Elemental Fencing treatise on the Use of the Small Sword

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Students of the Elemental School of Fencing begin their study of the martial use of the sword with a journey that starts with the present day and travels back in time to the first recorded swords.  Our first stop on this journey is our own present day Sport of Fencing.  Athletically challenging, and entertaining to the enthusiast, the sport is an echo of the martial art form of defense it heralds from.  Many schools exist which explore the sport and ours is included in their number.  However, our aim is not the instruction of competitive athletes driven by gold medals and trophies, but rather the martial artists who understand the nature of conflict and its avoidance at the business end of sword.

As the journey continues students investigate of the use of the swords that pre-dated the sporting swords used in the Sport of Fencing.  Our sources for this research are the various treatises from martial schools throughout Europe dating from the early 1500’s AD to the mid 1800’s AD. Over 60+ treatises have been recovered from various libraries of antiquities, and private collections.  Some have already been reprinted while others are available online.

Our special interests were the treatises that included instruction on the use of the small swords of Europe.  In Italy it was known as the spadino, in France it was the epee du cour, and in England it was the court-sword.  We choose to use the word spadino to describe the weapon we are studying since the oldest treatise that deals with this weapon are in Italian.

We found that another smaller sword known as the fioretta, was utilized to train younger students in the use of the spadino.  This weapon gave rise to the sport sword of the foil.  The fioretta is smaller in length, has a smaller guard, and is used primarily in the same form and function as the spadino.  Younger students who mastered their control of the fioretta would then graduate to using the spadino, when they were physically capable.

The first section of the manual deals with the use of the fioretta and is intended for young children aged 7+ years.  Students learn the basics of footwork, attacks, blocks, stance and balance in the form of the school’s elements; Fire, Earth, Water, Air and the Void.  As part of the study of the Void, they are introduced to the school’s values, Musashi’s nine strictures, the sword, facing right and left handed opponents and distance.  Students acquire a working understanding of the use of the fioretta upon completing the lessons and can either go on to participate and learn the Sport of Fencing or further study in the Martial Art through the use of the spadino.

The second section of the manual is intended as a guide for any student who wishes to learn the use of the spadino as it was utilized by western martial artists of the day.  During the period of the 1500’s to the 1800’s it was normal to find nobles, soldiery and commoners carrying varying degrees of swords for purposes of defense.  Those with military experience tended to carry the rapier, or spada, as it was known in Italy.  Others might have carried larger swords; spadoni, broadswords, bastard swords, and long swords.

The spada and spadoni were extremely useful weapons in the hands of a seasoned swordsman, but useless in the hands of a novice inexperienced in martial ways, or physically incapable of wielding the weapon.  The spada weighed about five to six pounds and the spadoni ranged from eight to upwards of 20 pounds.  Their weight required both a physically fit and experienced wielder to use effectively for any length of time.  Thankfully, metallurgical sciences allowed the invention of the spadino.  It was a weapon which weighed from one to two pounds, had no cutting edge, and could be used by almost anyone.

As the centuries passed, the wielding of soldierly weapons within large urban centers by anyone other than a soldier became increasingly regulated.  This is similar to today’s weapons laws.  Many urban centers started to outlaw the carrying of the spada, or spadoni, by anyone other than the soldiery.  However, few if any of these laws disallowed the wearing of the small ornamental adornment of the spadino.

The spadino was intended for those who would otherwise not be wearing a spada, such as courtiers and high nobles who either never had, or never would, serve in the military The spadino became an ornamental blade that could be carried for both self defense and as adornment.  As a result, it became common place for large numbers of people to carry one.  Martial schools began to teach use of this small ornamental weapon in an offensive and defensive manner.  At first many scoffed at it, and in fact, most of the treatises that deal with the spadino caution against facing a spada wielding adversary with one.  Soon, almost every school that taught the use of the spada also taught the use of the spadino.  Typically classes were held in private, or in secret and at a high price.

