Opening remarks (Friday, 9:30am): 
Brian R. Price, Schola St. George, SSI

2003 in the Western Martial Arts
Gregory Mele, Chicago Swordplay Guild, SSI Director

On the Other Side of the World: Swordsmanship in Europe, 2002-3
   Guy Windsor, Helsinki School of European Swordsmanship

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Participants should bring a dagger simulator,

Christian Henry Tobler has been a longtime student of swordsmanship, especially as it applies to the pursuit of the chivalric ideals. A passionate advocate of the medieval Liechtenauer School, his work in translating and interpreting Sigmund Ringeck's commentary firmly establishes him as an important contributor to the growing community of Western martial artists. This work is encapsulated in the Chivalry Bookshelf title "Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship: Sigmund Ringeck's Commentaries on Johannes Liechtenauer's Verse".

Mr. Tobler was born in 1963 in Paterson, New Jersey. A graduate of the University of Bridgeport's computer engineering program, Mr. Tobler has worked as a software developer, product manager, and marketing specialist in the analytical instrumentation and publishing fields. He is the Grand Master of the Order of Selohaar, an eclectic, mystic order of chivalry that he co-founded in 1979. A veteran of 15 years of tournament fighting, he is also an avid collector of reproduction arms and armour.

He has been focused on the study of medieval fechtbücher ('fight books') for the past several years and teaches a weekly class in medieval combat. In the past year, he has taught classes at the Schola St. George Swordplay Symposium, in San Francisco, at the 3rd Annual Western Martial Arts Workshop in New York, and has appeared as a guest on Cablevision News Channel 12's daily program "The Exchange". In 2002 he was named to the Advisory Board of Swordplay Symposium International (SSI).

Mr. Tobler lives in Oxford, Connecticut with his wife Maureen Chalmers and far too much armour for the size house that they live in

Footwork and Movement in Fiore dei Liberi
Bob Charron
Saint Martin's Academy, Madison, WI
This class will provide explanation, practice and application of footwork, turning, body mechanics, moving from posta to posta and offensive and defensive technique generation from Fiore Dei Liberi’s Fior Di Bataglia.  Included will be coverage of the four kinds of stepping, the three kinds of turning (volta), making the crossings (incrosada), the four blows of the dagger and the seven blows of the sword. 

Students should bring some form of safe knife simulator (rolled up and duct taped magazine or foam safety dagger), and a longsword waster.
 
See Mr. Charron's Bio here.

Nicoletto Giganti's 1606 'Scola...': A contemporary of Fabris & Capo Ferro,
Giganti taught a clear and practical system of fence based upon controlling all aspects of the fight through maintaining safety. Concepts include: guards and counterguards, engagement and covering, single time vs. two times, feints and disengagements, and body avoidance. Will include Single sword, sword & dagger.

Equipment TBD

Gary Chelak began studying historical fencing in 1994 while attending college. He served as assistant instructor for rapier combat, and eventually primary instructor prior to graduation. Mr. Chelak earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts from Northern Arizona University with an extended major in Visual Communication (Dec., 1997). Having succeeded in creative & management positions in the graphic design field, he currently balances freelance design with full time graphic arts instruction at a private college in Southern California, where he was recently voted Outstanding MultiMedia Instructor by the student body.

Studying & teaching Italian rapier primarily in the US, Mr. Chelak has also done research and taught in Great Britain. His primary foci are Italian systems of rapier, sidesword, & longsword. Additional studies include French smallsword, Spanish rapier, Italian unarmed combat, and German systems of sword & buckler, longsword, & wrestling.

Students must bring their own weapons. They must have gloves for both hands, masks, jackets, breast protectors for women, and rigid groin cups for men.  No exposed skin will be permitted.

Participants should bring afoil, epee and a sabre of either the French or Italian type. Epees mounted with Pointe d'arret are highly recommended. If you have a Pointe d'arret, but do not know how to mount it, instruction on this procedure will be provide prior to the beginning of the class.  No orthopedic grips will be permitted.  Jackets, masks and gloves are strictly required.  Cup protectors for men and breast protectors for women are also required.  No exposed skin
will be permitted.  All fencers should come prepared and ready to engage in full contact intensive drills.

