Dr. Guy Windsor is a world-renowned instructor and a pioneering researcher of medieval and renaissance martial arts. He has been teaching the Art of Arms full-time since founding The School of European Swordsmanship in Helsinki, Finland, in 2001. His day job is finding and analysing historical swordsmanship treatises, figuring out the systems they represent, creating a syllabus from the treatises for his students to train with, and teaching the system to his students all over the world. Guy is the author of numerous classic books about the art of swordsmanship and has consulted on swordfighting game design and stage combat. He developed the card game, Audatia, based on Fiore dei Liberi's Art of Arms, his primary field of study. In 2018 Edinburgh University awarded him a PhD by Research Publications for his work recreating historical combat systems. When not studying medieval and renaissance swordsmanship or writing books Guy can be found in his shed woodworking or spending time with his family.
Get Them Moving: how to teach is now out!
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Hi! I hope this finds you well. I'm at home between trips, and the lovely Katie who normally formats and schedules my newsletters is away on a much-deserved holiday, so please excuse any irregularities as I create this announcement all by myself! This is just to let you know that my new book, Get Them Moving: how to teach historical martial arts is now available at the swordschool shop. It will go live on other platforms (Amazon, Barnes and Noble, etc etc.) in a few months, but you can get it now, here: https://swordschool.shop/collections/get-them-moving Here's the blurb: In
, I’ve distilled over twenty years of teaching experience into a comprehensive guide that’s as practical as it is motivational. Whether you’re stepping into the salle as an instructor for the first time or you’ve been teaching students for years, this book offers clear and actionable guidelines to improve outcomes for your students. From constructing effective lesson plans to overcoming the hurdle of imposter syndrome, I’ve laid out strategies and insights to elevate your teaching craft. Learn how to engage beginners with effective drills, run advanced classes, and how to incorporate the historical sources into your teaching.
This isn’t just a manual; it’s a mentorship in book form, designed to accompany you as you forge the next generation of martial artists. Ready to transform your practice into impactful teaching? Let’s begin. Here's a thought- you could get a copy for your historical fencing instructor... if they will take it as a friendly gesture, not a critique of their current skills! cheers, Guy |
Guy Windsor's Swordschool
Dr. Guy Windsor is a world-renowned instructor and a pioneering researcher of medieval and renaissance martial arts. He has been teaching the Art of Arms full-time since founding The School of European Swordsmanship in Helsinki, Finland, in 2001. His day job is finding and analysing historical swordsmanship treatises, figuring out the systems they represent, creating a syllabus from the treatises for his students to train with, and teaching the system to his students all over the world. Guy is the author of numerous classic books about the art of swordsmanship and has consulted on swordfighting game design and stage combat. He developed the card game, Audatia, based on Fiore dei Liberi's Art of Arms, his primary field of study. In 2018 Edinburgh University awarded him a PhD by Research Publications for his work recreating historical combat systems. When not studying medieval and renaissance swordsmanship or writing books Guy can be found in his shed woodworking or spending time with his family.
BOOKS PODCAST COURSES COMMUNITY BLOG Hi! I hope the new year is treating you well. I’m jetting off to Potsdam this weekend for the Torneo di Spada: if you see me there, say hello! At the moment I’m working full time on a huge, tedious job: a ground-up reboot of the open-access Swordschool wiki. It has been woefully neglected over the last many years, during which time I’ve produced literally hundreds of videos that really belong on there. So, I’m adding a ton of new content, and reorganising...
BOOKS PODCAST COURSES COMMUNITY BLOG Happy New Year! I guess I'm supposed to do a review of 2025 and a bunch of resolutions for 2026. I might get round to it, but haven't felt any particular urge to so I haven't yet.Maybe that's my resolution for 2026: Don't do things just because there's a general expectation that I should. Or not. So moving on, let's consider this question: What comes first, the treatise or the tournament? For some historical fencers the answer is obvious- we’re here to...
BOOKS PODCAST COURSES COMMUNITY BLOG Hi! I know, I know, this was supposed to go out yesterday. But I’m running late for one good reason and one bad one. The good reason: My brother and his family came over from Abu Dhabi last Saturday to stay at my mum’s, so I went up to visit on Sunday. I spent the vast majority of the week getting the shit kicked out of me training martial arts with his two young kids. I brought a big bag of swords for them to have a go with, though we spent most of the...