Italian Cane

In this class, we will be going through Milanese fencing master Giannino Martinelli's 1908 treatise on fencing with a walking stick or cane. While his system is heavily based on the northern Italian method of sabre, there are a number of features that make it uniquely his own, the long section on self defence being one of these.

We will be covering the footwork, guard position, the molinelli (angles of attack), basic defences, as well as a series of increasingly complex drills to master a wide variety of offensive and defensive actions with the stick.

Sticks will be provided. You will need some hand protection: simple leather (or similar material) gloves are fine to start, but you will eventually want a pair with some extra padding.