The Art of the Two-Handed Sword translates one of the last
surviving works on the use of the two-handed sword, also called the
great sword, a Renaissance descendant of the medieval knightly
weapon that was equally at home on the battlefield, at tournaments,
in the fencing academy, or on the street. The second half of the
book provides a clear, practical, detailed guide to its use, as
well as to the theory and practice of historical fencing. Francesco
Alfieri's 1653 Lo Spadone (The Two-Handed Sword), translated here,
provides a "missing link" between medieval and modern martial arts.
It displays clear continuity with both medieval swordsmanship and
the still living traditions of sabre and great stick. Beginning in
the 14th Century, swords became more sharply pointed in order to
pierce the heavy plate armor of the day, and the grip became longer
to allow two-handed use for greater power. By the end of the 15th
Century, the two-hander, as long as a man is tall, had become a
fearsome infantry weapon used to break up pike formations and in
honor guards defending the standard or banner. It was also used in
tournaments, on the field of honor, and for civilian self-defense.
This long two-hander was known in Italy as the spadone. Its basic
methods have continued to the present day in great stick technique.
The Art of the Two-Handed Sword is the first complete English
translation of Alfieri's book, supplemented by related materials:
the MS Riccardiano (c. 1550) and works by Camillo Agrippa (1553),
Giacomo di Grassi (1570), and finally Guieseppe Colombani (1711),
who provides our last textual reference to the weapon. Alfieri's
work is supplemented by Ken Mondschein's painstaking reconstruction
and adaptation of longsword practice for the present day. He draws
on primary sources, martial arts traditions, classical and modern
fencing theory, and extensive practical experience to create a
practical and enjoyable method for learning and practicing the
spadone under modern conditions. Numerous photographs illustrate
the techniques that he describes.
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