Brighton Midsummer Fencing Festival – 2026 – Instructors – Lyell Drummond

Instructor – Lyell Drummond, broadsword

Lyell Drummond, Senior Instructor, Master of Highland Broadsword

Lyell began his sword studies with foil, epee and sabre under the Goodhalls (Angela Goodhall being one of only two women coaching in the UK to hold the highest and most ancient title of ‘Professor’).

He took these studies and in 2002 joined the Sussex Rapier School (SRS), initially to pursue classical rapier. Whilst there Lyell took his years of fencing experience, growing understanding of historical swordplay, exposure to many instructors of note from home and abroad and his own academic studies to develop his own system of Highland Basket Hilted Broadsword. This work was one of the key steps that allowed the School to embrace a more multi-weapon scope and was key in the SRS being able to transition into the Sussex Sword Academy.

After developing his system in the SSA Lyell launched it publicly at the FISAS international meeting in Verbania in 2008 and the system is still one of the core forms in the Academy.

Lyell has been teaching classes in his preferred weapon, the basket hilted broadsword, incorporating broadsword and dirk as well as broadsword and targe ever since. He continued to develop his range and in 2016 he extended his repertoire to include teaching longsword. In 2021 as recognition of his years of service to the Academy as a Senior Instructor he was awarded the title of Master of Arms of the SSA.

Since 2008 Lyell has been invited to teach multiple times, in the UK by the British Federation of Historical Swordplay (BFHS) as well as the Cat’s Glove, in Italy by Federazione Italiana Scherma Antica e Storica (FISAS), in Spain by the Asociación Española de Esgrima Antigua (AEEA), Germany by the International Sabre Symposium (ISS),  and in Malta by the Malta Historical Fencing Association (MHFA). He has also held workshops in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Bedford and Dublin.