Fencing

Las espadas y dagas que hoy en día podemos admirar en museos en su día fueron utilizadas como instrumentos de duelo y autodefensa. Gracias al estudio de piezas históricas y de documentación de la época, aplicando los principios de eficiencia y biomecánica orientados al combate con armas, puede recuperarse la esgrima aplicada a dichas armas. Tras un largo proceso de investigación, este manual pretende ofrecer las bases para iniciarse en la práctica de esgrima de espada de taza y daga de vela, también conocida como esgrima de arneses dobles.

https://www.elkar.eus/es/liburu_fitxa/ezpata-eta-daga-eskrima-esgrima-de-espada-y-daga/alejo-suescun-iker/9788478219681

This study examines the characteristics of classical and modern fencing to better understand the differences between fencing in the two periods in order to better ground the teaching of classical fencing.  It identifies 7 distinguishing differences between classical fencing, as stated by modern classical fencers, and modern fencing, and 4 broad categories of differences not identified by modern classical fencers that should be considered.  A qualitative content analysis was used as the basis to compare and contrast the classical perspective with the categories identified as meriting further consideration.  Although classical fencing and modern fencing clearly differ in technique, it is reasonable to suggest that a wide variety of factors in the environment surrounding fencing, as well as in the mechanics of fencing are the actual differences between classical and modern fencing.  Those differences suggested by classical fencing are signs and symptoms generated by the actual differences.

Short catalogue to a small exhibition of historical books on fencing and dueling from the library of the Arms and Armor Department at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and swords and other objects relating to them in the department's collection.

A propos d'une médaille jubilaire d'un Maître d'armes bruxellois, Léopold Merckx (1854-1945) et fabriquée par la Maison Leysen en 1922. Version complète et définitive de l'article paru dans le Bull. du Cercle Numismatique Liégeois 477, p. 4-14.

Knightly Weaponry Play - the Manual of Fencing and Archery for German Scouting

This is an instructional manual for the basic, fun, and clever wielding by youth of longsword, single stick, bow & arrow, and crossbow & bolt.  Published in Germany in 1935 as Ritterliche Waffenspiele (Knightly Weaponry Play), this second edition book was originally written by a patriotic forester, naturalist, and Scouting leader, Herr-Doktor Wilhelm Fabricius, who along with his faithful wife, Frau Anna Schweickhardt, worked to inspire their nation’s various juvenile environmental-survival fellowships & brotherhoods like Deutsche Freischar, Wandervögel, Deutsche Jungenschaft, Adler und Falken, Deutsches Jungvolk, Bündische Jugend, Pfadfinder (German Volunteers, Wandering Birds, German Youngship, Eagle and Falcons, German Youngfolk, League of Youth, Path-Finders = Scouts).  This little field manual, now exceedingly rare, was the combined 23rd/24th final volume of the once-popular series of the chocolate-bar-sized Scouting Rucksack-Bücherei (rucksack-library), codicologically remarkable for their finely wrought pictures and bold yet delicate fonts, plus archival quality paper and sturdy bindings.

Fabricius evidently wanted the German youth of his day to learn something of the noble and manly arts of combat pursued by Medieval German Ritter (knights).  Indeed, his book’s swordplay clearly interprets moves of Kunst des Fechtens (art of fencing/fighting) as illustrated centuries earlier by venerable Fechtmeister (fencing/fight-masters) like Hans Talhoffer (1467) and Joachim Meyer (1570 & 1600), and a probable Fechter & Ringer (fencer & wrestler) like Albrecht Dürer (1512).  All such were constituents of the array of martial arts correctly known as Ritterlich Kunst (Knightly/Chivalric Arts).  Howsoever imperfect his interpretation of those past teachings might be, Fabricius made up for it by his motivational vitality.

