Gallowglass Events Gallowglass Academy, Inc.

How do I prereg? Call 815-973-1064,
or send check payable to Allen Reed, c/o Gallowglass Academy,
P. O. Box 201, Leaf River IL 61047

Where ? River Valley Complex (formerly Leaf River School), 605 Main Street, Leaf River, IL 61047

$$ ? First class FREE! $50 due second session Our space is limited, so please preregister by phone or e-mail.

Throughout European and American history, students of the martial arts have come together to train -- in German Fechtschulen, London Maisters of Defence, salles d’armes of old New Orleans, and on up to modern storefront dojo. Here we combine traditional European and American techniques with Oriental combinations into a coherent and powerful system for personal defense in 21^st-century America. This class will include empty-hand and weapons defenses against armed and unarmed attackers. Participants should be at least 18 years of age, and relatively fit.

Supplies/Equipment: Wear comfortable workout clothing, including long-sleeved heavy-duty sweatshirt and gym shoes. Men should wear a cup. Showers and lockers will be available.

We will be covering three basic areas this weekend; boxing, wrestling and Irish cudgel play. While each of these can be practiced as a single art, combined they create a very interesting method of self-protection. Let's look at the core arts we will be studying this weekend.
     Classic Pugilism - Boxing the from era of Broughton to the very early days of gloves. The rules of old pugilism made for a very different fight than modern boxing and one that i think works better as a means of self-defense. We will look at the role grappling played in the old style, as well as some powerful self defense/dirty boxing using the elbow.
     Wrestling - Rather than wrestling for wrestling's sake (which I do often) we will look at wrestling as it pertains to both pugilism and Irish stick play with a focus on the Irish style of Collar and Elbow.
     Irish Cudgel play - An art used by the Irish faction fighters of the early 19th century. The use of the Irish cudgel offen called a bata or shillelagh will be explored in a hands-on fashion, so make sure you bring a cane-sized stick for the festivities. We will be learning to use the stick in a very non-blade-oriented fashion. Unlike many stick-fighting systems where the stick is a stand-in for a blade, the Irish had a style of stickplay that was unique and great for close-in fighting such as the crowded fields of the faction-fighting days.

With any luck and no more than a few smashed knuckles, by the end of this weekend you will all be on the road to blending these three elements together into a cohesive fighting style.

As usual, groin protection is mandatory for men and highly recommended for Feisty Coleens. A more precise schedule may be available closer to the workshop, but figure on the usual 9ish to 5ish for the formal activities.

Salvator Fabris, 1544-1618, was a legendary rapier master from Padua in northern Italy. He taught throughout Europe, instructing the Archbishop of Bremen and King Christian IV of Denmark, among many others. His reputation was unrivaled as he influenced and garnered praise from later masters including Giganti, Alfieri, Marcelli, and Thibault. While in Denmark, he published his groundbreaking rapier treatise Lo Schermo, overo Scienza d'Arme (1606). This treatise provides a glimpse into the concepts and practices of the teachings of Fabris, which rely on precise understanding of measure, guards, tempo, lines of attack, and the mechanical properties and angles of blades.
This seminar will introduce students to these principles focusing particularly on measure and tempo and their use in defense and attack. We will start with the basic stances and counterguards. We will explore the basic methods of attack and the proper defenses. We will move on to finding the blade and attacking in tempo, culminating in the use of feints and invitations.
Students are recommended to read at least the “Introduction” and “Book One, Part One” of The Art of Dueling by Tomaso Leoni before the seminar.

Tim Lyon has been playing with swords since his college days 30 years ago. Although he started with sport fencing and moved on to the Society of Creative Anachronism, he has taken advantage of the growing interest and scholarship in the Western Martial Arts to pursue more historical studies. He has studied with some of best scholars in the burgeoning movement including Bill Wilson, Ramon Martinez, Bob Charon, and Tom Leoni. He has experimented with many styles, but has lately focused on the early 17th century and the rapier system of Salvator Fabris. Mr. Lyon is a technical writer and an avid sailor.

The Art of Fighting Well: Principles, Techniques, and Tactics of Royal Armouries Manuscript I.33

This seminar will focus on developing a tactical implementation of fighting skills based on the technical swordsmanship skills of Royal Armouries Manuscript I.33. We will develop our understanding of the key concepts of tempo and measure directly from the manuscript itself, by examining the plays for the information they contain about these critical elements of the fight. Each "play" in the manuscript is a lesson that encapsulates specific rules of the art concerning time, measure, the means of manipulating both, and the use of these to establish initiative in and control of the fight. These concepts were later expressed as vor, nach, and indes in the German traditions, and as tempo and contratempo in the Italian systems.

