Research and Discussion Forums

For a primary source I'm planning to use an online version Fiore's Fior di Battaglia, I would rather have a physical copy but I haven’t been able to find one.
The document is also called Flos Duellatorum, you might google under that:
http://www.thearma.org/Manuals/Liberi.htm
You're on the ...

Obviously, fighting styles existed before manual were written.

A question we might ask instead would be "did Marco Polo study any sword techniques when he was in the east, and was he in a position to teach them when he returned, and did they prove to be better than what was there already ...

While obviously I think this question is absurd, because the European arts differ significantly from their asian counterparts in many respects, it suggested a different question to me.
I wouldn't assume too much. Fiore has some really scary similarities to Japanese bujutsu, the sword and ...

If you can find "door skins" at your local hardware emporium, and they would be equivalent to about 1/8" plywood, then you can layer them with glue. Tie these onto a 55-gal barrel, and you should have about the right curvature.

What period are these intended to emulate?

Since it is a Japanese source, I would assume shinai or bokken.

That point of balance would have different effects depending on whether it was used two- or one-handed.

I am interested in finding out how far back in time we can assign these techniques. How much is the use of a baskethilt going to change the nature of the swordplay, and how far back would that have appeared?

In short, can we use these books find out how people in the Celtic lands would have used ...

Shane, looks like you have gone farther than some, in that you have tried to understand what it is that attracts recruits.

It's certainly reasonable to try to evaluate your class elements, divine what may be driving people away, and adjust. Or, confident that you have quality to offer, take a ...

The thing about squats based on MF's book, is that they do not go down all the way - your thighs go til they are parallel with the ground/floor if you can.

<img src="/forum/images/icons/laugh.gif" alt="" /> Now you know which book I haven't read.

I believe that I read in Saxton Pope's Hunting With the Bow and Arrow, how he dropped an elephant with a longbow arrow. Using the same tackle, I would presume a horse would present a lesser challenge, unless it had armor all over. Certainly a larger target than the man.

You don't have to go down all of the way to get a conditioning effect from squats. There's a fad in fitness recently, to follow the programs of the oldest Victorian strongmen, which I think is misguided.
Look into variations of the lunge exercise, this is very similar to what we use in the WMA (to ...

On the History channel or somesuch, there was a program about Agincourt, and the experts concluded that the arrowheads, since they were made to be thrown away, were made out of iron, while the French armor, since it was made for upper class knights, was likely to be good steel.
Very little was made ...

David, do you have "bad" or injured knees? It might help to know your age. Do you have pain in your knees?

Or do you want to know how to strengthen your legs in general?

Gary: You'll do fine, I'm sure. Most trainers I know have the ACE cert in addition to whatever else they've picked up. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

Exactly. One thing I notice in studying Fiore is that the illustrates figures generally seem to have an erect posture with their shoulders back. This actually enhances the shoulders' mechanical efficiency.

So, Gary, which cert are you working on?