Northwest Fencing in the News
Articles
Pacfic Martial Arts Class handout
The lesson plan for my class at the Pacific Martial Arts Conference, drawn from the Fior di battaglia.
A Comparison of Dueling and Classical Swordplay
Maestro Hayes' Masters Thesis
A brief discussion of the Rules of Engagement at Foil
The Importance of Skill Progressions in the Western Martial Arts
From Teaching & Interpreting Historical Swordsmanship, Chivalry Bookshelf, 2005
Weapon Weights and Steel Folding:
A short article on the weight of the two-handed "great" sword, and the techniques of steel folding. Dispels several common myths
Classical Italian Fencing
The classical flanconade explained.
Royal Armouries Manuscript I.33, 1300 AD
Fighting at I.33 (A demo fight between Sean Hayes and Stephen Hand at WMAW 2005 - great fun for us both!)
The Key Plays of Prima Custodia (Quicktime Angle 1)
The Key Plays of Prima Custodia (Quicktime Angle 2)
The Key Plays of Prima Custodia (Quicktime Both Angles Together)
The Key Plays of Prima Custodia (Windows Media)
A short training sequence using the action of falling under against a blow to the head, counterbind and shield-strike, tread-through, mutacio gladii, and grapple. The key element for Prima Custodia to consider is the response of Halbschilt: if Halbschilt goes for the head, the thruststrike is already underway (the action of "falling under" is the prelude to the thrusttrike). If Halbschilt binds lightly and at wider measure, Prima Custodia responds with a treadthrough - he frees his point and thrusts in the belly. If Halbschilt binds hard but still at a wider measure, then the mutacio is used. Finally, if Halbschilt closes measure, the sword-arm grapple is employed.
Krucke as a prelude to grappling.
Fiore dei Liberi - based on the Getty-Ludwig copy of the manuscript 1409 AD
Sample Training Exercise
A sample training exercise, designed to make the defender execute multiple defense in sequence, keep his measure wide (zogho largo), and not get hit.
Poste Transitions
A series of posta transitions devloped into a kata-like exercise.
Cover against Colpo di Villano
Fiore's elegant solution to the Conan-style blow.
Cover in Finestra
Cover against fendente. This reflects my current preferred footwork for this action.
An exploration of covers from finestra (right).
Covers in Frontale and Finestra
Cover against fendente. I'm no longer using the twisted-hips footwork on the cover in finestra (see above for current).
2nd Play of 2nd Master of Zogho Largo
Blade seizure with the left hand.
Covering with a Fendente
Covering fendente with fendente.
This one involves a comparison of "hanging parries" to Fiore's colpo di villano. I don't find hangers in Fiore system, but they are found in other systems (Silver's True Gardant, for example, as well as later backsword & broadsword work), and I was curious to compare how they might work at the sword in two hands. I take the hangers at large distance; they might be taken at closer distance and avoid some of the problems shown, and this would put the combatants squarely into grappling range.
As it says...
Covers of the 1st and 9th Masters of Dagger. This video is not current: the step should be an increase or the left foot into the attack, rather a step back with the right. The basic plays are correct.
Of interest for the transition to grappling. David (white gambeson) draws my cover by throwing a mezzano. As I (black gembeson) respond, he makes a fendente to the other side of my blade. I shift to the counter of the punta falsa (20th play of the zogho largo of the sword in two hands), but he steps wide and I enter for a ligadura mezzano, using my sword for an assist. We stopped here, but I could have finished the play by hooking his neck with my hilt, and buckling his left knee with my own knee. This would have used the principles of the third play at abrazare.
Miscellaneous
A slowed down exploration of an an action from one of Marozzo's assaulti (training sequences, similar to Kata): "riverso in falso..."