Recorded over six centuries ago, the teachings of the 14thcentury masteratarms johannes. This page is adapted from guy windsors article from 2007, technical and tactical notes on the 12 guards images by jari juslin, taken from guy windsors new longsword book. In italian this is called posta coda longa tail or long tail. It was held under the arm in a couched position, which allowed the vamplate, the grapper and the lance rest to distribute the force of impact across the knights armor. The long edge down position permits quick slices and upward thrusts.
The hema alliance discussion group the largest hema discussion group in the world. To balance the hand and a half swords long blade the butt is capped with a scent stopper style pommel. It is meant to serve both as a help to active hema practitioners and as a source of inspiration for people that are unfamiliar with this form of martial arts. Learn the ancient and noble art of fighting with the long or handandahalf sword according to the teachings of the medieval fencing master johannes liechtenauer. The most important italian source is fiore dei liberis treatise of 1409, written. This book builds on the foundation laid in the medieval longsword, and teaches you how to train fiore dei liberis art of arms, as shown in his 1410 manuscript ll fior di battaglia. Bringing duels of the 15th and 16th centuries to life. A b s t r ac t in many aspects, the bronze age was a formative epoch in european history. Sword carolina one of the most comprehensive programs out there, josh and aaron are some of the best instructors out there.
With over 15,000 members, discussions about techniques, equipment, videos and more happen every day. Historical european martial arts beginner sources hema guide. More or less the same curriculum can be used for the singlehanded cutandthrust sword. It consists of at least three distinct treatises, based on the art style and the handwriting. We also offer classes on selfdefense, italian stickfighting, grappling, and modern knife combat. The longsword techniques of fiore dei liberi has gone to layout we expect a publication date of april 15th. One simple difference between german and italian seems to be german is more about the threat of the attack and italian being about. This article translates and contextualises the longsword bout detailed in le tre giornate di. Historical swordsmanship virginia academy of fencing.
It currently constitutes the earliest known italian fencing manual and one of. To acheive either the left hand should simply keep a looser grip to allow it turn while the right maintains normal grip pressure. The lunge is probably the most basic move when it comes to the offensive sword fighting techniques. Our facility features an indoor archery range, a private fitness program, and indoor airsoft events. To add a nonliechtenauer source, the flower of battle translation of fiore dei liberis manuscript fior di battaglia by colin hatcher and tracy mellow deals, as the name suggests, with the italian school of longsword. At right, less than a year of italian longsword experience. When you purchase a sword from cold steel, youre buying more than just a sword, youre investing in hand crafted beauty along with detailed, authentic reconstruction of a sword from a specific time period. The original italian text for digrassi, however, used the term spada, literally meaning sword. Paulus kal was a 15th century german fencing master.
While the lance was a powerful weapon, the sword was much more versatile. I do hema broadsword and japanese twoheavens and they are very very different than longsword and each other. This document is intended to support about 46 hours of class time. I got a look at the italian guards, cutting style, some drills and italian theory. Various sword fighting styles and the basic techniques. Guys way of laying out the fundamentals and techniques of the plays of fiore dei liberi are easily understood and can easily be performed via partner drills. The smallsword project a contextual repository for the. Boxing, muay thai, systema, knife fighting, escrima between us weve got some knowledge of.
The medieval longsword it has been long established by scholars studying fior battaglia that the guards of the longsword form the beginning and end of every movement of the sword, and. This was an introduction to medieval italian sword fighting techniques late 0s, early 1400s, well presented by the cofounder and principal instructor of the phoenix society of historical. The halfsword techniques of armored combat were also incorporated into. Jamson and crawley have teamed up to transcribe and digitally present a legible edition to mcarthurs 1780 smallsword manual.
The longsword serves as an excellent allaround training weapon, due to its versatility. Learn spanish, learn french, learn italian german shepherd training. Reconstructed from 14th 16th c manuscripts and illuminations, the highly effective fighting techniques and principles of this elegant and deadly martial art are now available. Davenriche european martial artes teaches historical sword fighting techniques with longsword, rapier, and other medieval weapons. The weapons are the same length, and the same angles of attack, entries, and defenses work to a large degree. The term italian school of swordsmanship is used to describe the italian style of fencing and edgedweapon combat from the time of the first extant italian swordsmanship treatise 1409 to the days of classical fencing up to 1900. An introduction to medieval and renaissance combat. There are numerous sword fighting techniques for fencing and listed below are some of the most vital elements to remember.
Long position and breve short position and meza porta di ferro half iron. Stick and sword training is different, but also very similar. Posta drill a series of movements from guard to guard. The following work contains publically available translations of the italian. Standard arma longsword curriculum utilizes all of these in conjunction with other.
