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Dear Friends, Students of the Sword and Lovers of History!
They say it gets lonely on the road.
We find that it doesn't - at least when you are surrounded by friends, patrons and fellow enthusiasts of the sword. It just gets very sleep-deprived.
When last we wrote, the Freelancers were off to the hills of western Pennsylvania for the Society for Creative Anachronism's 40th annual "Pennsic War". Pennsic is a hard thing to explain if you've never been there: a 13,000 person tent city that combines many different elements of medieval reenactment, Renaissance Faires and the Burning Man festival into one, two week extravaganza. (I told you it was hard to explain!) Pennsic has become an increasingly friendly venue for students of European swordplay to meet and exchange ideas, and it was great fun meeting so many enthusiastic and knowledgeable folks in our booth and on the field. Very special thanks to our hosts at Revival Clothing, without whom we'd likely have been selling books under the stars.
From Pennsic we basically caught our breath, packed clean clothes and then set off to the Western Martial Arts Workshop, in Racine, Wisconsin. WMAW has become the premiere North American venue for students and instructors of the western tradition to gather and cross-train, drawing instructors and students from three continents. Whether it was Pennsic or WMAW, a fond thank you goes out to all who met us with sword or book in hand, took our classes, came to the Pennsic wine and cheese soiree, or just dropped by the booth to tell you us you appreciated our work. It really does make a difference!
Of course, we aren't just swordsmen....we are merchants. So with all of those martial artists gathered at WMAW, we thought it the perfect time to debut not one, but two new titles that we guarantee are game-changers for students of medieval martial arts. And now we are pleased to share the news with you...
NEW! ARMIZARE: The Chivalric Martial Arts System of Il Fior Di Battaglia
 Armizare ("the Art of Arms") was the name the warriors of medieval Italy gave to their fighting art, which included the wielding of sword, axe and spear with wrestling, knife-fighting and mounted combat. Long-called the "Father of Italian Fencing", the 14th century swordsman, Fiore dei Liberi, was a master of this discipline, and his four manuscripts are cornerstones of the modern reconstruction of medieval martial arts. It is therefore surprising that so little on Fiore and his art exists in English for the modern practitioner.
In Armizare: The Chivalric Martial Arts System of il Fior di Battaglia, Robert Charrette brings together his experiences as a martial artist and respected 14th century living historian with his skills as a professional author and graphic artist to not only take readers on a walking tour of Master Fiore's manuscripts, but into the mindset behind its creation. More than just an interpretation of an old book's contents, this is a tool-kit that reveals Fiore dei Liberi's brilliance as not just a fighter, but as martial arts teacher. Whether a long-time student, a newcomer to the art, or a more academic devotee of the medieval warrior and his craft, readers will find themselves educated and entertained as a door is opened into another time and place - the training hall of the medieval knight.
NEW! Sword And Shield Instructional DVD
One of the world's oldest documented fighting traditions is presented by one of the world's most respected schools of European swordsmanship in this in-depth, professionally filmed instructional DVD.
For centuries, unarmored combat with the sword and a small shield, or buckler, was one of the most widespread martial arts of medieval and Renaissance Europe.
In Sword and Shield: Basic Principles and Techniques of Medieval Buckler Combat, Roland Warzecha and Tobias Wenzel offer an introduction to this fascinating fighting art, based on surviving medieval combat treatises and years of martial arts practice. Viewers are guided step-by-step through the fundamentals of body mechanics, tactics and fencing theory. As a bonus, the DVD contains a discussion of choosing safety gear and practice weapons, and contains unedited sequences of competitive free play as an example of modern sword and buckler sparring.
An ideal starting point for your personal training with sword and buckler, this DVD also provides useful insights and cutting edge research for the seasoned practitioner of Western martial arts.
For the True Devotee: Sword And Buckler Package
 Roland has also produced a perfect companion piece to Sword and Shield in his beautifully rendered, collector's poster, illustrating a series of potential actions from the 700 year old, Royal Armouries Ms. I.33. Designed with the artistic spirit of old manuscripts and explorer's journals, this 14 X 28 full-color poster is printed on a heavy, durable cardstock, making it ideal for framing.
The I.33 poster is available separately, but for a limited time, the poster and DVD can be had at a substantial savings as part of our introductory Sword & Buckler Package.
And don't forget, there's a new FREE ARTICLE on our website!
In the Kunsthistorisches Museum in Vienna, Austria is a late medieval fencing codex that binds together a selection of manuscripts from other sources. One of these is the anonymous poleaxe treatise translated and illustrated by Christian Tobler in his 2010 title In Saint George's Name. Another is a series of instructions for fighting with the exotic dueling shield, a long, hooked and spiked weapon that could be used with a sword, mace-like club or wielded its own right. In An Anonymous Dueling Shield Treatise, Christian takes a look at this strange weapon and translates the manuscript's six techniques detailing its use.
We have been finalizing our production schedule, which will keep all us busy well into the fourth quarter of 2012. Literally, just this morning two more finished manuscripts were waiting in our inbox, as well as a host of permission approvals for one of the most ambitious arms and armour projects in recent years. These are exciting times, and there is so much to share....but we'll make enthusiasm bow to prudence and just remind you to keep watching this space!
Until next time, best wishes and good reading!
The Freelancers
Freelance Academy Press: Interact with History
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