A Quick Look at Alfieri’s Rapier & Cloak Guards
Welcome to Cloaktober! Let's examine the basic guards & postures in rapier & cloak, as described by Alfieri.
It’s Free Swords! Disarms in Rapier & Smallsword
Sure, hitting your opponent with a great lunge is cool but know what's cooler? Taking their sword away via disarms. Here's a selection of plays for rapier & smallsword.
Visual Representation of Why You Want to ‘Find the Blade’
We all know you should find the opponent's blade and we may even think we understand why, but you truly get a sense for the why once you've looked down the business end of a sharp antique.
On the Properties & Uses of Guardia Seconda
Seconda is one of our primary guards for defending & offending on the outside line. Here's a dive into the guard formation, plus some sample plays & uses.
On the Properties & Uses of Guardia Prima
Prima (or first guard) is a rather underutilized guard in the Italian rapier system. Here's more about the guard and some sample uses.
Alfieri 1640: The First Four ‘Natural’ Guards for Single Rapier
We continue our dive into Alfieri's rapier manual by looking at the four "natural" or cardinal guards.
Alfieri 1640: What’s the Deal with ‘Guardia Mista’?
So what exactly is Alfieri's 'guardia mista' or mixed guard? Let's dive down a rabbit hole to see what Alfieri was talking about in his mysterious fifth guard.
Beyond the Basics of Italian Rapier: Fun Footwork with Closed Guards
Give your rapier & dagger game a boost by mixing together this fun fencing footwork and closed guards.
Alfieri 1640: The Sword & the Stance
We kick off our dive into Alfieri's "La Scherma" by looking at how he stands and breaks down the sword.
SCA MoD’s talk about How to ‘Get Gud’ in SCA Rapier Fencing
Justin and five other SCA Masters of Defense talked about how to “get gud” in rapier fencing, plus tips for improving your fencing during COVID.
How to Transport Your Opponent from High to Low Lines in Italian Rapier
Dealing with an opponent with a really high guard? Try transports!
Rapier Voids For Left-Handed Fencers: 4 Examples
Here are four examples of rapier voids for left-handed fencers including the giratta and the passata sotto.