Membership & Frequently Asked Questions
Club Membership
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Joining Gwiazdy Katowice is easy — just get in touch with us (see the "Contact" tab) and then show up for your first training session, which is completely free! For your first steps in HEMA, we provide full equipment. If you enjoy it enough to become an official member of the Gwiazdy Katowice — Historical European Martial Arts Association, simply ask for a Membership Declaration form, fill it in, and wait for the Board's decision. After a positive decision, you will be able to fully enjoy membership rights — as well as fulfil membership responsibilities!
📅 The deadline for paying the Gwiazdy Katowice DESW association membership fee for the current month is the 15th of each month. Fees go towards maintaining steel equipment and protective jackets which wear out from training. 🔹 Standard fee — 200 zł 🔹 Youth group fee — 140 zł 🔹 Sustaining fee — 50 zł 🔹 Fee for members with their own equipment (weapon, clothing, and hard protective elements) — 180 zł 💸 For donations, the bank account number will be provided upon contact via the contact form. ❗️ Failure to pay fees on time results in removal from the membership list.
Requirements are not demanding. The most important thing is a positive attitude and willingness to learn in great company. Whatever your starting level – you'll learn everything from scratch. Youth group: at least 13 years of age and consent from a parent or legal guardian. Adult group: at least 16 years of age (underage members need consent from a parent or legal guardian) and no medical contraindications for practicing sport.
For beginners and coordination exercises, we use soft simulators — foam sabres and broadswords, as well as synthetic swords and bucklers. During proper training sessions, we use steel weapons styled after historical European weapons in the HEMA standard. We currently run classes in the categories of: sabre and sword & buckler. For protection, we use protective clothing. This includes specialised jackets, trousers, masks, as well as soft and hard protectors. Thanks to easy personalisation, it is a very colourful sport!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Answers to questions we hear most often from people wanting to start HEMA training in Katowice.
A sport where we reconstruct bladed weapon techniques from historical fencing manuals. The most popular weapons in HEMA are: sabre, sword & buckler, longsword, and rapier with parrying dagger. At our club, we specialise in both the sabre and sword & buckler. Historical fencing is a perfect blend of sport, history, and good fun.
Our Gwiazdy Katowice DESW club runs regular HEMA training in Katowice at ul. Michała Grażyńskiego 53. We are an association operating with the AZS of the University of Silesia. We welcome youth from the age of 13 (with parental consent) and adults from the age of 16.
No! For your first sessions we provide full kit – weapon simulators (foam and synthetic), protective gear, and clothing. The one thing you must have for subsequent sessions is a groin guard – we don't lend club ones for hygiene reasons. After joining the association and getting your coach's approval, we provide a full protective set for steel sparring. In the future, it's worth getting your own equipment – for members with their own gear we offer a discount (180 PLN instead of 200 PLN).
Historical fencing is a full-contact sport – as with any contact discipline, bruises can happen. That said, safety is our priority. We use weapon simulators with blunt edges and reinforced tips, which practically eliminate cuts. On top of that comes full protection: fencing masks, jackets, and hard and soft protectors. Our coaches make sure everyone sticks to the rules – that's the foundation of safe training.
We have two groups: youth (from 13, parental consent required) and adult (from 16, no medical contraindications). Whatever your current fitness level – you'll learn everything from scratch with us.
The first training is completely free! The monthly fee is 200 PLN (standard), 140 PLN (youth groups), 180 PLN (own equipment) or 50 PLN (sustaining fee). Fees go towards maintaining steel equipment and protective jackets. Payments are due by the 15th of each month. For donations, the bank account number will be provided via the contact form.
It's simple! Get in touch via the contact form on the website, message us on Facebook: facebook.com/gwiazdykatowice, or send an email to: gwiazdykato@gmail.com, then come to your first free training session. If you enjoy it, fill in a Membership Declaration and wait for the Board's decision. If you're between 16 and 18, you'll need consent from a parent or legal guardian.
Olympic fencing is a modern sport with standardised rules and lightweight sport weapons (foil, épée, sport sabre). We fight with replicas of historical weapons, using techniques from old fencing manuals. We place equal emphasis on historical accuracy and sport scoring.
Absolutely! Our athletes regularly compete in tournaments in Poland and abroad – including: Alpeadria Marcon (Italy), Dresden (Germany), Wrocław, Warsaw, Poznań, Kraków, and Bielsko-Biała. We also run our own events: Śląska Karuzela (TVS show), Fencing Circle at the Silesian Park, and demos at the NGO Festival in Katowice.
Absolutely! Women train at our club at every level of advancement. Our athlete Antonina Grzywacz has won international medals: silver at Alpeadria Marcon 2025 (Italy), silver at Ragnarok 2025 (Wrocław), bronze at Fechtberg 2026 (Bielsko-Biała), and silver at Valkyrie Cup 2026 (Wrocław).