Postby John_Clements » Wed Jan 29, 2003 2:37 pm
ARMA is excited to announce the acquisition of the "Tratado de las Armas" of Don Pedro de Heredia, captain of the guard and fencing master to the court of the King of Spain. &1 plates of this previously unavailable fencing manuscript is a fascinating look at Spanish rapier, rapier & cloak, rapier and dagger and case of rapiers from c.1600. This French version is the only fully illustrated renaissance Spanish fencing text (and contrary to assertions from some parties who have never examined it, the work appears definitively of the Spanish school, and perhaps distinct from the La Destreza “court” fencing of Carranza and Narvaez). Characteristic of the Spanish style however, it shows a sword straight-arm, an upright stance, and no lunge, yet no circular walking. However, it reveals several unique and intriguing elements such as side-ways gripped rapiers, lack of a fingering grip, passing attacks, left handed adversaries, open palm parries against the edge, no strong cuts or slices, plus also blade seizures, hilt grabs and traps, and some close-grapple and unarmed dagger defense. We will be spending some time digesting the material, developing an interpretation and producing a new rapier curriculum based upon it.
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