Fellowship (and Senior Training)

Once a CrossSwords student receives an invitation from their teacher, their training shifts from Discipleship-only lessons (private training with their master) to balance this with Fellowship classes (group instruction). These Fellowship lessons are held with a CrossSwords teacher (who may or may not be that student’s personal Master), who brings their expertise in the martial arts, swordsmanship, and philosophy to foster growth in students side-by-side.
This step from private to group instruction is a vital step in each student’s development! As the security and normalcy of isolated instruction is step is vital when they begin (to take their first steps), so jumping out and testing their skills with their peers and fellow students is essential as they continue to grow!

Students often receive their invitation to join the first degree of Fellowship around their second rank of Paige, and most receive this no later than their third rank of Apprentice (which is the final rank in their first tier: the Initiates). Many Apprentices also become invited to join the subsequent 2nd degree class, where material is taken to more applied and less technical developments.

Following these initial ranks, are the Senior levels: which include Squire (orange belt), Herald (yellow), and Warden (purple). During these more advanced ranks, students may receive an additional invitation: to join the Senior Fellowships, where students begin to add on new kinds of martial arts to their training: new kinds of weapons training, more complicated and discipline-required combatives, and more investigative philosophy. You can always mark out one of these Senior students (at any formal events) by the senior robes which they wear as indicators of their level!