Start Swordfighting Review: Michael Kozin's HEMA Club

Start Swordfighting is Michael Kozin's private Skool community for newcomers to historical European martial arts, or HEMA. Its public page showed 321 members and $47/month on 14 October 2026. The offer combines a small recorded fundamentals library with personal advice and reviews of member training or sparring footage. This is a review of those public promises, not a test of the private coaching or a certification of physical safety.

Michael Kozin

The named founder. His public profile lists the group as owned and says he teaches beginner swordfighting. His About page describes his HEMA training, tournament participation and YouTube audience; those biographical and ranking claims were not independently audited for this review.

What is in the public training offer?

The public pitch names cuts, thrusts, footwork, drills and repetition. It describes 40 minutes of longsword fundamentals for a free trial and two hours of recorded guides for the full offer. That is a relatively explicit content quantity, but it is not a published lesson list or proof of lesson quality. Ask whether the recordings cover stance, distance, partner work and protective equipment before buying for a specific learning goal.

That path is our reading of the public offer, not a verified private curriculum or a recommendation to spar without in-person supervision. The Skool Classroom guide explains how recorded material can be organized on the platform. It cannot tell you what is inside Michael's private lessons.

Recorded lessons versus feedback

The useful distinction here is feedback. A two-hour video library can introduce terms and movement patterns, but a beginner may misread distance, timing and body mechanics without another person observing. Michael's page promises 1:1 advice and reviews of training or sparring. It does not state how many submissions are included, which footage is eligible, whether replies are private, or how quickly he responds.

Before joining, ask for a sample review format and a clear answer on frequency. If you plan to upload another person's sparring footage, get permission from everyone shown and check the group's privacy rules. An online review is also not a substitute for a qualified local coach, club rules, suitable equipment and controlled partner practice. The Core Collision Skills review covers a different combat-sport learning format; it should not be treated as evidence about this HEMA group's coaching.

What to verify about the free trial and price

The About page advertises a free trial but does not publish its duration or renewal timing in the visible text. It displays $47/month as the current membership price. Read the checkout plan before starting a trial, including the first charge date, cancellation process and any limits on feedback. The Skool membership tiers guide gives platform context, not this seller's full billing terms.

The founder's page also says you can start without extreme fitness or expensive gear. That is positioning, not a safety assessment. Gear needs depend on whether you are doing solo drills, controlled partner exercises or sparring; the public offer does not give a complete equipment list. Ask a local HEMA club or qualified instructor about the practice you intend to do. Do not treat a video-first course as permission to use live weapons or spar without protective measures.

The buyer decision and the builder lesson

This offer is most relevant to a newcomer who wants a structured introduction and has a safe place to practice. A person already training at a HEMA club may value targeted video review more than the introductory library; they should check whether the advertised feedback is specific enough to justify another subscription. Neither member progression nor injury rates are visible publicly.

For a community builder, the transferable lesson is to state both the fixed asset and the interactive service: how much recorded teaching exists, what feedback covers, and what remains outside the product. Michael's page is specific about lesson duration and topics, but leaves feedback scope and trial timing unclear. The About page guide and sports-official learning review show adjacent ways to make those boundaries legible. This is editorial analysis, not a measured conversion result.

Questions about Start Swordfighting

Who runs Start Swordfighting?

Michael Kozin is named on the About page and lists the group as owned on his Skool profile.

How much was membership?

The public page displayed $47/month on 14 October 2026. Recheck the current price and billing plan before joining.

What does the trial include?

The About page advertises 40 minutes of longsword fundamentals for a free trial. It does not state trial length or renewal timing in the visible text.

How long is the recorded course?

The public page says two hours of recorded HEMA guides on cuts, thrusts, footwork and drills. We did not inspect those videos.

Can members get personal feedback?

The page advertises 1:1 advice and reviews of training or sparring. Frequency, response times and submission rules need direct confirmation.

Is online HEMA training enough for safe sparring?

No online description can establish that. Use qualified local supervision, appropriate equipment and consent for partner practice; the public page does not verify those conditions.

Disclosure: public Sports Discovery listing, Start Swordfighting About page and Michael Kozin's profile checked 14 October 2026. Cover and portrait credited to those Skool pages. We did not join, start a trial, watch private lessons, test feedback or verify biographical ranking claims. Counts and price are dated snapshots; training benefits are creator claims. Skool Files may earn a commission through create-community links.