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OK.

Hi,

it´s me again, could someone please activate Roberto´s account?

He asked me to put this into the forum:

"I have also read through writing from Italian, French and Spanish schools. I don't know how true this is but the three seemed to be characterized by flavors...the French seemed to like counter attacking and finesse, the Spanish liked a very aggressive forward pressing feeling, and the Italians seems to mix it up."
 


Dear Mike,

you are writing of so called traditional fencing arts. The flavor for sure exist in some italian arts ... but only until a certain point and with the goal of efficiency. In some FMA they do the same. Lok at Tuhon Gaje, master Umpad or Master Villabrille. The y are very elegant AND effeicient. One does not to exclude the other.

The arts I am talking about in my rticles ars living rts. They are not to find in books and have been preserved until today. Some of them derive from agriculture, some from street gangs from Milano, Torino, Genova and Roma, some derive from the so called `honorbale societies´ (all about 1850/ 1869) and some from the midages and so from warfare (circa 1400).

Dependin of the region influences of other cultures can be seen. Most of all there are spanisch, greek and north african influences (this especially in Sicily).

Some of this systems for sure have flavor but htey re very aggressiv too. Some are bully and some are more like fencing. Sme work in very low positions, some in a stand up positions, others (i.e. the system I use) work in frontal and dynamik stances (similar to Lameco Eskrima).

Some years ago I did not even know Italy still has its fighting arts. Today I know there are still many off them and they are older then most of their asian sister-styles. As soon as you know one Maestro you get in contact with others. It is impossible to learn all systems. Therefore a person would need many lifes. But the variation is that big, tha everybody can find a system which works for himself.

By the way: there are many written proofs for the existens of these arts. As soon as I hvae time I will translate some of them in english.

Ciao

Roberto

Hello,

Roberto translated some of his articles to English. He would have posted them himself but his account is not yet activated, so I post them in his behalf. If you have any questions feel free to email him.

La Roncola Piemontese
- The ancient pruning knife from Piemonte -

At december 22nd 2005 I took a trip to my first teacher for italian martial arts, Maestro Antonio Merendoni, to Cervia. The purpose of the trip were the method of fighting with the pruning knife from Piemonte (ital. roncola piemontese), a system of fighting from Piemonte (north-east Italy) and the close to the french border living Sinti

Where and when the system of the pruning knife has been developed in Piemonte is not possible to say. Similar to the stick from Genova, north italian civil systems do not have the same written or oral provements as their sister system in mid- and south Italy. We just know that is is a symbiosis of agricultural concepts from Piemonte and the influence of french Sinti.

The roncola is primarly an agricultural tool. The need ist cutting mushrooms (in Piemonte especially truffels), to strike off branches (there are some very big pruning knifes in use) or to improve woods (e.g. I manufacture all my sticks with a pruning knife). The tip of the blade of the roncola is slightly curved.

The way of fighting basically is a cut- and tear method. Obviously the pattern of a seven (7) or/ and a reversed seven serves as orientation for the cutting sequenzes. Further there is a concept of simultaneous „disarming“ (ital. disarmo) while parrying. It is interesting that while performing the parades this way, the disarm is alway part of the action. The practioner does not have to thing about it anymore. Another advanteg of this idea is, that the parade fixes the opponent and impede eventual follow up attacks with his second hand.

After the first counter action (the disarmo) they follow up with the so called mortali (engl. the deadly). Depending from the counter, the follow up sequenzes rush heavily into the opponent. It is a very sophisticated close quarter system. Other characteristicals are powerfull shoulder strikes while closing distance, pulls and drags after or before the shoulder strike together with simultaneous tears with the roncola at the groin area of the opponent, kicks in the long range and low position while direct counter cutting (the low positions derives from the Sinti and require a good athletic preparation).
Also the changes between straight line action and a very intelligent way of angling is a specialty of this traditional art.

All in all the roncola piemontese is a simple and pragmatic but at the same time demanding way of blade fighting. It is a method from northern Italy which has been – like its sister arts from Roma, Napoli, Puglia or Sicilia -.preserved until today.



Roberto Laura
Italian Martial Arts

I Cavallieri d`Onore e d`Umiltà
(The Knights of Honour and Umility)

- A duell fighting art from Puglia, Italy -

A few weeks ago I have been in Italy visiting a group training a traditional knife fighting art from Puglia, Italy. I had the honor to be introduced in this method and to get the permission to come back for learning.

I will try to give a written overview. Please excuse if I cannot post pics at the moment. I will try to ask the next time I am there for training ... withou guaranty of success!

The system I Cavallieri d`Onore e d`Umiltà (engl. the Knights of Honour and Humility) derives from Manfredonia, Puglia, in the year 1417. With nearly 600 years it is one of the oldest civil knife fighting arts in Italy. As the legend says three templars, -, di Conte, Rosso and Fiorellin di Spagna, brought an archtype of the art reaching first Calabria and then Puglia to Manfredonia.

