The Armour Archive

Bob Charron

I would like to thank everyone who made this particular event so enjoyable. To the very talented SCA combatants renewed friendships with or met anew, to the students hungry for information and determined to apply it, and especially to the hosts for being so gracious and accommodating. I was able to ...

Bob Charron

I wanted to echo the previous recommendations for the Ochs organization. I was very privileged to have the opportunity to visit at some length with Hans Heim, and he was my partner for the German wrestling class. Not only is he a fine martial artist, and it was superb getting to do German wrestling ...

Bob Charron

My advice is to make every effort that you fully understand what the Medieval and Renaissance masters are teaching and how they are teaching it. These were people who were teaching effective techniques to people who could tell the difference in a time when the arts were frequently used in earnest. 1...

Bob Charron

I'm looking forward to seeing many good SCA friends that I haven't seen for years. I'm also really looking forward to sharing my six years of daily research into the martial arts system of Fiore dei Liberi with everyone at the event. I find it to be the most satisfying pursuit I've ever followed, as...

Bob Charron

It seems to me the crux of the argument is not whether it is noble to teach (share knowledge) but whether it is a duty to teach for free. This is why hackles are raised here and in some cases I think people are missing each other. It is not an obligation (duty) to teach unless, as Maelgwyn has point...

Bob Charron

I count Tirant among the most important books I ever read concerning the ideal of the knightly classes. I put it right up there with Chretien de Troyes (I don't like Mallory at all), Baldasar Castiglione, Orlando Inamaroto, etc. Once I started reading it, I couldn't put it down. The situations it pr...

Bob Charron

The dance that is directly applicable to the combat you want to learn (Medieval and Renaissance) is the dance of the period in question (Medieval or Renaissance). At the recent Western Martial Arts event in Seattle, there was an excellent lunch time exhibition of posture in sculpture and painting fr...

Bob Charron

Brian, That was a very kind post. I just wanted to thank you sincerely and publicly. Thanks also to Jester, Ceddie, and Keith for likewise being so kind. To Keith and the gang! I'm looking forward to seeing you. Thanks for organizing the event, and I appreciate you challenging me to present the mate...

Bob Charron

Kevin,

Sorry, now you know what I've been working with for some time.

Is there some part of it that is unclear?

Bob Charron

Thank you all for the kind words, I appreciate them and will use them as fuel for encouragement. Lloyd, feel free to contact me any time concerning the horseback section, and yes, Kristi has to be involved because of her experience, research and knowledge. Murdock, contact me any time as well. I'm s...

Bob Charron

This project continues under construction, and you can blame me entirely for it. I have come to realize how much I don't know, and wanting to avoid putting too much B.S. in any book, I'm trying my best to at least not make a hack-job of it. I am now having to go through the translation again after d...

Bob Charron

Being slightly into Fiore , I've been discussing this with my cohorts recently. In classical fencing it seems that the rule for inside/outside line is determined by the hand (lead hand). This is the default terminology for being understood in fencing circles, and lead to my explanations being comple...

Bob Charron

The folly is believing that we can build anything without the foundation of the ancient masters. Of course we can add to it if we truly know it in an Aristotelian sense. But we first must know it. And even then we must use caution. The temple is built upon a formula that was tested in combat in earn...

Bob Charron

Specifically, what is Prowess, and how is it made? It is skill at arms, made through study of the ancient masters and diligent practice. If Prowess is like a great hall, then what is its foundation, and what is its walls, and what is the roof overhead? It is a palaestra. It's foundation is sand, on ...

Bob Charron

www.stmartinsacademy.com

Follow the links to the "symposia" page.

Bob Charron

Mario just let me know that two spots opened up for this weekend in Racine. You can contact him to get your spot for the seminar at: mandhbaleywah@core.com I'm looking forward to seeing all of you there, and on working with all the new findings in the work with the sword in two hands. This is an esp...

Bob Charron

Lloyd,

Which treatise are you working with?

Are you working with a translated copy of the Pissani-Dossi, or have you translated the Getty-Ludwig or the Pierpoint-Morgan?

Bob Charron

Lloyd, St. Martins Academy of Medieval Arms (a completely Fiore shop is in Madison, about 45 minutes away from you. We meet on Monday nights and have been working on Fiore's complete system for the last couple of years. You are welcome to work with us in any way you would like. See you soon,

Bob Charron

Stahlgrim, Remember that Medieval Geometry is proportional. The sword should be proportional to its user, and following this thread of thinking then the taller person (with the longer forearm) should have a longer grip. Their sword would also be longer to reach their armpit. This is echoed by severa...

Bob Charron

Depending on what the original translated Italian word is (is it "spana"?), it most likely means the length from the elbow to the wrist or the elbow to the fingertips (cubito). Also, check the beginning of the description, as this may be the description for the spada in arme, rather than just the sp...

