Hayley certifies in some swords ⚔️ with the SAFD
- Hayley Pace
- Jul 9
- 2 min read
Trying some new skills on! I first got introduced to sword combat in my final year at Stella Adler. It was a skill that I could see myself practicing for a long time. My instructor Melanie Liebetrau kept messaging me after graduation about upcoming sword intensives and eventually, I took the bait and signed up!
I signed up for Neutral Chaos’ two week certification intensive that concluded this past June. Students study two weapons over two weeks, accruing 30 total hours in each respective weapon. I studied Two Handed sword (previously known as Broadsword or Longsword) and Rapier and Dagger, both of which were challenging and exciting in their own unique ways. I found the intensive to be…well, intense. We all pushed our bodies for 6 hours a day, swinging swords and sweating in seconds between the scorching summer heat and a misfit gym air conditioner.
The campus was a beautiful boarding school in Connecticut, that we could melt into after a hard days learning. Oh, and the food plan was legit. Eating like kings everyday was paramount to keeping the body running with clean fuel. I don’t think I’ve eaten that consistently and consciously in…a very long time. 😅
So what does getting your certifications actually mean? Well, it means I have proficiency in said weapon. Thats about it! This may give me a casting advantage if there are fights with these specific weapons in the play. But It doesn’t necessarily mean I can teach. But I can, to some degree, direct fights unofficially/officially. The thing is, the lines around what is deemed permissible are still quite nomadic in the stage combat world. I am learning this world is niche and underground, but also a close-knit community that historically prefer to keep its tricks close to the chest. This is especially true in combat for film. I’m not sure where I belong yet, but I love the work, and will continue to pursue the skills with an open mind.
