Fencers inspired to take up the sport by watching one of the many versions of The Three Musketeers will be well aware of the romance of the rapier. But few will have tried their hand at the real thing. With The Duellist's Companion, Guy Windsor carefully analyses the realities of Italian rapier fencing based on the most famous treatise of its kind every written - Capoferro's Gran Simulacro, first published in 1610. He combines theory and practical application in a series of exercises in which every move is taught according to the tactical and mechanical principles underlying the action.
Copiously illustrated with photographs showing every action and sequence, this book offers students a comprehensive guide to understanding the art of Italian rapier play. The author, founder of the School of European Swordsmanship in Helsinki, assumes that the reader has no knowledge of historical swordplay and teaches the style from first principles.
