A Practical and Combative Guide to the French Small-sword

Martinez Academy of Arms along with Palpable Hit Productions created and produced this instructional series on the L’École Française: A Practical and Combative Guide to the French Small-sword. Devoted to the French school of Small-sword fencing this series is taught by Maestro Jeannette Acosta-Martínez with the assistance of Maestro Ramón Martínez, Instructor Cecil Longino (now Maestro Longino) and advanced student Mr. Alexander Petrovski.

This 3 volume set is designed to serve as a guide to comprehending the theory and proper technical execution of the French School as it was practiced in the18th century with the small-sword. The basics of fencing with the small-sword are dealt with in a detailed and simple comprehensible form for the modern swordsman training without a master.

Volume 1 contains instruction covering the basics:
- Guard/stance/posture
- Footwork
- Lunge
- Subterfuge
- Attack on the pass
- The weapon
- Grips
- Salute
- Lines: defense/offense
- Thrusts
- Parries
- Finding the sword
- Engagements and response
- Measure and simple attacks
- Parries and Ripostes
- Circular Parries

As an extra special feature in Vol 1, a short history of the French School of small-sword narrated by Anthony De Longis is included. This segment sheds much light on the history of the French School and on the development of the small-sword.