The spadino weighed an average of no more than a pound or two.  Its features were recognizable as a small spada, with a pommel counterweighing the blade, a hilt, guard, and blade.  However, unlike the spada, the small sword had no sharp cutting edge, other than perhaps at or near the tip.  This helped its primary purpose, the thrust and penetration of the opponent’s body.  Although the spada as well was a thrusting weapon, its weight, and size involved a pull or push style of ‘slicing’ into an opponent.

The spadino’s use is precise and utilized to pierce vital organs for a crippling or mortal blow or to “blood” the opponent to the point of exhaustion.  This was a common intent in the art of dueling to adjudicate a tort or personal offence, where typically neither opponent desired the death of the other but rather wished to prove a ‘point’ (no pun intended.)  Using a spada in a civil duel merely to have someone retract an insult was considered ‘overkill.’

The spadino lacks a cutting edge.  Therefore the martial use and actions applied to the spadino include “binding of the blade”, which is the act of locking the opponent’s blade so they may not use it, and “disarm” which is the act of taking the blade from the opponent’s grasp.  Although binding may be applied to a spada, its cutting edge would require special equipment to bind properly.  The disarming of the spada from the opponent’s grasp is also possible, but with only possible in the rarest of occasions.

At the Elemental School of Fencing, we have found that when fencing with the spadino, the use of grappling arts must be learned because combatants tend to close with each other in order to place themselves ‘inside the blade’ for safety.  Equally, in combat where both opponents are only armed with a blade, the grappling action that often ensues when binding and disarming are employed bears a resemblance to eastern martial arts involving grappling, throws, arm-guards, and wrist guards.  In some cases the treatise we have reviewed show western European equivalents to similar Eastern Martial Arts.

Reading through the treatises has not been easy, most are written in using archaic forms of languages not commonly spoken today.  However, with patience, and determination we have been able to utilize two of these treatises coupled with our own studies of the modern sport of athletic fencing, and the martial arts of Ju-Jutsu, Aikido, Hon-Gahr and other forms to understand the outcomes of the moves described in the treatises.

The first was The School of Fencing[1], written by Domenic Angelo in the early 1700’s.  Master Angelo published his treatise complete with wood-carvings that show some depth, and dimensional imagery of techniques he teaches.  His purpose is to expose the use of the spadino to English nobility of the day.  The style he favored was from his home country of Italy. Known in his day for a style that utilized a particularly aggressive ‘binding hand’.  This is something the English nobility preferred in their time, complete with grapples, throws, and disarms.

Another was the Art of Defense[2], by Edward Blackwell, an Englishman.  It was published in Williamsburg, USA, during the mid to late 1700s, and popular among the founding fathers of the country.  Although written as an interview between student and master, we can see the similarity in styles with Angelo’s treatise.  Apparently Master Blackwell studied in a school, or with a master that had learned from Master Angelo.

At the Elemental School, we utilize the modern day epee as our weapon of choice duplicating the approximate size, balance and weight of a spadino.  We add the foil to replicate the Italian fioretta, a smaller lighter weapon.  We have investigated the usage of the spadino, fioretta, dagger, cape, second sword, and combat involving more than two opponents.  We have even explored the use of a heavier blade against the small sword, and have found as Angelo and Blackwell both advise, “This will surely lead to the demise of the small sword fencer.”

We have found the sporting equipment for fencing to suffice with respect to protection.  Gender appropriate gear is stressed to further protect fencers from injury.  In addition to this we have equipped our helmets with larger bibs, and hoods to protect the neck and the back of the head from injuries.  This additional protection is necessary when considering that the use of a spadino, or fioretta in a martial context allows for strikes to an opponent’s rear and sides, as well as his front facing.

In our research we found evidence that in Europe during the 1500’s through the 1800’s, all matter of other assorted supporting weapons and attire were available for the casual fencer.  In Milan and Rome, during the 1600’s a popular garment set might include a high or ruffled collar (to avoid a back slash cut across the neck), a glove with a chainmail inner layer on the palm side for the left hand (to allow one to hold onto a blade without fear of a damaging cut), a cape fastened on the shoulders, and back, with a decorative hem in which was a chain, and lead ball at the end (which allowed the cape to be swung as a screening blind, or to grapple the opponent’s blade),  a jacket with a right arm that had steel plating stitched into the inside of the sleeve (to protect the fencer from oncoming attacks to his sword arm), a lantern with a thumb activated vent (which was used to blind opponents during a night fight), and finally a broche about the size of a small plate, that fastened to the upper left arm, (and could be used as a buckler, or small shield.)  All these items, as well as the sword, were considered fashionable and found in nearly every noble-man’s (or assassin’s, or hired duelist’s) attire.

