The ARMA System for Historical Fencing Study

The ARMA System for Historical Fencing and Study

"Man muss fleissig nachdencken"

The ARMA’s “system” for historical fencing is a combination of academic scholarship and vigorous physical practice. To achieve this research and training we form into Study Groups of like-minded fellows working together and sharing information under the same essential approach and methodology, and with the same philosophy, goals, and shared values. We develop a pragmatic, historically sound and martially effective practice curriculum for reconstructing these skills based on the source teachings of diverse historical texts and offer it to members as a training program. We define standards and then certify practitioners and instructors in these skills.

The ARMA Study Approach consists simply of: researching period fighting manuals, literature, and iconography combined with comparative analysis from hands-on experience using accurate replica arms & armor.

The real historical sources and weapons are our guide. This is opposed to either making it up on our own or simply “borrowing” from Asian martial arts and modern/sport fencing.

The ARMA Training Methodology consists of using 4 tools for a well-rounded comprehensive understanding: blunt swords, wooden wasters, padded contact-weapons, and sharp blades. These are employed in exercises, drills, and practice routines.

The curriculum of our original Training Program is itself made up of this system of Study Approach and Training Methodology. Our continually updated system of established drills and exercises (called Armatura, a term borrowed from the Romans) includes set-plays of strike-and-counter-strike exchanges to practice techniques.

The vast majority of modern sword enthusiasts have, fortunately, never had to deal with an emotionally charged individual bent on doing them real harm with a bladed weapon, let alone trained hard on a regular basis to deal at close range with such danger. Keeping this reality foremost in mind as we investigate and explore historical European arms and armor and their associated combative systems is what we endeavor to do. It means rejecting the distractions of role-playing and escapist reenactment performance in favor of seeking documentable knowledge and genuine skill. There were many kinds of swords and weapons in Renaissance Europe and many different ways of using them which fighting men wrote upon.

Membership Structure

Defining Historical Fencing

Our 3-Tier Curricula

National Training Program

Students & Ratings within the ARMA

ARMA Seminars

Free Play Guidelines

The ARMA Way

“While continually revising our core assumptions of historical fencing ARMA’s senior members constantly innovate, experiment, and self-critique our study curriculum. That's why it produces demonstrable results and maintains the cutting edge.”

Our Renaissance fencing skills are not a chivalric fantasy sport, duelling game, or re-creational role-playing amusement but a modern combative discipline. This is no "pose and prance" approach.

The ARMA curriculum is aimed at understanding, as much as we find possible, the totality of fighting skills in these historical periods, not just emphasizing a single isolated text or master’s work. We seek to do cross-comparisons among source manuals and not synthesize a method from them, not recombine it into something new, but instead attempt a distillation of their teachings---in the sense of obtaining a purity of information, not diluted with modern conceptions or assumptions. It’s more of a holistic approach to research and study.

In this holistic approach to examining fighting arts we first look for commonalities in the source literature; seeking understanding of underlying elements in order to learn about the overall nature of the craft. Then we next begin to focus on specific sources or teachings noting their unique aspects, looking for any contrasts in style or philosophy from others.

The ARMA system is to question, to analyze, to execute movements and actions, then “rewind” them, repeat them, and analyze. This system is a "tool" that allows students to teach themselves by using materials from the source manuals as examples and as “puzzles” to work through, always keeping in mind the lethality and intent of the techniques. We have been advocating and teaching this method as a combative discipline for a long time and it works.

One of our goals is to avoid producing students that are technically proficient in movement patterns yet tactically ineffectual as a fighter. We seek the meaning of these teachings…and through analysis, a modern way to practice them once again. When it comes to Renaissance martial arts, we concluded, authenticity does not exist unless we now reconstruct it.

The Skills Proficiency Certification program for weapon ranking within ARMA consists of examinations for competency in foundational techniques and knowledge base in the discipline of historical fencing studies. ARMA revises and amends its knowledge base and interpretation as new information and material comes to light. The ARMA Long-Sword curriculum provides the foundation of study and is made up of: Fundamental Drills, Basic Exercises, Core Practice Routines, and Test-Cutting.

