KEYNOTE: ? The essentials of Highland swordsmanship, including stances, grips, disarm manoeuvres and advanced fighting techniques The lessons in Highland Broadsword are designed to help you learn the fundamentals of broadsword fighting, with an emphasis on developing practical skills, not on exploring the esoteric details of broadsword fencing theory. In the first part of the book, Christopher Thompson?who is the author of Highland Knife Fighting and Highland Martial Culture , and runs the Cateran Society Broadsword Academy in Portland, Maine?instructs you in the essentials of Highland swordsmanship, including stances, grips, footwork, and blade actions. After you've mastered these skills, you can test what you've learned with the free fencing and bouting exercises found in part two before moving on to the disarm maneuvers and advanced fighting techniques in part three. Highland Broadsword can be used as a self-study guide by groups or by individuals with a training partner. While designed for the broadsword, the techniques in this manual also work with the backsword and singlestick. This is a must-read for anyone interested in the historical use of Highland weapons or in the Western martial arts in general. AUTHOR: Christopher Scott Thompson is the author of Lannaireachd: Gaelic Swordsmanship, a training manual on the use of the Highland broadsword. A resident of Portland, Maine, Thompson is the president of the Cateran Society, a national organization that promotes historical fencing with Highland weapons. Photos rillustrations
