Publications

The Chicago Swordplay Guild has been in the forefront of the Historical European Swordsmanship movement since its inception. Guild founders Gregory Mele and Mark Rector have also been prolific researchers and have published a number of books and essays on European swordplay.

• ARTE GLADIATORIA: The 15th Century Swordsmanship of Master Filippo Vadi
• MEDIEVAL COMBAT: A Fifteenth-Century Manual of Swordfighting and Close Quarter Combat
• HIGHLAND SWORDSMANSHIP: Techniques of the Scottish Sword Masters

ARTE GLADIATORIA
The 15th Century Swordsmanship of Master Filippo Vadi

Translated, edited, and analyzed by Luca Porzio & Gregory Mele.

For the first time, a color facsimile and translation is available for the text of this important master of late Italian Medieval swordsmanship. Master Fillipo Vadi’s work, previously overlooked and underestimated by fencing scholars, presents the student of historical swordsmanship or of military history a fresh, stunningly beautiful look into the mind of an Italian fencing master.

The core of the book is the Prologue and the Chapters that accompany it, explaining in detail not only who should be taught the art of swordsmanship —and how— but detailed explanations that cover almost every aspect of swordsmanship. Vadi closely follows the works of the late 14th century master Fiore dei Liberi, and offers his own innovations.

The authors have also included a penetrating new analysis of the Vadi material, debunking common myths about Vadi and challenging the conventional view concerning his place in the history of fencing. Especially interesting is the section by Gregory Mele carefully comparing techniques in Vadi with the different editions of Fiore dei Liberi.

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HIGHLAND SWORDSMANSHIP
Techniques of the Scottish Sword Masters

Edited by Mark Rector. Contributions by Paul MacDonald, Milo Thurston & Paul Wagner. Chivalry Bookshelf, 2001.

The Scottish Highlander has been romanticized in poetry, song and legend; immortalized in the figures of Bonnie Prince Charlie and Rob Roy. His reputation as a fierce fighter and deadly swordsman was much more than a myth--a proud tradition of Scottish fencing masters taught the use of the backsword, smallsword, target and dirk from the 17^th through the 19^th centuries. These masters were as colorful and diverse as the Scottish people themselves, from the upper-class “Anglicized,” Sir William Hope, to the bawdy, soldier- turned- fencing master Donald McBane, who ran a fencing salon out of his wife’s brothel.

In this omnibus edition, Mark Rector presents two classic manuals of Scottish swordsmanship from the days of Culloden.

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MEDIEVAL COMBAT
A Fifteenth-Century Manual of Swordfighting and Close Quarter Combat

Translated and Edited by Mark Rector. Greenhill Press, 2000.

This brilliant and attractive new book makes one of the most influential and lavishly drawn fencing manuals of the middle ages available in English for the first time. The authentic fifteenth-century techniques of master of arms Hans Talhoffer are illustrated in detail, presenting not only a unique historic record but also a visual guide for modern practitioners.

Talhoffer's professional fencing manual of 1467 illustrates the intricacies of the medieval art of fighting, covering both the 'judicial duel' (an officially sanctioned fight to resolve a legal dispute) and personal combat. Medieval swordfighting was not the hacking, blade-on-blade, ring of steel affair represented in films and on the stage. Combatants in the Middle Ages used footwork, avoidance, and the ability to judge and manipulate timing and distance to exploit and enhance the sword's inherent cutting and thrusting capabilities.

These skills were supplemented with techniques for grappling, wrestling, kicking and throwing the opponent, as well as disarming him by seizing his weapon. Every attack contained a defence and every defence a counter-attack. Talhoffer reveals the techniques for wrestling, unarmoured fighting with the long sword, 'long knife', pole-axe, dagger, sword and buckler, and mounted combat.

This unparalleled guide to medieval combat, illustrated with 268 contemporary images, provides a glimpse of real people fighting with skill, sophistication and ruthlessness.

Reviews:

Excellent ... forget the knightly chivalry, this is a Medieval handbook for street-fighting with every conceivable dirty trick being used with the sole aim of winning the fight.

-Newsletter of the Arms & Armour Society

In 1467, Talhoffer, a Swabian fencing instructor, produced a lavishly illustrated fechtbuch ("fight-book") with 270 illuminations demonstrating techniques for nearly every weapon in the medieval knight's arsenal, as well as techniques for judicial combats between nobles and between peasants ... this is the first English translation of his remarkable how-to ... Profusely illustrated ... the book offers freeze-frame instructions on medievel martial arts using swords, shields, poleaxes, daggers and wrestling, both on foot and on horseback ... Aside from their historical merit, Talhoffer's beautiful and austere illustrations provide a visual vocabulary of historical combat that might prove inspirational for directors, artists, re-enactors or stunt co-ordinators; others should not be surprised to find themselves posing in front of the nearest mirror.

-Publisher's Weekly

Mark Rector places the manuscript into its appropriate cultural and combative context that has as much to offer to the history buff as it has to the combative practitioner. His work finds a well deserved place in the literary canon of combative arts source literature. The quality of the production is solid and well worth the price. This books has earned an unconditional seal of approval! Go buy it now.

J. Christoph Amberger, author of Secret History of the Sword

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