Bob Charron

Most importantly, Bestiaries were part of the "puerilia" - the set of instructional texts given to new scholars (boys) as they began their journey of learning. They were often printed in vernacular, rather than the Latin, and several of them are also accompanied by several alphabets (including Greek...

Bob Charron

Giles, Do a web search for "Ars Dictamina". This is the formulaic art of letter writing used in the Medieval period and there are any number of books on the subject. They cover proper introductions based on rank, proper praise followed by the proper appeal or what you desire to convey, and proper cl...

Bob Charron

I would recommend getting Dr. Forgeng's excellent translation which accompanies the original plates in this volume available at chivalrybookshelf.com: The Medieval Art of Swordsmanship A Facsimile & Translation of the World's Oldest Personal Combat Treatise by Dr. Jeffrey L. Forgeng Full Color, 178p...

Bob Charron

The material from I.33 is marvelous and relatively straightforward. It handles all sorts of attacks and defenses, and is not at a disadvantage in any context. If your opponent does not attempt to bind with you, he will be at the disadvantage. Just as in one of the first plays described when the text...

Bob Charron

You gentlemen are very, very kind. As only their humble mouthpiece, I must say that it is the Medieval masters who give us this incredibly effective martial material and the means by which it can be easily understood. They were exemplary martial artists and teachers. I really want to encourage every...

Bob Charron

Jester, That's what I get for posting at work! The defender's dagger in your "6" should be *underneath* the attacker's at the finish. Wow, I need to slow down If you do this you get a variant of the ligadura sottana as illustrated in the second variant of the hold illustrated under the third remedy ...

Bob Charron

Jester, I believe figure six is indeed a ligadura sottana. The attacker's arm is underneath the defenders, creating a variant of the three forms of the ligadura sottana shown at the end of the section ruled by the third master of dagger who plays against man riversa attacks. The dagger is on top of ...

Bob Charron

Jester, Some minor insights and corrections. The posta that this cover is done from is mezana porta di ferro dopia (doubled middle iron gate) and begins with the point of the dagger oriented at the the opponent (hence mezana, rather than tutta, which would indicate the point held off the line). Your...

Bob Charron

Noe, Thanks for that. Yes, it will take time to wrap all of our brains around, but the Medieval and Renaissance masters were all consistent in putting it forward as the rule. Gaston, Well, you're right. I should know after 20 years in the SCA But I can't be pigeonholed cleanly into WMA (at least yet).

Bob Charron

To attack while your opponent is in a guard and before he has created a tempo for you to attack in by moving his weapon or body can be suicidal if as you do so you come into distance. You can illicit a tempo from the opponent if they do wish to provide one by moving their weapon, their foot, or both...

Bob Charron

Who does it? Bob Charron - formerly known in the SCA as Conn MacNiell, now as Lorenzo da Ferrara (when I can go to something). Where are you? Madison, Wisconsin. Do you do it at SCA events or outside the SCA? I found that once I started studying the arts in earnest, I had to make a decision between...

Bob Charron

It was very good to work with all of you in Racine. You were a marvelous bunch - quick learners and very concerned with your companion's safety.

I really enjoyed refreshing old friendships and beginning new ones, and I hope to see all of you in the future.

Most sincerely,

Bob Charron

When doing these techniques at speed, another factor of the blade seizure becomes apparent. It is *not* a tug-of-war between two people using a sword as the rope Often the simple displacement or grab of the blade results in *instant* space, time and opportunity to finish the fight. No need to pull b...

Bob Charron

Both the seizing of the opponent's blade and the grasping of your own blade in the left hand for close-quarters work are staples of the Medieval systems.

Simply stated, they did it all the time.

Bob Charron

Oh no Hob, You make an excellent point. The defenses of the Medieval masters should be safer, and their follow-on's and especially stesso tempo (single time) offenses coming off of those defenses would have to be moderated, by time, line, or some other buffer. Yet you do not have to execute the imme...

Thank You

Ochs

Studying historical European Martial Arts

Looking forward to it!

One more opinion

Tirant

Dance and the Art of Arms

Thank you sincerely

Dagger Segno

Patience, and yes!

Book Project

Inside/Outside Lines

Ancient or Modern is better?

Prowess

Web Site

Two Spots Open

Which Treatise?

Welcome any time

Proportion

Span

Bestiaries

Ars Dictamina

I.33

I.33

Wrestling and Dagger Seminar

My mistake!

Figure 6

Dagger Plays from Fiore

Advantage?

Attacks, tempo and distance

Studying Medieval Martial Arts

Racine

blade seizures

Blade seizures

Medieval defenses/offenses