Caroline Curmi and Victoria-Melita Zammit braved the grey skies on the 5th of April to sit through a training session with The Show of Arms, and get to talk to them and find out exactly what they’re all about.
We’d like to say that we woke up at the crack of dawn to be at Marsascala on the 5th of April to watch a training session by the Show of Arms, but we would be lying if we did. In fact, the training session starts at two in the afternoon every week, at a small 18th century battery near St Thomas Bay. Founded in 2005, the Show of Arms are a company that specialize in medieval and baroque fighting styles and attire, making use of historical equipment and accurate weaponry used in the period they bring to life.
Maestro Sammut, who has a military background and is graduated from three combat academies, leads the training sessions, guiding the combatants with a skilful eye and a steady hand, ready to step in at any moment he sees his trainees falter, or make a mistake that would not have spared them in the battlefield. Watching him move is mesmerizing — he has been "playing around with swords’ since he was four years old, and with over sixty years of experience he sure makes it look like child’s play. The men who train at the battery section themselves off into pairs, according to the type of weapon they decide to fight with. They try to keep it as fair as possible, while also looking out for the safety of their opponents. Fencing masks and helmets are used, as well as blunt swords. Some men also chose to fight in padded jackets as an added precaution due to heavier weaponry.
Robert Zammit, brother to one of the writers of this article, sat with us for a few minutes, walking us through and highlighting key components to every historical period. He explained how rapiers were generally a "civilian’ sword and instructed how to properly use one to hurt your opponent, as well as how to tell the difference between a sword that could be used for battle or not and how the moves differed between them. He also explained the mechanics of armour, and how long it takes to put it on (thirty minutes, in case you were wondering).
“We’re mostly a medieval and baroque group,” he said while holding his rapier in his sword arm, gesturing to his companions behind him. “We have very few pikemen, some guys who do archery, and then you’ve got us. We’re trained with swords from our preferred periods, and we’re now hoping to expand. Personally though, I will always feel an inclination to the side sword.”
When asked about other members, specifically female, Robert merely smiled and said “We have quite a few females with us. One of them, she uses a rapier, she’s one of our best!” It appears that within the company, as long as you can hold your own with a weapon, gender doesn’t matter.
“We give demonstrations to the public — first lesson is actually free if you intend to join!” he laughs as he lets us hold the swords and gauge their weight and blade. “If anybody ever wants to join us, they’ve got to be sixteen, but we do let people try things out. We’re after teaching you about the context behind the weapon and its accompanying attire. It’s all about the history.”
Maestro Sammut further enforced this idea when he spoke with us. “We’re after educating people historically and accurately. It’s a hobby for us, though. These people are here because they want to be — they pay the membership, and they love doing what they do.”
In fact, it was clear from the way that they demonstrated to us, that the members of the company are incredibly happy with what they do. The jokes between them as they duel rival the jabs they deliver to each other, and the way they speak about their weapons and the history creates almost a behind the scenes atmosphere of an epic movie set. They were very eager to show us how to properly wield certain swords — Caroline, who had never encountered these people before, was left to experiment with both a one handed sword and a falchion, while Victoria, who has visited the company before at various events, was walked through the positions used with a rapier. It’s inspiring as it is sad to see how easy it is to swallow up all the information endowed on us when contrasted to University material. On better terms with history than we’ve been in years, the statement we will certainly be imprinting in our mind is that the best way to start a duel is always on your right foot.
Upcoming events include Medieval Mdina, which takes place in the first weekend of May, and will encompass most of the company in their attire and weapons, demonstrating a real atmosphere of the medieval age. For anybody who is interested in such events, and has never had the chance to experience properly what a company does, it is highly recommended by the both of us that you attend and get a taste of what it’s like to speak to modern day warriors who wield with the expertise of the men of old. They also collaborate with museums regularly and have recently started giving demonstrations in secondary schools as part of their history lessons.
Facebook page for The Show of Arms: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Show-of-Arms/105812923365
Facebook event for Medieval Mdina: https://www.facebook.com/events/527384207377775/