Safety & Risk Management

Waivers, Insurance, and Liability

By HILT Official · Nov 12, 2025 · 8 min read

What your waiver actually covers, what it doesn't, and why documentation is your best legal defense.

What a Waiver Does (and Doesn't Do) A liability waiver is a participant's acknowledgment that the activity involves risk and a voluntary assumption of that risk. In most jurisdictions, a well-drafted waiver protects you against claims of ordinary negligence, the kind of accidents that can happen even when you're being reasonably careful. What a waiver does NOT protect against is gross negligence: recklessness or a blatant disregard for safety. If a student trips over a cracked floorboard, your waiver probably covers you. If you let two beginners spar with sharp swords and no masks, no waiver…

Continue reading

Visitor Vetting: The Gatekeeper Protocol How to welcome visiting fencers without compromising safety on the floor.
Head Injuries in HEMA: What You Need to Know Recognizing concussion symptoms, building a return-to-training protocol, and reducing head impact in your club.
Blade Maintenance and When to Retire a Sword A feder is a consumable. Here's how to know when yours has reached the end of its useful life.

← All HILT Resources