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I created a beginner’s guide to Fiore!

This is my interpretation of the most basic actions Fiore shows (with a focus on the sword in two hands without armour) and my take on the basics of unarmoured longsword fencing.

My goal was to create as simple and concise a summary as possible while giving a beginner a basic set of tools to deal with most fencing situations. The end result is…

• An overview of basic fencing concepts (some modern, some historical)
• Eight categories of fencing techniques (all of which are based on Fiore’s works)
• An overview of basic fencing strategy and tactics (some of which are based on Fiore, others from other “Italian” traditions)

This guide is not comprehensive and cannot replace a knowledgeable coach. The exercises presented are intended as examples to illustrate what I consider to be fundamental skills, not as a curriculum. The order of the skills is deliberate and later skills build on the previous skills, but a proper training program would not focus on a single skill in any given lesson because no skill in fencing is complete when viewed in isolation.

For a more detailed interpretation of Fiore, see my gloss here.