Consulting Swordsman
Guy Windsor The ability to ask for what you want is a critical life skill. It does not absolve those around you from paying attention to your needs, but it makes it a whole lot easier to have those needs met. This skill has two components: knowing what you want, and asking for it in such a … Read more
Yes, I spent some time clearing my desktop before shooting this…
Forms have been at the heart of martial arts practice since at least as far back as the Pyrriche war dances of ancient Greece, and documented in detail as early as 1536, in Achille Marozzo’s assalti in his monumental work L’Arte dell’Armi. I learned my first form while doing karate aged about 11, and have … Read more
One of the great advantages of being a professional swordsman in the 21st century is that nobody can reasonably expect you to be normal. As you might imagine, I engage in all sorts of odd behaviour, in the name of good physical and mental health, above and beyond simply swinging swords around in a historical … Read more
This is my 100th blog post, and I have just released my latest book, The Medieval Longsword, to my campaign backers. It will be up on Amazon and elsewhere soon. By way of encouraging reviews, and to soften the blow for all those who missed the campaign, I will give away a free ebook copy … Read more
Thanks to the success of my recent crowdfunding campaign, where I actually got paid for writing one of my books (yes, it is unusual), I had some spare cash. I could have done something sensible, like drop it into the bottomless pit that is my mortgage, but inspired by my recent trip to Verona, I … Read more
One of the most destructive forces in the world we live in is the “talent” mindset. I mean that literally. It underlies not only millions of minor miseries, but also the core of human evil. In short, if you believe in innate talent, you believe that some people are inherently better than others. It is … Read more
Without doubt the best rapier duel in cinematic history is the one between Inigo Montoya and the Man in Black at the top of the Cliffs of Insanity, in The Princess Bride (1987). To celebrate breaking 10,000€ on my recent crowdfunding campaign, I told my backers I would put up a video of how the duel might … Read more
Let me tell you a story about how the Internet is supposed to work. It’s also about collaborating on research, and finding truth. A short while ago, a student of mine, Kliment Yanev, came up with an excellent theory on the botanical identity of the poisonous dust plant that Fiore calls the titimallo. It was … Read more
[There is some cool stuff in this post, but the actual identification of the famed titmallo is wrong: full story here! GW] One of my favourite passages in Il Fior di Battaglia is this, where Fiore shows the use of a poison-dust pollax: The text that goes with it is hilarious. The text above the … Read more