Seminar on Saviolo's Rapier and=20
Manuscript I.33 Medieval Sword and Shield
A weekend of study with instruction by Stephen Hand
November 15th and 16th, 2003
Ashland, Oregon U.S.A.
Class size is limited. Cost $140.00 per person.
Contact Jeff Richardson at
jeffery@mind.net (541)512-9033
We will be bringing Stephen Hand in from Australia to teach on November 15t=
h and 16th in Ashland, Oregon. Stephen is an IMAF (International Master at =
Arms Federation) Acknowledged Instructor and the President of the Australia=
n Historical Swordplay Federation.
We will be doing one day focusing on Saviolo's rapier and one day on manusc=
ript I.33 medieval sword and buckler.=20
Stephen is the leading researcher in the world at the moment on Saviolo's r=
apier/sidesword system. Vincentio Saviolo's, His Practice in Two Books, pub=
lished in1595 illustrates a system of rapier/sidesword play that is a cross=
breed between the Italian and the Spanish systems (see the article by Step=
hen Hand and Maestro Ramon Martinez in the SPADA Journal that Chivalry Book=
shelf put out this past Spring). Saviolo was one of the earliest Italian fe=
ncing masters to teach rapier play in London. Saviolo had reached England f=
rom Padua in 1590. He was an established master of fence, thoroughly school=
ed in Italian rapier play and well acquainted with the theories and practic=
e of Caranza and Narvaez in Spain. He joined Jeronimo, son - apparently - o=
f an earlier Italian teacher in London, Rocco Bonetti, in Jeronimo's school=
of fence in London. He was an eclectic, teaching what seemed to him the be=
st aspects of both Italian and Spanish play and was highly regarded for his=
views on gentlemanely behavior and the conduct of dueling. Saviolo favors =
the point over the cut and says of the rapier fight "is not much more rare =
and excellent than any other, considering that a man, having the perfect kn=
owledge and practice of this art although of small stature and weaker stren=
gth, may, with a little removing of his foot, a sudden turning of the hand,=
a slight declining of his body, subdue and overcome the fierce braving pri=
de of tall and resolute bodies". This system of fence is typical of the rap=
ier systems that Shakespeare would have been witness to and features in his=
plays. A decidedly Italian trend to swordplay that the English Masters of =
Defense did not take kindly to having gain popularity over the English trad=
itions of Sword and Buckler play.
Stephen also has an instructional book coming out this year which he has wr=
itten with Paul Wagner based on the MS I.33 manuscript. This will be a grea=
t companion book to Dr. Jeffrey Forgeng's long-awaited translation of the f=
amous I.33 'Tower Manuscript' also due out this year by Chivalry Bookshelf.=
Royal Armouries MS I.33 is the earliest extant fencing treatise we know of=
.. Probably composed by a collaborative team of priests at a cathedral schoo=
l in W=FCrzburg around the year 1300, this makes it the oldest known martia=
l arts manual from Europe. The text is in Latin, with a few German loan-wor=
ds, and describes in words and illustrations a system of combat with the sw=
ord and buckler for the unarmored combatant. Until recently information on,=
and access to this text has been very limited.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
------------------------ Yahoo! Groups Sponsor ---------------------~-->
Buy Ink Cartridges or Refill Kits for your HP, Epson, Canon or Lexmark
Printer at MyInks.com. Free s/h on orders $50 or more to the US & Canada.
http://www.c1tracking.com/l.asp?cid=3D5511 http://us.click.yahoo.com/mOAaAA/3ex...sNAA/VRUolB/TM
---------------------------------------------------------------------~->
----------------------------------------------------------------------
The CFML is sponsored in part by Purpleheart Armoury, now carrying rapier b=
lunts and leather gorgets.
http://www.woodenswords.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------
=20
Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/=20 
Linear Mode
