Consulting Swordsman
Guy Windsor Life is worth living because of the people you love, and who love you. But everybody dies. In a perfect world, children would still bury their parents, but parents would never bury their children. My father died recently, peacefully at home at the age of 83. The circumstances really couldn’t have been improved upon, and … Read more
There’s a lot of doom and gloom going around at the moment. As the pestilence has subsided a bit, we’ve got war and famine instead. If you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed and crap, it’s not your fault. But I have one key idea and two practices that may help. The key idea: Your experience is … Read more
My father Roger Windsor died on Tuesday 22nd, at home. Sometime in the night- so peacefully that my mum didn’t wake up. He was 83, and lived to see seven grandchildren. Here he is on his 83rd birthday. Losing a parent at the age of 8 is a tragedy. At 48, it’s a privilege. But … Read more
There is a ton of jargon in most specialised fields, and historical martial arts are no different. A smallsword fencer cares about the difference between a colichemarde and a spadroon; falchion folk distinguish between messer, storta, and hanger. The same is true of academics who study old books and ways of writing (palaeographers. Not to … Read more
My course How to Teach Historical Martial Arts is now live, and for the next week only you can get 40% off with this link: https://swordschool.teachable.com/p/how-to-teach-historical-martial-arts-or-anything-else?coupon_code=LEARNTOTEACH If you are currently leading classes but think your students are not progressing as well as they could; or you are thinking about teaching historical martial arts one day; … Read more
Don’t tell anyone I said this, but there’s more to life than swords. Pens are important too. As are chisels, saws, planes… Pencil Box in Brown Oak, Maple, Cherry, Walnut, and Resin On my recent trip to the USA I was sitting in my friend Heidi Zimmerman’s garden when she dropped a truth bomb on … Read more
Now that we have a working Jaegerstock, let’s take a look at lessons two and three of the system. This is part three of the Jaegerstock series. You can find the rest here: https://www.guywindsor.net/tag/jaegerstock/
I do like a bit of woodwork. And what is a jaegerstock if not a very long stick with some pointy bits attached? This instalment takes place entirely in my workshop, as I’m fitting the heads to the shaft. This is part two of the Jaegerstock series. You can find part one here: Taking up … Read more
I recently interviewed Reinier van Noort for my podcast, and while we were talking he mentioned a documented set of solo forms for the Jaegerstock, a nine-foot long spear with a point at both ends. The source is Johann Georg Pascha’s book Kurtze ANLEIDUNG Wie der BASTON A DEUX BOUS, Das ist JAEGERSTOCK/ Halbe Pique … Read more
Who doesn’t love Fiore’s art of arms? I mean really, it’s got everything. If you’re into medieval stuff, it’s the best-documented knightly sword, with source manuscripts dating back to the late 14th century. If you’re into any kind of unarmoured fencing, this system lays down the eternal fundamental rule: parry and strike. Then takes that … Read more