[Chris Last]

Bob Charron Workshop - Twin Cities 11/4-5/06

November 4-5 2006

This event will be taught by Bob Charron at a location within the Twin Cities, specific site yet to be determined. The event will cover a wide range of Fiore's techniques including wrestling, dagger, single hand sword, and longsword. The price point for the event will be $75 (per person for the weekend). Information about Fiore and the instructor (Bob Charron) can be found below as well as on the St. Martins Academy of Medieval Arms.

Specific location details to follow shortly.


"The Fior di Battaglia (Flos Duellatorum): Masterwork of Fiore dei Liberi "

The Material:
Fiore dei Liberi was born in Northern Italy in the middle of the 14th century, and spent 40 years learning techniques of combat from many masters and at great expense. He fought in the battles and duels of his time, and eventually became an instructor himself. He trained many knights and squires for combat in tournament, war and duel, and in 1400 was appointed by the Marquis of Ferrara as the trainer to his personal knightly household with duties as a military advisor. It was the Marquis, Niccolo D’Este, for whom Fiore wrote down all he knew so that his art would not be lost to those who came after.

Fiore’s manual, the Fior di Battaglia (Flos Duellatorum in Latin) includes wrestling, knife attack and defense, one and two handed sword, pollaxe spear, and mounted combat both armored and unarmored. It is a complete, coherent and brutally effective system of self defense that can apply to any situation armed or unarmed. He distilled the art down to its essentials, and created an integrated, sequential and self-referential system that is easy to teach and to learn.

The Instructor:
The founder of St. Martins Academy of Medieval Arms, Bob Charron, has translated and carefully examined Fiore’s manual of arms. The hundreds of techniques in his manual have been worked through and are now being taught as the core instructional material within the Academy. St. Martins also stresses the cultural, moral and ethical philosophy which guided those who knew the skill of arms in the Medieval period, so that the students are aware of the discretion and responsibility that are necessary when one has learned a martial art.

Mr. Charron is now engaged in publishing a book on the translation and techniques, and is presenting symposia on Fiore’s system in the United States, Canada and Europe. He brings his qualifications as an amateur athlete, professional educator, and student of Medieval culture and warfare to his presentation of Fiore’s techniques.

For more information or to sign up please contact Rory Klawien at warklaw at hotmail dot com

[Chris Last]

Location has been set at:

Anodyne Artist Company
825 Carleton St.
St. Paul, MN 55114

Space is still available, $75 for the weekend contact Rory Klawien at warklaw at hotmail dot com for registration.