The goal of this book is juvenile martial prowess, which is the organic outcome of suprarational self-worth and historical curiosity leading to autodidactic achievement.  Training at such positive athletic activities makes for a higher quality citizen.  These were specifically intended, along with a kaleidoscopic variety of other worthwhile activities, to help the Scouts make themselves from boys into men for the benefit of, and to the credit of, their Volksgemeinschaft (ethnic community: i.e. Germany = nation, people, culture).  That said, weaponry play—with some vigorous wrestling along the way—simply makes for great joy!

Cet article, publié dans le Volume III de la revue E.Phaistos (https://temptech.hypotheses.org/presentation/314-2), expose quelles hypothèses de normes président à la rédaction des ouvrages traitant d'escrime et d'arts martiaux, en Europe, au XVe siècle.

A look at Bertrand's _Cut and Thrust_ and what he felt British sabre, at the time following a more military tradition, might learn from the Italian school as espoused by his friend Nedo Nadi. [this was written at a time I still had some vague hope that the olympic and classical/traditional fencing camps might work things out]

This paper seeks to demonstrate that historical fencing manuals
and treatises are worthy of study not merely as historical
documents but as works of both philosophy and literary merit,
demonstrating, as they do, a clear ideological viewpoint as well
as an engagement with the ideological and intellectual shifts of
their time. The two texts chosen for this initial study, namely,
George Silver’s Paradoxes of Defence (1599) and Vincentino
Saviolo’s His Practise (1595), not only contrast with one
another, which was Silver’s intention, but also demonstrate an
engagement with humanistic and social concerns. We cannot
detach these works from the literary and socio-political contexts
in which they were written, nor would the authors have
intended them to be.

Localización: In medio Orbe: Sanlúcar de Barrameda y la I Vuelta al Mundo : Actas del I Congreso Internacional sobre la I Vuelta al Mundo, celebrado en Sanlúcar de Barrameda (Cádiz) los días 26 y 27 de septiembre de 2016 / coord. por Manuel Jesús Parodi Álvarez, 2017, ISBN 9788499592312, págs. 161-177

This essay is the first and only exploration of what the German Tradition of Chivalric Arts (Ritterlich Kunst)—with its three main lineages of Liechtenauer, Nürnberg, Gladiatoria—meant by masse for fencing and wrestling.  The findings may prove both revealing and riling: My conclusion is that masse meant “mass” in context of those past martial arts.  That simple and obvious equation differs from the current and hitherto uncontested consensus that masse et.al. meant “measure”.  Moreover, said consensus has no regard for whether the context be fechten (fencing) or ringen (wrestling), where multiple meanings for the same word may have existed.  Accordingly, many otherwise smart and talented fencers, wrestlers and scholars may misunderstand what masse really meant in context of Chivalric fencing and wrestling.  Counter to that, I hope to present a definitive and contextual analysis of relevant passages from those major German fechtbücher (fencing/fight-books) which spoke of masse; and accordingly provide a new, alternative and correct understanding for that significant word plus other related and relevant terms of Medieval German fighting arts.

The following passages from major Fechtbücher (fencing/fight-books) of the German Tradition are meant to show the presence and the relevance of the principle of Indes (Inthereof) as found originally in the Liechtenauer Lineage of Bloszfechten (bare/unarmoured longsword fencing).  The word is a strange combination of genitive article, adverb, preposition and pronoun.  MHD Indes equates with NHD indes or indessen, and was synonymous with MHD underdez and MHD dÿ weile and even MHD mit.  It may translate into NE as meanwhile, meantime; or the suitable instantly, immediately; or the commendable within; but really neither the questionable just as, nor the suicidal simultaneously.  All such have served in various modern translations.  However, I think that Indes is best served by the wholly original translation of:  Inthereof.  That word serves the demands of its unique martial context for a meaning relevant to both time and space.  “Inthereof” provides us a new & superior understanding of Indes.

