The School of European Swordsmanship, Helsinki.
I visited the school on 20th May 09.
Thanks to instructor Guy Windsor, and Merja Polvinen who arranged this and took the photos.
Look at the School's informative website here: http://www.swordschool.com/
I visited the school on 20th May 09.
Thanks to instructor Guy Windsor, and Merja Polvinen who arranged this and took the photos.
Look at the School's informative website here: http://www.swordschool.com/
First Guy shows me how to thrust - sword out, step and lunge.
Lunge! Extending your non-sword arm helps you keep balance.
The class doing rapier training, following Capo Ferro's instruction manual, 1610 (I think)
Turning the body side-on to the opponent presents a smaller target
At last I have a good starting position. Step forward to get in distance for a lunge.
And I'm still not getting it right...
Better. But I have to push his blade left, out of guard.
So Guy shows me to slide my rapier down the opponent's so I can use the stronger mid-part of my blade.
He demonstrates the next exercise.
But I am still on the basics. Keep your knee straight, girl!
Practice...
While the others continue with rapiers, Guy shows me how to hold a longsword.
I prefer it!
The guards are so varied I stand a chance of remembering them. The movements are larger, I can swing through more space. It's great!
Guy points out the illustrations we have been following. I think this manual is MS I-33 from the early 1300s. He emphasises the accuracy and clarity of the pictures which portray seqences and a very dynamic longsword and buckler style.
The experts in freeplay.