SWORD

L. …and therefore I praye you shew me the reason why the Rapier alone is the ground and beginning of this art.
V. the reason as I take it, is because that amongst Knightes, Captaines and valiant Souldiers, the Rapier is it which sheweth who are men of armes and of honour, and which obtaineth right for those which are wronged : and for this reason it is made with two edges and one point …

Vincentio Saviolo

The spirit of our art is most commonly defined by the use of the sword. As has already been observed, the sword is a most wonderful tool to be used to explore, learn and develop a deep understanding of the possibilities of proportion, distance and timing coupled with the movements of the human body.

The true foundation and the true beginning from whence you may learne all thinges belonging to this art, is the Rapier alone, and from it will I begin, and you shal perceive of what great importance this beginning is, and how without it hardly or never any commeth to true skill and perfection …

Vincentio Saviolo

There is no right or wrong weapon to choose. There are near infinite varieties of sword to pick from and the type of sword that appeals to you most or suits you best is an entirely personal matter. This art is not about any one particular weapon but rather about the artistry of the body; of learning a certain perception of when, why and how to move. One of the defining and most exciting aspects of this art is that its principles and techniques are adaptable and applicable to all manner of weapons and situations. All we must to do is to 'listen' to the weapon in hand. The sword (or any melee weapon) is simply a tool made to amplify the reach and, through a studied understanding of movement, the power of the body and the careful handling of any weapon will soon tell us exactly what it is best made to do.

This said (for the purpose of learning this art) if our goal is to study and build a fully robust and adaptable martial system, one exploring the full potential of our physicality, then the choice of weapon from which we choose to learn must be carefully considered. If we are to study the art of the warrior and not the courtier then we must look for a sword that benefits and complements us in all manner of situation and circumstance; a weapon that is both powerful enough and adaptable enough for our purpose - ever bearing in mind the difference between a 'sword fight' and a 'fight with swords'.

The weapon that seems most fitting and excellent for the purpose of learning this art is the single-handed war-sword or arming sword of the Renaissance period, a weapon designed for both thrusting and cutting in near equal measure.

THE 'RAPIER'

Throughout his treatise Saviolo uses the terms rapier and sword intermittently. To the modern mind the term rapier conjures up images of a long, thin-bladed weapon with the emphasis on its thrusting capabilities; musketeers & dawn duels. In Saviolo's day however this distinction appears not to have been the case.

If we look to the Italian: English dictionary 'Queen Annes World of Words' (1601) by John Florio (Saviolo's probable collaborator in writing '…[H]is Practice') we find the following definitions:

SPADA - a sword, a rapier, a glaive a blade.
SPADETTA - a little sword or rapier.
STOCCO - a short or arming-sword, a tuck.
VERDUGO - a rapier, a tucke, a little sword.

The origins of the word rapier are obscure and there are in consequence many theories. Some suggest that it originates from the Spanish 'espada ropera' meaning 'sword of the robe' others from the German 'rappen' meaning to 'tear out'. As A.V.B. Norman observed: "The evidence for what was meant by the word rapier at a particular period is very confused." However, a clue perhaps lies not in the way that the weapon looked but in how it was held and used.

Yet the Italian teachers will say, that an Englishman cannot thrust straight with a Sword, because the hilt will not suffer him to put the forefinger over the Crosse, nor to put the thumbe upon the blade, nor hold the pummell in the hand, whereby we are of necessitie to hold fast the handle in the hand : by reason whereas we are driven to thrust both compasse and short, whereas with the Rapier they can thrust both straight and much further than we can : and these be the reasons they make against the Sword.

George Silver
Paradoxes of Defence - 1599.

From the Latin:

RAPIO -ere, -ui, - tum (v) :
to tear, snatch, carry off; to seize quickly.

So, very tentatively, it could be suggested that at some point in the history of the sword the term rapier was used to describe any weapon that was held, seized or gripped, with one or more fingers over the cross or quillon in the manner of a 'hook-grip' as opposed to a sword, which was held with a more traditional 'fist-grip'. The technique of hooking a finger over the quillon would seem to have been in use from an early date (one of the figures in the Bayeux Tapestry is clearly depicted using such a grip) though the introduction of protective rings for the fingers developed at a slower pace (towards the end of the 1400s). The differing grips offer different technical possibilities and it is conceivable that distinct schools arose around each weapon (echoes of which remain in the differences to be found between the traditional schools of French and Italian classical foil and epée).

What is clear from Saviolo's treatise is that the type of weapon that he is referring to is one intended for military practice. Although the slender-bladed thrusting sword was certainly in existence in the later half of the sixteenth century, and quickly growing in popularity, it was without doubt a weapon for civilian use, had no place on the battlefield and subsequently was of little use to the soldier. What was needed by the Captaines & Souldiours who would 'follow the wars' (and remembering that '…this knowledge doeth more particularly appertayne unto Gentlemen and souldiers that professe and followe warres…') was an adaptable cut and thrust weapon; powerful enough to inflict strong blows, sturdy enough to be able to withstand all manner of attacks and be, above all, adaptable.

This sword, made by Paul Macdonald, is based upon an example
at the Wallace Collection, London : (catalogue number: A535)
Blade length : forty one & a half inches.
Weight : three & a half pounds.

There are two sister swords from the same collection, A531 and A534, catalogued as 'War Rapiers'. All three weapons are remarkably similar in hilt design, blade length, balance and weight. (In the main military swords of the sixteenth century range in weight from between two to four pounds; anything lighter is not powerful or sturdy enough, lacking the necessary 'heft'. Moreover, if a weapon can most easily be used by the strength and dexterity of the wrist alone, then it is wise to use it in such a manner; however, such a sword will not bring us to the understanding of the harmony and artistry of body that we seek.) All three swords date from the latter half of the sixteenth century and examples of this type of weapon were commonly found throughout the European armies of the period. This pattern certainly fits within the timeframe for Saviolo and serves his purpose most excellently.

The sword of Jean Parisot de La Valette.
[Photo by James Baldacchino, provided by Enrico Marantidis]