Martial Culture and Historical Martial Arts in Europe and Asia: A Multi-perspective View on Sword Culture

Series Editor’s Preface: Cultural Exchange in Martial Arts
Foreword
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Contents
Notes About Language, Measurements, and Time
History, Culture, and Philosophy of the Sword in Eurasia
Arms and the Armed: The Evocative Ritual Language in Val Camonica Rock Art
	1 The Camuni’s Open Culture
	2 Val Camonica: The Sanctuary of Alpine Prehistory
	3 Paleo-Iconographic Language
	4 Ritual Language
	5 Arms and the Armed
	6 Arms and the Armed in Val Camonica
	7 Depictions of Arms as a Replacement of Votive Offerings
	8 Fight Scenes and Armed Figures
	9 Categories of Depictions of Arms and the Armed
	10 Individual Armed Figures
	11 Armed Warriors in Combat Scenes
	12 Armed Figures on Horseback and the Armed Figures on Horseback in Combat Scenes
	13 Armed Figures in Hunting Scenes
	14 Armed Figures on Parade
	15 Depictions of Weapons, Particularly Axes
	16 Spears
	17 Swords
	18 Conclusion
	References
Sima Qian and the Way of the Sword in Ancient China
	1 Sima Qian’s Way of the Sword (Jiandao)
	2 The Sima Clan and Sword Culture in the State of Zhao
		2.1 Sword Culture in the State of Zhao
	3 Sima Qian’s Swordsmen
	4 Conclusion
	References
Longobard Warriors in the Seprio Judicaria
	1 Arsago Seprio’s Warriors
	2 The Warrior of Castelseprio
	3 The Warriors of Stabio
	4 Concluding Remarks
	References
The Dynamic Sphere: Thesis on the Third State of the Vitruvian Man
	1 In Search of the Dynamic Sphere: The Third State of the Vitruvian Man
	2 Gathering Evidence
	3 The Twelve Masters
		3.1 Agrippa, Camillo. 1553. Trattato di Scientia d’Arme, con un Dialogo di Filosofia [Treatise on the Science of Arms, with a Dialogue on Philosophy]. Rome: Antonio Blado
		3.2 dei Liberi, Fiore. Late Fourteenth–Early Fifteenth Century. Il Fior di Battaglia [The Flower of Battle], Ludwig XV 13 Codex. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum
		3.3 Vadi, Filippo. 1482–1487. De Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi [On the Art of Swordsmanship], MS. Rome: Rome National Library
		3.4 Monte, Pietro. 1509. Petri Montii Exercitiorum: Atque Artis Militaris Collectanea in Tris Libros Distincta [The Collection of Military Arts and Exercises in Three Books, by Pietro Monte]. Milan: Giovanni Angelo Scinzenler
		3.5 Unknown Author of the Classense Library. Early Sixteenth Century. Trattato Della Scherma [Treatise on Fencing], MS 345–346. Ravenna: Classense Library Institution
		3.6 Manciolino, Antonio. 1531. Opera Nova [A New Work]. Venezia: Zoppino
		3.7 Di Sandro Altoni, Francesco. 1539–1569. Monomachia [Dueling], MS II.Iii.315–L.V. 23. Florence: Florence Central Library
		3.8 Pagano, Marc’ Antonio. 1553. Le Tre Giornate [The Three days]. Napoli: Luigi Acilio Alife
		3.9 Di Grassi, Giacomo. 1570. Ragione di Adoprar Sicuramente l’Arme [Discourse on Wielding Arms with Safety]. Venice: Giordano Ziletti
		3.10 Dall’Agocchie, Giovanni. 1572. Dell’Arte Di Scrima Libri Tre [Three Books on the Art of Defense]. Venice: Tamborino
		3.11 Dal Montone, Angelo Viggiani. 1575. Lo Schermo [on Fencing], Written Before 1550. Venice: Giorgio Angelieri
		3.12 Ghisliero, Federico. 1585. Regole [Rules (of Many Knightly Exercises)]. Parma, Together with Ms. Kept at the M.A.M. In Botticino (BS), Italy, Pre-1585. Botticino: Martial Art Museum
	4 Summary
	5 Anatomical Proportions, Measurements, the Third Center of the Vitruvian Man
	6 The Hidden Teachings in Marozzo’s Assalti
	7 Conclusion
	Appendix
	References
The Material Dimension of the Sword
Evolution of the “Crescent Guard” in Chinese Swords
	1 Sword Guards in the Tang Dynasty