Armored Swordsmanship of the Sengoku Jida
Dale Seago, Bujinkan San Francisco

This block of instruction will cover methods of dismounted battlefield sword combat during Japan's Sengoku Jidai or "Warring States" period (1185-1600). The methods shown will be drawn from Kukishinden ryu, a surviving system of that period. Participants will be exposed to:

 The place of the sword (relative to other weaponry) in battlefield combat
    - Characteristics of Japanese yoroi (armor)
    - How the armor affects movement
    - Sword techniques used while wearing armor

Participants should at minimum bring a wooden Japanese training sword (get a cheap one at a local martial-arts store). A wooden training wakizashi (short sword) would be fine as a substitute: During the period represented the tanto (dagger) was the battlefield "backup" to the sword, but some were fairly long. No actual armor is necessary. 

Armored Hand-to-Hand Combat of the Sengoku Jidai
Dale Seago, Bujinkon SF, San Francisco

This block of instruction will cover methods of Yoroi Kumiuchi (battlefield unarmed and dagger combat in armor) during Japan's Sengoku Jidai or "Warring States" period (1185-1600). The methods shown will be drawn from Kukishinden ryu, a surviving system
of that period. Participants will be exposed to:

         Characteristics of Japanese yoroi (armor)
         How the armor affects movement
         Comparison of jutaijutsu vs. dakentaijutsu armored approaches
          Striking, grappling, and dagger (tanto) use while wearing armor

Participants should at minimum bring a wooden Japanese training sword. (Very inexpensive at most martial-art stores) A wooden training wakizashi (short sword) would also serve the purpose: During the period represented, the tanto rather than the wakizashi
was carried as a "backup" weapon, but some were fairly long No actual armor is required.

Introduction to the Medieval Longsword:
Rapier class TBD
Guy Windsor
School of European Swordsmanship, Helsinki, Finland

Born in Cambridge, England in 1973, Mr. Windsor received his first lessons in classical fencing at the age of nine from his grandfather, Hector Apergis. In the 1920s Dr Apergis fenced with Leon Paul, himself a student of the great Afred Hutton. Mr Windsor took up karate in 1985 and sport fencing at school in 1986, specialising in the foil for four years before adding the sabre. Becoming disillusioned with the sporting approach, he began his studies in T'ai Chi Chuan, Okinawan Kobudo and Aikido in 1992. During his first year at Edinburgh University, Mr Windsor met Paul Macdonald and together they decided to form the Dawn Duellists Society.

In 1994 Mr. Windsor came to Helsinki on a student exchange, and almost immediately met his partner-to-be, Merja Polvinen. She went with him back to Edinburgh in 1995, and pursued her studies while Mr. Windsor finished his degree, and picked up where he had left off with the DDS. After graduation Mr Windsor found work as an antiques restorer and cabinet maker in Scotland, while at the same time teaching fencing at the DDS. In September 2000 he decided to teach swordsmanship full-time and in March 2001 opened The School of European Swordsmanship, Helsinki.

Mr Windsor has worked his way backwards through the history of fencing, specialising at first in the smallsword with a particular fondness for the work of Donald McBane. His rapier method is heavily influenced by Maestro Sinclair, though generally based in earlier styles, including that of the idiosyncratic Vincentio Saviolo. His longsword method is largely based on Fiore, though Vadi is also influential. The sword and buckler method in I.33 is the latest addition to the SESH curriculum. Mr Windsor also particularly enjoys practice with spadroon, dagger, spada da lato and cavalry sabre. The emphasis in all his training is on the martial effectiveness and historical accuracy of the techniques.

For many years Mr Windsor has been particularly interested in the internal, meditative and medical aspects of swordsmanship. To this end, he incorporates massage and herbal medicine at an early stage in his students' training and his study of Western shamanic techniques forms the basis of the more advanced internal and spiritual training.

Mr Windsor divides his time between his own training, teaching at his salle in Helsinki, and taking workshops across Finland and abroad.

Guy Windsor is a registered instructor of swordsmanship with the British Academy of Fencing and the Amateur Martial Association. He is also a founding member of the British Federation of Historical Swordplay and the Dawn Duellists Society. In recognition of his work on the I.33 manuscript and his instruction at his school and abroad, the International Master at Arms Federation has appointed him an Acknowledged Instructor in both the Longsword and Medieval Sword and Buckler.

"Vespers" Tournament
Company of Saint George / others TBD
What is a "vespers" tournament? In some medieval literature, there is evidence that the simple country knights and squires would engage in a kind of "preliminary" tournament before the rebated tournaments the next day. Given that the WMA community has very few fully armoured combatants, the Schola St. George proposes to hold a "blossfechten" (unarmoured) tournament concurrent with or after the Rapier prize-playing, giving unarmoured combatants a chance to develop their skills in a medieval, competitive environment. Rules, armour and weapon standards to be published--but the standard will employ the Chicago Swordplay Guild training swords, a helmet and throat defense, gambeson and some form of gauntlet. 

