According to the Bolognese tradition masters, the narrow measure where swords are crossed from the middle – the stretta di mezza spada – is the most important fighting measure. It is the measure a Bolognese fencer tries to enter to deliver strikes that are meant to hit their opponent and it is the measure where the fencer’s virtú is proven. Despite the fact that the masters emphatically instruct a Bolognese fencer to enter this range when fighting in earnest, it is a skill rarely seen in actual action.

This workshops takes a look on how to use method and its techniques in a dynamic manner through a framework of some its essential concepts and actions.

Weapon: Sidesword or a similar one-handed sword.

Source: Manciolino (1532), Marozzo (1536), dall’Agocchie (1572), and Anonimo Bolognese (15–)

This workshop explores fencing in the narrow measure of crossed swords – the method of stretta di mezza spada in the Bolognese fencing tradition. It takes a look into the mindset and conditions of fencing in this measure and what kind of techniques, tactics, and restrictions are involved in it. The workshop builds a framework for understanding how the fencing is supposed to be done within the measure and how it can be trained according to the Bolognese masters.

The training in the workshop is done through a series exercises, mostly with a partner, to learn how to enter in the measure, how to deliver the strikes in it, and how to exit the measure after the exchange is done. The attention is specifically drawn to the principles and the essential elements of the method according to which the fencing is supposed to be done. The techniques can be considered as basics which form the framework of fencing in the measure – examples of the more specific plays will be taken to illustrate how they can be embedded into the basic framework.

Participating the workshop gives its participants a usable dynamic framework for practicing fencing in the stretta di mezza spada measure according to the Bolognese fencing tradition.

Skill level of Participants: Any skill level
Needed Equipment: Fencing mask and gloves. Other pieces of equipment can be used if wished.

About the trainer – Esko Heikki Olavi Ronimus

I teach historical European martial arts and traditional Chinese martial arts full-time for adults and children in my club Tampere School of Arms in Tampere, Finland. I specialize in the Italian Bolognese tradition, my focus being on making the art both true to its historical context and relevant to modern practice. I also offer remote instruction, coaching, and learning resources through my Patreon channel Esko Ronimus – Traditional & Historical Martial Arts Instructor and through Guy Windsor’s swordschool.teachable.com .

I have been training martial arts systematically since 1998, teaching since 2007, and teaching professionally since 2020. I also organize and attend seminars several times a month on a regular basis both in Finland and internationally, and give private classes, lectures and demonstrations.

The latest bigger events I have been teaching have been:

-HEMAC Dijon 2023
-Panoplia Iberoamericana Spain 2023
-HEMAC Dijon 2024
-Panoplia Iberoamericana Mexico 2024