	2 Development of Sword Guards from the Five Dynasties to the Song
	3 Guard Development in the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties
	4 Influence on Neighboring States and Cultures
	5 Conclusion
	References
Archaeometallurgical Investigation on Historical Sword-Making Techniques in Northern Italy Between the Sixteenth and Seventeenth Centuries
	1 Introduction: Origins
	2 Brescia Under Venetian Rule
	3 Production Process in the Sixteenth-Century Northern Italy and Brescia
	4 Techniques for Forging a “Storta” (Falchion) in Brescia in the Seventeenth Century
		4.1 Blade
		4.2 Pommel and Guard
	5 Comparison of the Techniques for Making the Storta and the Rapier
	6 Reconstruction of a Storta
	7 Concluding Remarks
	References
Rediscovering Ancient China’s Sword-Making Techniques: Insights from Reconstructing a Han-Dynasty Ring-Pommel Dao
	1 Iron Smelting and Weapon Production in the Han Dynasty
	2 The Ancient Techniques of Iron Smelting in Shaft Furnace
		2.1 Constructing the Shaft Furnace
		2.2 Observations from Reconstructing the Iron-Smelting Process with the Shaft Furnace
	3 Reconstructing the Han Ring-Pommel Dao
		3.1 Looking for an Ancient Dao
		3.2 Reconstruction of the Han Dao
	4 Conclusion
	References
Decorative Techniques in Oriental Swords: Savoir Faire in Craftsmanship and Artistry
	1 Sword Decoration in Antiquity
	2 A New Era
	3 Transmission of Savoir Faire
		3.1 Piercing
		3.2 Hammering and Chasing
		3.3 Fire Gilding
		3.4 Engraving and Carving
		3.5 Inlay and Overlay
		3.6 Enameling
		3.7 Filigree and Granulation
		3.8 Gem-Setting
	References
Historical Fencing Books and the Transmission of Knowledge in Swordsmanship
Martial Arts Knowledge on and Beyond the Page: From Visual Mantras to Hyperrealism with Words and Brushes
	1 Fight Books: A Specific Kind of Technical Literature
	2 Categories of Martial Arts Knowledge
		2.1 Poetry as Versified Knowledge Canons
		2.2 Visual Mantras as Metaphors
		2.3 Assalti or Flourishes as Martial Forms
		2.4 Cinemascope as the Precursor of Video
		2.5 Hyperrealism with Words and Brushes
	3 Lost in Translation or in Transcription
	References
The Ferrara Manuscript: A Discussion of Destreza and Vulgar Fencing Traditions in Spain
	1 Introduction
	2 Verdadera Destreza and Vulgar Fencing: Opposition or Continuum?
	3 The Ferrara Manuscript
	4 Conclusion
	Appendix—Codicological Note of the Ferrara Manuscript
		Description
		Author
		Dedicatee
		Provenience
	References
Masters Through the Ages: Interpretation of a Renaissance Martial Art System and the Foundation of a Modern School
	1 Introduction
	2 Historical Sources: Masters of the Past
		2.1 European Martial Arts
		2.2 The Writings of Achille Marozzo
	3 Interpreting the Source: Today’s Masters
		3.1 Modern-Day Martial Arts
		3.2 The Need for a Syncretic Approach
		3.3 “Solve et Coagula”
		3.4 Interpretation and Practice
		3.5 Basics, Techniques, System
	4 Case Study: Marozzo’s Two-Handed Sword
		4.1 Tools
		4.2 Comparative Studies
	5 Conclusion
	References
Dialogue with Roberto Gotti: An Initial Foray into Comparing Chinese and Italian Two-Handed Sword Methods
	1 Introduction
	2 Gotti’s Exposition of the Dynamic Sphere
	3 The Chinese Two-Handed Sword Tradition
		3.1 Shuangshou dao
		3.2 Shuangshou jian
	4 The Italian and Chinese Martial Art Bodies: Comparison Across Three Essential Aspects
		4.1 Ding-Character Step or Moving Poles
		4.2 Body and Arms: The Moving Tower with Rotational Points
		4.3 Perception: Eyes That See Emptiness
	5 Conclusion: Humanism of the Sword
	Appendix—Reply from Roberto Gotti and Jacopo Penso
		The Triangle
		Descending Blows
		The Use of Two-Handed Sword
		Footwork
		Mental Attitude and Training
	References
Index