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The ARMA system of exploring real techniques also places emphasis on proper intent –i.e., learning and executing moves with realistic speed and range in order to acquire a correct sense of counter-timing, balance, and motion.

ARMA stresses a “martial” approach to this subject –by this we mean emphasizing that these skills and techniques were intended to be used with force to cause injury –even though we never use them for this. To be relearned properly today it is only logical that they must –must –be performed in earnest, with energy and speed and we must make the effort to practice them in this way. This doesn’t come at first and has to be developed over time. The degree to which each student achieves it may vary. While other organizations may focus more on the pageantry and role-playing of knightly tournaments or on the “deportment” of proper “technical exchanges” within a conception of gentlemanly duels, ARMA does not. Although these may be historical approaches, we feel such things are more ritual than martial and that ritual combats of the period were far outweighed by real fighting. Thus, one of the things we try to inspire in modern students is a realistic appreciation of the martial content of the subject we study. We therefore place value on the mental or psychological aspects as well as the physical or technical.

For both Medieval and Renaissance weapons and sword training what ARMA students normally do is fairly simple yet sophisticated and detailed. There is nothing "secret" or "special" really, just plenty of hard training, intensive study, and emphasis on free-play (contact-sparring) using our inclusive guidelines.

Why we use red & black as our color scheme

ARMA uniform colors reflect that not only were red and black common colors in the Middle Ages among knights, but that many of the old Fechtbuchs (fighting books) in fact wrote in red and black ink. Theory was described in red while the explanation was black. So, in a sense our red and black are symbolic for us of the technical research element combined with hands-on application, or the union of both the theoretical method and physical practice.

Few things are as useful than constant free-play for teaching distance, timing, perception, tactics, and for gaining technical proficiency (as well as discovering faulty mechanics).

This is supplemented by group and solo exercising in delivery of attacks and techniques from the various stances and wards, plus smoothly shifting or transitioning between them with proper footwork. On their own students will work focus, speed, and power in their attacks by repetitive striking.

A main practice tool is doing floryshes (or "routines"), a series of basic steps with cuts and parries done in semi-sequence, but not as a set pattern or programmed "dance". This allows you to practice fundamental form and the flow of movements. It is not the equivalent to "forms" (kata) in some Asian styles or to the "etudes" in some sport fencing schools. We have one practice routine for Medieval long-sword and two for Renaissance sword (alone and with buckler or dagger).

Lastly, there is a series of formal and informal drills done with a partner and that consist of making counter-actions to basic cuts and thrusts, as well as closing actions. Again, these are not sequential. It's not anything structured or artificial, just the basic counter cuts and other techniques employed against a partner making any number of basic attacks at half-speed or quarter-speed. They are done with and without parries or blade contact and include entering techniques and trapping. Over time, intent (range, speed and power) is increased to more and more earnest levels.

A Holistic view: There is an interesting parallel to the ARMA method found within one of the world's foremost elite infantry fighting forces –the United States Marine Corps. To train its recruits in bayonet fighting skills, the Marines rely on three tools: steel bayonets, wooden bayonets, and padded bayonets. Actual bayonets are used for acquiring familiarity with the weapon and for practice in stabbing at targets. Wooden practice bayonets are employed for safer drills and exercises, both alone and with a partner. Finally, padded pugil-sticks are used in full-contact sparring lessons. The Marine Corps, ever known for the pragmatic no-nonsense approach to combat training, found the best instruction was gained from the combination of unique lesson provided by each tool.

All but the free-play or sparring (which employs our unique padded weapon simulators) uses wooden wasters or steel blunt replicas. Sharps are then used for some occasional cutting experience.

For rapier fencing, full-contact free-play is done with assorted safety equipment and employing both oval and diamond schlagers of various lengths, rebated/foiled replica blades and new flexible practice-rapiers. Personal exercises and unrehearsed routines are also conducted using accurate replica rapiers. Assorted companion weapons such as daggers and bucklers naturally are used for both. Disarms, seizures, and assorted grappling techniques are also practiced at one-quarter and one-tenth speed. So, there you have it: free-play/sparring, exercises, practice routines, technique drills, and test-cutting.

