SpringSteel 2026

Hosted by San Diego Swordfighters, Springsteel 2026 is a two day HEMA tournament bringing together fencers of all experience levels for a weekend of competition, camaraderie, and skill. Taking place May 23–24, 2026, from 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM at the Pine Ave Community Center in Carlsbad, the event features multiple competitive formats designed to challenge both individual and team performance.

Competitors can test their abilities in Saber and Longsword divisions with Open and Under-represented Gender (URG) categories, along with dynamic team competitions: Open Saber Team Relay and URG Longsword Team Relay.

Whether you’re stepping onto the tournament floor or cheering for blood from the sidelines, join us for a weekend of spirited competition and community celebration of HEMA - followed by our tradition of pizza and celebratory embibing.

More information can be found on HEMA Scorecard.

OPEN SABER and OPEN LONGSWORD are SOLD OUT!!!
Email strange@sdswordfighters.com to be added to the waitlist. The waitlist will prioritize people who are not otherwise registered for the event over people who are currently signed up in one or more tournament divisions.

Tournament Information:

Participation caps are as follows:
Open Longsword - 90 (will be split into three tiers) 
URG Longsword - 30 (will be split into two tiers if 20+ participants)
Open Saber - 50 (will be split into two tiers)
URG Saber - 25 (will be split into two tiers if 20+ participants)
Open Saber Team Relay - 16 teams 
URG Longsword Team Relay - 12 Teams 

The full results of all tournaments will be submitted to HEMA Ratings. If you do not wish to be visible on HEMA Ratings, feel free to contact them about anonymization - more details here.

Refunds will not be issued less than 14 days from the start of the event.

Questions? Email Jane at strange@sdswordfighters.com :)