Italian Swordplay

When you come into Academie Duello you’ll find that much of the language we use is Italian. Italy was a hotbed of martial practice throughout the middle ages and renaissance and has some of the most effective and well documented martial systems. The Academie Duello system incorporates the teachings and core principles of Italian swordplay with an emphasis on 4 key elements:

• Tempo – Awareness and control of the key moments to control and strike the opponent.
• Geometry – The optimal positions to place your weapon or body to constrain your opponent mechanically and strategically.
• Distance – The right technique in the right place and the relationship between distance and time.
• Body Mechanics – Strong mechanical alignment of your body and the ground to create power and precision with the least amount of exertion.

The weapons we teach include:
Rapier, longsword, sidesword (spada di lato, spada da filo), dagger and polearms.

Complimentary weapons are also employed including:
Dagger, two swords, various shields (buckler, rotella, kite, round), cloak, and cane.

For those desiring to build a long-term mastery of both the technical and strategic aspects of Italian Swordplay we recommend our Mastery Program.

Those wishing to immediately learn use of the longsword, sword and shield, and spear should check out our Warrior Program and may consider our Focus Classes.