Who we are and what we do
Western Martial Arts is an art beyond the rigors of the SCAs Rapier, Cut and Thrust and Chivalric sword training and competitions. The Historical Combat Studies community is committed to studying the Western Martial Arts as they were understood it in the period. This covers many extant works on the theory and practices of the art of the sword and the ideal swordsman.
In addition to the study of the history and construction methods of armor and weapons, and military tactics, many books were written in the period of the SCA on Western Martial arts practices. In the Middle Ages, there were several works on on the ideal tournament and the conduct of knights. Some extant examples are Geoffroi De Charney’s Book of Chivalry, written ~1355 and Rene de Anjou’s work King Rene’s Book of the Tournament written ~1460. Building SCA tournaments on historical ideals and practices is one study area of this art.
There are also many manuals on the practice of sword work written in the period by known historical sword masters. Some examples include, I-33, Giacomo Di Grassi’s True Arte of Defence from ~1570, Fiore Dei Liberi’s Flos Duellatorum from ~1410 and Camillo Agrippa’s Trattato di Scientia dÁrme con vn Dialogo di Filosofia, from ~1553. The recreation of these and other practices on the Rapier and Cut and Thrust field, is a primary area of focus for combat as an art.
For further information, please contact the Historical Combat Studies Deputy.
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