European Martial Arts At Linacre
[This article was published in Linacre News, the newsletter of Linacre College, University of Oxford. It is reproduced here with permission.]Duellists Engage Blades at Linacre
European Martial Arts Display
On 21st July [2000], members of Linacre College and other University friends were treated to a unique display of European Martial Arts put on by three groups of martial artists, the Linacre School of Defence (L.S.D.), the Dawn Duellists� Society from Edinburgh (D.D.S.) and the Historical Armed Combat Association from Houston, Texas (H.A.C.A.). The occasion was organised by a member of Linacre College - Milo Thurston, Head of the L.S.D., who is doing a D.Phil. in Virology at the Institute of Virology. In the absence of a martial arts society within the university, Milo founded the School just three months ago with the aim of creating a group which would pride itself on being true to the original art of fighting and which would offer much more than a mere re-enactment of a battle. Although small in membership, the School has a loyal following which meets twice a week at Linacre College and it has recently set up its own website. Earlier this year Milo spoke at one of the Linacre Seminars on ‘Elizabethan Martial Arts’, which was an excellent initiation into this subject.
The activities of the School are based on meticulous, accurate research into the original techniques and weapons used in medieval times. Milo himself, who did a B.Sc. in Microbiology with Genetics at Dundee University before coming to Oxford, became interested in martial arts by means of sport fencing, with which he was involved for 10 years. He eventually decided to move beyond this sport, returning to primary source materials on ancient methods of fighting, which he preferred by reason of their authenticity. In Oxford, he has drawn avidly upon the rich resources of the Bodleian Library, reading about European Martial Arts in a wealth of fencing treatises dating from the Middle Ages onwards. Much of his store of knowledge is gleaned from the technical works of the Masters of Defence - masters of martial arts schools in the past who, from the sixteenth century onwards, committed their theories to paper. Some of the earliest known manuscripts were in fact written by monks circa 1290 and were painstakingly hand-illuminated.
The recent event at Linacre College was organised with the help of the Internet, the medium through which Milo made contact with the two invited groups of martial artists. The College garden was the backdrop for a fascinating combination of explanations about weapons featuring in the event and demonstrations of fighting systems used, weapons and techniques both dating from the thirteenth through to the seventeenth century. Spectators were introduced to the intricacies of the War Hammer, the Long Sword, the Cut and Thrust Sword, the Zwei Händer, the Dusack, the Small-Sword and the Rapier, to name just a few of the weapons used during the afternoon. Those present were reminded that, in earlier centuries, duels provided an alternative method of settling disputes to that of engaging lawyers! Duelling styles caused weapons to evolve over the centuries and different fighting techniques were employed according to the particular weapon used so that the ratio, for example, of thrusting to cutting would vary from one sword to another. The range of weapons was therefore designed to accommodate the latest in martial arts theory.
Unarmed techniques, integral to fighting, were also explained during the course of the afternoon. The audience was reminded that the term ‘martial arts’ originates from Mars, the god of War. The fact that all the weapons demonstrated were entirely European was also underlined, as the layman sometimes mistakenly imagines that ‘martial arts’ indicates oriental origins. The display put on for the College was one of arts which have largely been lost and which are now little known, all of the martial arts associations represented on July 21st having been founded and having undertaken their research during the last decade. The occasion was therefore a most remarkable one for the unique chance it afforded to learn about these fighting systems.
Anne Keene
