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Introduction

“With this project, it should be noted that in all of southern Italy, since the beginning of rural life in Rome, the knife was not looked upon as a treacherous weapon but as the sword of the people.”

– Conrado Tommasi Crudeli, La Sicilia nel 1871, Florence 1871

This book serves to give an understanding of the ways of the traditional Italian fencing schools with knives and sticks, thus contributing to their preservation. It does not, however, claim to be the complete and final word on the subject.

But how should one tell the story of the Southern Italian Knife? Until a few years ago, these ancient arts were still veiled in shadow to the uninitiated. It is a history of secrecy, of omertà. Oaths and covenants, as well as the fear of retribution, but also the pride of belonging to a secret and chivalrous society, prevented the secrets of the blade from penetrating into foreign ears. The fear of leaving traces, being unmasked or exposed, and as well illiteracy, which was present in the lower social strata of Southern Italy in the 19th century, also produced a culture of pure oral tradition. And so my research for this book, which I had already been thinking of for many years, began in the dark.

At first it was all marked by speculation. Over the course of years, I therefore dealt not only physically, but also mentally and academically, with this subculture of my country of birth. I read books that, at first glance, have less to do with the subject matter of the knife, but rather devote themselves to the history, art, and culture of Italy. To be able to weigh what a substance is, or what it is not, one should know everything to which it relates. And only through this knowledge can the probable be distinguished from the unlikely. And so, I followed all tracks and rumors, like a lynx that spots even the smallest hint, or like an owl, listening to every whisper, no matter how silent. And the fact that this search was so mysterious only made it more appealing. It could not be any less mysterious because of the lack of documentation or scant written evidence. (That was the “why,” to walk on) Thus, I embarked on this journey, the first of many journeys now. I met Masters, and even those who only called themselves the same. I accompanied some of the good ones for a little while. I still work with some of them today.

And thanks to these masters and explorers; pioneers, who can be regarded as a link from the past to the modern age, a new world opens up today with its own culture, with its own traditions, with its own history, but also with its own values and rankings. But despite all the pioneering achievements and publications on the subject, Italy yet remains a terra incognita to this day in the field of martial arts.

Therefore, I would like to bring the reader a little closer to this hitherto “unknown world”. This work is not merely a representation of movement patterns, techniques, principles, and tactics. I discuss the possible historical developments and the cultural aspects of folk Italian fencing to the extent my knowledge allows and as far as I deem the content necessary and interesting. The book is therefore also not overloaded with images; it rather puts the content in the foreground. Without a basic understanding of the historical contexts of an era, its culture and traditions, and for the mentality of the respective population, a weapon art develops into something soulless. It becomes a pure instrument of death, and thus a dead art. Also, I do not believe that without a trace of cultural knowledge deep passion can arise. However, the Italian weapon arts are far more than mere fencing. They fascinate by their expression of strength and elegance, by their rhythm, and by their cultural depth. Culture and spirit can be marked urbane or rustic. They are partly religiously inspired or originate around myths and legends about soldiering or chivalry. They have also been heavily influenced by the southern Italian crime syndicates.

They also contain recognizable patterns. Depending on the region, the dance-like character of the movements is more sophisticated, the attitude more proud or grounded. But the common denominators are always visible: one moves lightly along a circle, traversing it on straight lines or ellipses. Fighting from guards (fencing positions), facing the opponent in a profile stance, and the straight thrust, the point to point connection, are the central methods of all schools and systems.

The didactic is clearly articulated and usually runs in lanes or is composed of various figures in a form. Basically, the quality of this work of the people can be compared to art forms that were popular among the Bourgeoisie, such as the Ballet. One must understand both the spiritual orientation of the respective cultural group and the technical-tactical tools of the art in order to truly become aware of the value of these arts and, therefore, be able to grasp their essence.

Even so, my intent is to raise questions:

• Questions about why, especially in the southern Italian regions, there has been a development of folk knife fencing?

• What were the needs that ultimately led to the development of these fencing schools?

• To what extent were these arts consistent with the cultural realities of their time?

• To what extent did mental clarity, natural movement patterns, efficient combat logic, pragmatism, or even a specifically European spirit and a new relationship with aesthetics have an impact on these developments?

• Where do the factors come from that make an art form become a form of art?

Furthermore, it is near to my heart to draw attention to possible influences which occurred predominantly in the regions which now form the native country of the folk schools of the knife and the stick. For even if circumstantial evidence is ultimately not proof, they, as a recurring pattern, contribute, at least to a legitimate assumption.

In the course of this book, the specific cultural characteristics of these traditions are also discussed (critically, of course). It is especially the aspect of the chivalry which has stamped the character as well as the myth of some of the Italian knife and stick schools. This trait, which distinguishes many folk Italian fencing schools from those of other cultures, is subject to the codice d’onore, the Code of Honor. Secrecy also played, and continues to play, a major role. Some of these fencing schools were influenced by social strata, secrecy, and membership in so-called “Inner Circles”. Others came from times and circumstances that required the mere ability to defend themselves. They are secretly matured arts shaped by experience, pride, and blood.

