Est. 2016
News Updates
June 17th:
Times and Places
The Schedule for this year's McBane Event
Friday 3rd
Meet from 12pm at The Bow Bar, 80 West Bow EH1 2HH
13:15: 1st Library Session departs the Bow Bar
13:30: 1st Library Session
14:45: 2nd Library Session departs the Bow Bar
15:00: 2nd Library Session
16:15: Beer Tasting & McBane Stories @ the Bow Bar
The rest of the night you are free.
Saturday 4th
At Assembly Roxy
9am: Doors Open
9:30: Warm Up
9:45: Grant McGregor Attacking the Blade 1hr
11:00: Emanuel Meyer McBane's Smallsword, a comparison 1hr
12:00: Lunch/ Free Play 45mins
13:00: Master Classes 45mins
14:00: Tommy Joe Moore Pugalism vs Stick 1hr
15:00: Master Classes 45mins
16:00: Doors Closed
18:00-19:00: Meet at The Bow Bar for predrinks
20:00: Dinner at Howies Restaurant, Victoria Street
22:00: Post dinner drinks to late
Sunday 5th
Assembly Roxy
10am Doors Open
10:30: Janet Philp McBanes Wounds a presentation 1hr
11:45: Master Classes 45mins
12:30: Lunch 45mins
13:15: Free Play 45mins
14:00: Master Classes 45mins
15:00: Mike Smith 7 vs 1 45mins
16:00: The McBane Challenge
16:45: Awards and Final Salute
17:00: Doors Closed
See less
June 16th:
The Master Classes return!
This year sees the popular slot of Master Classes being offered by the instructors all at the same time, it will work as a sign up first come first serve system as each class will be restricted in number, and be repeated each day.
The Classes are decided by the instructors and are not necessarily McBane related.
This year we have
Tommy Joe Moore offering William Fairbairn's stick defence: defend yourself like it's the 1940s
Crested Sparrow offering Sword Moulinets: the power in circles
Emanuel Meyer offering "You Need A Plan": touching upon last years master class (create an opening and get your opponent to attack, which allows you to parry and riposte) we will look at possibilities if that ungrateful bastard ignores your graceful invitation.
Janet Philp offering an Introduction to Rope Flow: Practicing the biomechanics of swordplay without the weapon
June 14th:
As we approach closer to the event, you may want to start organising what to bring.
So here is a list of things needed if you have them:
Fencing mask
Fencing jacket
Gloves
Forearm protectors
Chest protector
Box
Elbow guards
Smallsword/foil
Baskethilt sword/Singlestick
Cane
There will be kit available on loan which will be signed out such as:
All weapons
Masks
Gloves
Forearm protectors
May 22nd:
The Early Bird Tickets have been extended, so you have until Friday May 29th to take advantage
May 18th:
Our next workshop announcement :
The McBane Challenge
A test of skill and survival, based on a true story.
After learning the basic principles and the skill set in the 7 vs 1 workshop, those volunteering can see if they can go the distance.
Those that pass will be awarded the McBane Challenge badge.
May 12th:
Announcing our next workshop:
Mike Smith
With
Seven vs One
This workshop first featured at the 2019 McBane Event and we reviewed the footage on the Online 2020 McBane Event.
In 2023 we decided to make it a tradition, so here we are again.
One of the many amazing stories from McBane’s adventures involved him being a sore loser in a pub game, losing his borrowed money before stealing it back and fighting 7 armed men…. and succeeding! We will look at the small recorded evidence and imagine what methods would be applied when facing so many blades. McBane’s evidence are the wounds given and received, and when you dig further McBane gives a lot of advice that would be applicable to such a scenario.
Building up the techniques with a sword in one hand a stick in the other, students will gradually increase the number of opponents they face.
This workshop will be followed up by the McBane Challenge, which is now part of every annual event.
Mike started Historical Fencing at the end of 2004 with the Macdonald Academy of Arms just weeks after moving to Scotland from Australia.
After becoming a Free Fencer, Mike became Chief de Salle of the Academy and was teaching students at various levels.
