Guy Windsor
Foundations of Smallsword Webinar (recorded on 4th and 11th July 2026)
Foundations of Smallsword Webinar (recorded on 4th and 11th July 2026)
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The Mechanics of Domenico Angelo’s School of Fencing
Domenico Angelo’s School of Fencing (1787) is one of the most influential fencing books ever written.
In this practical online workshop, we explore the mechanical foundations of Angelo’s method through a series of solo exercises that can be practised almost anywhere, with little or no equipment. No training partner is required.
Whether you’re completely new to smallsword, an experienced historical fencer, a foilist, or a fencing instructor interested in movement and body mechanics, this workshop will give you practical tools for understanding and training Angelo’s system.
In this workshop you’ll learn:
- Who Domenico Angelo was, and why his work still matters
- How to establish Angelo’s guard position
- How to hold the smallsword or foil
- How to lunge efficiently and safely
- How to advance, retire, and recover
- How to draw the sword correctly
- The guards of tierce, carte, and carte over the arm
- Angelo’s famous salute
- Thrusts in prime, seconde, tierce, carte, carte over the arm, quinte, and flanconade
- Angelo’s “Method and Effectual Means to Render a Fencer Active and Firm on his Legs”
The workshop concludes with an extended question-and-answer session covering historical sources, interpretation, translation, training methods, and recommended further study.
Running time
Approximately 2 hours, including the Q&A.
What you’ll need
A smallsword or French-grip foil is ideal, but not essential.
If all you have is a table knife, that’s perfectly adequate for many of the exercises. I’ll even show you how to practise smallsword finger and wrist actions while sitting at the dinner table.
What’s included
- Two complete workshop recordings (approximately two hours each)
- The companion workbook (PDF)
- Edited questions and answers from both live sessions
- Chapter timestamps for both recordings
- Relevant extracts from The School of Fencing
- High-resolution reproductions of Angelo’s original plates
- Links to downloadable and streamable video files
The workshop was taught twice for different time zones. Although both sessions cover the same material, they are not identical. Each includes different examples, explanations, and questions from the participants, so together they provide a richer learning experience than either recording alone.
How do I access the webinar?
How do I access the webinar?
When you purchase your place, look out for a PDF download (sent to you by email and on the purchase confirmation page). In this PDF you will find the links to attend the webinar.
Other FAQs
Other FAQs
When is the webinar?
This webinar has already been recorded.
You can watch it at your leisure, whenever suits you.
The live webinar was recorded twice, for different time zones. Everyone registered will receive recordings of both classes. I’ve never in my life taught the exact same class twice, so while the sessions will cover the same basic material, there will be significant differences.
What do I get when I buy?
Registration includes:
- Workshop handout with relevant source material, and high-resolution images
- Recordings of both sessions, including Q&As.
What if I am unhappy with the webinar?
We would never want you to be unhappy! If you are unsatisfied with your purchase, contact us in the first 30 days and we will give you a full refund.
Which Weapon?
Which Weapon?
- Smallsword
Share
The Angelo Smallsword webinar is both an excellent introduction to Domenico Angelo and his School of Fencing smallsword treatise, and a highly effective way of bringing the techniques he describes to life.
Guy begins with an excellent warm-up, followed by an introduction to Angelo and the source material. From there, he explores a range of techniques, covering everything from foot position and weight distribution to parries, attacks, and fundamental mechanics. The session also includes instruction on Angelo’s famous—and wonderfully intricate—fencing salute.
Throughout, the instruction is clear, well paced, and easy to follow, giving you the confidence and understanding to continue practising the techniques afterwards. The webinar also comes with an excellent set of digital notes, which have been refined and expanded following each live session. These are an extremely valuable resource in their own right.
The session concludes with an in-depth Q&A, where the finer details of the techniques and source material are discussed. You also have access to two live sessions (recommended) on the dates advertised and the recordings of the two separate sessions. While they share a common core, each contains different material, making both well worth watching. Seeing the fundamentals covered a second time provides excellent revision, while the additional content adds further depth and insight.
This webinar has clearly been put together with great care, experience, and attention to detail. Whether you are completely new to Angelo or looking to deepen your understanding of his system, I can highly recommend it.
