Lights, camera ... kidnap! 'Dreams of stardom; sibling rivalry & a gripping ending, Sister to a Star has it all & I gobbled up the entire book' BONKERS ABOUT BOOKS Evie is forever crossing swords with her twin. While she practises her after-school fencing, Tallulah is winning movie auditions. Neither of them could have imagined how their worlds would collide, but when Tallulah goes to Hollywood Evie goes too - as her sister's identical stand-in. But that changes, when the film needs some all-action sword-play. Soon Evie's the one enjoying the limelight - that is, until Tallulah goes missing ... An action-packed sibling adventure of twin rivalry, glamour and skulduggery set against the bright lights of Hollywood! Written by ex-Olympic fencer, Eloise Smith Features a diverse ensemble cast of brave and spirited kids you can't help but root for!

A complete beginner's guide to training in medieval Italian longsword. This book covers everything from choosing a sword, to warming up, to fencing. Full of set drills and clear descriptions, this book has been the standard work on the subject since it first came out in 2004.

Legendary fencing instructor Maitre Bac H. Tau described what he called the 'six essentials that are in a fencer's mind': 'The first is called spirit; The second, rhythm; The third, thought; The fourth, technique; The fifth, tactic, and the last is strategy.' As a fencer you can fight with spirit, experience rhythm, think your way around problems, and develop technique, tactic and strategy by training with top-flight fencing masters. But there is more. Modern fencing is a highly competitive speed and endurance sport and the 'seventh essential' in a high-performance fencer's mind is how to prepare themselves physically and mentally to fence. In High Performance Fencing: The Seventh Essential, Ed Rogers covers every aspect of the preparation required by a fencer competing at the highest level. The book provides sound practical advice and is based on tried-and-tested training principles that have repeatedly proved successful.

From the gruff, sword-toting swashbucklers of the Middle Ages to modern adventure epics like The Princess Bride, the aura surrounding the sword is one that is both romantic and pragmatic. Thoughts of this weapon bring to mind images of the Knights of the Round Table, Zorro, the Three Musketeers--the things daydreams are made of. Historically, the fate of the empires revolved around the sword; nations rose and fell based on the power of their swordsmen. For centuries it was the weapon of choice in settling personal disputes. Today, the art of sword fighting has been incarnated as the dynamic, chess-like sport of fencing. It has also played an important part in the history of theatre and film, and it has been part of literature for as long as there have been books. In its varied guises, the sword has for centuries figured in the world's varied cultures, myths, and politics.

Yet, there has never been a comprehensive volume on the subject of the sword until the publication of this encyclopedia. For the first time, in a single volume one can locate information on the history of sword types and styles around the world; techniques of combat sword use; techniques and styles of modern sport fencing; names and descriptions of various fencing implements and weapon types; swashbuckler films and the fencing masters who influenced the genre; significant individuals who have taught sword use; the sword at the Olympics; the literature in which the rapier, foil, or broadsword has figured; and much, much more. Essential reading for fencing and military history enthusiasts.

First published in 1995. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

The basic movements and concepts of the European long sword are strategically covered in this comprehensive guide. Detailed photo sequences and illustrations that clearly depict stance and movements pair with engaging prose that perspicuously explicates the origins of long sword tactics. This complete look into the basics of long sword fighting is designed for sword fighting fans as well as long time practitioners and features instruction on balance, maintaining guard, proper grip, cuts, wards, stance, tempo, footwork, parries, and basic offense and defense.

Improve your balance, strength, focus, and martial skills with this elegant and effective Chinese weapon, from America's most respected author and teacher of Shaolin Gong Fu. Mastering the Art of the Northern Shaolin Sword requires extensive physical training, which will result in a strong, finely-tuned body and mind. And as self-defense, Shaolin Sword is indispensable, improving your perception, timing, and reactions, allowing for the quickest and most appropriate response to any given situation.Sword training is one of the highest accomplishments in Chinese martial arts. Northern Shaolin Sword is a complete book for martial artists seeking to refine their skill and spirit.In-Depth History, Fundamentals and Forms.Two-Person Routines, Applications and Fighting Strategies.Three Complete Sword Sequences, including the Rarely Seen or Taught Matching Set.Easy-to-Follow Step-by-Step Photos with Detailed Instruction.