I.33's division of guards into Custodie and Obsessiones offers a means of directing and controlling the adversary's intent, similar in nature to the stabile, instabile and pulsative of Fiore's poste. With these tools we can analyze the nature of the fight and derive tactical lessons from them, which we can then employ in the fight. I have used this format successfully in seminars in the US and abroad.

"It was an excellent seminar, in which he covered the main tactical concepts, the core techniques of the system. He then developed the student's ability to apply these techniques according to the concepts in increasingly advanced tactical drills. It is unusual to see such attention to the practical use of a system; I am confident that any one of the attendees could now if necessary defend themselves with reasonable success, and in recognisable 1.33 style, in any sword and buckler context. It was lovely watching a professional at work." - Guy Windsor, School of European Swordsmanship

Although we will be very careful with our friends and fellow students in the class, this class will involve exercises that may result in some bumps: be prepared:

Equipment: A stout gambeson, good head protection, forearm and elbow protection and good gauntlets or similar are required. Street hockey, motocross and martial arts protective equipment acceptable. Steel or aluminum trainers are preferred to wood. Email seanhayes <_at_> northwestacademyofarms <_dot_> com with questions.

The weekend workshop will be divided into five exercise units and one lecture/presentation. All integrate with each other, and include tactical exercises to prepare us for the final unit of the course.

Fundamentals of I.33: The Three Key Plays of Prima Custodia
The concepts of time & measure are fundamental to any martial system, and yet they are often not discussed or presented to the student in the depth required. Royal Armouries MS I.33 gives a framework for understanding and practicing the crucial elements of time & measure. We will first examine techniques within a mechanical drill framework and analyze them for what they say to us about time & measure. Following this we will bring the drills into a tactical framework, using a simple decision-tree exercise to analyze the partner’s offensive, defensive or counter-offensive choice, and immediately decide on a course of action.

Presentation: The Martial Image in the Medieval Pedagogic Text: an examination of Royal Armouries Manuscript I.33
To develop a fuller understanding of the art of sword & buckler fencing as developed in Royal Armouries MS I.33, and the rules by which it operates, we need an understanding of the cultural context in which it was produced. Central in this presentation is the reality that MS I.33 is culturally remote from us. We must study the uses to which text and image were put in the middle ages so as to arrive at a fuller understanding of the conception, construction and use of MS I.33. Art produced in the context of the Late Middle Ages was not "naturalistic" or photo-realistic, but was conceptual in nature. Medieval art in general reflects the use of the ars memoria, the system of study, retention, and explication of philosophy and theology practiced by scholars in the middle ages. As a product of this culture, I.33 naturally employs these modes of presentation. We will examine the use of image composition and presentation of physicality in the manuscript as mnemoic aids, and discuss the application of these concepts to the requirements of presentation in a medieval martial arts text.

Extending the Principles: Prima Custodia, Krucke, and the Langort Plays
The principles and techniques established by the three key plays are the foundation for all the later work in the manuscript, and are developed further in the Krucke and Langort Plays, which form the second major grouping of actions within the text. We'll use the same principles of manipulation of tempo, measure and initiative to examine controlling the fight from either side (Prima Custodia or Langort).

Controlling the Adversary's Intent: Secunda Custodia vs Secunda Obsessio
The plays of the Secunda Custodia demonstrate responses to a quickly shifting initiative, and develop strategies for analyzing and neutralizing these situations by probing into them, discovering the opponent's response, and applying a counteraction. The counteractions of the Secunda Custodia include many wounding, rather than incapacitating, actions.

Employing the Priest's Special Langort: What makes it "long"?
We will use the specificata custodia sacerdotis que nuncpatur langort, or "Priest's Special Langort," to employ the principles of the Prima Custodia plays from a position of relative disadvantage: when "lying spent" after a failed attack. The Special Langort shows how an apparently vulnerable position can be quickly transformed into a strong position.

Advanced I.33: Tactical Approaches to Winning the Fight
These tactical drills are the summation of the previous work. We will use Prima Custodia plays, the Langort plays, the plays of Secunda Custodia and the Priest's "Special Langort" to develop a tactical framework for exploring the fight, assessing the adversary, planning a strategy and developing the specific tactics necessary to survive and win the fight. At the end we will engage in training bouts (using a pair of shinai-based arming sword simulators) to test the prinicples and our understanding of them.

Short Bio: Maestro Sean Hayes was born in 1962 and raised in the Midwest region of the United States. He initially studied classical French fencing under Maitre d'armes Adam Adrian Crown in Ithaca, New York; and also pursued studies of rapier and dagger under Maitre Crown. In 1995 he began his studies of classical Italian fencing at California's San Jose State University Fencing Master's Program, under the direction of Dr. William M. Gaugler.

