Have we got a weekend lined up for you!
Exploration of the Arts of Steampunk wouldn’t be complete without the Martial Arts! Experience Martial Arts in the Steampunk ’verse in the Clockwork Alchemy War Room.
Join the instructors and crew of the Royal Airship Kamehameha as they demonstrate Steampunk Eastern and Western Martial Arts, ranging from Walking Stick, to The Secrets of the Chinese Martial Arts, to Naginata Japanese Pole Arms, to Classical Victorian-Age Saber, and improvised weapons. Become a crew member in-training, and receive special recognition and rewards by taking multiple classes!
As a steampunk adventurer, you should be prepared to face whatever comes your way—be it pirates boarding your airship, or vampires descending on your party. Our crew has traveled on airships, submarines, and a myriad of steam-powered conveyances to the four corners of the globe to bring you the finest in training. Our instructors have an average of 30 years of martial experience and will provide hands-on instruction.
Instructor Bios and Classes
2025 Schedule at a Glance
Friday
1:00 – 2:30 p.m. – Tom Badillo, Ray Alicaba presents Glowing Steam Rats Battle – Welcome, Steampunk Explorers of all ages! Come one, come all to the latest adventure by the Master of Arms of The Royal Airship Kamehameha, and Founder of the War Room! The Sky Pirates are invading our region, and the Royal Airship Kamehameha has been dispatched to intercept the Pirates’ advance forces: Glowing Steam Rats! Come aboard the Royal Airship Kamehameha, and play Kinetic Clockwork Cutlass, a special game to test your skills and agility. Test your reflexes by smacking the lights out of the Glowing Steam Rats. Try your luck, come back and try again — strive to beat your personal best, while competing alongside other Steampunk explorers! You may meet some of the most experienced explorers in the ‘Verse, as you test your skills!
2:30 – 3:30 p.m. – Michael Kirkley presents Fighting Footwork – This class will concentrate on the offensive and defensive use of footwork.
3:30 – 5:00 p.m. – Jim Liebich presents Foam Sword HEMA Training – Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) is an extremely broad discipline that covers the use of all manner of weapons from the Medieval period to the early 1900s. Therefore it becomes necessary to narrow the scope of the training to specific weapons and basic principles. For the purposes of this class, we will be working with the basics of sword and buckler. We will cover the use of distance, timing and important related principles. At the conclusion of the basic training, we will employ our skills in a variety of mock team battles and 1v1 challenge duels. The purpose being to have fun in a safe and friendly group activity. Join us for a great time and loads of fun. This is a family friendly class for ages 7+. Dressing for exercise is advised.
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. – Michael Kirkley presents When All You Have is a Stick – In carrying a walking stick you are in fact carrying an implement of self defense. We will look at the use of a walking stick or cane to defend against some standard attacks one would encounter in a steampunk setting.
6:00 – Whenever it ends – Charlie Wong presents Sky Pirates Multiplayer Melee – In this continuous multiplayer battle, two teams vie for control of the sky pirate ship Prospero while it is moored at the Fool’s Rest port. Players will employ daring, flying devices, and swordsmanship to outdo their rivals and seize the glory of the skies.
7:00 – 8:00 – Henry Hill presents Riding Crops as Self Defense(18 and older) – This is a class based on what an equestrian would carry, a riding crop. Come join us in a class that will follow what should be done in situations that you cannot see coming, but should prepare for, as an upstanding equestrian.
Saturday
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. – Fred Kaye presents Indian Clubs – Even Steampunks need to exercise. Experience the exercises that British Expeditionary forces used to expand the Victorian Empire. Indian clubs were exceptionally popular during the health craze of the late Victorian era, used by military cadets and well-heeled ladies alike, and even appeared as a gymnastic event in the 1904 and 1932 Olympics.
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. – Henry Hill presents Khopesh – Come use the weapon of Pharaohs. The Khopesh. Learn how to wield a weapon that made kingdoms great.
11:00 – noon – Chad Goerzen presents Naginata Japanese Pole Arm – The Naginata, a long-handled weapon used by samurai, dates back to the 9th Century. Focusing on balance and leverage rather than brute force, the sweeping movements of the Naginata develop physical balance and poise. Currently, Atarashii Naginata (All Japan Naginata Federation style Modern Naginata) is specifically designed for competitors using the same weapon. Practice includes striking techniques, attack-and-defense drills, and free sparring with armor.
