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Rapier
A rapier is a relatively slender (blade 2.5 centimetres or less in width), sharply pointed sword with a blade at least 90 centimetres in length, often sporting an elaborate hilt and hand-guard. For most of its period of use, the rapier was double-edged, some later rapiers were single-edged (with a sharply triangular blade) or edgeless. A rapier is capable of both cutting and thrusting attacks, but the thrust is the main attack in all rapier fighting styles.
The term refers to a variety of blade and hilt forms depending on who is writing and when. It can refer to the earlier "spada da lato" through the high rapier period of the 17th century through the smallsword and duelling swords, thus context is important in understanding what is meant by the word. (It should be noted that the term "sidesword", used among some modern historical martial arts reconstructionists, is a 20th century translation in English from the Italian "spada da lato" and is not referred to the slender, long rapier, but only to the early 16th century italian sword with a broader and shorter blade that is considered its ancestor).
We study the Italian school of single Rapier. This means that we do not study exclusively from any one master, nor strive to perform as only he teaches. We pull our training from several master's writings. We study techniques from Rodolph Capa Ferro (1609). We also use Giacomo di Grassi His True Art of Defence (1599. It has been suggested that de Grassi actually wrote his treatise to be used with the Spada di Lato, because his treatise was originally written in Italian in 1570.
Rapier from Arms and Armor, c.17th century
