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.
My Latest Museum Illustrations of Medieval Hamburg
Re-opened Museum in the Heart of Hamburg
Hello medieval history geeks.
A week ago I attended the re-opening of the so-called ”Bishop's Castle", a branch of the Archaeological Museum Hamburg. It houses Hamburg's oldest stone monument, the foundations of a massive medieval tower.
I contributed many illustrations to this new permanent exhibition, and finally you can see them as large-size reproductions in the museum. I am also entitled to share them with you now, so look forward to some spectacular views of 12th century Hamburg.
Something else to look forward to is the I.33 sword & buckler online course. Work on the final videos is nearing completion, and I for one am very content with the results.
The Castle Which Turned out to Be a Gate Tower
The museum “Bischofsburg” (that is Bishop's Castle) owes its name to an out-dated interpretation of the circular foundation of massive rocks discovered in the 1960s. It is these rocks that you can still see in place in the underground show room today.
Recent research results indicate that the foundation likely belonged to the northern tower of the late 12th century gate which safeguarded entry into the city via an age-old merchant route, the course of which is still identical with the modern street outside the museum.
If you want to read more (and see many additional images), take a look at my post and gallery.
| See gallery and post |
Go visit this exceptional historic site when you are in Hamburg. Absolutely worth it. The museum is situated in the Deutsche Bank building, Speersort 10. Entry is next to “Eisbrecher“ ice-cream shop. Admission is free. Opening hours are Monday to Saturday, 11.00 – 16.00.
There are a good number of further illustrations which I created. You can actually even see some of them from outside, even at night. Please send me a photo when you pass by!
To see more details of this newsletter's title image at a higher resolution now, follow the link below to my respective post.
| See Hamburg's medieval skyline |
Learning & Practicing the Right Twerhau
Cornelius and I agree that the twerhau, a horizontal stike, is a crucial blow in all shield fighting. But it is also one that is quite complex and difficult to master. Hence demonstrating and teaching its mechanics is an inevitable component of our course, and I have just added a respective 25-minute-video.
Cornelius will visit this weekend, and we can do final revisions and adjustments. So stay tuned!
So, that's it for today. Take care, and keep your blade well-honed.
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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.
Fast, Efficient, Lethal First-person view of a so-called durchtritt (from our latest online course) Dear Fellow Researcher and Fighter, The stylised cute images in the 14th-century fechtbuch I.33 mask the lethal efficiency of the combat techniques they illustrate. Now, you can unlock the manuscript’s teachings embedded in the glosses and its medieval artwork. With clarity and depth, we guide you through decoding its visuals and understanding their martial relevance. The very same technique as...
A Medieval Martial Legacy A first-person perspective of schutzen against the right-shoulder ward Dear fellow sword-and-shield enthusiast, Contrary to popular misconception, I.33 is not an isolated oddity but firmly part of the martial lineage that later produced the famed fechtbücher of the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance. At the same time, it preserves core concepts of shield fighting that dominated combat for millennia—making it a vital key to understanding martial arts across eras. A...
Now available: Schutzen – Fighting with Sword & Buckler 2 Dear fellow fencers and fighters, medievalists and scholars, The long-awaited follow-up to our foundational online course has arrived! Schutzen – Fighting with Sword & Buckler 2 presents the plays of the second and third wards. Together with the section on half-shield against first ward (covered in Course 1), these form the core of the combat system preserved in Royal Armouries manuscript I.33—the oldest known treatise on sword...