Fiore basic syllabus

Need a book to help you learn the longsword? Guy's Longsword Book

The Armizare syllabus is divided into two parts, Basic and Advanced. The Basic syllabus has four levels, the Advanced has three. Each level is identified by a symbol, drawn from the School logo. By completion of these seven levels the student will be deeply competent in our core style of medieval knightly combat, be familiar with the other major styles, and able to follow their own interests to direct their own future development. You can download a reference pdf of the entire syllabus here: Armizare Syllabus (Note that all references are to the Getty MS unless stated otherwise.)

The longsword section of the basic Armizare syllabus is the most evolved of all the school's syllabi; it has been a work in progress for over twelve years. At its core lie two forms: the cutting drill and the syllabus form, and four pair drills, known as first, second, the exchange and the break. These pair drills represent the four most common variations on defence: against a cut, covering from right and left, against a thrust on the opposite side, and against a thrust from the mirror side. These have (usually) four steps to them: the attack, the initial defence (remedy), the attacker's counter (counter-remedy) and the defender's counter to the counter (counter-counter-remedy). These drills should be memorised in their basic form, as they become the foundation of the development of the student's skills. By doing all four drills as both defender and attacker, the student will cover defence from right and left, attacking from right and left, defence against cut and thrust, and attacking with cut and thrust. Using the standard variation multipliers, which include the four crossings drill, changing the starting guards, changing the counter-remedy etc., the student can find a rational way to recreate every play in the system, and connect that play in memory to one or other of the foundational drills.

A good place to start with your longsword training is Guy's free beginner's class, here: https://swordschool.teachable.com/p/free-beginner-s-longsword-class

Level One, Tower

Mechanics and Conditioning:

• Weight distribution on the feet

• Tailbone Alignment

• The basic guard position

• The guard positions

• Standing Step drill (aka push-hands)


• Basic falling, solo

• Stick avoidance drill

Understanding of safe training, control, and School etiquette

Unarmed:

• Fiore footwork: 4 steps: accrescere, discrescere, passare, tornare; 3 turns: volta stabile, meza volta, tutta volta

• Four unarmed poste: longa, dente de zenghiaro, frontale, porta di ferro


Dagger:

The meaning of the terms remedy, counter-remedy and counter-counter-remedy

• 4 lines of attack: mandritto, fendente, roverso, sotto.


• First remedy master (against mandritto or fendente)First 7 plays of the First Master


• Roverso disarm (third master, from Pisani-Dossi MS), from Third remedy master (against roverso or fendente)

• Fendente disarm (fourth master)

• Sottano disarm (ninth master)

• Ninth remedy master (against sotto): disarm only

Longsword

• Five of The 12 guards: Tutta porta di ferro, posta di donna (both sides), posta longa, posta frontale, dente di zenghiaro

• Two of the Seven * Blows: Fendente, Sottano

• Sword handling drill up, down, around, around.

• Cutting drill, part one only.

• * The salute

• First drill

• Second drill

Level Two, Arrow

Mechanics and Conditioning

• Forearm conditioning: Wrist and Forearm Exercises


• Forearm massage: Self Massage


• Basic Breathing exercises


• Guard position analysis with pressure


• Volta stabile and pass with pressure

* The footwork combinations: 1) accressere fora di strada, passare alla traversa, 2) accressere, 3 passi, with tutta volta.

• Able to competently warm up self

Dagger

• The Nine Masters One thing from each of the Nine Remedy Masters

• dagger disarm flowdrill

• The 5 things: disarm, strike, lock, break, takedown Five things from four lines

Longsword

• All of the Blows, including the Mezani, and the 5 Punte

• All of The 12 guards

• Sword handling drill 3: six grips

• Exchange of thrust

• Breaking the thrust

• Four corners drill


• First two plays of sword in one hand

Level Three, Heart

Mechanics and Conditioning

• Knee conditioning

• Knee massage: Self Massage

• Grip grounding (edges and point, with sword)

Unarmed

• Basic Kicking

• 
Abrazare Plays 1 to 6

Dagger

• dagger disarm flowdrill: break the flow, counter the break

• Three ways to enter the play

• Dagger versus dagger: masters 6 and 8

Longsword

• Cutting drill part 2 (includes all applications as pair drills)

• Sword handling drill 2

• Sword handling drill: Farfalle di Ferro parts one and two together.

• Punta Falsa

• Four crossings drill

• Woman in the Window

• 17-20 drill

• Using the Pell and Tyre

Level Four, Dividers

Mechanics and Conditioning

• Perfect push-ups (shoulder stabilisation)

• Perfect squats (hip, ankle, knee alignment)

• Able to competently lead a class warm up

Dagger

• Dagger freeplay

Longsword

• Sword handling drill: Farfalle di Ferro Complete

• Syllabus Form (includes all applications as pair drills)

• Syllabus Form Applications Drill

• First Drill zogho stretto

• Second Drill zogho stretto

Additional Resources

• Four Basic Drills Cross-handed

• Seminars footage

• Dagger seminars