An intriguing reference
A lead towards a Provençal fencing treatise from the late 12th century…
Une référence intrigante
Une piste vers un traité d’escrime Provençal datant du XIIème siècle…
Tales of the French duels: not that French
An account of a 1511 duel that, while only tangentially related to French people, shows elements that would become a habit later on.
Sainct-Didier and Fabris
This post explores the claim of a meeting or even influence between Henri de Sainct-Didier and Salvator Fabris, and shows how slim the evidence is.
Thibault’s grip
This post provides an analysis of Girard Thibault’s specific method of gripping a sword.
High-res images from Gallica
Gallica, the digital section of the French National Library, hosts a lot of sources. Here is how to download full-res scans from there.
Secret attacks
A translation of a portion of the Traité d’Escrime Moderne of Jean Joseph-Renaud discussing the concept of “secret attacks”.
Tales of the French duels: Dagger courtesy
Is it always fair to abandon your dagger if your opponent does not have one?
Plates in Thibault’s hilts
On Thibault’s Table 27, perforated plates cover the hilts’ front openings.
Tales of the French duels: Watch your back
Another account of a duel where the winner was not cautious enough.