Symbiotically, with the spread of fencing schools came a significant in-
crease in both street fighting and private dueling. As has been well docu-
mented, the years between 1500 and 1700 alone saw thousands of nobles,
and even more commoners, killed in private duels. The rapier, formidable
in this context, came into fashion as the weapon of choice. The nature of
urban combat encounters and private quarrels changed with the introduc-
tion of the rapier. Rather than satisfying bravado and honor through a
“stout exchange of manly sword blows,” it became far easier to slay an op-
ponent outright with a quick, short stab of the rapier. This had a profound
effect on both the attitude with which individuals approached such en-
counters and the techniques utilized in a fight. Men could no longer engage
in assorted nonlethal brawls and impromptu “swashbuckling” without
risking quick death at the hands of the opponent skilled in the rapier.
Under these circumstances, sword blades changed. The focus shifted
to urban self-defense as opposed to battlefield or tournament utility. Fol-
lowing from earlier medieval traditions, new schools of swordsmanship
sprang up all across Europe in the new environment of the Renaissance.
Many schools of fence had unsavory reputations as hangouts for ruffians
and hoodlums. Others were prestigious and renowned. Many well-
respected and highly sought-after instructors, called in England Masters of
Defence, became famous for their martial skills. Various Schools of De-
fence and fighting guilds specializing in styles and weapons held public ex-
hibitions and contests and vied for influence with rival groups. Examina-
tion of the armaments, historical fencing texts, artwork, and literature of580 Swordsmanship, European Renaissance
The rapier was the epitome of the Renaissance weapon. This illustration appeared in Italian master Capo Ferro’s
work of 1610, which was among the most famous and influential on the subject. (Courtesy of John Clements)