Translating historical texts are truly a labor of love. Ian Davis (Carmichael) has brought us a new modern translation of Il Fior di Battaglia (The Flower of Battle), aka the Getty Manuscript. Fiore’s system including wrestling, longsword, poleax, and mounted combat provides the foundation for later Italian sources. This new version gives a different perspective on key phrases and elements, incorporates practical fencing experience, and adds background on Fiore’s time period.
I was involved in the introduction and background to the mounted combat section. This was a voluntary contribution and I receive no funding from your decision to purchase a copy - but please consider doing so, or at least reading the free translation available online.

This new translation of the Fior Furlan de Civida's Getty manuscript features a number of important differences relative to prior translations, which should aid the historical fencing practitioner in the execution of the art. Scans of the manuscript are presented alongside the English translation, and the translation maintains fidelity to the original syntax of the Italian, so that the curious student or scholar can easily compare between the two. It is heavily footnoted, explaining translation choices, and features a number of essays on context important to the interpretation of the work. The appendix features an account of a duel between one of Fiore's students and a famous knight. This new work is clear and easy to understand.

About the author: Ian Davis (Carmichael) is a HEMA instructor at Boston Armizare in Masachussets, USA. He began his study of martial arts with Tae Kwon Do, kickboxing, and wrestling. In high school, he was introduced to the Filipino Martial Arts (FMA), and researched their historical basis, eventually discovering an image from an old Spanish fencing text which started his journey into HEMA. He currently instructs wrestling, dagger, and armored combat in Boston and has published translations of multiple texts by Monte, Vadi, Alfieri and Fiore.
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