A compilation of the most popular and detailed lectures and class notes from Western Martial Arts Workshop. From longsword to sword and buckler fencing; deadly knife-fighting to mounted combat, the martial traditions of England, Germany, Italy and Spain are all amply represented and combined with detailed, practical instruction.

Foreword Part One: Martial Arts of the Middle Ages, ca. 1300-1550 English Longsword: a Tactical Approach - Paul Wagner The Spear-Play of Fiore dei Liberi - Gregory Mele A Conceptual Look at the 24 Winden in Johannes Liechtenauer's Art - Jörg Bellinghausen Fighting from the Nebenhut: Longsword Plays from the Ringeck Fechtbuch - Christian Henry Tobler Mounted Combat: A Continuation of the System - Theresa Wendland Part Two: Martial Arts of the Renaissance and Enlightenment, ca. 1500-1850 From the Page to the Practice: Fundamentals of Spanish Swordplay - Puck Curtis and Mary Dill Curtis The Iberian Montante: Sources, Techniques, and Tactics - Steve Hick and Eric Myers Understanding the Partisan: Forgotten Weapon of the Italian Renaissance - Tom Leoni Bolognese Swordsmanship: An Introduction to Renaissance Sword and Buckler - Steven Reich Keeping it Simple: Italian Rapier Tactics for Dummies - Tom Leoni Part Three: Western Martial Arts in Their Historical Context Frog DNA, Concentric Rings, and Old-Fashioned Necromancy: Reconstructing Historical European Swordsmanship - Gregory Mele The Medieval Sword Blade: Form and Intended Function - Craig Johnson Part Four: Pedagogy-Teaching and the Western Martial Artist Flow Drills as a Teaching Tool for Medieval and Renaissance Dagger Training - Jörg Bellinghausen Decision-Making for Instructors - Guy Windsor Developing and Training with Solo Forms: An Overview - Guy Windsor About the Contributors