The Academy of the Sword

Gerard Thibault d'Anvers (ca. 1574-1627) was a Dutch fencing master and author of the 1628 rapier manual 'Academie de l'Espee' ('The Academy of the Sword'). His manual is one of the most detailed and elaborate extant sources on rapier combat, painstakingly utilizing geometry and logic to defend his unorthodox style of swordsmanship. One of the most widely respected voices in contemporary occult studies, John Michael Greer is the award-winning author of more than fifty books, including 'The New Encyclopedia of the Occult, The Druidry Handbook, The Celtic Golden Dawn', and 'Circles of Power: An Introduction to Hermetic Magic'. An initiate in Freemasonry, the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, and the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids, Greer served as the Grand Archdruid of the Ancient Order of Druids in America (AODA) for twelve years. He lives in Cumberland, Maryland, an old mill town in the Appalachian mountains of western Maryland, with his wife Sara.John Michael Greer is also the author of four books on peak oil and the future of industrial society, 'The Long Descent, The Ecotechnic Future, The Wealth of Nature' and 'Not The Future We Ordered', and also writes the widely cited peak oil blog "The Archdruid Report".

Translator’s Introduction



Author’s notice: On The Consideration of the Figures in this Book



Chapter One: On the Proportions of the Human Body, Related to the Figure of our Circle and to the Proper Length of the Sword



Chapter Two: On the Proportions of the Body



Chapter Three: On the Correct Way of Drawing the Sword and Entering into Measure



Chapter Four: On the Posture of the Straight Line



Chapter Five: On Attacks at the First Instance, and

Feints



Chapter Six: On Attacks and Counters on the Straight Line



Chapter Seven: On the Timing of Attacks and Counters



Chapter Eight: On Imbrocades



Chapter Nine: On Sentiment



Chapter Ten: On Sentiment, Continued



Chapter Eleven: On Entering Within the Angles



Chapter Twelve: On Entering Within the Angles, Continued



Chapter Thirteen: On An Alternate Guard



Chapter Fourteen: On Cuts



Chapter Fifteen: On Techniques Outside the Arm



Chapter Sixteen: On Pauses



Chapter Seventeen: On Cuts, Continued



Chapter Eighteen: On Cuts To The Right Arm



Chapter Nineteen: On Obliging the Blade



Chapter Twenty: The academy of The sword



Chapter Twenty-one: On Attacks of First Intention



Chapter Twenty-two: On Diverse Counters



Chapter Twenty-three: On Another Alternate Guard



Chapter Twenty-four: On Different Postures



Chapter Twenty-five: On Subtle Variations



Chapter Twenty-six: On Subjecting to the Inside



Chapter Twenty-seven: On Parrying



Chapter Twenty-eight: On Unnatural Postures



Chapter Twenty-nine: On Unnatural Postures, Continued



Chapter Thirty: On Maintaining the Advantage



Chapter Thirty-one: On Obliging the Blade, Revisited



Chapter Thirty-two: On Attacks of First Intention, Revisited



Chapter Thirty-three: On the Postures of Salvatore Fabris



Introduction To Book Two



Chapter Thirty-four: On Facing the Sword and Dagger



Chapter Thirty-five: On Facing the Sword and Dagger, Continued



Chapter Thirty-six: On Facing the Sword and Dagger, Further Continued



Chapter Thirty-seven: On Facing the Sword and Dagger, Concluded



Chapter Thirty-eight: On Facing the Sword and Shield



Chapter Thirty-nine: On Facing the Sword and Shield, Continued



Chapter Forty: On Facing the Two-Handed Sword



Chapter Forty-one: On Facing the Two-Handed Sword, Continued



Chapter Forty-two: On Facing the Two-Handed Sword, Concluded



Chapter Forty-three: On Facing the Left-Handed Swordsman



Chapter Forty-four: On Facing the Musketeer



Note to the Reader



Glossary of Terms