Understanding Gaining the Sword By Tom Leoni. (29-October-06)
For some reason that I find hard to fathom, the technique of gaining the opponent’s sword in Italian rapier is still a mystery for a lot of fencers—and even researchers.

Understanding Measure By Steven Reich. (29-October-06)
Measure is one of the most important concepts in Italian rapier fencing.

Understanding Tempo By Tom Leoni. (29-October-06)
Tempo is one of the most important concepts in Italian rapier fencing.

Understanding Smallsword By Tom Leoni. (26-September-06)
Welcome to the first online primer on the fundamentals of French smallsword, for those who like this weapon but have no access to pedagogical resources.

Understanding the "A" in WMA By Tom Leoni. (26-September-06)
As we all know, the acronym WMA stands for Western Martial Arts - an expression that has become intimately familiar to anyone who practices our disciplines.

The Sabre Molinello of Giuseppe Radaelli By Chris Holzman. (05-September-06)
An analysis of Radaelli's Sabre Molinello by guest author Chris Holzman.

Take Your Rapier Fencing to the Next Level By Tom Leoni. (10-August-06)
Learn how to take your Italian rapier fencing to the next level, how to set up realistic goals and how to practice your rapier effectively.

Fencing Seminar Etiquette By Steven Reich and Tom Leoni. (07-July-06)
Read the suggestions for historical fencing seminar etiquette that will help you and your drill partner get more out of the class.

The Rapier Revisited By Tom Leoni. (04-July-06)
Since over a year ago, when I wrote the article "What is a rapier?" I have attempted to learn even more about the weapon by reading all I could lay my hands on, by scouring museums, catalogs and private collections that I had not yet visited, and by talking to collectors and curators.

Drill of the Week - Introduction By Steven Reich. (19-May-06)
The Order of the Seven Hearts training regimen is founded on the acquisition of correct technique developed through the application of many drills of varying complexity.
List of Drills

Legitimate Teachers in the WMA Community: Advice on How to Spot Bad European Budo By Tom Leoni and Steven Reich. (17-May-06)
In recent years, the Western Martial Arts world has grown steadily in terms of quality and quantity, and while a decade ago it was rare to find individual enthusiasts within the same region, it is now common for a majority of us to operate within a thriving local community.

Masaniello Parise and the Italian-Neapolitan Classical System By Tom Leoni. (24-April-06)
To many, it may come as a surprise to learn that as a country, Italy--the birthplace of Julius Caesar, Dante and Leonardo--is little more than half the age of the United States. While the Spirit of 1776 was spreading like wildfire through the Colonies, Italy was in fact still firmly divided into republics, principalities and foreign protectorates; it was not until 1861 that Italy finally became an independent and unified kingdom...

Four Guidelines for Free-play By Steven Reich. (04-January-06)
Free-play can be an important part of training for swordsmanship. However, it should involve more than just suiting up and swinging away at your opponent.

Tactical Advice for the Rapier By Tom Leoni. (29-July-05)
Rapier students and practitioners often ask me if Fabris addresses certain tactical situations that seem to occur regularly in rapier fencing.

The Most Common Mistakes of Beginning Rapier Students By Tom Leoni. (06-May-05)
As with most demanding disciplines, fencing has its set of common beginners’ mistakes. Having practiced, taught and observed historical fencers of all levels for over a decade, I have compiled a list of the more obvious and recurring ones.

Why Look Just Like the Manual? An essay by Steven Reich. (06-May-05)
In my last essay, I gave an overview on how we practice. I emphasized how we strive to accurately reproduce the actions described by the masters we study and as a result we look like the images in the manuals.

Philology in Historical Research An essay by Tom Leoni. (05-Apr-05)
One of the most unique aspects of the Western Martial Arts (WMA) revival is the fact that most researchers are amateurs as opposed to professional historians and academics.

"You Look Just Like the Manual" An essay by Steven Reich. (14-Mar-05)
I have heard various people at Western Martial Arts seminars and events remark at how closely I look like the plates in Fabris’ manual when I demonstrate a position or action.

Parrying a full-intent longsword cut with a rapier? Absolutely. By Tom Leoni. (12-Mar-05)
On the last day of the Western Washington WMA Workshop 2005, leading German-longsword researcher Christian Tobler and I set out to prove that a rapier is perfectly capable of withstanding full-blown longsword cuts delivered at speed.

Timeline of Selected Publications of Italian and non-Italian masters of the 16th and 17th Centuries. By Steven Reich.
A visual timeline of the publication dates (first edition only) of some of the better-known Italian masters from the 16th and 17th centuries, as well as a selection of some of their counterparts from other parts of Europe.

The Magic of Polearms an essay by Tom Leoni. (22-Jul-04)
As a teenager, there were (many) days when I just did not feel like attending school and, more often than not, when this thought assailed me, I’d remain on the bus, which took me all the way into Milan.

Facts, Myths and Unanswered Questions: What is a Rapier? By Tom Leoni. (21-Apr-04)
In order to stay within the scope of a short and general article such as this, I will start by presenting my own general definition of a rapier.

Embarking upon serious rapier studies: what do you need? By Steven Reich. (18-Mar-04)
Many times an aspiring student is unsure of what equipment is necessary for the study of the Italian rapier. In fact, a student might not even be sure exactly what qualities determine whether or not a sword is a rapier.

JSL Ancient font
A font extracted from an late 16th century book published in Britain. Provides a "renaissance-look" to printed Word documents.

Schiavona Photographs (29-Jul-05)
Photographs of an original 17th century Schiavona.