Today we’d like to introduce you to RJ McKeehan.
Hi RJ, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I think everyone fantasizes about sword fighting at some point in their lives, and I finally got to learn how to do it myself after joining a club in college. I was introduced to HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts), a new and exciting martial art based on fighting with swords from the medieval and renaissance periods. After seeing how much fun and fitness I could get out of this new hobby, I wanted to give that opportunity to more people and decided to open a business teaching sword fighting after I graduated.
My school, SoCal Swords, is now one of the largest HEMA schools in the United States, and sells gear worldwide. HEMA isn’t like sport fencing–our techniques and gear are based on those described in medieval manuscripts by sword masters of the period. We teach people of all ages how to fight with swords and our students and instructors regularly medal in tournaments. In my 10-plus years of practicing HEMA, I have also become one of the top sword-cutting competitors in the world. I have used my expertise to compete on “Forged in Fire: Knife or Death” (of which I won my episode), appear on “Mythbusters” as a cutting expert, create realistic sword-fighting choreography for a music video, and more.
Beyond teaching students about swords, I wanted SoCal Swords to become a “third space” (a place to get away from home and work and mentally reset). I have successfully created a culture of friendship, compassion, and comradery that is irreplaceable for many members of the school. People have formed deep friendships that have uplifted their lives and inspired them to be more active, fit, and healthy, all while having fun with swords.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Starting a new business of any type is a challenge, especially if it’s a brand new type of business that has never existed in Southern California before. Finding available space that was affordable while still having ceilings high enough for people to swing 5-foot-long swords, was a hurdle, as well as securing insurance and the finances required to get us up and running.
After getting established, the challenge became focused on simply getting the word out. Since HEMA is so new and not yet a well known sport/martial art, we have to explain what we do and why this is the sword fighting many people don’t realize they’re looking for. Once they give it a shot, most people absolutely love it!
We have recently started to have some difficulty sourcing the gear that we need for training and selling due to taxes and duties combined with some countries refusing to ship to the United States. It’s obviously hard to practice a martial art without the gear to do so safely.
Next, we envision the challenge shifting to finding a larger space to accommodate all of the people who want to learn from us!
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about SoCal Swords?
We are the largest historical sword fighting school in Southern California, teaching people how to fight using real historical techniques documented in manuscripts from the 14th through 18th centuries. We also sell all of the gear you need to learn to fight through our website and ship worldwide. We offer classes for all ages, as well as dedicated classes for women and gender minorities to help everyone feel comfortable getting started with sword fighting. As a brand, we are very proud of how active and inclusive our community is. Members of our club host tournaments, organize regular social activities, and gain many new friends.
How do you think about luck?
Finding myself at a college with a historical sword fighting club was certainly lucky, as there are only a handful of colleges in the nation with a similar club. Having the support I needed to start a business out of college was also extremely fortunate, as I had many people who were able to contribute finances, time, and physical effort to enable the business to get off the ground.
Pricing:
- Single Class; $30
- 10 Class Bundle: $200
- Monthly Membership (15 classes): $120
Contact Info:
- Website: https://socalswords.com
- Instagram: @socalswords
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/socalswords