Their first pupils have been Peppino di Montalbano and a little later S. Severo Salvatore Balsamo. Those five persons until today are considered as the five founders an so there is the old phrase:

„Cinque e non meno di cinque. Cinque e non piu di cinque“ (engl. Five and not less then five. Five and not more then five)

There are constitiutions of ethics and honour and for chivalric- and martial values. The allownes to get to the fonte d`onore (engl. the source of honour) can only be reached through assignment by the chepntest (lat. coput) bzw. chepndrii (greek aner-andros). Litteraly it means capo di testa (engl. head of heads) or commandante di uomini (engl. commander of men). To the inner circle one gets through an oath of fidelty in front of the companions and the chepntest/ chepndrii.

Four handkerchiefs of different colours define the capacitiy of the student. The chord with the three knots symolizes the secret art within the art. Only as uomo d`onore* (engl. man of honour) the secrets will be revealed to oneself.

Further there still exist an old ritual of blood brotherhood with ones teacher and the other men of honour. All these is since many centuries.

The last great master of the art has been Maestro Matteo Ntrilingh. Nearly 100 years ago he emigrated looking for work to Argentinia. There he fought especially in stick fighting challenges and championships. He has been national champion of Argentinia until he left again and went back to Manfredonia. Back home he opend up a „public“ school for the art of i Cavallieri d`Onore e d`Umiltà.

Until today many schools and collateral lines derived from the school of Maestro Matteo Ntrilingh. They differ in details. The core principles and didactics are still the same as many centuries ago.

The progression of the system is divided as follow:

1) coltello e rasoio (engl. knife and razor/ cutthroat razor)
2) il bastone pugliese (engl. stick from Puglia/ sheperd stick)
3) a calci e schiaffi (engl. with kicks and slaps)
4) la roncola or a manichetta (engl. pruning knife or the little sleeve)

The curriculum for the knife is subdivided in five (5) didactic steps:

1)la libera (engl. the free)
2)la mezza chiusa e chiusa (engl. the half closed and the closed)
3)lo specchio (engl. the mirror)
4)a tagliare (engl. to cut)
5)la galleota (engl. from the convicted)


The bastone pugliese (engl. stick from Puglia or sheperd stick) has an average lenghts of about 4 feet, 2 inches (basically the stick should reach from bottom to oneselvs solar plexus) and consists of a form of 16 moves within it. The next step is a partner exercise called la catena (engl. the chain). This serves to learn how to use and combine the elements of the form in attack and defense. Attacks to the legs and frontal assaults (ital. assalti frontali) are a main part of these exercise. Finally there is free sparring (for sure this is also a big part of the knife fighting training).

The free sparring is done in two levels of intensity: a tempo di scuola (engl. at school velocity) and a chi ne sa piu (engl. who knows more).

Further they have a lot more of old institutions and rites which will only be revealed to the inner circle, to the uomini d`onore*.


Last words
The art i Cavallieri d`Onore e d`Umiltà is highly elegant, very fluid and explosiv and has a vast curriculum. It is a pure duelling system with a tradition of nearly 600 years. As soon as I wided my knowledge and get the permission I will write more in detail.


Copyright Roberto Laura
September 15th 2006


* This definition has nothing to do with the well known aspects of the criminal mafioso of the 19th century! The expression uomo d`onore in this context is much older and defines the chivalric character of the person, his tecnical finess and the affiliation to the circle of the school.

Il Bastone Genovese
- a nearly forgotten art of fighting from the city of Genova -

This year (2006) at march 18th I went to Genova, Italy, meeting with the italian cane master, Maestro Claudio Parodi. The maestro promised to give an overview of his old style fighting skills. The art consists of three stick methods (bastone a passeggio, bastone a due mani & desfa osse), knife fighting and two unarmed methods (Savate Genovese & Gambetto).

General informations
Genova is also called Zena (that is the dialect form) or simply la Superba (engl. the superb one) and la Dominante (engl. the dominant one). The Name Genova derives from genu, the knee.

The habor is a natural one and belongs to the biggest in Europe. The historic old town is said to be probably the biggest in Europe. In opposition to the old and plain buildings of the old town, Via Garibaldi is full of glorious palasts. Once the name of Via Garibaldi has been Via Aurora, the golden street.

As many other cities at the italian coast also the republic of Genova had a long martial tradition (especially as naval power). Further Genova had trade agreement with other countries. Most of all the republic of Genova worked together with Spain and Great Britain. In the past the genovesi were called gli inglesi, the english.

The ancient two handed stick from Genova/ bastone a due mani
This systems derives probably from Pera, a district in the city of Constantinopel. On account of their support while the reconquest of Constantinopel in the year 1273, the republic of Genova get the district Pera as present. It is difficult to say in which year exactly the two-handed-stick from Genova has been developed. Probably it happend between 1400 and 1450. Because it was a civil evolution there are no writen sources exept il ballo del bastone/ il ballo di malavita (engl. the dance of the stick/ the dance of the underworld) from 1442.

The habitants of Genova are extremly pragmatic persons. So they don`t even named their arts. The two-handed-stick is calles simply two-handed-stick (ital. bastone a due mani). In the art from Genova the weapon defines always the name of the art. The system also do not have any spiritual aspects. There is no salutation and no dresses or other habits to create a kind of team spirit. The only way to salute each other is shaking hands.

