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The Haitian Machete Fencing Project
The Haitian Machete Fencing Project teaches courses and workshops by invitation worldwide. Our next event will be at the Rooted in Resistance festival in Austin, Texas, June 18–21, 2026.
Training Groups
There are active training groups in New York City, Washington DC, Minneapolis, Austin, Portland, and Munich, Germany, led by practitioners we have certified to teach the Avril family method. Feel free to contact us if you would like to connect with one of these communities.
Workshops
Our two-day training workshops are an opportunity to bring Haitian fencing to your local martial arts school or event space. Professor Avril first asked his student Michael Dylan Rogers to introduce people "on the other side" to Haitian fencing nearly 20 years ago. Since that time, Michael has developed an intensive curriculum that can teach the basics of the Avril family system over the course of two 7-hour sessions.
Once you've learned the basic principles, you should be able to continue the practice with your local training partners. We are always happy to stay in touch, answer questions, and advise you on technique.
This introductory course uses sticks only, and is accessible at all levels of skill and fitness.
Some of the places we have led workshops include Gotham Swords in New York City; Proyecto Kokobalé in San Juan, Puerto Rico; Fechtboden Zimmermann in Munich, Germany; Montreal Gongfu Research Center in Montreal, Canada; Austin Warrior Arts in Austin, Texas; the Hennepin Center for the Arts in Minneapolis, Minnesota; and at the Borscht Film Festival in Miami, Florida.
The cost of the workshop is negotiable, but $1500 plus airfare is a ballpark estimate. All proceeds go to support the Avril family in Haiti. If you have any questions, or would like to discuss the logistics of hosting a workshop, feel free to contact us.
Training in Haiti
Finally, for those able to make the trip to Haiti and speak the Creole language, we are happy to connect intrepid travelers with the Avril brothers directly. We are, however, no longer hosting training camps in Haiti for the time being due to logistical and security concerns.
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