Instructors
Meet the instructors and coaches of Valour HEMA Academy
Chad McFarland - Head Provost
Founder of Valour Hema Academy -
Provost Chad McFarland began his HEMA journey in 1999 with the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA) which was pretty much the only medieval / renaissance historical fighting available at the time. In the SCA he achieved the Order of the White Scarf - Kingdom of Northshield and became a Journeyman in the Kingdom of Lochac (Australia) Royal Guild of Defence.
In 2009 with $300 in registration fees, six students, and six of the cheapest steel Zen Warrior Armory swords plus a donation of gym time from Manager Bob Gingras (1959-2012), Chad started Valour Historical Fencing Club at Valour Community Centre in Winnipeg.
From those very humble beginnings Valour Historical Fencing Club grew into Valour HEMA Academy which has taught more than 100 people the fun of historical fencing.
Chad teaches primarily Italian rapier, but has been known to pick up just about any weapon shaped object and used it in one form of competition or another.
Currently, Chad is also spending his summers advancing in a new direction of HEMA with the start of Valour HEMA Academy's equestrian program; which is hoped will grow into teach equestrian mounted combat, mounted archery, and medieval mounted games.
Douglas Crighton - Provost
Doug has been fighting with longsword since the late 20th century. He currently heads the longsword program at Valour HEMA Academy with a specialization in teaching the "Il Fior di Battaglia" or "The Flower of Battle" by Fiore Dei Liberi, a late 14th century knight and fencing master.
Marli Vlok - Journeywoman
(Provost - Sonoma State University Fencing Masters Certificate Program)
Marli is Valour HEMA Academy's newest instructor and brings a wealth of information from her many years of fencing practice. She is currently a student with the Sonoma State University - Fencing Masters Certificate Program where she recently passed her exams to become a certified provost under that program.
Marli will be teaching smallsword and sabre on Mondays with Valour HEMA Academy.
Her focus will be in the tradition of the Scuola Magistrale Militare di Scherma, founded in Rome in 1884 and has a living tradition into the modern day. Students will start by learning the foundations of the classical dueling sabre as well as classical foil as contextualized by Dr. William Gaugler (Maestro di Scherma).
Nicholas McConnell - Journeyman
Journeyman Nick McConnell started his historical fencing career in 2016 when he joined Valour HEMA Academy. A true all around fencer, Nick is equally comfortable learning and teaching rapier or longsword. He has been in several large tournaments and has aquitted himself well in the upper placings of most of the tournaments he has entered.
Nick instructs beginner rapier and beginner longsword on Wednesdays.
Adrian Jones - Journeyman
Adrian joined Valour HEMA Academy in 2023 along with Marli Vlok. He is a former student of Academie Duello where he holds the rank of Free Scholar. At Valour HEMA Academy Adrian teaches advanced rapier and holds Journeyman level in both rapier and longsword.
