May or may not be of interest to some of you, but I'm organising the New Zealand Western Martial Arts Convention which will be held in Upper Hutt February 22 - 25.
The keynote presenter will be Bob Charron from the St. Martin Academy in Wisconsin USA. He is the world expert in the 15th century Italian Master at Arms Fiore dei Liberi who was the fencing instructor of Sir Nicolò III d'Este, Marquis of Ferrara, Modena and Parma. For those that know their medieval history this was the court of the early 15th century where anybody who was some body went. It was the most enlightened court in Europe at the time. Fiore dei Liberi was the Master at Arms at this court. His reputation was such that in his home town of Fruili in Cividale there is still a road named after him (and on this road today there is a vineyard which sells Fiore dei Liberi wine).
In 1409 he wrote a book called Flower of Battles (Fiori d'Battalgia or Flos Duellotorum) of which three student copies are known (the Pisani Dossi, Morgan-Pierpoint and the Getty-Ludwig). The original and two other student copies are currently unknown (one hopes still surviving).
It is rivetting stuff. Fiore blended martial brilliance with high medieval learning. Those that think the medieval man was some ignorant buffoon incapable of holding rational thought will be stunned at how wrong they are.
Anyway, without further ado: