Academy of Historical Fencing

1. The Importance of the Passing Step in Rapier combat (Passata/Passare)

The passing step is when the rear leg passes beyond the lead leg, most resembling a typical walking step. To a longsword practitioner the passing step is a core technique which is learnt from the very first cut. Yet with rapier, the ordinary step is...

Thursday, 04 June 2009 | 850 hits | Print | PDF |  E-mail | Read more

2. The Daggers Relationship with Rapier

How commonly is a dagger used? How is it used and why? I frequently get asked about the daggers usage in rapier combat and many first timers are surprised to even see a dagger being used alongside a sword. So how does a dagger fit in historically,...

Friday, 05 June 2009 | 768 hits | Print | PDF |  E-mail | Read more

3. What are Western Martial Arts?

Traditional Western martial arts often possess no formal, written histories, being transmitted from one generation to the next largely via oral tradition. This is especially the case with traditional forms of wrestling, stick fighting and knife...

Friday, 08 May 2009 | 595 hits | Print | PDF |  E-mail | Read more

4. A Fechtschule in late 16th-Century Germany

A Fechtschule in late 16th-Century Germany Note: This is a short excerpt from The Secret History of the Sword. To order from amazon.com, click here. A fencing-master who wanted to give a "fencing school" first had to demonstrate his...

Thursday, 11 June 2009 | 597 hits | Print | PDF |  E-mail | Read more

5. Should you study a single weapon type or more?

One question that many people ask me and other Western Martial Artists is whether they should be studying one weapon type, one master, one system, many system or anything in between?  If you look throughout Europe you will find a wealth of...

Friday, 08 May 2009 | 729 hits | Print | PDF |  E-mail | Read more