The Armizare Workbook, Part One: The Beginners’ Course

Armizare: the Medieval Italian Martial Art

Do you want to learn authentic medieval Italian martial arts and knightly combat?

With a training partner, some simple equipment, and this innovative workbook, you can.

Incorporating over 40 video clips, text instruction, and many images, this workbook is the most up-to-date way to learn the ancient art of Armizare. Armizare is the Italian word for the Art of Arms, as taught by Fiore dei Liberi in his extraordinary treatise The Flower of Battle, written in about 1400.

It is challenging to learn directly from the manuscript, so let the acclaimed and respected researcher, practitioner and teacher Dr. Guy Windsor make it easier for you with this workbook.

Everybody learns differently, so there are options presented at various points in the workbook, allowing you to choose what to practise next, based on your interests. There are many paths up the mountain, and with this workbook you get to choose your own. The video clips include instruction for both right and left handers. The printed workbooks include abundant space for writing notes, and are available for both right and left-handers.

The workbook is organised into eight classes, for you to take at your own pace. Every movement and technique is clearly described, with images from Fiore's manuscript, and links to video clips showing you the technique in action.

Join Guy as he teaches you…

Unarmed techniques

The four guards of abrazare (wrestling)

The first six plays of abrazare

The four steps (footwork)

The three turns (footwork)

With the Dagger

The four blows of the dagger

Disarms against forehand, backhand, and rising dagger thrusts

Counters to the disarms

Arm locks and counters

How to fall safely

A basic takedown/throw

With the Longsword

Six ways to hold the longsword

The seven blows of the longsword

How to parry and strike

How to counter the parry with a pommel strike

How to counter the pommel strike

The exchange of thrusts

Breaking the thrusts

Training on the pell

And above all you will learn how to train safely and effectively. Guy has spent the last 20+ years developing his approach to learning and teaching historical martial arts, so you are in safe and expert hands.

Begin your journey into historical martial arts today with this ground-breaking Armizare workbook.

Dr. Guy Windsor is a world-renowned instructor and a pioneering researcher of medieval and renaissance martial arts. He has been teaching the Art of Arms full-time since founding The School of European Swordsmanship in Helsinki, Finland, in 2001. His day job is finding and analysing historical swordsmanship treatises, figuring out the systems they represent, creating a syllabus from the treatises for his students to train with, and teaching the system to his students all over the world. Guy is the author of numerous classic books about the art of swordsmanship and has consulted on swordfighting game design and stage combat. He developed the card game, Audatia, based on Fiore dei Liberi's Art of Arms, his primary field of study. In 2018 Edinburgh University awarded him a PhD by Research Publications for his work recreating historical combat systems. When not studying medieval and renaissance swordsmanship or writing books Guy can be found in his shed woodworking or spending time with his family.