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...

When this coronavirus, SARS-CoV-19, emerged at the beginning of 2020, I didn’t worry too much about it, because I recognised it as being outside my area of control. There was nothing for me to do, so I just ignored it. Then bit by bit things started to change—the twin threats of death by plague and economic ruin came front and center into our collective awareness.As lockdown progressed it was soon obvious that many of my students were struggling. Things they depended on for their p...

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 ...

This book is for beginners who want to practise swordsmanship, and need to know what kind of sword to buy. It covers what to look for in safe training weapons, as well as the ideal range of length, weight and other specifications for each major European sword type, including: Falchion, Arming Sword, Longsword, Sidesword, Rapier, Backsword, and Smallsword. It also covers choosing a supplier.Guy Windsor is a professional researcher and teacher of historical European swordsmanship, an...

Celebrate two decades of historical martial arts development with the 20th Anniversary Edition of The Swordsman's Companion by Guy Windsor. This seminal guide has transformed the lives of thousands of swordsmanship enthusiasts worldwide, becoming a timeless classic in historical martial arts literature.This special edition retains the original's practical approach with detailed instructions, illustrations, and drills, which were state-of-the-art in 2004. The field ...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...

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...