA

William Shakespeare’s Hamlet is a story of love and revenge among family members — like today’s soap operas and drama series. Hamlet — playing at the Wolf Theatre September 13 through October 6 and directed by Denver Center Theatre Company Artistic Director Chris Coleman — features plenty of scenes with sword fights and combat.

Feeling like a swashbuckler, yourself? While DCPA Education regularly offers various classes in stage combat including swordplay, you can also explore these area fencing or sword fighting classes to release your inner swashbuckler.

DENVER HISTORICAL FENCING ACADEMY

2059 S. Broadway, Denver
Starting Price: $55 per month

The Denver Historical Fencing Academy allows everyone to fence and find their “journey of self-discovery” with diverse students and teachers. Memberships include Beginner and Full options.

Beginner Membership costs $55 per month and gives 10-12 Saturday courses to help students get comfortable with fencing fundamentals. Curriculum includes fencing theory, sparring and club culture, German Longsword, Italian Rapier, and more.

Full Membership starts at $95 per month and offers intermediate classes, study groups, three private lessons per quarter, access to all classes and floor times, and so on. Learn more about their standards and beliefs through their Code of Conduct.

ROCKY MOUNTAIN SWORDPLAY GUILD

2875 S. Tejon St., Englewood
Starting Price: $95 per month

The Rocky Mountain Swordplay Guild (RMSG) focuses on the Italian martial arts and sword-fighting style of Fiore dei Liberi’s Armizare. Liberi drafted illustrated instructional pamphlets on unarmed combat, knife fighting, swordplay, and more for his students.

New students learn how to master the medieval longsword, grappling, and dagger fighting. Advanced pupils learn all of Liberi’s weapons and techniques, including spears, polearms, and full-armored fighting methods.

RMSG has three class levels: introductory, novice, and advanced. Introductory and novice classes start at $95 per month, while advanced classes are only available by invitation.

CHEYENNE FENCING SOCIETY & MODERN PENTATHLON CENTER OF DENVER

5818 E. Colfax Ave., Denver
Starting Price: $50 for 20-minute Private Lessons

Get fencing tutelage from Cheyenne Fencing Society & Modern Pentathlon’s founder and coach, Elaine Cheris. Cheris is a three-time Olympian with 20 years of national and international fencing competitions under her belt.

Whether you’re a child, an adult, or an older adult, Cheyenne Fencing Society offers numerous classes and packages for beginners, Olympians, and anyone in between. If you’re not sure where to begin, you can take your first lesson for free. Once you’re ready to begin, The Fencing Introductory Package gives you two months of unlimited fencing classes for $360. You can also enroll your kids in fencing and Pentathlon camps.

If you’d like more personal attention, 20-minute private lessons are $50 per person and available by appointment only.

FRONT RANGE AIKIKAI

226 S. Broadway, Denver
Starting Price: Prospective students can try a class for free | $100 for first two months

Learn weapon combat at Front Range Aikikai whose instructors have a collective 95 years of experience in this form of martial arts. You can take the weapons class that features wooden swords (bokken), staffs (jyo), and knives (tanto).

Weapons “catalyze focus, a sense of urgency, improved precision in body movement, and application of force.”

Classes run on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. The Introductory Offer for new students and beginners is $100 for their first two months and includes a gi uniform. Prospective students can also try a class for free.