Italian Renaissance Swordsmanship Academy

10/24/2026

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10/21/2026

Sorry for the duplicate post! I tried sharing this on Instagram, but it wouldn't work. I hope this one goes through!

10/21/2026

We are working on grappling from the head parry. Begin with a parry of fifth while advancing. Wrap your left arm around the opponent’s wrist, applying internal rotation as you transition your sword from fifth to eighth.

Continue the rotation while securing the wrist and performing a volta stabile (pivot turn) to the right (clockwise 90°). This pivot lets your sword clear your body and brings the point into position to threaten the opponent. Without the pivot, the point hasn't cleared the target, requiring an extra movement to realign it and giving the opponent another tempo to counter.

The opponent may step in and block the thrust to the face. In the advanced variation, continue the volta stabile clockwise (180°) while maintaining wrist control. This rotation applies an arm lock and moves the opponent away, countering their attempt to close in and block the thrust.

As noted previously, we control the opponent’s wrist without grasping their hand or arm. This technique doesn't require a firm grasp. Keeping the hand open helps reduce injury risk during practice and leaves it available for an additional action.

10/14/2026

Last night, we practiced close-quarters combat with sideswords. Starting with a double grab of the swords, the student transitions into an internal-rotation wrist bar to practice controlling the opponent’s wrist.

To reduce injury risk, we keep a loose grip, and the instructor ensures the index finger stays clear of the ricasso. Notice the open hand: we avoid grabbing the opponent’s body unless the technique specifically calls for it.

This technique has another variation that includes an elbow or shoulder lock, though we focused on one variation for the evening. The same technique can be adapted to several weapon types.

10/09/2026

Little Italy festival 2026. https://youtu.be/SHJs_OOGgnA so much fun!!!

Italian swordsmanship in the heart of downtown San Jose! ⚔️🇮🇹The ...

10/08/2026

Me in class