"The «Flos duellatorum» (or «Fior di Battaglia», "Flower of Battle") is an illuminated fighting manual written by a Friulian fencing master – Fiore dei Liberi da Cividale – in the first decade of the XVth century, probably in an Emilian courtly milieu (two copies of the work preserve a dedication to Niccolò III d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara, Modena and Parma). After Novati's edition (1902) of one of the four extant manuscripts, a new philological and linguistic analysis of all the witnesses was needed. In the first part of the article a comparative study of the two versions (prose and verse), as well as an overview of the main problems of the text, are given; in the second half the author presents a contrastive exam of the dialectal characters of the manuscripts. As for the language, two different levels seem to emerge: a first set of Friulan features (probably due to Master Fiore) and a second series of elements attributable to the area of Ferrara (with stronger or weaker intensity depending on the scribe). An essay of edition from the prologue of the Morgan MS. (with variant readings from the Getty MS.) concludes the article.


Il «Flos duellatorum» (o «Fior di Battaglia») è un manuale d'armi illustrato, composto da un maestro di scherma friulano – Fiore dei Liberi da Cividale – nel primo decennio del sec. XV, probabilmente in una corte emiliana (due delle copie conservano una dedica a Niccolò III d'Este). Dopo l'edizione di F. Novati (1902) di uno dei quattro testimoni superstiti, rimaneva da effettuare un esame filologico e linguistico della tradizione. La prima parte dell'articolo fornisce uno studio comparativo delle due redazioni trasmesse (in prosa ed in versi) ed affronta alcuni problemi d'inquadramento del testo; la seconda parte del lavoro consiste in un'analisi contrastiva dei tratti dialettali dei copisti. Sembrano qui emergere due strati linguistici: una prima serie di caratteri del friulano (forse dovuta a Fiore) ed una seconda serie di elementi di area ferrarese (con maggiore o minore marcatura a seconda del copista). E' quindi presentato un saggio di edizione del prologo del ms. della collezione Morgan, con varianti dal codice della collezione Getty."

En el presente trabajo se analizan los datos disponibles sobre la “Esgrima Vulgar” practicada en la Península Ibérica en los siglos XV y XVI, centrándose en su uso civil más que en el militar, y en aspectos administrativos y sociales del oficio de esgrimidor, la reglamentación de las cofradías, los espacios y herramientas de la práctica, los juegos públicos, el estatus de profesionales y practicantes, los principales maestros del periodo, así como un recorrido por la tratadística conservada en la actualidad y de la que se tienen referencias.

This paper discusses the data available on the “Vulgar Fencing” practiced in the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th and 16th centuries, focusing on civilian use rather than in the military, and in administrative and social aspects of the craft of fencer, regulation of the brotherhoods, the spaces and practice tools, public games, the status of professionals and practitioners, the great masters of the period, as well as a tour of the tratadistica preserved today and have references.

This study examined the characteristics and status of the occupation of teaching fencing as a professional fencing master to determine if the occupation is a profession in the United States.  Based on commonly accepted criteria that determine a profession, the study established an evaluation model through the application of grounded theory and applied that model in a qualitative case study to the occupation of fencing master.  This model has potential application to the sport in other nations.  Assessment of the results provides a possible roadmap for action by fencing masters to improve the status of the occupation from paraprofessional to being a true profession.

Michał Starzewski work is one of the most important works on fencing as it  is one of the pioners of Polish fencing authors and is seen as an example of Polish fencing tradition that was slowly fading from the minds of his contemporaries.
The aim of this paper is to analyze the Starzewski treatise "On Fencing" from 1840  based on the fencing traditions of his era.

Article by Jerzy Miklaszewski
Language edition by Andrzej Ławecki

This essay explores the parallel development of fencing theory and philosophy in early modern Europe, and suggests that each field significantly influenced the other. Arguably, neither philosophy nor fencing would be the same today had the two not been engaged in this particular cultural symbiosis. An analysis is given of the philosophic content within several historical fencing treatises and of the position of fencing in seventeenth and eighteenth-century education and courtly life. Two case studies are then examined: the influence of the fencing master Charles Besnard on the intellectual development of Descartes, and the fencing master William Hope's appropriation of the ideas of John Locke.

