<p>In the 1600s, the elegant and deadly Italian rapier was the choice sword of duelists, officers, gentlemen and noblemen: to master the rapier was to be a feared martial artist and a paragon in single combat. Among the original treatises on the use of this weapon, the most prized by historical fencing revivalists in the last 150 year has been the Great Representation of the Art and Practice of Fencing, written in 1610 by Master Ridolfo Capoferro. In this remarkable text, Capoferro described and illustrated--in unmatched detail--the use of the rapier alone and with a left-handed dagger, cloak and shield, offering the modern historical fencing student a true wealth of Renaissance fencing theory, form and repertoire. With this book, expert researcher and rapier instructor Tom Leoni offers a full, accurate and accessible English translation of Capoferro's teachings, complete with high-resolution reproductions of the 43 original illustrations. To make the book even more useful, Tom has included bullet-point synopses of all the actions illustrated by Capoferro, as well as a glossary of rapier-fencing terms with examples referring the reader to how they are used in the text. Also included is a primer on key rapier-fencing concepts and actions, as well as a historical introduction about Capoferro and his extraordinary relevance in the revival of historical martial arts.</p>

Ridolfo Capoferro's The Art and Practice of Fencing: A Practical Translation for the Modern Swordsman

History

Leoni, Tom

World

Freelance Academy Pr

<p>The warriors of medieval Italy practiced a complex and complete martial art, which included the wielding of sword, axe and spear with wrestling, knife-fighting and mounted combat. In the waning years of the 14th century, Fiore dei Liberi was a famed master of this art, whose students included some of the most renowned and dangerous fighting men of his day. Credited by fencing historians as the father of Italian swordsmanship, toward the end of his life, Master Fiore preserved his teachings in a series of illustrated manuscripts, four of which have survived to the present day, and have become the basis of a world-wide effort to reconstruct this lost martial art. This magnum opus, il Fior di Bataglia (The Flower of Battle), composed in early 1409, is one of the oldest, most extensive, and most clearly elucidated martial arts treatises from the medieval period. Freelance Academy Press is proud to announce Flowers of Battle, a multi-volume series of lavishly illustrated, hard-cover books, combining full-color facsimiles of the master's original manuscripts; professional, annotated translations; and extensive, peer-reviewed essays. Vol. I: Historical Context and the Getty Manuscript Vol. II: Florius de Luctandi Vol. III: Flos Duellatorum Vol. IV: A tradition with Deep Roots--The Morgan Ms, Later Transmissions and General Concordance Vol. I: Historical Context and the Getty Manuscript presents a complete translation, transcription and reproduction of the largest and most complete of the manuscripts. Serving as a sourcebook for the entire series, it also includes chapters on the life of Fiore dei Liberi, his students, and patrons, arms &amp; armour in the Getty Manuscript, dueling and chivalric culture in Italy at the close of the 14th century, a detailed analysis of the manuscripts' use of pedagogy, number and metaphor and the Flower of Battle's relationship to other medieval combat manuscripts. Not only a record of a complete, medieval martial tradition, this work provides unique insights into the life, mindset and milieu of the professional fighting man at the birth of the Italian Renaissance.</p>

Flowers of Battle: The Complete Martial Works of Fiore Dei Liberi, a Master at Arms at the Turn of the Fifteenth Century: Historical Overview and the Getty Manuscript (1)

Mele, Gregory D.

Europe

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