Maestro Gaugler, a graduate of the Accademia Nazionale di Scherma in Naples, employs the system of instruction developed by Masaniello Parise, first director of the celebrated 19th century Military Masters School in Rome (Scuola Magistrale di Scherma), with certain elements drawn from the methods of the earlier Military Fencing Masters schools in Parma (directed by Cesar Enrichetti), Milan (directed by Giuseppe Radailli), and from the later Livornese school (as exemplified by Eugenio Pini and Beppe Nadi).

Maestro Hayes apprenticed under Maestro Gaugler from 1995 to 1999, and was trained to think critically about the details of fencing theory and the application of fencing theory in actual practice, to work with students closely and carefully, and to observe the most minute aspects of their performance in the lesson and when fencing. He earned his Fencing Master's diploma in May of 1999 after passing a rigorous series of yearly written, oral and practical examinations, including the preparation of an academic thesis.

Maestro Hayes' examination for Master At Arms was conducted by an international board of 6 fencing masters representing the United States, France, and Italy. The examination included oral and practical components: intense questioning on the smallest aspects of classical Italian fencing theory; the candidate required to teach group lessons, individual lessons, take individual lessons; and finally to teach any actions or combination of several actions in any weapons desired by the board to a fellow candidate.

Maestro Hayes teaches a strictly classical curriculum of Italian foil, épée and sabre at Northwest Academy of Arms in Eugene, Oregon, and through the University of Oregon and Lane Community College. He also researches and teaches Italian Rapier of the early and late 17th century and 18th century; the medieval martial arts system of Fiore dei Liberi; German Sword & Buckler from Royal Armouries Manuscript I.33 (ca 1295 AD, the oldest known fencing manuscript); and the English shortsword of George Silver.

In the ever expanding field of western historical martial arts, the HMCA leads the way in the use of weapons of a maritime nature. Our classes have been taught across the USA and Canada. Now you have the chance to host a class at your school or fencing salle. With instructors in Oregon, Michigan and Maryland, and Acknowledged Instructors across the country and abroad, a local seminar can be easily arranged.

The HMCA Boarding Actions Seminar is taught by qualified instructors in historical maritime weapons from the 17th thru 19th centuries. Nowhere else will you be able to get hands-on training in such weapons as cutlass, boarding axe, military sabre and fighting tomahawk, as well as a variety of other maritime weapons. The two-day seminar spans over 12 hours and includes all of the weapons above, taught in an individual format as well as in mixed-weapon scenarios. You will have the opportunity to learn the history and handling of these weapons in close quarter combat practice and, with proper protection apply these techniques against various opponents.

Saturday
9:00 AM~ Weapons timeline and maritime combat theory
10:30 AM~ Military Sabre, Inst. John Lennox
12:00 AM~ Tomahawk and Longknife, Inst. Steve Huff
1:30 PM~ Lunch Break.
2:30 PM~ Cutlass, Inst. Gareth Thomas
4:00 PM~ Naval Officer’s Sword (Smallsword)- Inst. John Lennox
6:00 PM~ Workshop Closes for the day

Sunday
9:00 AM~ Boarding Axe- Inst. Steve Huff
10:00 AM~ Mixed Weapon Class; All Instructors
1:00PM~ Lunch Break.
2:30 PM~ Q &A with instructors, Supervised bouts, The Assault
4:30 PM~ Workshop closes.

Required gear includes: mask, jacket/doublet, gloves, and groin protection. Boarding axes are available from New Stirling Arms. Splendid cutlasses are available from Popinjay; Absolute Basic Acceptable Fallback is a 7/8" by 36" wooden dowel. Some loaner gear will be available.

Collar grabs are familiar to most people who have taken a basic self-defense course or studied Asian martial arts. This sort of attack was familiar to the medieval person as well. Fiore’s fifth master of the dagger focuses on a collar grab combined with a dagger attack. Drawing from the Getty and Pisanni-Dossi manuscripts, we'll examine how to apply the principles of Fiore's system in dealing with this type of attack.
     Class size is best limited to 10 people participating, but more are welcome to come and watch. The class will involve some falling, rolling, and throwing.
     Required Gear: comfortable clothing allowing freedom of movement (smooth-soled footwear is very helpful), wooden dagger simulator or hardwood dowel, 12 to 24 inches long, 3/4 to 1-1/4 inches diameter.
     Optional Gear: water, notebook & pen, fencing mask or other eye protection, padded (aka "boffer") dagger trainer.

