Victor Sherwood Markland Jr Memorial Scholarship

On May 3, 2020, our dear friend and founder of the American Small Sword Society & Symposium, Victor Sherwood Markland Jr. passed away after a valiant battle with cancer.

This fund will be in honor of my brother and  support an annual scholarship awarding a grant to fund a student (s) or those with the desire to build on that old and yet contemporary art.  Victor’s objective was engaging, and abundant in purpose, but without your help, it will remain just a dream.  Please support this cause, and donate what you can to keep the art of Small Swords alive, and Victors dream a reality.

As the founder of the American Small Sword Symposium, Victor wanted to build a group that would bring together instructors, scholars, current and prospective students; and other parties interested in the study and practice of small sword and related subjects. Victor felt that along with fostering a general interest in Small Swords, the American Small Sword Symposium’s goal should be to bring about in the USA a recurring event along the lines as the annual Small sword Symposium held in Edinburgh. 

He wanted this group, and the annual event, to be a cohort and place where the art of small sword practice, as an engaging, historical martial art, could also be considered in a collegial atmosphere of exchange, and where multiple, diverse opinions and perspectives would always be welcome and valued. It was not only the instruction and the tournaments that set it apart, but the opportunity to for the participants to handle dozen of original period weapons and leaf through rare period books that usually are kept under lock and key at university libraries.

As you know, Victor had a passion for the art of Fencing and Small Swords, and was an enthusiast in Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) & Western Martial Arts (WMA), where he was instrumental in bringing the art of the small sword into the world of historic fencing.

Victor’s wish was to help others to engage in the spirit and modern philosophy of the historical grandeur of Fencing and Small Swords.  He wanted to bring others of a like mind in to the American Small Sword
Symposium.
We truly appreciate any and all donations and wish to far exceed our goal .