Page 3 before the sword there are a number of things that one can and should do to train without even picking up a sword. While the majority of surviving sources concerning the use of the two handed longsword detail the german school of swordsmanship and the italian school of swordsmanship, there was also a smaller english school when. Crawley states, mcarthur is the most accessible smallsword treatise for starting out yet the least available so he and jamson have made it available via the smallsword symposium. Though most of them talk about how to defeat someone who.
Drop the left arm over the opponents sword and compress the sword and arm against the side with the arm. We base our classes on techniques from historical german and italian fencing and fight sources. They refer to a particular period and are subject to reenactment. The two manuals, whilst bearing no obvious lineage or connection use similar language and nomenclature to describe the art. Feel free to ask were friendly and ready to help newcomers. From the lower target position, take a step backwards with the right foot, releasing the sword with the left hand and swinging the sword backwards out of the way. May 01, 2009 the beginners guide to the long sword. This free pdf contains various german longsword sources attributed to. We also gained some insight on the flats and how they. By the illustrations, fabris agrees while lange is slightly shorter. Most of these factors to winning a sword fight, be it in a duel 400 years ago or in a modern day sports contest, are self explanatory, timeless principles. Oct 27, 2012 most period two hand sword texts or fechtbucher of the 14th and 15th centuries were of german or italian provenance so folios 82 85 of harley ms 3542 provide a rare and welcome glimpse into a medieval method of english twohand sword combat. While many consider sword fighting to be a thing of the past, the sword and the art of swordfighting still fascinates and inspires people. The stick and sword techniques and training methods in fsd are a mix from a variety of styles, and based on our 4 step matrix.
Posta the italian word for guard, as in a position of safety. I run an italian swordfighting club and use parts of this book in my own classes. Quickly adopted by military, law enforcement special units, emergency services personnel, self defense professionals as well as members of the martial arts community, cold steel quickly became renowned for quality. Its long handle is suitable for use with both a one or two handed grip, and is fashioned out of wood covered in black leather. You can learn to sword fight in a fun and safe environment. It was a time of movement and change, of travel, contact, cultural transmission and social transformation. The longsword world is also broken up by the italian and german styles among other things. While you can have a lot of fun sword fighting, you should never use. This is not just an collection of techniques from german masters in the liechtanauer tradition of fighting. Except for agrippa, who uses a bolognese style sword, they all use long rapiers.
Having said that, i would still buy it for the information it does contain. The first is the whole iron gate, that stands in great strength. Hroarr resources for the historical european martial arts. Each of these left plow positions, long edge up and long edge down, appear in the source texts. He was also attached as schirrmeister to three different courts in his career, serving in various military capacities including commanding men in at least three campaigns. The hilt at face level with the blade vertical and oriented at an angle.
Aug 02, 2015 this was an introduction to medieval italian sword fighting techniques late 0s, early 1400s, well presented by the cofounder and principal instructor of the phoenix society of historical. Learn italian swordmanship from devon boorman, or ancient german longsword and wrestling from the folks at sword carolina, just to name a few. The sword cross at or just below shoulder level with the blade pointing forward and down, as if hanging. The numbers create a sequence, their position mark. Steel techniques feder hand and a half, pear pommel v1 price.
It is very difficult to learn swordsmanship from a book that is 600 years old and written in italian. Stick and sword techniques and training methods kali. Im leaning towards learning the italian style, but what defines all the styles. For example, two italian masters, giacomo digrassi and vincentio saviolo, both used the term rapier in their english fencing treatises from the last decade of the 16th century. Cold steel swords provide an elegant, hand crafted look and feel you just cant find anywhere else. At its core the hroarr site is a free online hema magazine with contributions from the whole community. Pdf the dissemination of naue ii swords researchgate. Capoferro says that your sword should be as long as your armpit is high. Just want to point out that different sword styles are. In it i explain three of the longsword forms that are used every day in the school of european swordsmanship. Vafs historical swordsmanship program focuses on the italian school of rapier fencing, which was one of the most influential styles.
A slender, narrowly pointed italian longsword or greatsword might also be known as a spadone. Longsword techniques and outline melee weapons blade. At left, six months of german longsword experience. It is a how to guide, one that presents the basics of footwork and body mechanics, and building off. The term sidesword, used among some modern historical martial arts reconstructionists, is a translation from the italian spada da latoa term coined long after the fact by italian museum curatorsand does not refer to the slender, long rapier, but only to the early 16thcentury italian sword with a broader and shorter blade that is. This document is designed as an introductory guide to historical martial arts of the european middle ages. To really excel at longsword fencing, one must be strong, flexible, quick, and in good cardiovascular shape. Richard marsdens seminar on longsword techniques from. While many consider sword fighting to be a thing of the past, the sword and the art of sword fighting still fascinates and inspires people. What are the basic differences in style and form between italian and german longsword fighting techniques. We specialize in authentic medieval and renaissance. But while quite a few are more or less the correct winning mentality and take years to cultivate, others are simple techniques or tricks. A students recruit reference manual for the development and training of.
