Tag: Liancour

SEPT. 12 & 13th, Ft. Ligonier, Pennsylvania, USA

This event is still a few months out, but I am excited to go and honored to share the approach of Liancour with fellow enthusiasts for smallsword. Maestro Patrick Bratton and his club are excellent hosts and a truly fun group of people with whom to work and learn.

Working Schedule: 2026 American Smallsword Symposium: Liancour’s Le Maître d’Armes/The Master of Arms (1686)

Instructor: Jim Emmons

Location: Ft. Ligonier, Pennsylvania

DAY 1

Time

9-10am Check-in & Warm-up

10am-11:30 LIANCOUR

This first class will introduce what Liancour calls his “five principles” which govern how one assumed guard and moved. We will examine his primary parries and thrusts from 3rd, 4th, and 2nd

11:30 am-12pm Supervised Free-Fencing

12-1:30 LUNCH

LIANCOUR

In the second installment, we will take a closer look at Liancour’s approach to defense, what he considered the most important aspect of fencing. It builds naturally from the initial actions, but includes some techniques more common to the late 17th and earlier 18th centuries, such as the off-hand parry or hand-check after a parry.

3-3:15 BREAK

3:15-3:50 Supervised Free-Fencing

3:50-4pm BREAK

LIANCOUR

Much of the basic approach we will have covered in the first and second classes, namely thrusts from tierce and quarte, disengagements, opposition of the line, so here we will look at specific actions he called out, such as the flanconade and demi-volte, and discuss their use.

7PM DINNER

DAY 2

Time

9-10am Check-in & Warm-up

10-10:30 Supervised Free-Fencing

10:30-10:45 BREAK

10:45-12pm LIANCOUR

Much of the latter half of The Master of Arms covers managing “foreign guards” and fencing, as well as weapon-seizures. This is an ideal place to discuss the distinction Liancour made between actions fine for the salle, such as counterattacks, but which are dangerous if one is fighting for one’s life.

12-1:30pm LUNCH

2-4pm SALLE VS. SALLE