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.
Beautiful New Practice Sword & Thank You
Sword Video & Buckler Online Course
Hello sword people.
At a recent training, I had the chance to admire fellow buckler fighter Olivier Bonnerot’s new practice sword. During a break, I took some video footage, and I share it with you today, for the sheer joy of looking at and adoring beautiful bladed weapons.
The sword weighs 1300 grams, blade length is 85 cm, total length is 100.5 cm. The point of balance is 14 cm from the cross guard. It is quite a hefty weapon, very dominant in a blade bind. Once set in motion, it handles beautifully. Find the video link below.
| Watch sword video |
Olivier’s sword was made by Atelier Thibaud in Carcasonne. This workshop has earned a top reputation with historical fencers, re-enactors and collectors, both for the quality of their work and their customer service.
The sword they made for Olivier is based on a surviving original (NMS Rz 1743) kept at the National Museum Szczecin, Poland, where Cornelius, Ingo and myself examined and documented this type XII sword. Olivier had decided to alter the original design to better fit his hands. The original grip is longer and the pommel even thicker. See more images of the original in my respective post (do not miss the additional links at the end of the article).
| Go to sword post |
Thank you!
A full scale tracing including all stats of sword NMS Rz 1743 featured above is part of the resources included in the sword & buckler online course which is still available at 40% off until next Sunday.
At this point I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to fellow swordsman and author Guy Windsor. Without his initiative and generous support none of this would have happened, neither this newsletter nor the online course. Check out Guy's stuff here.
Cornelius and myself are also most grateful to everyone who has already enrolled in our course. We feel encouraged to continue work in this vein. Sebastiaan Pollet left this comment on my facebook: “What a fantastic course! A lot of material and stuff clearly explained. A great experience to help you start with sword & buckler!”
We are delighted by the kind reception of our course. If you are interested too, do not hesitate to take a second look. Did you notice that you can pay in monthly instalments as well?
| Go to the sword & buckler course |
My generous and loyal supporters on patreon get a special offer here. All launch discounts end this Sunday.
So, that's it for today. Take care, and keep your blade well-honed.
If you enjoyed this newsletter, please recommend it to your friends. They can sign up here or on my website.
If you wish to read more, find hundreds of related posts on my Patreon. Special thanks to all my loyal supporters on Patreon – you keep me going! And if you are not a patron yet, you are most welcome to join.
If you feel like dropping a coin into my tip jar, you can do so here. Thank you for your time and your interest.
Yours,
Roland
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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.
Drawing by Numbers: Designing a Sword Peter Johnsson when I first met him in the Sankt Annen Museum in Lübeck in 2012 Dear fellow sword enthusiasts, archaeologists, and historical martial artists, Last week, I shared the story of the rediscovery of a sword from a Late Slavic burial (here is my extensive post). Since then, a discussion between researchers Jan H. Orkiz and Peter Johnsson has yielded fascinating insights into the design of this weapon. I hope you consider these findings both...
Fencing in Autumn & Unboxing a Medieval Sword Mikkel Mønsted and Emil O'Gara will teach classes at Ribe Dear fellow sword enthusiasts, archaeologists, and historical martial artists, Autumn has arrived, which means the Ribe Bouts and the Berlin Buckler Bouts are just around the corner. Details on how to join are below. Also in today’s newsletter: the rediscovery and documentation of a mighty sword from a Late Slavic burial in the Prignitz district of Brandenburg. I hope you find it an...
More Bronze Age Battling The Tollense Valley is a 3-hours drive from where I live Dear fellow martial artists and archaeology enthusiasts, In a recent newsletter, I told you about the 3,300-year-old bronze sword from the Tollense Valley, the site of a large-scale violent conflict that took place in the Late Bronze Age. Now, an extensive TV documentary tells the story of the discovery, excavations, and research results of what some archaeologists consider the world’s oldest known battlefield....