Thibault’s grip
This post provides an analysis of Girard Thibault’s specific method of gripping a sword.
Plates in Thibault’s hilts
On Thibault’s Table 27, perforated plates cover the hilts’ front openings.
A Plan of Thibault’s Académie de l’Espée
In this post, I share a rough plan of Thibault’s huge treatise intended to help navigate it.
Feeling and Sight
This post provides contrasting quotes about the two main modes of perception used in a sword fight, their properties and how they should be used. Comparing two historical approaches also gives some perspective on the tactical variety that can be encountered even in relatively close traditions that operated in the same context.
Capoferro weapon length
This post explores Ridolfo Capoferro’s advice about weapon length. Are the text and illustrations consistent? What measurements do they give? Are there original swords of such size?
Cutting mechanics: shoulder, elbow and wrist
In the 16th century, cuts begin to be sorted according to the portion of the arm that moves while delivering the cut. This post explores the classification of cuts and the various tactical considerations that can be extracted from the source material.
Cutting mechanics – hints from sources
How to move when cutting with a sword? While the question may seem simple, the answers are actually quite complex and diverse. In this post, I want to expose some things that can be found in sources to inform our cutting mechanics. This provides a starting point for experimentation, interpretation and training that is firmly grounded in history.
Thibault’s space and time: entering the fight
How does Girard Thibault use his theoretical framework to enter the fight, and what can this tell us about other fighting styles?
Thibault’s space and time: theory
This post is a brief description of the theoretical framework that Girard Thibault (1628) uses to deal with the key variables of time and distance in a fight.