Fecht Yeah 2026 returns to the Catskills with HEMA weekend
Fecht Yeah 2026 will mix women’s and URG fencing, bracket fights, classes and camping in the Catskills, with a $75 all-event pass and a $40 Sunday ticket.
Fecht Yeah 2026 is set to turn the Catskills into a two-day HEMA weekend built around more than just medal matches. Rogue Fencing is bringing back the event for June 27-28 with tournament fencing, classes, camping and dedicated space for women and under-represented genders, a format that puts competition, instruction and social time under the same roof.
Saturday will carry the event’s competitive core. Rogue Fencing has scheduled its traditional women’s and URG tournament for that day, alongside free fencing and a group barbecue, while the bracket menu includes Longsword Team, Longsword Relay and Single Sword divisions. Single Sword will not be limited to one tradition, with entries open to sidesword, arming sword, messer and other weapons by approval. The setup gives fencers different paths into the weekend, whether they want team bouts, relay format or a weapon category that can fit more than one style.
The event is also designed for people who want the full weekend without making camping mandatory. Rogue Fencing says Friday night check-in will be available, the site sits just outside Catskill and Hudson, and hotel options nearby give non-campers a way to stay flexible. The all-event ticket is listed at $75, while a separate Sunday classes ticket costs $40 for anyone who wants the instruction without committing to the full tournament package.
Sunday will be reserved for classes, with the first announced session coming from Troy Medinis: Hungarian Hussar sabre basics. The class is built around a cavalry system that emphasizes body mechanics, basic cuts, blocks and at least one false-edge technique unique to the style. The description also notes that Hussar sabre does not use a sided stance and is shaped by mobility, encumbrance, uneven ground and fighting more than one opponent. If the class fills up, students are expected to bring their own sabres.
The larger picture matters as much as the schedule. Rogue Fencing says it has more than 10 years of experience training, competing and teaching HEMA, and Tanya Smith runs the organization with a focus on German longsword, plus additional training in rapier and sidesword. The club’s own history also frames Smith as a fighter who broke into a largely male-dominated scene when few women were present. Put together, Fecht Yeah looks less like a one-off tournament and more like a retention model for modern HEMA, one that tries to keep serious fighters, newer students and under-represented voices in the same weekend.
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