[MA] Decompressing Historical Martial arts styles

[aesir23]

In GURPS Martial Arts, historical western martial arts are clumped together in large groups: Italian Rapier, Longsword, Sword and Buckler Play, etc.... This makes a lot of sense, considering just how many individual masters and manuals there were.

Historically (and in many modern HEMA clubs), students will learn the style taught by a specific master or in a specific manual. This forum is a place where people can break up these generalized styles to represent styles as taught historically.

The upshot of this is that, if you're setting a campaign in 17th century Italy, not every character will have the same Style.

[aesir23]

I'll start with a style I've been studying in my HEMA club for the last half-year:

Venetian Rapier 3

This is the rapier style taught by Nicoletto Giganti and his students in the early 17th century. Giganti published manuals in 1606 and 1608.

Venetian Rapier stylists lean back when in guard, keeping their head away from their opponent--in direct contrast to the style taught Giganti's contemporary Salvator Fabris.

This style focuses on sword and main-gauche techniques, but it teaches several off-hand weapon alternatives deep in the second manual (including cloak, buckler, and two other styles of small shield (the targa and rotella). Additionally it has a robust body of techniques for single sword which Giganti insisted his students learn before adding the main-guache.

While there is no discussion of throws or locks, Giganti taught several techniques that involve grabbing the opponents sword-hand (usually after a feint) and then finishing him with a sword or dagger strike.

Skills: Main-Gauche, Rapier
Techniques: Counterattack (Rapier), Feint (Rapier or Main-Gauche), Targeted Attack (Rapier Thrust/Face).
Cinematic Skills: None
Cinematic Techniques: Dual Weapon Defense
Perks: Off-Hand Weapon Training (Rapier), One Trick Wonder (Wrestling for Grapples to Sword Hand).

Optional Traits:
Advantages: Enhanced Parry (Rapier or Main-Gauche), Weapon Master (Rapier)
Skills: Cloak, Shield (Buckler), Shield (Shield), Wrestling.
Techniques: Disarm (Wrestling)

[aesir23]

If anyone out there has the knowledge and experience to differentiate longsword styles (Fiore, Lichtenaur, and Meyer, perhaps? Or even just German and Italian) that would be awesome.

[Gold & Appel Inc]

I don't have anything on-topic to add, I just want to applaud whomever nicknamed a (presumably kind of small) guy, "Little Nick the Giant," because that is distilled awesome.

[Varyon]

While Giganti and his students may have made no outlandish claims, and perhaps had no such claims made about them, the description implies a few possibilities in a cinematic campaign. Dual Weapon Attack - mixing Rapier, Main Gauche, and Wrestling in a variety of ways - seems appropriate, and thus so does Dual Weapon Defense. Hand Catch seems appropriate for that weapon-hand grapple as well. A cinematic Venetian Rapier stylist is highly likely to have Weapon Master (Rapier), but adding in the other weapons is much less likely.

This looks to be the start of an interesting thread, so I'll be watching it. I don't know enough about various historical styles to be able to contribute, however.

[Polydamas]

There are some earlier threads with writeups of historical martial arts (search for the names of the authors of specific manuals).

Don't forget that GURPS players have several ways to represent the differences between masters in a single art without defining a separate style for each, although one style per teacher could be fun in a game about a martial-arts community.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Polydamas

There are some earlier threads with writeups of historical martial arts (search for the names of the authors of specific manuals).

I remember some, but they were from back when I only studied eastern MA, so I didn't get to share in the fun.

I'll link to some other styles that fit the parameters of this thread (i.e. based on a specific manual or master):

Bolognese School

Highland/Hungarian Broadsword

Hutton's Saber (From "Cold Steel")

That's all I could find, If there are any I missed, please let me know.

[aesir23]

Originally Posted by Varyon

While Giganti and his students may have made no outlandish claims, and perhaps had no such claims made about them, the description implies a few possibilities in a cinematic campaign. Dual Weapon Attack - mixing Rapier, Main Gauche, and Wrestling in a variety of ways - seems appropriate, and thus so does Dual Weapon Defense. Hand Catch seems appropriate for that weapon-hand grapple as well. A cinematic Venetian Rapier stylist is highly likely to have Weapon Master (Rapier), but adding in the other weapons is much less likely.

This looks to be the start of an interesting thread, so I'll be watching it. I don't know enough about various historical styles to be able to contribute, however.

I've made some adjustments to the post with your comments in mind. I also decided that the Cloak and Buckler stuff is obscure enough to be considered Optional Skills.

I left out Dual Weapon attack, because Giganti doesn't have anything like that. Either the dagger or the rapier is held in reserve for defense.

Dual Weapon Attack (Wrestling Grapple and Rapier) is a really interesting way to represent those techniques. But it might set an odd precedent. I'll have to consider it further.