The avergare size of the stick is 125cm (4f, 1“) lenght and 3,5cm (2,5“) diameter. Normally the stick is held with both hands. The used wood is the cornus mas, the hardest wood in Europe.

In Genova carnival is celebrated since 1472. The procession started at Piazza Aquaverde and ended at Piazza San Giorgio in Banchi. Because of the agression of the population the processions mostly ended with struggles and duells. These incidents were the reason of a general prohibition around 1600 wearing knifes and two-handed-sticks within the city.

The walking-stick/ il bastone da passeggio
The above mentioned prohibition induced the population to stop using two-handed-sticks that much. For sure they still wore knifes even if not allowed. About 1750 the so called bastone corto da città (engl. short city stick) or bastone da passeggio (engl. walking stick) became more and more popular.

The stick has a lenght of 90cm to 100cm (2f, 95“ to 3f, 3“) and a diameter of 1,8cm to 2,2cm (0,71“ to 0,86“). The wood used in fighting is also cornus mas. Because the walking sticks at that time were part of wardrobe, everybody could carry it without violating law.

The narrow allies of the old town were involved in develpoment and evolution of principles, techniques and strategies. That is why the bastone genovese considers strategies if attacked by two or more persons armed with knife, truncheons or even unarmed trying to rob you. Concepts like the cüerta (engl. the covered), the raxea (engl. the shave) and the parpagiön (engl. the butterfly) has been developed for such special situations. It is also interesting that the system includes strategies against dog-attacks. This concept is called rönsa can (engl. expel the dog)-

The steep, narrow and sometimes slippery streets also required a simple and natural footwork. The system can be definde as simple, powerfull and at the same time elegant. Traditionally training and sparring takes place without protectional gear. Strikes and parades are kept very uncomplex. Striking power and striking frequenz are very important aspects of the art. The main fighting range is the long distance. While infight the fighters use the principles of the two-handed-stick.

The name of the core techniques (besides the above mentioned strategies against multiple attackers) are:

Cüerta (engl. the covered)
Mesu riündu (engl. half round)
Riündu (engl. round)
Sciabraa (engl. saber)
Siabraa a reversa (engl. reverse saber)
Traversa (engl. crosswise)
Caante (engl. falling)
Paa (engl. parade)
Paa axeisa (engl. swithced on parade)
Parpagiön (engl. the butterfly)
Cüerta alta (engl. the high guarded)
Raxea (engl. the shave)
Röoa (engl. the wheel)


The empty handed arts from genova, la Savate and Gambetto
About 1897-1898 Savate came probably via Marseille to Genova. The Savate Genovese over the years has not been influenced by sports. So this system also includes aspects of the old style chausson. Besides of regular punches and kicks the systems disposes of knee strikes, slaps, backhand stikes, ellbow strikes and hammerfists.

Also the italian art Gambetto found its way to Genova. Until today it is nearly impossible to say where this art derives from and how old the art is. The Gambetto contains only infight techniques and is specialised in breaking the limbs of the upper body (wrist, ellbo, shoulder and neck). The only ways of striking within this art are the headbutt, the hammerfist and nd specil punch thrown with the knuckles. Another characteristic are takedowns with the intension to smash the head of the opponent to the asphalt.


The bone-fracturer / desfa osse or stocca osse
This weapon is nothing else then a short stick (about 18“ to 20“: this way it is easy to hide it underneath the coat). The tips of the stick are filled with lead to increase weight and striking power. The idea of this method is not to fight stick against stick. The intension is to defend oneself against unarmed attackers or knife fighters. There are only a few techniques within the system (about 5) and so it is pretty easy to learn.


The knife/ il coltello
This method is very interesting. It is an knife art which consists of only eight ( moves and a special way of cutting. As far as I know the techniques did not even have names. As Maestro Parodi told me before it does not take more then 10 to 20 minute to learn this system.

Last words
I truly hope to have enriched a little the knowledge about italian martial arts. As soon as possible the next translation will follow. Please excuse my english.

Ciao a tutti ...

Roberto

to be continued...

Hi Marc,

thank you for that translation.

It worked very good for me, but I have to admit that I fought knife at the Gathering with a student/training partner of mine so there was nothing unexpected neither for him nor for me.

But on different sparring meetings, trainings etc. I have also tried it with people that I didn´t knew before and there too, it worked.

Regards
Christian

A friend of mine, Roberto Laura, is exploring and teaching a lot of italian fighting systems: http://www.robertolaura.com/ (sorry, there is no English version) great stuff. I have used it at the Bern Gathering in the "warmup" knife fight.

Regards
Christian

Hello,

Is there any chance of pictures beeing published on your Homepage?

Regards

Christian

Let us not forget that these objects can be thrown    Which would you rather have thrown at you?

Gruhn

Don?t you have that game, where you try to hit a thrown ball with a baseball-bat?  


Christian

Germans love David Hasselhoff.

Definetely not all of us.

Regards

Christian