Maestro Ramon Martinez answers questions about Fencing and Fencing History

In this 35 minute interview, Maestro Ramon Martinez sat down to answer questions about fencing and fencing history, which had recently been posed by Facebook members from all over the world. This discussion covers a wide range of topics, including: proper training, the use of the foil and the 18th century small-sword, the Spanish School of Fencing (La Verdadera Destreza), the survival of the rapier during the 18th and 19th centuries, fencing treatises, antiques & museum pieces, the development of protective gear and training equipment, East versus West, historical and classical fencing, and much more. The selected questions were:

1. 3:18 “What is left out from the texts to make a complete fencer?”
2. 5:48 “How can one be the most effective and helpful training partner?”
3. 7:44 “What is the difference between a real smallsword (which has edges) and a foil, and how can it be addressed?”
4. 15:42 “I always wonder about the history of the training equipment used and what timeframe it developed over. When did fencing masks come in? What were practice swords like?”
5. 15:55 “I’d like to know about what sort of protective gear was used for training back in the 1700s and 1800s.”
6. 19:08 “What are the "rapiers" for cut and thrust in the 19th Century (for example mentioned in Monstery’s assaults)? Were they just straight swords like spadroons or light renaissance weapons? Are there any original training or assault weapons known these days?”
7. 21:55 “Why was Spanish Destreza abandoned when fencing (based on French and Italian styles) developed? Why did Spanish Destreza as a style disappear?”
8. 24:16 “Did a duel ever happen in which one adversary used a katana and the other a sabre? Or mixing different styles?”
9. 25:48 “Regarding ‘Vulgar’ fencing, or fencing among peasants and commoners from the early modern period up. Are there are any surviving records or evidence?”
10. 27:25 “In a world where violent acts with swords are virtually non existent, where duels are forbidden, and everyone fences with padding and blunts, how do you determine growth and progress in the art and science? How do you learn defense, when there is nothing to defend against?”
11. 30:59 “What is the future of historical/classical fencing? To where are its current practice and attitudes headed?”
(Interviewer: Ben Miller)

For more information on Maestro Martinez and the Martinez Academy of Arms, please visit:
https://www.martinez-destreza.com

For articles on fencing written by Maestro Martinez, please visit:
https://www.martinez-destreza.com/art...
https://www.martinez-destreza.com/blog

For the article "A Short History of the Italian Foil" referenced at 17:25 in, please visit:
https://www.martinez-destreza.com/blo...