Advanced Fencing Techniques records the vast coaching knowledge accumulated over many years from one of fencing's great masters, Bert Bracewell. The book will not only help the aspiring fencer improve, but also the established fencer who may be looking for new ideas and techniques for their training. Equipment and rules changes over the years have shown fencers that they must adapt with the times. Advanced Fencing Techniques offers a unique collection of insights, which can be used to develop new fencers, as well as providing a repository of knowledge for the future. Step-by-step colour photography and diagrams cover advanced techniques for foil, sabre and epee. The book presents valuable coaching material, exercises and drills to expand a fencer's range of activities and knowledge, challenging habitual practices.

Royal Armouries Manuscript I.33, also known as the Tower Fechtbuch or the Walpurgis Manuscript, is the oldest-known manual of swordsmanship in the western canon. Dated to c.1310, it is a stunning work of late medieval art and the Armouries' most treasured manuscript, one so famous it has become known simply by its shelf number: I.33. This new edition includes a critical introduction, transcription and translation by Jeffrey L. Forgeng, the foremost authority on I.33.

Kendo is the modern version of Japanese swordsmanship, and transmits the ancient swordsman tradition and life-view. This practical work offers an insight into this ancient art and philosophy.

English translation of one of the most significant medieval texts on fighting with swords. Completed in 1482, Johannes Leckuchner's Art of Combat with the "Langes Messer" (Messerfechtkunst) is among the most important documents on the combat arts of the Middle Ages. The Messer was a single-edged, one-handed utility sword peculiar to central Europe, but Leckuchner's techniques apply to cut-and-thrust swords in general: not only is this treatise the single most substantial work on the use of one-handed swords to survive from this period, but it is the most detailed explanation of the two-handed sword techniques of the German "Liechtenauer" school dating back to the 1300s. Leckuchner's lavish manuscript consists of over four hundred illustrations with explanatory text, in which the author, a parish priest, rings the changes on bladework, deceits, and grappling, with techniques ranging from life-or-death escapes from an armed assailant to slapstick moves designed to please the crowd in public fencing matches. This translation, complete with all illustrations from the manuscript, makes the treatise accessible for the first time since the author's untimely death less than a year after its completion left his major work to be lost for generations. An extensive introduction, notes, and glossary analyze and contextualize the work and clarify its technical content. JEFFREY L. FORGENG is curator of Arms and Armor and Medieval Art at the Worcester Art Museum, and teaches as Adjunct Professor of History at Worcester Polytechnic Institute.

In the 1600s, the elegant and deadly Italian rapier was the choice sword of duelists, officers, gentlemen and noblemen: to master the rapier was to be a feared martial artist and a paragon in single combat. Among the original treatises on the use of this weapon, the most prized by historical fencing revivalists in the last 150 year has been the Great Representation of the Art and Practice of Fencing, written in 1610 by Master Ridolfo Capoferro. In this remarkable text, Capoferro described and illustrated - in unmatched detail - the use of the rapier alone and with a left-handed dagger, cloak and shield, offering the modern historical fencing student a true wealth of Renaissance fencing theory, form and repertoire. With this book, expert researcher and rapier instructor Tom Leoni offers a full, accurate and accessible English translation of Capoferro's teachings, complete with high-resolution reproductions of the 43 original illustrations. To make the book even more useful, Tom has included bullet-point synopses of all the actions illustrated by Capoferro, as well as a glossary of rapier-fencing terms with examples referring the reader to how they are used in the text. Also included is a primer on key rapier-fencing concepts and actions, as well as a historical introduction about Capoferro and his extraordinary relevance in the revival of historical martial arts.