The Martial Art of Fencing developed from the use of the spadino, first for self-defense on the mean streets of most urban centers in Europe, then as a dueling art, and finally into the modern athletic art form we know today as Olympic Fencing.  However, Angelo and Blackwell would have a hard time recognizing the Olympic form of fencing as the martial art they taught and practiced.  For example, the primary action of the small sword is a thrust while the primary action of many Olympic fencers today is a whipping action.  These primary motions are indicative of the art form being practiced and its purpose.  To cause damage to an opponent the martial fencer had to be able to have the point of his weapon penetrate the opponent’s armor and skin.  The Olympic fencer need only depress the indicator at the end of his blade, or connect with the other fencer’s electronic harness in order for a touch to be scored on the scoring machine.

Fencing has developed into a sport that involves high action and whipping attacks that typically end in a blink of an eye, as two opponent’s close distance and one out matches the other’s assault.  In contrast the martial artist would rarely perform a whipping attack as it would have no other effect other than perhaps to anger the opponent.

Another difference is the use of the piste or fencing platform in the Sport of Fencing.  Athletic fencers meet and must fence on a track that measures approximately two yards wide, and 15+ yards long.  If the fencers exceed these bounds they are judged against.  By contrast the martial fencer must be ready to fence in the town square, on a flight of stairs, on the village green, in the church, in short, wherever he may be threatened.  To a martial fencer the restriction of the piste represents an alley with two cliff sides that drop off at either end.  They would simply ask, “How did I get here?”

The psychological differences between an athletic competitor and a martial artist also play a role in the development of their art forms.  In the Sport of Fencing, dependent on the tourney rules, a competitor may be touched five times with a blade before they lose.  In the martial form, all it takes is one well placed thrust into a vital organ.  Imagine if there was no time limit, and competitors in the Sport of Fencing were only allowed one touch.  The sport would take inordinate amounts of time and the art form would definitively change.  Gone would be the highly risky lunges, leaps and unprotected attacks.  More focus would instead be placed on defence.

In reviewing the martial form as described by Angelo, and Blackwell and others[3], we have developed a treatise that sets up a progression of learning, reminiscent of those published by places of martial learning in Europe during the time period.  We have utilized the elements commonly found in the Asian martial art philosophies to describe the various physical and philosophical precepts of the use of the fioretta, and spadino.

In the development of the Elemental School’s form for the spadino, we have established some levels as many martial arts have done.  The first level of the Signore shows a passion for learning, and rehearses the basics, until they master them.  At this point the Signore has what they need to commence competing in the Athletic form of Fencing.  As a Gentiluomo the fencer masters the movements and freedoms of lateral movement, the fluidity of the parries, the various angled attacks, and defenses.  The Schermitore masters the complete compass of movements, multiple attacks, the use of grapples, throws, binds and disarms.  Finally as a Duellisto they master use of two swords, dagger, lantern, cape, broche, and reversals.  At this point they exhaust the treatises that are available, and are considered masters of the form.  Along the way the have been tested against up to four opponents, armed with a multitude of weaponry.

Our promise is to continue to explore the Arms and Weaponry treatises presented by the ancestors to the art form of the fioretta, the spadino and beyond to the spada, and spadone.  We will incorporate our findings, as they are discovered, in later versions of this document, and provide other documents which study the greater swords.

For now, we present you with the Elemental Fencing Treatise based on the works of Angelo, and Blackwell, and our own experiences under Ju-Jutsu, Aikido, and studies of Za.

And so, we embark on the martial art we have rediscovered, and continue to expand upon. Read on, and feel free to contribute!