Company of Masters

The Company of Maisters of the Science of Defence was an organisation formed in England during the reign of Henry VIII to regulate the teaching of the Science of Defence or fencing, using a range of weapons, including the rapier, quarterstaff, and, most notably, the broadsword. The jurisdiction of the organisation is unknown, as few records have survived. There is evidence that it was a London-based Society of fencing masters, with proof of the commission extending to the South West of England.

This school of fencing persisted throughout the 16th century but declined after the end of the Tudor period.