Pawson Swift Fencing Academy

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Pawson Swift Fencing Academy

Pawson Swift Fencing Academy aka Terra Nova Swords is a Sport and Historical Fencing club in St.John's & CBS, Newfoundland.

We focus on Epee, Sabre, Historical Sabre, Smallsword, & Rapier.

04/10/2026

🎉 Congratulations to our instructors, Ed Smith and Phil Swift, and all the new MUN fencing coaches who have just completed their Canadian Fencing Federation Beginner Coach workshops!

Four full days, from 9–5, diving deep into modern fencing coaching from building effective lesson plans and setting meaningful goals to developing skills for both group and individual instruction.

It was an intense but incredibly inspiring experience that challenged us to rethink how we teach and, more importantly, got us excited about the future of our modern fencers.

We’re looking forward to putting everything we learned into practice and continuing to build a strong coaching program for our athletes!

18/09/2026

Elly turns 5 tomorrow, which means this is my last chance to brag about my 4-year-old fencer.

Yesterday, she joined our formal class for the first time. I had to switch into full coach mode, and she immediately realized that Coach Dad is a little different from Dad Dad. 😂

She did so well. She spent half the class showing off her lunges to the other kids, and she was constantly up front trying to help me demonstrate. Watching her get so excited to be part of the class was honestly such a cute experience.

She did have to leave early because our practices run past her bedtime, but I'm really glad she got to join us for the warm-ups, footwork, and blade-work drills.

So proud of her.

16/09/2026

My daughter turns 5 this week!

We haven't really done traditional lessons. Most of our “training” is relaxed and turns into sparring games or drills with constraints.

Coaching your own kid is definitely different. The play brain tends to take over when Mom or Dad becomes the coach, so I've been leaning into a constraints-led approach turning everything into little games with goals and problems to solve.

And we're starting to see some fun little milestones! She's finally able to lunge with her arm extended and land heel-first.

At this age, I'm less worried about perfect technique and more focused on making sure she loves moving, learning, and playing with a sword.

15/09/2026

Mondays at Grand Vents elementary school!!
Team Newfoundland visiting and training on the side!

Historical Fencers and Modern Fencers all under one roof.

06/09/2026

A New Name, A New Chapter

Terra Nova School of Swords will now be known as the Pawson Swift Fencing Academy.

We’ve decided to change our name to better reflect the direction and goals of our school. Our vision is to build a fencing academy that embraces both modern sport fencing and historical fencing, bringing these two traditions together under one roof.

The new name also has a very special meaning to us. We wanted to honour our coach and mentor, Neville Pawson, who has unfortunately been unable to coach as much as he would like while undergoing cancer treatments. Neville has played an important role in our fencing journey, and we felt this was a meaningful way to recognize his contribution to our school.

For our longtime students and members of the fencing community, we know that a name change can be confusing! Terra Nova Swords will continue to be used as our alias/AKA, so those who have known us by that name will still be able to find and recognize us.

This is a new name, but the same school, the same people, and the same passion for fencing.

Here’s to a new chapter for the Pawson Swift Fencing Academy!

03/09/2026

ADULT FENCING IS BACK THIS FALL!

Ever wanted to learn how to fence? Maybe you've always wanted to pick up a sword, get some exercise, or try something completely different?

Terra Nova School of Swords has adult programs for beginners, experienced fencers, and everyone in between!

Our Fall 2026 semester runs September 7 – December 8, with adult classes available Monday AND Tuesday evenings.

MONDAYS — ST. JOHN'S

📍 École des Grands Vents
7:30–9:00 PM — Epee

Plus, for those interested in historical swordsmanship:
Smallsword — 7:00–8:00 PM
Rapier — 8:00–9:00 PM
Historical Sabre — 7:30–9:00 PM

🤺 Thursdays (Sorry about the Tuesday ad mistake!) CBS

📍 Manuels River Hibernia Centre
6:30–8:00 PM — Epee
6:30–8:00 PM — Historical Sabre

All adult programs are 16+ and include a structured warm-up, footwork, instruction, and fencing.

No previous fencing experience required! Whether you're looking to compete, learn historical swordsmanship, get active, or just finally live out your sword-fighting dreams, we'd love to have you.

Learn to fence. Train to compete. Discover the art of the sword.

Registration through our website is open for Fall 2026!

30/08/2026

Footwork Sundays! Teaching my soon to be five year old how to lunge. Told her I would get a point if her back leg wasn't extended. She hates to lose, so using constraints LED approach is the way to go.

24/08/2026

FALL FENCING CLASSES ARE NOW OPEN!

Looking for something different this fall in Conception Bay South or St.John's?

We offer classes for kids, youth, and adults in Epee, Sabre, Rapier, and Smallsword, with programs running Monday nights at Community Centre École des Grands Vents, St. John's and Tuesday nights at the Manuels River Hibernia Centre, CBS.

Whether you're looking to try something new, compete, or help your child work toward representing Newfoundland in the future, our program is here to help guide the next generation of fencers.

Limited spaces available. Registration is now open.

22/08/2026

Congratulations to all the fencers this weekend. Cheers to all the finalists!!

Address

Opening Hours

Monday	12:00 - 22:00
Tuesday	12:00 - 22:00
Wednesday	12:00 - 22:00
Thursday	12:00 - 22:00
Friday	12:00 - 22:00
Saturday	11:00 - 18:00

Telephone

+17097435987

Website

http://www.terranovaswords.com/

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