Abstract:

L’argomento di questa tesi nasce dall'esperienza congiunta di rievocazione storica ed archeologia sperimentale che ho maturato con gli anni. Appassionato di rievocazione dal 2007,
ho praticato (e continuo tuttora a praticare) la scherma ed il reenactment relativi a svariati periodi della storia della Sardegna: il periodo medioevale (giudicale), quello romano-imperiale e da ultimo quello nuragico. La necessità di avere maggiori informazioni, non disponibili tramite le fonti scritte, iconografiche e archeologiche legate sopratutto a quest’ultimo periodo, mi ha portato con gli anni a pormi ulteriori quesiti sull’argomento. Quella dei nuragici era una società pacifica? In caso contrario come combattevano i suoi guerrieri? Che tipo di struttura gerarchico-militare avevano? Le risposte a queste domande diventavano sempre più impellenti man mano che mi confrontavo con il pubblico (e spesso con i pregiudizi legati a questo lontano periodo). Desideroso di avere delle risposte, coadiuvato dall’esperienza di artigiano-archeotecnico del bronzo che porto avanti nei ritagli di tempo, ispirato da studi sulla cosiddetta “archeologia del combattimento” e dalle tecniche forensi applicate nell'archeologia, sono giunto a conclusione che solo studiando i resti umani di quegli
uomini vissuti 3000 e più anni fa, avrei potuto ricavare maggiori risposte alle mie domande.
Nel presente lavoro ho esaminato i casi più noti in letteratura di reperti scheletrici con visibili segni traumatici, ponendo particolare attenzione ai periodi preistorici. Come paragone
per lo studio dei reperti nuragici è stato utilizzato lo scheletro di un presunto soldato medioevale, il quale presentava diversi traumi da combattimento. I resti ossei nuragici consistono in tre crani appartenenti a tre diverse sepolture collettive localizzate in aree della Sardegna tra loro molto distanti. Per questi tre casi si è provveduto a determinare il tipo di trauma osservato, che tipo di arma ha provocato la ferita e lo scenario ipotetico dell’aggressione che ha interessato ciascun individuo. Lo studio di questi casi ha permesso una ricostruzione delle modalità di combattimento più verosimili per tale periodo; queste hanno
permesso di dedurre quali ferite e in quali aree del corpo si potrebbero riscontrare più frequentemente i traumi. La riproduzione dei traumi mediante prove d’archeologia sperimentale (test di taglio) hanno permesso di capire quali lesioni potrebbero essere prodotte da alcune specifiche armi dell’età del Bronzo. Come ultima analisi sono stati elencati i principali casi di trapanazioni craniche per poter determinare se tali pratiche siano da mettere in relazione a traumi conseguenti ad episodi violenti o a pratiche etnoiatriche.

The subject of this thesis was born from a joint of historical reenactment and experimental archeology that I have gained over the years. Fond of living history since 2007, I practiced (and still continuing to practice) the fencing and the reenactment related to various periods of the history of Sardinia: the medieval period (Judicial), the Roman Empire and finally the nuragic one (Age of Bronze). The need to have more information, not available through the written sources, iconographic and archaeological related especially in the latter period, led me through the years to ask me more questions on the subject.
Nuragics was that of a peaceful society? Otherwise how his warriors fought? What kind of hierarchical-military had? The answers to these questions became more compelling as I compared them with the public (and often with the prejudices related to this distant period). Eager to get answers, aided by the experience of bronze artisan-archaeotecnic that I carry in my spare time, inspired by studies on the so-called "archeology of combat" and forensic techniques applied in archaeology, I have come to the conclusion that only by studying the human remains of those men lived 3000 years and more ago, I could get more answers to my questions.
In this paper I have examined the best known cases in the literature of skeletal remains with visible signs of trauma, paying particular attention to prehistoric times. As a comparison for the study of the nuragic finds, was used the skeleton of a supposed medieval soldier, who presented several combat trauma. The skeletal nuragic remains consist of three skulls belonging to three different collective burials located in areas of Sardinia each other very distant. For these three cases, it was decided to determine the type of trauma observed, what kind of weapon caused the wound and the hypothetical scenario of the attack that affected each individual. The study of these cases has allowed a reconstruction of how to combat the most plausible for that period; These have enabled us to deduce which wounds and in which areas of the body could be encountered more frequently trauma. Reproduction of trauma by tests of experimental archeology (test cutting) has allowed us to understand what injuries could be produced by a number of specific Bronze Age weapons. As the final analysis were listed the main cases of cranial drilling to determine whether such practices are to be related to trauma resulting from violent incidents or etnoiatric practices.

