Research and Discussion Forums

Does any one know how the Scottish sword dance was performed?

Hi Thomas...

No, as far as I'm aware a description of their dance doesn't exist, we can speculate that it was similiar to the type of Highland dance we see today but it must have been a version in which the swords were held during ...

It was recently brought to my attention (through an ARMA article) that the famous fencing master Salvator Fabris served as a fencing master at the court of Denmark, and that early sources show him to have lived in Sweden. Apparently, though, he came to Sweden, not as a fencing master but as a hired ...

Came across this 1822 source which included a description of Italian pugilism - including an interesting form of boxing with a small stick gripped inside the clenched fist - the projecting ends causing damage to the opponent!

PUGILISM IN ITALY.
It appears, in a publication called ' letters from ...

From an 1822 source...
YORKSHIRE FIGHTING.
From Mr. RYLEY'S "Itinerant."

At length the company were summoned into
the barn, to witness a battle between two noted
Yorkshire fighters. Amidst the crowd I perceived
two men naked to their waists lying 'on
the ground, grappling each other ...

From the Travels of MR. JOHN PALMER, in
1817, through the United States of America,
and Lower Canada. "

From the rascality and quarrelsome behaviour
of a few of the Kentucky men, the whole
people have got a very bad character amongst
the sister states, especially for blackguardism ...

ive studied Silat before and that manual does not make me think of silat

First of all I'd like to clarify that it's only this one technique that made me think that there may be a connection linking Dutch and Indonesian arts and that it's just as likely that it originated in Holland....

I too ...

Petter's 1674 Dutch wrestling manuscript has a technique which isn't seen in other Western wrestling manuals but would normally be recognised today as distinctly Indonesian, from the art of Silat.

But as the Dutch colonised Indonesia it would be impossible to prove who taught who

http&#58 ...

I need help trying to find information on Traditional Irish Martial Arts. All i have found so far is asian based martial arts from Ireland.

Hi Nathan...

I trained with Irishman John Ramsay who taught me a form of Irish stick which he had learned from his father, You can see him on my ...

Page's timing in the publication of his 'Highland' sword manual is puzzling, assuming he wrote it in 1745 when England was under threat from the Highland hoard and published it in 1746 when the Highland method had been grape-shot....
I would presume the book (dedicated to his commander) would have ...

The author to the paper has replied to my enquiry....

Dear Mr. Pastore,

Thank you very much for your comments. I was privileged to be able to present this paper to the WMA community at the BFHS event at the Royal Armouries in Leeds (m). The full version of my paper is currently in the hands ...

Hi All...
Has anyone heard anything about this paper or it's author in regard to the work by Thomas Page 'The Use of the Broadsword' - a true
method of the Highlanders
Louie...

British Society for Eighteenth–Century Studies Annual Conference 2006

Panel topic: Scotland and Ireland

Speaker ...

Eddie Smith wrote:can't find any video on the subject, any hints?

Hi Eddie

Willie Baxter is the top man in Scotland for coaching I believe, I attended a couple of his classes in Glasgow to try it out....
You certainly need a strong back!!!

Louie

Hi Louie,
You can find a list of quite a few of the British groups here:
www.bfhs.org
And I also have a bunch of links to groups here:
m

Best regards,
Matt

Hi Matt...

Many thanks for the links....
Unfortunately the closest on the list seems to be Edinburgh, which although I'd love to ...

philippewillaume wrote:
Is a dirk blade heavy and does it have a reasonably long handle?

phil

Hi Phil...

The handle's around 5.5inches, blade's around 1ft long and it's fairly heavy. Traditionally they were made from broken sword blades so the size & weight would vary.

Louie

On the Scottish Dirk...
"It was also used in much the same manner as a lance: for I have been informed of those people were dexterous marksmen with it; for they would throw at a considerable distance, and hit the object with a certainty."


Hi Allen
Thanks for posting the quote, that would ...