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Training

It must be stressed that any martial art including fencing cannot be learned simply from a book. It is in your best interest to find a suitable instructor to study under. The materials provided on this site are intended for the researcher and for the student who is already taking lessons from a qualified instructor.

The Arte of Defense

I have included as a service, parts of my book Entitled "The Arte of Defense" (First Edition with some edits). It is an instructional manual on rapier play that includes not only pratical information but also history and philosophy. The thrust (pun intended) of the book is to provide a practical view on rapier play of the late 16th and early 17th C. I stress the point more than the edge, giving drills for learning this style. I hope you enjoy reading through it. The second edition of my book is now available. Go to Tattershall Arms and look in the books section for pricing.

Fencing during the Elizabethan period not only included the rapier but also other weapons such as the longsword, the broadsword/backsword and the short sword.  As I write lesson plans for these other various weapons I will include them here.

Training Guides