The importance of this study in being one of the studies that are concerned about the involvement of students in the learning process by using an unconventional technique, which may contribute to increasing their learning of offensive skills and developing the level of creative thinking. This study aimed to identify the effect of using SCAMPER on creative thinking and the level of compound attack in fencing among female students. The researcher used the experimental method by using pre and post measurements for creative thinking level by using The Figural TTCT "Torrance Tests of Creative Thinking", and the post-measurement for the compound attack, using two groups, experimental and control, on a sample of (51) second-grade female students on the Faculty of Physical Education, Sadat City University, (11) for survey study, (40) for basic study. The results showed that the level of creative thinking of the study sample was low. There were statistically significant differences between pre and post measurements for the experimental group in each of creative thinking abilities (originality, flexibility, detail perception, fluency), and the total sum of creative thinking in the direction of post-measurements. While for the control group there were statistically significant differences between pre and post measurements in flexibility only and statistically insignificant in each of creative thinking abilities (originality, detail perception, fluency), and the total sum of creative thinking. There were statistically significant differences in the post-measurements between the experimental and the control groups at the level of each of the abilities (originality, flexibility, detail perception, fluency) and the total sum of creative thinking, in the direction of the experimental group.

To be ever more proficient physically and mentally is the goal and few things outside of (historical) study and sweat bear such fruit. In search of this goal, as martialists we know the need to harness and improve our Fingerspitzengefühl, as it is an improvable skill (Richards, 2010), not some kind of third eye or an equally unattainable sixth sense. More topically specific, we also know not to go into the fight with plans to utilize particular techniques since, no plan survives first contact. A self created catalogue of pre-conceived or pre-constructed tactics or maneuvers clutters the mind and slows or stalls not only the mental processing of the battlefield environment but the physical application of violence as well. As such, it (a busy mind) effectively shortens the Reactionary Gap and degrades combat effectiveness.

Do fencers require a weapon-specific approach to strength and conditioning training? J Strength Cond Res 31(6): 1662–1668, 2017—There are 3 types of weapons used in Olympic fencing: the e ´ pé e, foil, and sabre. The aim of this study was to determine if fencers exhibited different physical characteristics across weapons. Seventy-nine male (n = 46) and female (n = 33) national standard fencers took part in this study. Fencers from each weapon (male and female), i.e., e ´ pé e (n = 19 and 10), foil (n = 22 and 14), and sabre (n = 13 and 10), were (mean 6 SD) 15.9 6 0.7 years of age, 178.5 6 7.9 cm tall, 67.4 6 12.2 kg in mass and had 6.3 6 2.3 years fencing experience; all were in regular training (;4 times per week). Results revealed that across all performance tests (lower-body power, reactive strength index, change of direction speed, and repeat lunge ability), there was no significant main effect for weapon in male fencers (p = 0.63) or female fencers (p = 0.232), but a significant main affect for gender (p , 0.001). Pairwise comparisons revealed that male fencers scored better during the countermovement jump, change of direction speed, and repeat lunge ability test (p , 0.001). The former findings may be because of similarities in bout intensity and time, movement types (lunging and changing direction), and the need to execute competition actions as explosively as possible. Based on the findings of the present study, it could be indicated that e ´ pé e, foil, and sabre fencers do not require a weapon-specific approach to strength and conditioning training. Each fencer should target the area they are weakest at, rather than an area that they feel best represents the unique demands of their weapon.