This is the fencing system used by italian menatarms, and whilst being widely regarded as a longsword system, is actually a complete detailed martial art. Pictures grabbed from original flos duellatorum sketches and formatted for this web site by mich shire, 2002. One of the most important elements of historical fencing study is that of basic fighting stances and guard positions. Distance the right technique in the right place and the relationship between. In the italian manuscripts, this is known as long lying tail, or just tail guard. The term bastardsword was not first used until around 1450 and appears to have referred primarily to longer, typically tapering swords with special halfgrips more so than to wide blades. Giganti was an italian fencing master and his book contains single rapier and.
Note on the right side here the point slants downward and behind, not off to the side, with the long edge aiming forward at the opponent, not at the ground. Our tournament steel feder with spatulated tip, made by viktor berbekucz in hungary. Historical european martial arts into the development of leisuretime offer historical duels are martial confrontations which are often called historical european martial arts, or hema. Made to special specifications for purplehart armoury, and upgraded with usa made stainless steel pommel. An instructor here is very fond of cutting short edge from a lower guard alber or the italian boars tooth at an oncoming strike, displacing the attack and then strike diagonally and opposite with the long edge. The manuscript also includes unarmed combat, dagger, spear, axe fighting, fighting in. The hroarr site focuses on different aspects of historical european martial arts. All principles and techniques of fighting all are employed in relation to these postures. By tivar moondragon there are five basic styles of rapier fighting used in the sca. Mar 28, 2017 jamson and crawley have teamed up to transcribe and digitally present a legible edition to mcarthurs 1780 smallsword manual. Finally, the bolognese sword and buckler images contained in the last slide.
And she is good to await every manual weapon, long and short, and for which it has a good sword, that is not too long. What are the differences between the rapier styles. They are all thrustoriented, with little or no cutting used. A more structured approach to the practise and development of techniques would have been more useful.
European martial arts weaponry techniques fick, steaphen on. While sword fighting skills may not be as much of a pressing need as it was to our ancestors, most sword collectors have an interest whether it is largely academic, a lifelong dedication to training or just practicing a few moves andor doing some occasional safety conscious backyard cutting. Richard marsdens seminar on longsword techniques from fiore. The german longsword an article by bill grandy despite the grandeur surrounding the idea of the sword, such weapons are often thought to be heavy and unwieldy. A slender, narrowly pointed italian long sword or great sword might also be known as a spadone. In the late 14th century fiore dei liberi, an italian knightly combat master. Longsword techniques and outline free download as pdf file. The illuminated manuscript, of german origin, is now in the collection of the royal. Our primary focus is on the tradition of the italian master salvator fabris, whose teachings were recorded and practiced by both commoners and kings all over europe. Glossary of sword and swordfighting terms medieval swords and swordfighting medieval weapons life in medieval days. In this book, i have drawn on 15 years of teaching the art, and broken everything down and explained it so that you really can learn the art of swordsmanship. Sword fighting by herbert schmidt, is a sword and buckler howto book based on the i. This permits a strong rising cut with the long edge, ending in an ox position. The earliest italian manual describing longsword use is fiore dei liberis flower.
Academy of european medieval martial arts aemma hans talhoffer fechtbuch aus dem jahre 1467 the following document is the result of the efforts of a number of individuals within the aemma membership, including shawn hickey, scott walman and mike rasmusson. Swordwind teaches historical european martial arts hema in charlotte north carolina. The term italian school of swordsmanship is used to describe the italian style of fencing and edgedweapon combat from the time of the first extant italian swordsmanship treatise 1409 to the days of classical fencing up to 1900 although the weapons and the reason for their use changed dramatically throughout these five centuries, a few fundamental traits have remained constant in the. It is often believed that the medieval warrior was crude, relying on brute strength more than skill to survive. The term bastard sword was not first used until around 1450 and appears to have referred primarily to longer, typically tapering swords with special halfgrips more so than to wide blades. Over the centuries, many styles and techniques have been created and perfected. The south italian longsword of marcantonio pagano hroarr. The body of techniques used in english longsword use has survived to the modern day in three manuscripts. The manuscript also includes unarmed combat, dagger, spear, axe fighting, fighting in armor and on horseback.
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