I am Roland Warzecha, a professional illustrator – and a swordsman. Hence the name ‘Dimicator’ which is a Latin term meaning sword fighter. I present to you cutting-edge research into historical martial arts, and Viking & high medieval sword & shield fighting in particular. I am co-operating with museums, fellow martial artists and scholars worldwide. Renowned expert for historical arms, Dr Alfred Geibig, says: “The careful reconstruction of historical swordsmanship, impressively demonstrated by Mr. Warzecha, is a valuable supplement to archaeological insights, and clearly proves the efficiency of European swords and the sophistication of the associated historical fighting arts.” To get regular up-dates on the archaeology and history of sword & shield and how they were used, sign up for my newsletter! I would be delighted if you would join my quest.
Your New Guides to Medieval Sword & Shield, Virtual and Real
New I.33 Online Course Launches This Weekend!Dear sword-and-shield enthusiasts, martial artists, and gamers, Cornelius and I are excited about our new online course on medieval sword-and-buckler fencing, based on Europe’s oldest surviving combat treatise—Royal Armouries manuscript I.33. It will be released this weekend. What we will present to you adds an important set of options to your repertoire of sword-and-buckler techniques, complementing the material covered in our first foundational course, which explores the plays of First Ward (Prima Custodia) against Half-Shield. For my esteemed readers, this foundational course is still available at a 35% discount. In any case, you can look forward to a unique course—and be ready to take advantage of special offers during the upcoming launch campaign! Cornelius on the Fighting in KCD 2If this acronym doesn’t ring a bell, you’re as unfamiliar with computer games as I am. Everyone else will recognise it as "Kingdom Come: Deliverance II"—a medieval open-world game featuring plenty of sword fights, as you might expect. Cornelius was invited by a popular YouTube channel to comment on the authenticity of the weapons, armour, and combat mechanics in the game (in German). Even I found the video highly entertaining, and I must say, the quality of the props and animations is truly impressive.
My Favourite 3D ArtistSpeaking of KCD 2, I’d like to highlight the work of Béla Csampai, an artist whose work I deeply admire. Inspired by the game last weekend, he created his own 3D model of a sword featured in KCD 2. I’m sharing it with you here—not least because it would be perfectly suited for sword-and-buckler combat—if only it were real!
If practicing swordplay in the real world is more to your taste, don't forget to sign up for the Hedeby Bouts and the BBB! So, that's it for today. Take care, and keep your sword and buckler at hand. If you enjoyed this newsletter, please recommend it to your friends. They can sign up here or on my website. Or simply forward them this email. If you wish to read more, find hundreds of related posts on my Patreon. Special thanks to all my loyal supporters on Patreon – you keep me going! And if you are not a patron yet, you are most welcome to join. If you feel like dropping a coin into my tip jar, you can do so here. Thank you for your time and your interest. Yours, Roland You are receiving this newsletter because you have signed up for it, or because you have previously expressed your interest in my work and events. If you prefer to not receive further emails, you can unsubscribe below. |
Dimicator
I am Roland Warzecha, a professional illustrator – and a swordsman. Hence the name ‘Dimicator’ which is a Latin term meaning sword fighter. I present to you cutting-edge research into historical martial arts, and Viking & high medieval sword & shield fighting in particular. I am co-operating with museums, fellow martial artists and scholars worldwide. Renowned expert for historical arms, Dr Alfred Geibig, says: “The careful reconstruction of historical swordsmanship, impressively demonstrated by Mr. Warzecha, is a valuable supplement to archaeological insights, and clearly proves the efficiency of European swords and the sophistication of the associated historical fighting arts.” To get regular up-dates on the archaeology and history of sword & shield and how they were used, sign up for my newsletter! I would be delighted if you would join my quest.
Fast, Efficient, Lethal First-person view of a so-called durchtritt (from our latest online course) Dear Fellow Researcher and Fighter, The stylised cute images in the 14th-century fechtbuch I.33 mask the lethal efficiency of the combat techniques they illustrate. Now, you can unlock the manuscript’s teachings embedded in the glosses and its medieval artwork. With clarity and depth, we guide you through decoding its visuals and understanding their martial relevance. The very same technique as...
A Medieval Martial Legacy A first-person perspective of schutzen against the right-shoulder ward Dear fellow sword-and-shield enthusiast, Contrary to popular misconception, I.33 is not an isolated oddity but firmly part of the martial lineage that later produced the famed fechtbücher of the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance. At the same time, it preserves core concepts of shield fighting that dominated combat for millennia—making it a vital key to understanding martial arts across eras. A...
Now available: Schutzen – Fighting with Sword & Buckler 2 Dear fellow fencers and fighters, medievalists and scholars, The long-awaited follow-up to our foundational online course has arrived! Schutzen – Fighting with Sword & Buckler 2 presents the plays of the second and third wards. Together with the section on half-shield against first ward (covered in Course 1), these form the core of the combat system preserved in Royal Armouries manuscript I.33—the oldest known treatise on sword...