Gladiator Sword Fighting Class Rome: Learn Ancient Combat

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Free cancellationTravelers' pick

1/13

Duration2h

GroupUp to 15

LanguagesEN

Mobile ticketAccepted

You fight other gladiators and lions—not just watch them in a museum.

A 2-hour gladiator sword fighting class at the Gladiator School of Rome, located on the Appian Way near the Colosseum, where you wear authentic costume and train with a wooden sword under instructors from the Historic Group of Rome. The class includes museum entry to see real gladiator weapons and artifacts, and you receive a certificate of accomplishment at the end. Friends and family can watch from a viewing platform, and an optional tournament with a prize is available if you want to compete.

The Experience

If you have a free afternoon in Rome and want to do something beyond the usual museum circuit, this class puts you inside the training ground instead of looking at it from behind glass. You arrive at the Gladiator School of Rome near the Colosseum, get fitted with a traditional tunic, belt, leather gloves and a wooden training sword called a rudis, then spend two hours learning the basic techniques of gladiator combat. Your instructors are members of the Historic Group of Rome and teach in English, so the language is not a barrier.

The class itself is hands-on from the start. You learn the footwork and strikes that real gladiators used, then apply them by fighting off ferocious lions and battling other sword-wielding participants. If you want to test yourself further, you can enter an optional gladiator tournament complete with a prize for the winner. Either way, the day ends with a certificate of accomplishment and access to the Gladiator School of Rome Museum, where you see the actual weapons and artifacts that informed what you just trained with.

Friends and family are welcome to watch your class from a viewing platform, so if you are traveling with people who want to skip the sword fighting, they can still see what you are doing without paying for their own ticket. The school is accessible by public transportation and is wheelchair accessible, and children as young as six can participate. All fitness levels are welcome—the instructors scale the intensity to the group.

What’s included

Gladiator costume including tunic, belt and leather gloves.
wooden training sword (rudis).
2-hour instruction in sword fighting technique taught in English by members of the Historic Group of Rome.
admission to the Gladiator School of Rome Museum with weapons and artifacts.
certificate of accomplishment.
optional tournament participation with prize for the winner.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyPublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Scuola Gladiatori Roma

Is this one for you?The school sits near the Colosseum on the Appian Way and is reachable by public transportation, so you do not need a car or a guide to get there—book the time that fits your afternoon, show up in comfortable clothes, and the instructors handle the rest of the training and the costume.