There are fencers who stop at the first instance of injury, and fencers who will continue to fence regardless of illness, injury or age. It has been noted through history that those who have taken up the sword lived lives of fulfilment. Some of these lives were short and some were long. Nietzsche discusses subjects which point toward the ‘will to power’ and the courage of the individual to continue onward. This philosophy can be applied to explain how the fencer, beset by illness, injury, or age, can continue to fence despite, or even directly against these challenges toward even greater fulfilment.

In 1653 Padoan fencing Master Francesco Alfieri publish his "L'Arte di ben maneggiare la spada", dealing with rapier, rapier and dagger and rapier and cloak. It also included a smaller text dealing with the spadone (double handed sword).
This is a bilingual transcription and translation into Portuguese of Alfieri's work.

Sloane Manuscript 2530 is a collection of records of the Masters of Defence, a guild based in London from at least 1540 CE through possibly as late as 1631 CE.  Among the records are descriptions of the certification examinations, termed Prizes, used by the Masters to rank members of the guild.  An analysis of those records shows that the most frequently used weapons in the playing of Prizes were the Long Sword, Sword and Buckler, Back Sword, Staff, Two Handed Sword, Rapier and Dagger, and Sword and Dagger (in order of popularity).  Although the use of the Rapier and Dagger by Masters in challenges dates at least to the reign of King Edward VI (1547-1553), showing that the Masters were not, as commonly asserted, opposed to the weapon, it can first be documented in Prizes in 1578.  Those interested in teaching English historical swordplay in this period can use this information to guide the selection of weapons in their curriculum.

Fencing is an Olympic sport in which athletes fight one against one using bladed weapons. Contests consist of three 3-min bouts, with rest intervals of 1 min between them. No studies investigating oxygen uptake and energetic demand during fencing competitions exist, thus energetic expenditure and demand in this sport remain speculative. The aim of this study was to understand the physiological capacities underlying fencing performance. Aerobic energy expenditure and the recruitment of lactic anaerobic metabolism were determined in 15 athletes (2 females and 13 males) during a simulation of fencing by using a portable gas analyzer (MedGraphics VO2000), which was able to provide data on oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide production and heart rate. Blood lactate was assessed by means of a portable lactate analyzer. Average group energetic expenditure during the simulation was (mean ± SD) 10.24 ± 0.65 kcal·min−1, corresponding to 8.6 ± 0.54 METs. Oxygen uptakeand heart rate were always below...

Performance testing in fencing is only meaningful in combination with fast and complex movement demands for the tested athlete. Therefore a fencing robot has been developed in cooperation with the German Fencing Federation and the national fencing team that can perform fast movements back and forth. It has 10 LED target areas distributed over its body which represent visual signals to start the fencing attack. The duration of time to hit the target area is measured. The robot´s front arm is motorized to parry expected attacks of the fencer. Through pre-defined programs, where back and forth movement of the robot, moment of visual attack signals and movement of the weapon arm are set, a realistic and reproducible combat situation is provided. Several safety measures like ultrasonic range finders and electric safety edges are installed in the front and the rear to prevent the athlete or the surrounding of a collision. The fencing robot is integrated in a complex performance test to analyze speed, endurance, tactics and technique in elite fencers.

Recent studies show that in the sport of fencing left-handers have an advantage over right-handers. This was recognised by fencing masters as early as the sixteenth century. They also agreed that the advantage was due to left-handers’ numbers—that being a minority gave them more opportunities to compete against right-handers than right-handers had against them. Fencing masters today have reached the same conclusion, as have laterality researchers, who see the advantage as an example of what is now called a “frequency-dependent” effect. However, some researchers have also suggested other possibilities that relate the advantage to natural differences in ability. This article presents a sampling of views of fencing masters from the past, along with a summary and analysis of explanations, old and new.

In _Fencers Quarterly Magazine_ 9:3 (Spring 2006), 26-28.

An examination of FIE rule changes and the problem of competitive fencing and the loss of traditional technique. This was written at a time when it looked like there was more hope for competitive fencing than there turned out to be.