The historical source manuals tell us many things; for instance, to strike strongly, to judge distance, to move carefully and aggressively, etc. But they do not specifically instruct how one goes about doing these things correctly, let alone learn them. This then is where our interpretation and system comes into use.

The ARMA System of Teaching and Learning:

ARMA's philosophy is that the only way to communicate authority in any interpretation of these skills is not by theorizing their application but by energetically displaying competence in executing techniques in a manner that skillfully demonstrates their validity.

Today, practicing historical swordsmanship and Western fighting arts is about reconstructing real techniques from real systems. But it is not possible to fully know or completely reproduce the precise methods of any particular historical styles. It is too easy to blindly speculate or merely invent hollow theories. Thus, to help advance and promote more systematic and structured instruction in the ideas, techniques, and movements of historical Western masters ARMA offers a Proficiency Certification Program for Medieval & Renaissance Weaponry. To make it easier for enthusiasts to learn a true craft ARMA also presents a core curricula as well as continually developing sound instructional methods for transferring skills. ARMA's simple training objective is to provide greater legitimacy in both teaching and evaluating fighting skill with historical Western arms. ARMA endeavors to avoid the traditional "museum curator" approach to historical fencing which treats it as a fossilized cultural artifact instead of a hands-on craft. We also strive to avoid a "synthetic art" as we synthesize our understanding of the teachings of various historical masters. ARMA pursues a systematic and holistic way of studying the period source manuals, which are our direct guides. We encourage and promote study of the historical fencing manuals and sharing of insights as well as discourse, healthy debate, and peer review.

Since no one historical fencing manuscript or book alone provides a complete and full style of fighting on its own, ARMA has chosen a more or less “holistic” approach to study of the historical fencing manuals.

From the beginning we proceeded on the assumption that the material and information at present known was only a small portion of what would eventually become available. We therefore consciously endeavored to have our practice and teaching curriculum make room for future advancements in the subject. In this way, as new information and translations become available they can with small effort be fitted into our curriculum. Rather than limiting ourselves to examination of one or two specific source works – certainly a valid approach that allows for a deeper study of each particular title –we instead used contrast and comparison of a range of texts to supplement and augment one another.

Our Philosophy of Teaching and Training with Intent:
The techniques of Renaissance martial arts were meant to protect an individual from being attacked with deadly speed and force. Historically, it was imperative they were understood in this context and they were surely taught to students in this way. ARMA believes the only way to communicate authority in any interpretation of these fighting skills is not by theorizing their application, but through energetically displaying competence by skillfully executing techniques in a manner that demonstrates their martial validity. If techniques or actions are to be established as functional and effective under actual conditions of violent force, they must logically be shown-at some point during instruction-with something more than hypothetical slow motion sequences. Simply "going through the motions" of a fighting technique isn't sufficient to either evaluate it or develop it as an effective action. It is certainly acceptable to move with deliberate caution and careful control when doing initial analysis, when first teaching new students, or when practicing with novices, but the eventual goal must be to execute actions with earnest intent -assuming your goal is actual skill in the reconstruction of a genuine combative system. It surely gives no credibility or legitimacy to this subject for those claiming expertise to fail to perform with expertise. The use of controlled force in this very way is itself a sure sign of higher skill. Our emphasis on intent is also directly in keeping with the four key elements of research into historical fencing methods: transcription, translation, interpretation, and application.

In order to provide a broad general understanding of fighting arts from the Medieval and Renaissance periods we include any and all manuals in our research. The benefits of this method have enabled ARMA students to quickly integrate new information into useful training and teaching curriculum. Our National Training Program is intended to provide instruction in this.

"He must have seen his blood flow have his teeth
crackle under the blow of his adversary, have dashed to earth with
such force as to feel the weight of his foe, and disarmed twenty times.
He must twenty times retrieved his failures, more set than ever
upon the combat. Then will he be able to confront actual war with the
hope of being victorious"
- 14^th century poem by Rodger of Haveden

"If you are fearful, never learn any art of fighting"
- Master Liechtenauer, c.1389

See also:

Doing Things the ARMA Way

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