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Post by Dante di Pietro on Sept 15, 2020 5:21:41 GMT -5
This is probably my favorite non-Italian rapier manual. Had I not already been a year and half into Italian when it was published, I'd probably be fencing this way today. Written for a fencer with no teacher, it covers everything exhaustively, essentially giving you the lessons that a capable instructor would give you, and with an appropriate level of detail. Because fencing is a complicated thing, this means the book is complicated. There is a lot of text that needs to be parsed carefully, and many plates that cover each step of a sequence rather than showing the end state like most manuals do. The circle itself is not terribly difficult to make (I have done it on canvas painter's drop cloths a few times) and is not as impenetrable as it appears at first glance. The lettered intersections are all essentially "places your feet go" and the lines are "segments your sword runs parallel to." No real mysteries. Not very many people study this at the time of review, partially because it was a very rare book until the second edition, and partially because the text is dense and covers everything you need to know to fence well-- everything. The guard is physically taxing until you develop adequate upper body strength, but it's also natural and comfortable. Thibault has a unique grip that may be less suitable for some types of hilt setups. Thibault also directly contradicts some of the advice of the Italian masters, but for the right reasons: where Fabris says to avoid blade contact to deceive your opponent, Thibault says to maintain contact to gain information, for example. Thibault is just as martially sound, but with different preferences. Also of note, Thibault includes sections on how to defeat a rotella, dagger, two-handed sword, and the Fabris style specifically. His entire manual is focused on the single rapier, and shows the artfulness and effectiveness of the sword alone versus these different opponents. Thibault's manual, in e-book and hardcover.
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