Noon – 1:00 p.m. – Rey Magdael presents How to use a Stick. How to use a Knife – Sticks and knives have their own rhythms, fast, close, and precise. This workshop introduces the fundamentals of handling both: grips, angles, and drills that make timing and distance click into place. We will move through single and paired sequences, focusing on how the two tools inform each other without overwhelming new students. Expect controlled partner exercises, flow patterns you can take home, and that moment when stick and blade suddenly feel like an extension of your hands. This class is trying to combine two different but related arts into one workshop, so come fed and caffeinated!
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. Tom Badillo and Fred Kaye presents Defending your Airship – A fan favorite for many years at Gaslight Gathering, CombatCon and Clockwork Alchemy every year! Learn what every airship crew member needs to know when defending against an aerial attack and repelling a boarding action. We will study close combat use of Singlestick, 19th Century Saber, Steampunk longsword, Cutlass, war club and boarding axe on land, sea and air in our Steampunk universe.
2:00 – 3:00 p.m. – David Laudenslager presents Aetherblade – Learn skills from a galaxy far far away, using sabre technics and flourishes to amaze.
3:00 – 4:00 p.m. Rey Magdael presents Improvised Weapons – Anything’s a weapon if you’re holding it right, and if you know what you have near you, everything around you can be anything. This workshop teaches simple mechanics for grip, leverage, and distance so ordinary objects become intentional tools. Bring an everyday item you’d be willing to have used on you. You will partner-drill with it, test it in controlled exercises, and even try it against the instructor. If I spot a tweak, I will demonstrate the improvement on you at a much kinder speed or on Bob, our training dummy. Expect practical drills, slow-motion feedback, and plenty of opportunities to try again until it feels right.
4:00 – 5:00 p.m. – John Sullins and Athony Barajas present Military Sabre/Cavalry Sabre – From the early 19th century, sabre gains widespread use and its design is inspired by the Mameluke sword, a type of Middle Eastern scimitar. Napoleon used it in great extent during his wars as a main weapon for heavy cavalry and their charges. Shorter variants were also designed and were used as sidearms by dismounted units. British Government authorized their pattern swords for use by infantry officers at the same time. As longer-range rifles appeared on the battlefields, cavalry charges fell out of favor and sabres with them at least for the military uses. Some European police forces used sabres for both mounted and dismounted police officers during the 19th and at the beginning of the 20th century. Luckily, to some extent, for civilians, sabres were later replaced with batons and night sticks. Some polices like the Gendarmerie of Belgium used them until the 1950s. So, we will be practicing sabre as a mounted weapon off our Airship…We will practice the cuts as used unmounted. Then the cuts used mounted. The cavalry charge…And keep in mind this is all within our Steam universe…HUZZAH!!!!
5:00 – 6:00 p.m. – Rey Magdael presents How to use a Jo Staff – Sometimes the simplest tool is the most versatile. This workshop explores the fundamentals of short-staff work: posture, strikes, and flow drills that make a length of wood feel alive in your hands. We’ll practice control, timing, and partner drills you can pick up quickly — all with an eye toward the everyday. After all, most of these techniques work just as well with a walking stick as they do with a polished staff. Expect steady progress, some good laughs, and a new way to look at what you carry down the street.
6:00 – Whenever – Jim Liebich presents Warbow Battle Arena – Join us for an exceedingly fun suite of team-based Warbow Battles. We will begin with warm-ups and skill training with our bows, in order to learn the basics of safe use of the bow. Once the initial skills have been learned, we will proceed to the battles! Warbow is like dodgeball, but with bows and foam-tipped arrows. There are multiple games that can be played and skills of all levels are welcome. This is a family-friendly activity for ages 7+. Dressing for exercise is advised.
Sunday
9:00 – 10:00 a.m. – Fred Kaye presents Apaches in Paris? Defense Against the Vicious Street Gangs of Paris – “By 1874 Paris was swarming with vagabonds. Consisting mostly of juvenile delinquents, these ten thousand or so ruffians would evolve into a new generation of street-fighter, banding into a gang which came to be known as the Apache.” (Excerpted from The Dirty Tricks of the French Apache by Craig Gemeiner). The word “Apache” (pronounced “ah – PAHASH”) is a Parisian term used to describe the French street gangs of the early 1900s. The era’s local newspapers often described the violence perpetrated by these gangs as synonymous with the ferocity of Apache Indians in battle.” This in-person class reviews the dirty tricks of the Apache street gangs and the self defense systems developed by the French Savate Masters including Vigny, Renuad, Andre and Dubious, developed to counter the brutal attacks of these French thugs. The class will review Vigny La Canne, Basic defenses, kicks, punches and close quarter combat.