Having taught at international events, Mike decided it was time to set up his own school, and in 2016, The Cat’s Glove – School of Traditional Defence was born. Becoming the sister school to the Macdonald Academy, they both teach the Scottish backsword, and Mike has done his own study into Fixed Bayonet Fencing which is offered at his school, as well as few other weapon styles.
In 2007, Mike started the Commando D – Living History Group with Paul Macdonald, which focuses on training in the close quarter methods of fighting as taught to allied special forces in WW2. Mike continues to teach these methods in his school as a warmup to every lesson.
Besides from organising the annual McBane Event, Mike has taught in Canada, Italy, Malta and across the UK, and has taught McBane's 7v1 in Malta and Italy. Mike’s day job is managing a well-known whisky and beer bar in Edinburgh’s Old Town, and has been known to work as an artist on the sides.
May 5th:
Introducing our next instructor
Grant Mcgregor
With
"Hunt the Blade: McBane's Attack into the Blade and Why It Changed Everything"
While the gentlemen of the French salons were trading feints and sentiment du fer, Donald McBane was hammering blades aside in the mud of Flanders and the chaos of the prize ring. This workshop explores what made McBane's approach to attacking the blade so distinct — and so devastatingly effective.
Drawing on McBane's own Expert Sword-man's Companion (1728), we examine how his battlefield experience forged a system built on physical certainty over elegant deception. Students will also touch on how McBane's Highland Broadsword instincts bled into his Smallsword theory, creating a hybrid that his contemporaries found uncouth — and terrifying.
Grant began his journey into historical swordsmanship at the Macdonald Academy of Arms in 2017, before joining the Cat's Glove School of Traditional Defence in 2020, where he has been hunting blades ever since.
April 5th:
With:
‘’tis but a scratch’
This workshop takes an anatomical look at duelling and battlefield injuries looking at all the ways we can die whilst fighting and explores how McBane managed to avoid them all.
Janet is a fellow of the Anatomical Society of Great Britain and has spoken at international
conferences about the importance of increasing public knowledge of anatomy. Janet has appeared on BBC How the Victorians built Britain as well as the Smithsonian Channel and several pod casts. Her latest appearance on Britain’s Murder Map is scheduled for April 7th on Sky History
https://www.history.co.uk/shows/britains-murder-map
Nearer to home she will also be appearing at the Royal College of Physicians as part of their celebration of 300 years of the medical school
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/.../anatomy-burke-to...
Some of these appearances are based around health literacy, most are about murder but none as yet have been about disembowelment on the battlefield
Janet has also been a long term student and Free Fencer at the Cat's Glove School of Traditional Defence and the Black Boar School.
March 27th:
Our next Instructor. Introducing
Tommy Joe Moore
With
“The Prizefighter’s Answer to the Club - A tale of cuffs and cudgels"
Donald McBane fought in wars, duels, tavern brawls, and prize rings across Europe. In his world, if a man came at you with a cudgel, you either learned to deal with it… or you didn’t live long enough to write a fencing manual.
This workshop explores practical historical methods for surviving stick and club attacks when you are unarmed. Drawing inspiration from the brutal prize-fighting culture of Donald McBane’s era, we examine how pugilism, distance management, and grappling can be used to close safely against a weapon and end the fight quickly.
Tommy can often be found teaching a variety of martial arts, from pugilism to WW2 Combatives. With a background in Judo, Muay Thai, Eskrima, Savage and Reality Based Self-defence, Tommy has published books on Bartistu, WW2 Combatives and Boxing.
March 20th:
Tickets are now live, be quick while the Early Bird special lasts
March 13th:
Introducing our first instructor for the 2026 Event
With
"Je ne sais quoi"
Starting with "He told me he had two comerads that were Frenchmen that knew me not, they would give me nothing unless I would fight all three, I told them I would have a fair trial for it (...) and wounded them all three", we will look at four treatises: Liancour, McBane, Hope, and Hope, to find out, what it is, the Scots do better than the French?
This is a comparison of McBane's Smallsword to other contemporaries.
Smallswords will be provided if you don't have one and a limited amount of masks and gloves.
