The Independent Master of Arms

Charles Besnard's 1653 text marks both the start of the era of the smallsword and beginnings of the French school of fencing. The book clearly outlines the stances, strikes and parries taught during the transitional period between fencing with the rapier and the development of the lighter court sword carried by the nobility and upper classes as a mark of their status in society. The student of fencing history and the HEMA practitioner will find in this book much that is useful for understanding later French smallsword texts and refined explanations of the rapier techniques which came before them. The translation in this book also includes Besnard's polemic against the contemporary practice of duelling with pistols contained in the original publication.

Chris Slee is a swordsman with an academic background in Renaissance thought, history, literature and languages. He has fenced with rapier and side-sword for more than a decade and has competed in and marshalled at national tournaments. He is the chief instructor at LongEdge Fencing, specialising in 16th and 17th century fencing as described in period French texts.