profile

Dimicator

I am Roland Warzecha, a professional illustrator – and a swordsman. Hence the name ‘Dimicator’ which is a Latin term meaning sword fighter. I present to you cutting-edge research into historical martial arts, and Viking & high medieval sword & shield fighting in particular. I am co-operating with museums, fellow martial artists and scholars worldwide. Renowned expert for historical arms, Dr Alfred Geibig, says: “The careful reconstruction of historical swordsmanship, impressively demonstrated by Mr. Warzecha, is a valuable supplement to archaeological insights, and clearly proves the efficiency of European swords and the sophistication of the associated historical fighting arts.” To get regular up-dates on the archaeology and history of sword & shield and how they were used, sign up for my newsletter! I would be delighted if you would join my quest.

PostsLinks
Featured Post

10 more hours to go …

… before the special offer runs out! Screenshot from our I.33 online course The midsummer sale closes in but a few hours. Get a massive 40% discount on the I.33 online course before the special offer is gone. Start training with us now! You can pay in full, or in 10 monthly instalments of only $30. Same price, and you will have unlimited and lifetime access on each and every device you own. Let us assist you in your pursuit of medieval sword and buckler combat. We hope to see you from behind...

3 days ago • 1 min read

Read how a fellow swordsman and his group fixed long-lasting problems Stefan (left) and club mates from Santiago de Chile Hello fellow sword fighters, Today, I would like to share with you a testimonial I received from my friend and patron, Stefan von Bischoffshausen, who had previously purchased our I.33 online course. Cornelius and I were absolutely delighted to learn that Stefan's group had benefitted immensely from our approach to entering and controlling a fight, exactly as we had hoped,...

5 days ago • 2 min read

The Turbulent History of the Land between the Seas A 10th-century Slavic horseman in front of smouldering ruins My dear readers and fellow medieval history enthusiasts, The relentless military campaigns of the Frankish-Saxon forces under the Ottonian emperors against the pagan tribes of the Western Slavs in what is today Northern Germany were marked by extraordinary brutality. These confrontations saw severe atrocities committed by both sides. For example, the assassination of Slav nobles at...

7 days ago • 2 min read

An Expanded View into the Past 2024 version of my illustration Hello fellow medieval history fans, I created the original version of this illustration for an exhibition at the Archäologisches Museum Hamburg in 2021. It depicts Hamburg's new fortification, the novum castrum (the new castle), on the River Alster sometime after its completion in 1023. I have now expanded and enhanced the illustration to better fit my book's layout. To make the scene feel more alive, I added some details: A new...

14 days ago • 1 min read

How to win your sword fights true to your source Fencing at the Berlin Buckler Bouts Hello fellow sword fans and fencers, does it bug you too when our modern free play does not look like what we see in historical manuscripts? Of course we all know that sword fighting techniques described in medieval treatises were never intended for use in modern competitions with blunt weapon simulators and fencing masks. However, I cannot deny that I very much enjoy free play, and I strive to make...

21 days ago • 2 min read

Celebrate Your Sword Summer! Hello buckler enthusiasts, Some of you are eagerly awaiting the midsummer sales campaign which I recently announced, now that the Spanish subtitles for the I.33 sword & buckler online course have been completed. Well, here it is: From now until the midsummer weekend, you will get a 40% discount! You can pay in full, or in 10 monthly instalments of only $30. Take a look at the course Intense buckler fencing at the BBB 21 Berlin Buckler Bouts Images While writing...

28 days ago • 1 min read

An Apology and an Invitation One of two leather scabbard facings I have recently made My dear readers, In a recent newsletter, I wanted to share with you a step-by-step guide to making an authentic strap-slide and attaching a leather facing to your early medieval scabbard. Unfortunately, I failed to adjust the privacy settings on my Patreon, so non-patrons could not access the post. I am sorry—my bad. A strap-slide based on a find from 10th-century Dublin However, I have now fixed it, so you...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read

Leather Dye, Scabbard Making, Spring Fast A vegetable-tanned goat hide dyed with walnut peels Hello archaeology & history enthusiasts. Remember the leather dyeing experiments I ran last autumn? And the scabbard making tutorial I provide on my patreon? Today I will share with you latest results of these projects. I am also currently on my spring fast. I usually do it in March. However I had to postpone it for various reasons this year. Find last year’s post on fasting and some historical facts...

about 1 month ago • 2 min read

AI, Combat Training & Martial Dress Accessories How to get from A to B with AI? Hello fellow history geeks and martial artists. This newsletter's title sounds somewhat confusing, doesn't it? But when you read on, it will all make sense. Let us start with an image that will feature in my up-coming book. I created the original version of the above illustration last year. It depicts hunter-gatherers sneaking up on reindeer in northern Germany about 10,000 years ago. However, I needed to expand...

about 2 months ago • 1 min read

Into the Viking Age Training is about to commence at Hedeby Hello fellow medieval history enthusiasts, I have just returned from an action-packed weekend at Hedeby. Once again, the Wikinger Häuser Haithabu were the location of the Hedeby Bouts, an international event for the practice, demonstration, and research into fighting with early medieval weaponry and gear. A saga moment, captured by Tom Jersø This time, attendees came from Denmark, Australia (via Belgium), the Netherlands and Germany....

2 months ago • 2 min read
Share this page