Guy Windsor has been training swordsmen and swordswomen for a very long time. This short book distills his principles of training swordsmanship into seven key ideas, divided into three internal principles, and four external principles. They are:Internal:MindfulnessFlowAdopt Useful BeliefsExternal:4) No Injuries5) The Pareto Principle6) Run a Diagnostic7) Distinguish between knowledge and skillThis ...

Written in the late fifteenth century for the Duke of Urbino, De Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi is one of the most important surviving works on knightly combat. In this companion volume to the Spada Press facsimile, Guy Windsor presents the most comprehensive modern engagement with Philippo Vadi’s treatise to date.This volume combines an English translation with detailed commentary, historical analysis, and practical interpretation of every play in the manuscript. Drawing on d...

The term 'medieval martial arts' conjures images of armour-clad knights wielding sword, lance and axe. While the image is correct, at the foundation of knightly combat was a sophisticated form of close quarter combat, instantly recognizable to students of classical Asian arts such as jujutsu or practitioners of modern, military combatives. At the heart of this system was fighting with - and against - the dagger, a vicious weapon of both self-defense and last resort that was dangerous to th...

The Duellist's Companion is a must-read exploration of 17th century Italian rapier fencing and a thorough interpretation of the style of legendary swordsman Ridolfo Capoferro, author of the most famous fencing book in history, Il Gran Simulacro, published in 1610.Through detailed illustrations and clear explanations, Guy Windsor, a leading expert in historical martial arts, takes you through preparation exercises before teaching you the guard positions, footwork, blade act...

"As a long time solo student of Historical Martial Arts, The Theory and Practice of Historical Martial Arts and Guy's other works have encouraged me to take my training to the next level. The advice in this book has helped me start a small club and provided well grounded advice for developing classes and instruction based on the author's experience. Guy's book also has plenty of advice which has helped me better plan out my personal training and to help me make better use of the original s...

In From Medieval Manuscript to Modern Practice, renowned historical swordsman Guy Windsor demystifies one of the greatest martial arts books of all time, Fiore dei Liberi's Il Fior di Battaglia (The Flower of Battle).In the late 14th century dei Liberi, an Italian knightly combat master, wrote Il Fior di Battaglia (The Flower of Battle). This magnificent, illustrated manuscript described how to fight on foot and on horse...

The Flower of Battle, by Fiore dei LiberiThis is the companion volume to the Spada Press facsimile of Il Fior di Battaglia.Please note: This ebook is available for free with any purchase of the paperback edition, or the Spada Press Facsimile, available at www.swordschool.shopIl Fior di Battaglia, the Flower of Battle, was written by the great Italian master at arms Fiore dei Liberi around the year 1400. It covers knightly combat on f...

Armizare: the Medieval Italian Martial ArtDo you want to learn authentic medieval Italian martial arts and knightly combat?With a training partner, some simple equipment, and this innovative workbook, you can.Incorporating over 40 video clips, text instruction, and many images, this workbook is the most up-to-date way to learn the ancient art of Armizare. Armizare is the Italian word for the Art of Arms, as taught by Fiore dei Liber...

From the Foreword by Neal Stephenson:“Whether you are a writer or game-maker seeking the kind of information I sought while writing The Baroque Cycle, or just a general reader with an interest in the arts to which Guy Windsor has dedicated his career, you should find much that is rewarding in these pages.”This book is a collection of essays and articles, about half of which have been adapted from Guy’s successful blog, at guywindsor.com, the rest have never been published b...

Paradoxes of Defence was first published in London in 1599. It was written by George Silver, an English gentleman, who was appalled at the influx of Italian rapier fencing into England, and set out his arguments in favour of the traditional English weapons: the short sword, the short staff, the forrest bill, the morris pike, and all manner of additional arms such as daggers, bucklers, and targes. He rails against the fashionable new style on the grounds that it is both dangerous to the pra...

Take your skills and knowledge from absolute beginner to experienced fencer with the Complete Rapier Workbook, Guy Windsor’s training method based on his interpretation of Ridolfo Capoferro’s 1610 rapier treatise, The Great Representation of the Art and Practice of Fencing.This workbook format includes extracts and images from Capoferro’s book (and others), with clear explanations, step-by-step instructions, and a link to a video clip of every action, technique, and drill.T...

Ever wonder how good you’d be with a sword?This book is for you.Do love movie sword fights?Learn how real sword fights work.Are you into stage combat?Add depth with historically accurate technique.You’re a bad uncle looking for a present for your niece?Get her this book, though her parents might hate you.Or do you just like swords?If you’ve ever wan...