If one believes some of the stylistic heirs today, the Italian schools or fighting systems can basically be divided into two categories: the fencing schools of the Salle¹ and the pure systems or schools of the street².

Since all Italian knife-and-stick fencing traditions are not academic schools, but rather simple folk schools, it is no longer possible to understand when these traditions emerged. The pertinent traditions are to be enjoyed with caution. An exact scientific review is no longer really possible due to a lack of sources.

I am not concerned here with the evidence of any disputes in backyards or pubs, or illegal duels on abandoned farms. Duels and armed disputes took place in almost all strata of Europe in the 19^th century, but there was no official dueling of the lower strata. Especially before the middle of the 19th century – but also afterwards – these were only held in Italy in secret. Duels were allowed to be played openly predominantly by the middle-class bourgeoisie. Serfs were not allowed to duel.

On the contrary, I am concerned with definitive proof of a traditional methodology and didactic approach, that is, evidence of the existence of precise technical instruction. And that’s a big difference in terms of well-founded documentation. A “duel”, or a random knife fight, would have been able to easily take place between untrained street fighters, without them ever having received any technical instruction.

In order to enhance their own school or to give it a mystical touch, legends about chivalry and honor were created, which were passed down from generation to generation. The legends became a product of the culture in which they were created. However, this development can only be found in a few of the so-called fencing schools with a dueling convention. Most of the Italian fencing schools are quite matter-of-fact and admit to the lack sources for any of their histories or legends. However, one should also be aware that a lack of evidence is not proof that a narrative must be false. Assumptions, no matter how interesting, should accordingly be identified as such, but at the same time, unless there is clear evidence to refute them, they should not be excluded from the outset as impossible. Exactly in this differentiated way will I proceed in this book.

To give the reader a clearer idea, some of these schools and systems are described in more detail. I have learned, and continue to learn, these arts from different masters, some of whom can nowadays be considered, in some ways, as style heirs of their family or system branch. Also, I will speak extensively only about the schools and systems that I was allowed to get to know. To speak or speculate about systems and traditions that are beyond my personal knowledge, I would consider being presumptuous. Besides, it would testify to a lack of intellectual integrity. The book contains a single exception to this, but I have clearly identified it as such. And I would like to mention that, precisely in order to avoid mistakes due to a lack of knowledge, I let the icon of this school speak for himself. This means that I will merely quote an interview with the last great master of this art³, after having obtained permission to do so, of course.

The 21st century allows us to view these combat systems primarily from the perspective that they are merely a historical and cultural curiosity, no longer studied out of necessity. The aspects of learning and understanding are in the foreground today, rather than pragmatism. Furthermore, the friendly exchange which now connects various practitioners serves to enhance the analysis and development of the art. This research also allows the curious to embark on a cultural journey, to travel around the different corners of Italy, to experience different ways of thinking, and to taste the culinary delicacies of Italy. And by virtue of this complexity, which resembles a microcosm, this art also allows, if one wishes it, an interesting anthropological approach to its study.

Apart from the bastone genovese, I have deliberately left out other fencing traditions I know to exist in northern Italy, since the source material seems to me to be insufficient and too speculative, but also because I do not consider my knowledge of these systems sufficient to be able to judge them conclusively. The reasons why I still mention this tradition, I have set out in Chapter 8 accordingly.

And because some masters and style heirs have already planned or published a book themselves at this time, I will explain their schools only to the extent that I do not anticipate and spoil the content of these works⁴. In addition to the hypothetical history of these arts, I will explain their principles as well as some technical peculiarities.

The book is structured as follows:

Chapters 1 and 2 highlight the possible historical development of the art, including the potential influences of the criminal clans of the 19th century. Chapter 3 gives an insight into the rituals and vernacular of the clans discussed, as well as some schools of the Knife. Chapter 4 distinguishes the fencing schools of the Knife with a dueling convention from the fencing schools of pure self-defense. Chapters 5, 6, 7, and 8 present regional schools and systems of the folk Italian knife fight. Chapter 9 presents a selection of traditional dueling knives from Central and Southern Italy. A model from the north of the peninsula and one from France are also presented, because they provide context to the content of this book. The end of the book includes Acknowledgements, a list of the Images used and a Bibliograpy.

I was conscious of the Italian rules of upper and lower case: Italian words are therefore written in lowercase, unless they are at the beginning of a sentence or are names of people or places. This makes it easier for the reader to read, as it allows him to better distinguish between technical terms and people. I have based the structure of the book on a scientific approach, where each chapter receives a digit first. The thematic sub-items are marked as such by consecutive digits after a decimal point as necessary.

In this sense, I wish the reader a pleasant and interesting journey into the different eras and corners of Italy, the historically significant Apennine Peninsula in southern Europe.

Roberto Laura

¹ Scuole da sala; Fencing schools with additional dueling convention.

² Sistemi da difesa or scuole da strada respectively scuole sporche.

³ See Chapter 5.

⁴ See Chapters 5 to 8.