The Art and Science of Sword Fighting : A Complete Instructional Guide

The best of both Eastern and Western Sword Fighting Techniques

Sword fighting is a vigorous activity that develops strength, speed, and overall physical fitness. It also promotes mental acuity and quick thinking. Once you have developed the requisite skills to the point where you no longer have to think about them to perform them properly, you can focus your attention on out-witting your opponent in an exciting game of physical chess.

The Art and Science of Sword Fighting takes an innovative, progressive approach to swordsmanship. Consisting of an eclectic collection of high-percentage sword fighting techniques borrowed from many diverse sources, these universal concepts can easily be applied to fighting with a wide variety of swords.

The Art and Science of Sword Fighting is aimed at creating a formidable general practitioner, someone who is comfortable fighting with a variety of swords. This approach provides a solid foundation in the general art of sword fighting, a necessity for beginners and experts alike. Later, once you have determined what your strengths are and where your personal interests lie, you may choose to go on to specialize in a particular brand of swordsmanship. Regardless of what that style may be, this strong foundation will serve you well.

By not focusing on the historical context of any particular style, advanced practitioners, regardless of personal style or affiliation, might transcend stylistic differences to come together as a swordsman or a swordswoman in order to discover the universal concepts that underlie all styles. Such collaborations serve to improve the collective understanding of sword fighting.

The Art and Science of Sword Fighting is divided into two main sections.

• Part One focuses on wielding a one-handed sword.
• Subsections include offense, defense, fencing, and advanced techniques.
• Part Two focuses on wielding a two-handed sword.
• Subsections include offense, defense, fencing, and advanced techniques.

This book takes a bold, progressive approach to the topic of next generation fencing. The condensed course of study is designed to teach you how to use just about any sword; an eclectic approach to the art of swordsmanship aimed at ferreting out the universal concepts common to wielding a sword. By taking this fresh, methodical approach to the topic, any student can quickly learn the Art and Science of Sword Fighting.

Joe Varady, M.Ed., began his formal martial arts training in 1986. Over the past three decades, he has cross trained in eastern martial arts such as karate, tae kwon do, judo, wing chun, and eskrima, as well as various western martial arts including boxing, fencing, long sword, sword and shield, pole-axe, and various methods of armored fighting. Joe is also a trained educator with a master’s degree in Elementary Education.

Joe currently shares his martial arts knowledge as the head instructor of two programs:  traditional martial arts through Satori Dojo, founded in 1994, and eclectic weapons systems through Modern Gladiatorial Arts, founded in 2016. He is an active member of the Universal Systems of Martial Arts Organization, a fellowship that provides practitioners of different styles of martial arts with an open forum for sharing techniques and principles. Joe was inducted into the Philadelphia Historic Martial Arts Society Hall of Fame in July 2016. In 2021, after more than 35 years in the martial arts, he was promoted to Grandmaster, 7^th degree, at the age of 52.

Joe Varady is the author of three book and video series, The Art and Science of Staff Fighting (2016), The Art and Science of Stick Fighting (2020), and The Art and Science of Self Defense (2022).

Joe Varady resides in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania.