The price of registration goes up the end of the week. Get your
registration in now. I don't know when we will be holding another
seminar including lectures from the researcher translator John
Michael Greer. So don't miss this seminar. It will probably be at
least a couple years before the next one unless someone elsewhere
besides to book us to run an event. Which will probably elsewhere.
Destreza: The True Art and Science of the Rapier
A weekend of study on the Theory and Practice of fencing according
to the work of Gerard Thibault d’Anvers 1628
Instruction By:
Matthew Howden
Jeff Richardson
John Michael Greer
Date: April 4-5, 2009
Location: Milwaukie Elks Lodge
13121 SE Mcloughlin Blvd. City:
Portland, OR 97222
Tuition: $50 pre-registered (through March 6); $60 after March 6
The seminar will include two days of hands on work with the sword
under the instruction of Matthew Howden assisted by Jeff Richardson
and a lecture by translator and researcher John Michael Greer.
There will be an emphasis on the internal philosophical practices
involved in Thibault’s system and how those practices affect the
practical application of the techniques.
**Class size is limited. To ensure your place in class, please
sign up as early as possible. Pre-registration will open Friday,
February 6, 2009 with tuition due by Friday, March 6, 2009.
Continuing registration will go from March 7 until April 3 or until
all spaces are filled. The tuition will be higher after the
pre-registration period.
To sign up, contact jeff at jeffery at mind dot net
The Teachers
Matthew Howden has been studying the rapier since the mid 90’s
and has been studying the works of Gerard Thibault for more than a
decade. Originally beginning his teaching career at the club in
Ashland Oregon, Matthew is a member of the Portland, Oregon chapter
of the Tattershall School of Defence and a senior instructor at
Academia Duellatoria teaching at the studio in Portland, Oregon.
Jeff Richardson started his fencing career under Olympic Coach
Michael D’Asaro in the late 80’s and received his black belt in
American Open Style Karate from Jerry Piddington in the mid 90’s.
He has been studying the rapier since the early 90’s and is a
senior instructor at Academia Duellatoria in Portland. Jeff sits on
the Board of Directors for the Association of Historical Fencing.
Jeff and Matthew have been researching Destreza and Thibault for
many years and have consulted with Mr. Greer on the translation
project. They have furthered the research of Destreza in several
capacities including hosting the first seminars on the subject on the
West Coast starting in 2001. They also assisted with the
instructional video “La Verdadera Destreza, The True Art and Skill
of Spanish Swordsmanship” featuring Anthony Delongis and the
Maestro’s Martinez by helping to supply the still images used in
the video and hosted the book release party, demon and seminar for
Mr. Greer's translation of Girard Thibault in 2006.
John Michael Greer is a widely published author on esoteric
traditions, published by Llewellyn, Weiser and under his own company
Fir Mountain Press. He has been a student and practitioner of
geomancy and sacred geometry for more than twenty years and is fluent
in Latin and medieval French. Greer has studied geomantic texts and
the art of memory from the Middle Ages and Renaissance. He's a former
member of the Golden Dawn, a Mason, and is the head of the Ancient
Order of Druids in America. He is responsible for the translation of
Gerard Thibault's book on the Mysterious Circle. After a ten year
long process this translation was published by Chivalry Bookshelf in
2006.
Academia Duellatoria can be found on the web at
http://duellatoria.com/ [1]
Review of the Thibault Translation
This translation was nearly 10 years in the works and eagerly
anticipated by the historical fencing community. John Michael Greer's
understanding of the time period, historical philosophy and language
make this text an excellent resource. The plates from the original
text are recreated in excellent high quality and make this work worth
having all by themselves. These engraved plates were done by a small
army of some the best and most famous engravers in Europe. Sadly many
of the original historical copies of this text have had the lavishly
illustrated plates removed and sold individually at art auctions for
extremely high prices.
As a scholarly translation of a historical renaissance text this
book is brilliant. As a book of reproductions of renaissance
illustrations it is also brilliant. The illustrations are beautifully
reproduced, and they are incredible in themselves, engaging the reader
as much as the text. The line etchings are a testimate to the art by
some of the best in history and so packed with ornementation and fine
detail to inspire staring at them for hours. As a study for historical
hermetic thought and the art of memory this book is also invaluable.
Added value to this work is that historical fencers are actively
studying this system of rapier and the translator travels with them
to lecture at fencing seminars.
Thibault discusses philosophy and sacred geometry and then goes on
to show how proportion is the basis for the study of the sword.
Covered in intimate detail is the use of the rapier alone to fence
against an opponent with single rapier, rapier and dagger, rapier and
shield or longsword. In addition possibly for the first time in
history is written down how to use zig zag running to come up on a
man using a musket to fire at the swordsman. Thibaults attention to
detail is refreshing in the efforts to re-learn a dead art as these
details are so often lacking to the martial arts enthusiast.
Many years in the making the book was published after Thibault
died and before he could write the section on combat from horseback.
Thibault's text was lauded as the most elaborately and lavishly
illustrated book on fencing ever created. The pictures from the
original are highly sought after by collectors. This text is a must
have.


Links:
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[1] http://duellatoria.com/


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