Armizare (are-mit-TZAR-ay) is the Italian medieval name for the martial arts of the aristocratic warrior class of Europe - the knights. Generally speaking during the medieval era, the ruling classes and the upper echelon of the fighting classes were the same people, and they developed sophisticated martial arts systems to pursue what was in fact a large part of their role in society: fighting. This is especially true in the Italian peninsula during the 13th through 16th centuries, a period that might reasonably be called Italy's "warring states period." During this period city-states often enforced political goals by force of arms using condotierri, professional warriors who led mercenary armies as a business, and as a means to social advancement.
One of these was a man named Fiore De' Liberi, son of a minor nobleman from the town of Premariacco, near Cividale del Friuli. Near the end of his active career, he composed a remarkable martial arts manuscript: the Fior di Battaglia, the Flower of Battle. It was written for Niccolo III d'Este, the ruler of the principalities of Ferrara, Modena, and Parma - a powerful early Renaissance prince.
Weapons of Armizare
L'arte d'Armizare (the art of arms) is more than just fencing with the medieval sword: it is a comprehnsive martial arts system useful in a variety of contexts.
Abrazare: wrestling & hand-to-hand
Daga: the dagger
Spada a una mano: sword in one hand
Spada a due mani: two-handed sword
Spada in arme: armoured combat with sword
Azza in arme: armoured combat with poleaxe
Lanza in arme: armoured combat with spear
A Cavallo: mounted combat
Fiore also covers use of improvised weapons, such as heavy sticks.
Context of Medieval Martial Arts
Martial arts are developed as a response to cultural needs, and these needs intersect with the technology of the culture to produce an art appropriate to the context in which it will be used. Some common contexts in which martial arts are used include war, cases of civil unrest, duel, sport, and the need to demonstrate prowess in these areas. A given art can actually encompass all of this: it is clearly stated by Sigmund Ringeck, a 15th century German master, said that “Princes and Lords learn to survive with this art, in earnest and in play.” Other masters and authors have written about use of their arts both in potentially lethal and in sportive contexts also. It is well-documented that European society from the medieval, Renaissance and modern eras have employed various forms of law-enforcement officials, and in the ordinary course of their duties these men would have needed martial expertise that was scalable - that could be used to subdue rather than kill, but also to kill if necessary. And even the use of the arts of war does not necessarily dictate an all-or-nothing “scorched earth” policy: the condotierri of medieval Italy were businessmen who practiced war as a trade, and frequently resorted to less than total war in the execution of their battles, the better to preserve the assetts (soldiers) that allowed them to do business in the first place.