Who We Are

Ad Fontes is a historical fencing club based in Bloomington, IN. Our goal is to bring the art and practice of historical fencing to the community and teach those who have an interest in new and interesting martial arts, as well as the history and historical texts that surround the art. Our main focus is on the breadth of medieval longsword, from both the Italian and German traditions, and German messer, but we will also practice other weapons throughout the year such as rapier, saber, and sword and buckler. Our primary sources that we draw fencing knowledge from include Fiore de'i Liberi, Philippo di Vadi, Sigmund ain Ringeck, and Johannes Lecküchner for longsword and messer.

What is Historical Fencing?

Historical Fencing, also known as Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), or Western Martial Arts (WMA), refers to the historical fencing practices and traditions found in Medieval and Renaissance Europe. The current practice is a revival of these arts through the reading and interpretation of period sources, blended with modern training methodologies and interpretations of the sources. At Ad Fontes, the instructors take the time to learn from the texts and bring that instruction to class, and students are encouraged to read and learn from the texts as well.

Who This is For

Ad Fontes Historical Fencing is passionate about the inclusion and recognition of all students regardless of race, age, culture, ability, ethnicity or nationality, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, marital status, religious affiliation, veteran, and socioeconomic status. We love that our membership reflects a variety of perspectives and a wide range of lived experiences. We value and welcome this diversity.

Dustin Kirkpatrick

Dustin originally studied a mix of martial arts at Indiana University, earning his black belt in hapkido and cross training specifically in Filipino Martial Arts and Jeet Kun Do while there. After he moved to Connecticut for work, he started training HEMA at WSTR for a couple of years before moving to Boston and training with Boston Armizare. He moved back to Bloomington and started Ad Fontes to continue his journey in historical fencing and to share the art with others.

His approach to HEMA is holistic, looking across sources of various traditions to inform each other and blend the historical context with modern training methodologies.

Our Coaches

Aaron Derner

Aaron’s HEMA journey started with the Germantown chapter of the WHFA near Milwaukee, Wisconsin. There, he learned the fundamentals of several late medieval fighting systems, stemming from an understanding of German longsword. Specializing in Langes Messer (“long knife”), he achieved the rank of Free Scholar before moving to Bloomington to pursue an academic career. Before joining up with Ad Fontes he ran small, informal longsword and Messer classes—often out of his living room during inclement weather.

Besides attempting to maintain fidelity to the historical sources, Aaron is interested in emphasizing the social context of historical fencing. He strives to make the related but distinct facets of combat, sport, and art apparent through historical example and modern context.