This course teaches the fundamentals of one-handed sidesword, the core weapon of the 16th-century Bolognese system. It’s built for self-training using the same methods I teach my students. You’ll learn essential material, key training methods, and execution details in a clear, practical way—solo or with a partner—following the same structured order used in class.

This course provides a solid set of basic defenses and counterattacks to help you begin practicing free fencing in the Bolognese tradition.

This workshop begins a series on the Bolognese partisan, introducing the weapon and core training methods. Based on Marozzo’s 1536 material, this session focused on fundamental actions rather than full plays. It is the same workshop taught at Panoplia Iberoamericana 2025. Future sessions will explore Marozzo’s partisan method in depth, including partisan and rotella, and how to face polearms with a sword.