Learning to Fall in the Western Martial Arts
Colin Hatcher
Schola Saint George, Bay Area California
 It is impossible to really enjoy the study and practice of medieval grappling systems without an ability to go down to the ground without injury. Falling down safely and comfortably is thus an absolute priority for the student.

Going down without injury is especially important when wearing heavy armour. Contrary to the idea that you are protected in armour and therefore can easily fall without harm, the opposite is true - your increased weight in armour makes safe falling even more a priority. A heavy steel helm on the head, for example, dramatically increases the risk of whiplash injury and concussion when falling.  

In this hands-on course we will practice going down face first and going down backwards from a variety of common grappling positions. This will be a cooperative class, where each student will learn how to assist their opponent down safely when executing a technique, and, when being taken down, how to go to the ground without injury.

No prior skills are necessary to lean this most basic of grappling skills. The emphasis of the class is on
cooperation and zero injury. No equipment is necessary, but students are welcome to wear knee pads, elbow pads and leather gloves, and students who have helms are also invited to bring them.

Colin Hatcher is a member of the Schola Saint George, and holds five black belts, including a 3rd degree in Jujitsu and a 2nd degree in Akido. He has practiced grappling arts for more than 25 years, teaching hundreds of students in the US and in Europe.

Swordsmanship of Joseph Sweatnam
Steaphen Fick
Davenriche Academy of Arms, San Jose, CA

Not a lot is known about Joseph Swetnam.  He was likely born in Bristol sometime around the1560’s.  I say that because he says in 1615, “I must confess I have been a traveler this thirty and odd years”, when he wrote an “anti-woman” pamphlet called “The Arraignment of Lewd, idle, forward and unconstant women or the vanity of them” under the pseudonym “Thomas Tel-troth”. 

Tom Leoni, Maryland Association of Historical Swordsmanship

In this class, we will review and expand in greater depth all the topics covered in last year's very successful session. This course will be highly beneficial to both the experienced rapier practitioner and the serious beginner. Arguably one of the most sought-after swordsmanship masters of all times, Fabris remained an International legend until long after his death. His treatise, "Scienza d'arme" (1606) was in fact in print until the year 1713. Fabris' highly technical, athletic and scientific style will be explored in this course, where the most solid bases of Italian rapier will be presented. Topics will include the tactical knowledge of the sword and its parts, effective and dynamic guards, dominating the opponent’s blade, misura, tempo, effective footwork, attacks, feints, cavazioni, voids, parries and counters. In the true spirit of Fabris, this course will help channel every movement of the body and the sword into a clear and specific tactical purpose, and will be concentrating equally on theory and practice. This class will help you identify and understand the main tactical goals in rapier play, as well as the techniques used to achieve them and the mechanics that will maximize your effectiveness. To make this class more authentic, everyone will have the opportunity to see and handle an original Italian rapier from the time of Fabris. Requirements: practice rapier, fencing mask.

Bob Charron
Saint Martin's Academy

The objective of this class will be to thoroughly understand the principles explained and depicted in the Fior Di Bataglia’s dagger (daga) section.  The positions for fighting (posta masters), striking methods and the five directives of the fight (concept masters), and the defensive covers against various attacks (remedy masters) will be explored.  In doing so the student should leave with a solid grounding in the principles of fighting with and against the dagger, as well as solid principles of hand to hand combat (abrazare) from Fiore’s system. 

Students should bring a forearm pad for the left arm and a safe knife simulator (rolled up and duct taped magazine or foam safety dagger).

Bob Charron is the founder of the St. Martin's Academy, Bob Charron, has spent years translating and interpreting the techniques from the Fior di Bataglia, a treatise of arms written in the early 15^th century by Fiore dei Liberi, instructor at arms to Nicolo d’Este, Marquis of Ferrara. He has given many seminars throughout the US, Canada, and in European schools on Fiore's techniques.

Bob is preparing his translation of "Fior di Battaglia" for publication by the Chivalry Bookshelf, scheduled for release in 2003. Prior to this time, there has been no English translation of this document, which resides in the archives of the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles, California.

Medieval Sword & Buckler: RA I.33 Workshop
Stephen Hand, Stoccata School of Defence
$35 fee

Now tht the I.33 manuscript will finally see publication in fascimile and translation, Stephen Hand will present his interpretation, built with Paul Wagner, to be released during summer 2003 (Chivalry Bookshelf).