Copyright 2006 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
The Three Musketeers notwithstanding, rapier fencing in the Renaissance was different than many expect. Most people think it was identical to modern fencing. Amazing, is it not, what ideas people get by watching a few swashbuckler movies? Real rapier fencing was a very different thing. The swords were heavier, the footwork was more complex, and the swords were heavy enough to lop off a limb. Rapiers were sharper than other combat blades of the day.
Sutor's images are especially good for our purposes. Their wonderful clarity is matched by the assortment of sources which inspired them. Sutor included techniques from several schools of swordsmanship. These were not the sport of fencing as we know it, but the deadly art of swordsmanship as it was practiced in the late 16th and early 17th Century.
Most of the images here show the rapier used alone. Rapier duellists liked to have a second weapon for parrying, such as a dagger, cloak, buckler or targe.
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Disclaimer: the fighting methods shown here are for illustrative purposes only. They are not intended as actual instruction in Medieval fighting and should not be used as such. Close combat training is dangerous. It can be as dangerous for the user as it is for the target. If you wish to learn close combat, seek a qualified instructor. One should never attempt close combat without the instruction and supervision of a qualified expert instructor .