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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 duels, 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 to preserve the heritage of fighting lore.
The Western Martial Arts Workshop (WMAW), founded in 1999, gave students of these martial arts the opportunity to meet, train, and exchange research. In the Service of Mars, Volume Two is both a compilation 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 over the same time. 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.
Gregory D. Melehas been involved in the reconstruction of medieval European martial arts since the early 1990s is best known for co-founding the Chicago Swordplay Guild for the study of historical European swordsmanship and adjunct arts. Previous publications include contributions to SPADA: An Anthology of Swordsmanship and he is a regular contributor to Western Martial Arts Illustrated.
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