Aemma History And Theory

Front 1

What are the four main points of the AEMMA mission statement?

Back 1

Knowledge, skills, equipment of a medieval martial artist. Outreach for the art.

Front 2

Do you know the mission statement of AEMMA?

Back 2

The mission of AEMMA is to resurrect, research, study, practice and instruct in the combat skills, philosophies and principles of accomplished European Medieval martial artists and to achieve a state which would be consistent with that of a medieval combatant in both technology and ideal.

Front 3

Who are the two people we study?

Back 3

Fiore dei Liberi and George Silver

Front 4

Why do we study Fiore dei Liberi?

Back 4

Wrote the flower of battle, which is the oldest surviving Italian fencing manuscript. Fiore gives us the plays.

Front 5

Why do we study George Silver?

Back 5

-Wrote the "Paradoxes of Defense", "Brief Instructions Upon My Paradoxes of Defense". Silver gives is the language to understand the plays.

-Fiore dei Liberi’s manuscript describe plays to stay safe during a fight while George Silver’s works describe principles of how to stay safe during the True Fight. (True times, Grounds and Governors) This provides us with the language to describe how to think and move in a fight to strike our opponent without giving him the opportunity to strike us in turn.

Front 6

When was the "Paradoxes of Defense" and "Brief Instructions Upon My Paradoxes of Defense"?

Back 6

"Paradoxes of Defense" - Written 1599
"Brief Instructions Upon My Paradoxes of Defense" - Written 1604, published 1898

Front 7

***Do you know Fiore’s biography
-When was he born
-Where was he born
-About his life (five duals)
-Who did he study under?
-Name some notable students

Back 7

-Fiore dei Liberi (“of the family of Liberi”) of Cividale d’Austriawas born between 1340 and 1350 in Cividale del Fruili, a small town in Italy on the Natisone river.
-Fiore trained under many Italian and German Masters, notably: Swadian Johannes Suvenus (a scholar of Nicholas con Toblem)
-Student include:
-Sir Piero del Verde who faced german opponent Sir Piero de la Corona
-Sir Galeazzo from Mantoa, fought french knight Bucicault at Padau in 1395
-Sir Nicolo Voricilino (German), fought Nicolo Ingehilieso (English) at Imola
-Squire Lancilotto Beccaria of Pavia faced Sir Baldassoro (German), on horseback then on foot
-Squire Coanino de Bavo from Milan faced German Squire Sram in Pavia on horse then foot
-Sir Acco de Castell Barcho, fought Cuanne di Ordelaffi
-Sir Jacomo di Boson
-Fiore was challenged to five duels by Masters he did not wish to train
-In charge of crossbowmen and artillery in Udine during civil war in 1383
-In the beginning of1400, he entered the court of Niccolo III dEste, Marquise of Ferrara, as the master swordsman. He acquired a commission in the early 1400's as a master swordsman on behalf of Signore di Ferrara.

Front 8

What do we know about George Silvers biography?

Back 8

-George Silver (ca. 1560s–1620s), English Swordsman

-Objected to the rapier styles being taught by Italian sword masters in his1599 work, Paradoxes of Defence, due to the lack of protection during a fight.

-Around 1605 (yet only published in 1898) he wrote his Brief Instructions on my Paradoxes of Defencein which he explained method for using the shorter backsword

Front 9

What are the different versions of Fiore's manuscripts named?

Back 9

Fior di Battaglia "Getty"
Fior di Battaglia "Morgan"
Flos Duellatorum "Pisani Dossi"
Florius de Arte Luctandi "Paris, Florius, latin"

Front 10

What are the notable details of the Getty version of the flower of battle?

Back 10

-Titled "Fior di Battaglia"
-Located in the J Paul Getty museum, Los Angeles, USA
-Written between 1400 and 1409
-Considered the most complete
-Dedicated to Niccolò III d'Este Marquis of Ferrara

Front 11

What are the notable details of the Morgan version of the flower of battle?