In this class we will learn the art of swordsmanship as it was taught to cavalrymen in the U. S. Army of the mid-19th century. We will cover use of the sabre both on foot and mounted, based upon the following manuals: Exercise for the Broadsword, Sabre, Cut and Thrust and Stick by Brevet Major H. C. Wayne (1849) and Cavalry Tactics by Brig. Gen Philip St. George Cooke (1862).
Students will need gloves or gauntlets and a sabre simulator (some loaner equipment will be available). Exercises will be done in a slow and controlled manner, but students may want to add a padded jacket or sweatshirt, a gorget or other neck protection, safety glasses and/or a fencing mask or helmet.
Horses will not be required.

An introduction to the rapier play of the treatise Pallas Armata. We will begin with the division of the sword, stance, guards, and, of course, footwork! Then plays as described within the treatise will be discussed/performed/learned, paying particular attention to the attributes unique to Pallas, dictated by the students’ familiarity to other rapier systems.
     What you need: A rapier, and what you feel comfortable wearing for slow drills: gloves, cups for men and chest protectors for women are always recommended. Masks may be employed for plays that require nearness to the face. Feel free to bring a side/backsword with if you have one, but all drills can be done with rapiers.
     The Treatise: Pallas Armata is typically translated to "The Gentlemen’s Armoire". Written by an author about which little is known except the initials G.A., it was published in 1639. The author may have been a scholar of western martial arts, as he misapplies the invention of the dagger and disengage to Agrippa, as well as an academic, as the text starts with many poems from scholars from Oxford and Cambridge. The author seems to use techniques gained from the prevalent Italian styles (ex: Cappo Ferro and Salvatore Fabris) but either misunderstands them, misinterprets them or has modified the techniques of the other masters. The author does appear to distinguish the difference between rapier and "single sword" which previous masters did not, and he explains how to defend against each as well as how to "play" against both right- and left- handed attackers.
     The Instructor: I got into Western Martial Arts on the ground floor as I happen to pick up (sport) fencing at the same time as such notable WMA figures as Paul MacDonald (who teaches much, but writes little), and Guy Windsor (author of The Duelist’s Companion and The Swordsman’s Companion) were also at Edinburgh University, just beginning their own explorations into the world of WMA in 1995. While in Scotland I also came into contact with Jared Kirby (translator of Cappo Ferro-Italian Rapier Combat-Ridolfo Cappo Ferro and the moving force behind the International Sword fighting and Martial Arts Convention) at one of our events a couple of years before ISMAC I ever happened. For three and a half years still in Scotland I trained with the Dawn Duelists Society and took private lessons from both MacDonald and Windsor every week. I also gained my British Academy of Fencing coaching certificates in all three sport styles, making me eligible to join the B.A.F. In 1998 I moved back to the United States and have continued to train and teach rapier ever since, as well as sport fencing (on the odd occasion) with anyone who wants to spend a lot of time getting things "right".

An exploration, demonstration, and experiential learning experience of the mounted combat of Johannes Liechtenauer, as laid down in Sigmund Ringeck's manuscript (relying principally on Christian Tobler's translation).

The class will include lecture, demonstration, and an opportunity to try the techniques in a controlled situation.

The cane has long been considered an excellent defensive weapon. Its advantages are that it is legal to carry, can be carried in places that a knife or other weapon cannot, and it is a powerful force multiplier in a fight.
This class will be based on the 1912 publication by A.C. Cunningham, who had long experience as a fencer.
Participants in this class will need a crook-neck cane, walking stick or one 1"-diameter 3-ft-long dowel rod. Required protective equipment will include a fencing mask or other full face head protection and gloves. Forearm, knee and elbow protection are also recommended. Some loaner equipment will be available.

The Bowie knife in the hands of a well trained fighter is one of the most devastating weapons ever developed.

Named for James Bowie, who killed his mortal enemy Norris Wright with a large knife at the Vidalia Sandbar Fight in 1827, the Bowie knife came to be carried by soldiers, mountain men and settlers throughout the United States.

This seminar will introduce a system of using a Bowie knife that is practical and efficient.

Students should wear comfortable work out clothes including a heavy duty sweatshirt, fencing or other light gloves, rigid eye protection and forearm protection. All men must also wear an athletic cup.

Students may also want to bring a fencing mask or other full face protective device.

Bartitsu is an eclectic mixture of English pugilism, Japanese jujutsu, French savate and the Vigny system of using a cane or walking stick for defense.

Developed by E.W. Barton-Wright during the 1890's, it was taught in London by Barton-Wright and his instructors at the Bartitsu Club until the early part of the 20^th century.

This seminar will work on teaching the participants various parts of the system and then integrating them into one dynamic self defense system useful even for the 21^st century.

Students should wear comfortable work out clothes including a heavy duty sweatshirt with all men required to wear an athletic cup. Students may also bring a fencing mask or other full face protection such as a boxing helmet, a light cane or walking stick, and focus mitts.

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