10:00 – 11:00 a.m. – Chad Goerzen presents Strategy for Unmatched Weapons – A workshop for adventurers, writers, choreographers and martial artists. When your enemies attack, they’ll usually choose a time when they have an advantage, such as when you’re out walking without your trusty halberd. Here you will learn strategies for unmatched weapons, learned from the writings of Renaissance European weapons masters. Your best strategy will depend on your reach, strength and speed.
11:00 – noon – John Sullins and Athony Barajas present Victorian Foil – Foil is the weapon used to learn the basics of all other weapons. It is with the foil that you learn distance and timing with a weapon that is light and unlikely to harm you as you learn the ways of the sword. We will be looking at the Italian and French styles of fencing that was popular in the Victorian Age. Come learn a sport that requires speed, finesse, and intelligence.
Noon – 1:00 p.m. – Charlie Wong presents Arnis and Joint Locks – Learn how Filipino martial artists bridge the gap from sword fighting to close-in fighting. Students will be taught “The Feed,” a method for cooperative fighting that trains precision and flow in combat drills. From cuts, blocks and checking with weapons, students will then learn how to close the distance and apply joint locks and disarms to armed and unarmed opponents.
1:00 – 2:00 p.m. – Jim Liebich presents Epee Dueling for the Novice – The epee is a weapon of elegance and swift tactical decisions. Historically a weapon of dueling, the epee has a place in the arsenal of sturdy adventurers of all stripes. This class welcomes all those who seek to add some flair and, if you are feeling daring, perhaps a smidge of bravado to their dueling skills. We will cover the basics of the use of the weapon, footwork and tactical considerations. Students of the blade will engage in skill-building exercises that improve point control, proper distance and timing. If they are inclined to do so, they may participate in a mock duel or two with a partner of their choosing. This is a class meant for teens and adults. Dressing for exercise is advised.
2:00 – Whenever. – Tom Badillo, Ray Alicaba presents Glowing Steam Rats Battle – Welcome, Steampunk Explorers of all ages! Come one, come all to the latest adventure by the Master of Arms of The Royal Airship Kamehameha, and Founder of the War Room! The Sky Pirates are invading our region, and the Royal Airship Kamehameha has been dispatched to intercept the Pirates’ advance forces: Glowing Steam Rats! Come aboard the Royal Airship Kamehameha, and play Kinetic Clockwork Cutlass, a special game to test your skills and agility. Test your reflexes by smacking the lights out of the Glowing Steam Rats. Try your luck, come back and try again — strive to beat your personal best, while competing alongside other Steampunk explorers! You may meet some of the most experienced explorers in the ‘Verse, as you test your skills!
Safety Guidelines
At Clockwork Alchemy, the safety of our guests, staff, and volunteers is our highest priority. As most War Room classes are participatory in nature, our martial arts classes often include physical contact—both with the War Room Crew Members and with other guests. To ensure a safe and enjoyable experience for all, participants are required to adhere to the following safety rules and guidelines:
- Convention Guests wishing to participate in War Room classes must read and sign the activities waiver.
- “Safe Interaction” with Instructors and Crew Members (Staff and Volunteers) will be observed at all times. War Room Instructors (and Crew) have the final say as to what is safe interaction. While you might have Martial Arts experience, or feel capable of handling “harder” interaction and/or contact, the Instructors are highly-trained in their Arts, and are the best judge of what is acceptable and safe under the circumstances.
- Safety gear may be required in some classes. Instructors will determine the use of and monitor all safety gear. Refusal to wear Instructor-required safety gear will prevent you from participating in class interaction.
- Full Contact interaction is not permissible at any time, even with appropriate safety equipment.
- All interactions will be closely monitored by the Instructors and Crew Members at all times. Please do not initiate interactions except under direct supervision of War Room Crew.
- Guests may use personal practice weapons in War Room classes under the following guidelines:
- All weapons but must be approved by the War Room Captain, their designated second, or the class Instructor.
- All weapons must have appropriate blunt tips and appropriate safety devices.
- Permitted weapons materials: wooden–natural fibers such as bamboo or rattan; and plastic–plastic practice or “waster” weapons.
- Non-permitted weapons materials: metal weapons of any sort, including but not limited to knives, swords, etc.
- Non-permitted weapons types: edged, spiked, serrated, or tooth-based weapons (of any material) whereby the weapon could cause lacerations or punctures in normal usage.
- All Clockwork Alchemy safety protocols will be observed.
Any violations of rules and/or guidelines may result in expulsion from the War Room and/or the Clockwork Alchemy convention.
We hope you enjoy your tour of duty in the War Room!