Back 11

-Titled "Fior di Battaglia"

-Located in the Morgan Library & Museum, New York City, USA
-Written between 1400 and 1409
-Swords and other weapons are enameled in silver
-Illustrations are very similar to the Guetty
-Makes reference to sections on poleaxe, dagger, and grappling which are missing

Front 12

What are the notable details of the Pisani Dossi version of the flower of battle?

Back 12

-Titled "Flos Duellatorum"
-Located in the Pisani Dossi family private collection in Italy

-Released on February 10th 1409 after 6 months of effort
-Rossesses two different prologues, one in Renaissance Latin and one in Italian

-Dedicated to Niccolò III d'Este Marquis of Ferrara

Front 13

What are the notable details of the Paris version of the flower of battle?

Back 13

-Titled "Florius de Arte Luctandi"
-Located in the Bibliothèque nationale de France, Paris, France
-has no prologue
-written in Renaissance Latin
-full color pictures, which are a different style than the others
-written in the early 15th century

Front 14

How old was Fiori when he wrote his manuscripts?

Back 14

Pisani Dossi "50 years of experience" versus Morgan and Guetty "Over 40 years"

Front 15

Who was Fiori's patron?

Back 15

Niccolò III d'Este Marquis of Ferrara

Front 16

What are the principles of the true fight?

Back 16

Moving in true time, time of hand, time of the body, time of the foot, time of the feet

Front 17

Can you explain true time?

Back 17

Time of the hand, body, foot, feet. True time is a way of moving that presents a threat before a target to strike the opponent without being struck

Front 18

What are George Silvers Grounds of the true fight?

Back 18

-Judgment

-experience to understand every aspect of the fight
-Distance
-between the fighters, and between the range they are able to strike one another
-Time
-has to do with the four governors, the rhythm of the attacks and the footwork, the timing of the fight itself
-Place
-the position in which you have an advantage over the opponent, being able to strike the opponent without being struck

Front 19

What are George Silvers Governors of the true fight?

Back 19

-Judgment
-an understanding of your opponent, their strengths and weaknesses in range, stance, movements and attacks
-Measure
-understanding of movement, range, distance and timing to create a space
-Two fold mind
-pressing the enemy in a way that you can fly out
"Just as you are prepared to come in to attack, you must also be prepared to step out or back if you opponent does the same to you"

Front 20

What are the seven required attributes for wrestling?

Back 20

Forteza - strength
Presteza -speed

Rompere - knowledge ofbreaking arms and legs

Ligadura - knowledge ofarms locks (sottana, mezana, soprana) and binds (keys)

Ferire - knowledge ofstriking places with malice such as eyes, nose, under the chin, flank, groin
Mettere in terra - knowledge of take downs andthrows

dislogadure - knowledge ofdislocations. (locks/ keys taken past the point of joint resistance – usually 7 pounds of pressure for elbows/ shoulders)

Front 21

What is the core principle of the true fight?

Back 21

To strike without being struck

Front 22

What is True Distance?

Back 22

The distance at which you need to use true time to strike from (edge of engagement zone)

Front 23

What are the four animals in the treatise?

Back 23

-Elephant with castle on back "fortitudo" strength, stability (balance and equilibrium)

-Lion on right side "Audatia" courage, audacity (Fiore’s favorite as “without audatia, all is for naught”) .

-Lynx with calipers "prudentia" logic, patience, judgment, wisdom, judgment of opponent

-Tiger on left side "Celeritas" ferocity, speed, cunning, swiftness

Front 24

What are the parts of the sword?

Back 24

Front 25

What are the four types of blade engagements?

Back 25

-Beat

-Blade engagement with perpendicular contact to knock the opponent’s blade offline to create an opportunity to immediately strike an open location

-Bind

-Edge on edge blade engagement to a full stop, used as a precursor to plays for disarms, keys or blade hold and then strike

-Deflect (oblique)

-Single time defense and attack with a blade engagement on an acute angle designed to bounce the attacking blade off of the defending blade and into the opponent’s body, adding the energy from the defense to the attacking force-Void

–Move the body and blade out of the path of the incoming sword (refuse to engage blade).