Martial Arts are literally 'The Arts of Mars,' the Roman god of war. For over two and a half millennia, the combat arts of Europe served the hoplite, gladiator, legionnaire, knight, duelist, boxer and wrestler on the battlefield, in the duel, as street defense and in the ring. Interest in these traditions has grown dramatically over the last twenty years, bringing together a unique combination of fighters and scholars in the quest to resurrect and preserve this proud heritage of fighting lore.

The Western Martial Arts Workshop (WMAW) was founded in 1999 as a way for the students of these martial arts to meet, train, exchange research and lay the foundation for an enduring Western martial arts community. In the Service of Mars, Volume One is both a compilation of some of the most popular and detailed lectures and class notes from WMAW's first decade, and a record of the growth of the Western martial arts community in depth and breadth over the same time. But it is not only a 'best-of' anthology; most of the inclusions here are substantially different from the form in which they first appeared in the WMAW event guides. The contributions in this book have been substantially revised, expanded and photo-illustrated, coming as close to recreating an actual class in the subject as the written word can ever replicate a physical discipline.

From armoured axe combat to the elegant and swift rapier; the wrestling of Germany to the swordplay of the Scots Highlander, In the Service of Mars contains something new for every student of the Western martial arts, providing hours of training, food for thought and a chronicle of the community's growth over the last decade.