A Dagger Through Time: WW2 & Medieval Knife Fighting Techniques

Explore six hundred years of close-quarters knife combat in a single day.
This one-day seminar pairs medieval rondel dagger work with WW2-era knife and combatives, showing how technique, purpose, and mindset changed and what stayed the same.
Morning — Rondel Dagger (Fiore dei Liberi)
• Fundamentals of grips, guards and footwork from the medieval tradition
• Key plays and counters from Fiore dei Liberi’s dagger material
• Practical partner drills for timing, distance and control (armoured/unarmoured context)

Afternoon — WW2 Knife Fighting & Defence
• Fairbairn–Sykes principles and combative applications
• Material drawn from Jonathan Styers and other wartime/early post-war sources
• Practical entries, defences, and finishing actions used by WWII soldiers and operatives

You’ll gain a comparative perspective on how historical context shaped technique, from the knight’s rondel to the commando’s fighting knife.
Who it’s for: martial artists, HEMA practitioners, re-enactors, combatives students, and history enthusiasts. Suitable for all levels; partner work involved.
Safety: Training will use replica/training knives — no live blades.