The Sword of the People. Roberto Laura

folk knife and stick traditions, nearly 200 to 300-years or more, of history is absent or barely detectable. Whether, and how, the folk schools of the knife and the stick evolved from the fencing skills of the aforementioned Italian fencing masters, cannot be proved exactly. The only clue that has a certain amount of evidence, apart from geographical proximity, is the technical-tactical and astonishingly visual similarities in both arts, which become immediately apparent to the trained eye.⁵¹

      There are also similarities in didactics. In both cases, historical Italian fencing, as well as some southern Italian schools of the knife and the stick, have defined motion sequences, which can also be described as forms, similar to those of Asian martial arts. These “forms” have been in existence since the Bolognese school⁵², where they were referred to as assalti; attacks or onslaughts. It is important to bear in mind that the absence of a written reference does not imply that there has been no development. It may simply be that there is not enough evidence to reliably reconstruct those references. That suddenly and unexpectedly, in the middle of the 19th century, a fully matured knife fighting system should have arisen is less likely, than the fact that up to the present time we simply lack evidence of a previous development. Every development requires time.

      Micro-evolutionary development processes took place, which showed a macro-evolutionary change only after a few decades or even centuries. And since the masters of these fencing schools of the people were neither academics, nor belonged to a cultural group that would have agreed to a publication of these “Inner Affairs”, there were no written records. What some of the witnesses may have seen after the emergence of the criminal syndicates may have in part been macro-evolutionary intermediates of a development that may have originated at the beginnings of the academic fencing schools described above. Some of these arts may also be related to the cavalry sabre originating in Eastern Europe, as may be the case with Genoa walking stick fighting, since the technical similarities are obvious. In the southern Italian traditions, as has already been indicated, a clearly verifiable chain of tradition prior to the 19th century does not really exist.

      Indicators that history might offer us – as possible initiators of an evolution towards the stick and knife as a substitute for the sword – were the recurring bans within Italian urban areas to carry swords, long poles, and also long daggers. These bans were already in place in the 15th century⁵³ and reached their peak in the middle of the 19th century. Presumably, the use of the “short” knife with a fixed blade,⁵⁴ and later the folding knife,⁵⁵ was increasingly chosen, as both, especially the folding knife, could be easily concealed while worn. The length of the knives of that time (up to more than 27.5 inches or 70 cm) clearly shows that they were purely weapons that owed their existence to the loopholes in law that legalized folding knives.

      By the 18th century, the methods of dagger fencing were already introduced in, among other places, the so-called balli armati56; the Morris dances. The use of single and double knives was differentiated. However, it is unknowable whether these had any influence on the existing schools of the knife. Presumably, another development took place by at least the 19th century, in the villages and the rural areas of Italy. The working population did not have the financial means to purchase or produce high-quality weapons, and so they devoted their attention to everyday objects. The focus was on the knife, which was considered the “Sword of the People,”⁵⁷ especially in the south of the peninsula.

      In addition to the short blade, sticks were also used for self-defense. The first traces of this described the two-handed City stick (bastone a due mani)⁵⁸; the Walking stick, or cane (bastone da passeggio)59, which was considered part of the wardrobe from the 18th century onwards, (thus permitted everywhere), and also the club (randello, manganello, or, depending on the dialect, manichetto)⁶⁰. In the countryside, the herdsmen and shepherds used the approximately 43½ – 53 inch (110 – 135 cms) long Shepherd’s cane (bastone, mazza, or lungo) to defend their lives and their goods.

      Sicilian shepherd’s sticks

      These types of weapons supposedly existed – especially in Sicily – since the 14th/15th century as part of a coarse fighting method. Here again, a distinction must be made between folk belief, legend, and the probability of historical fact. There is no clear evidence for these claims. Today at best, four to five generations of evidence can be traced. However, almost all the southern folk Italian fencing schools are didactically divided into two stages: one traditionally learns the shepherd’s cane and knife, but in the course of their training, they move on to choose one of the other weapon types.

      The free hand balances out the stick.

      The shepherd’s cane is essential for some popular fencing schools, because it serves, among other things, as a tool to give the practitioners the necessary structure for the knife. It also promotes the specific physical development of the fencers, since the weight of the weapon trains the muscles of the legs and – especially – those of the shoulders. Furthermore, the handling of the shepherd’s cane enhances the mobility of the upper limbs. In addition to the above mentioned characteristics, in some schools the stick also includes hidden knife techniques that make the difference between a conventional duel and the confrontation on the street. Ultimately, the shepherd’s cane demands balance (bilancia) and coordination from the trainees, as the momentum of the stick has to be slowed down and accelerated again and again, without wavering or exerting too much effort. The art of the shepherd’s cane is particularly related to the fencing schools in Apulia and Sicily⁶¹, described in Chapters 5 and 6.

      In my opinion, they also have the clearest fencing relationship with the academic fencing arts of the early to mid 15^th century. Furthermore there were practices for interactions with the axe, the billhook/pruning knife or even the bull pizzle and the belt, with cords or also with stones.⁶²

       1.6.2 The Culture of the Common Folk

      Therefore, a structured folk culture of struggle existed throughout the 14th/15th centuries.⁶³ This development created, or encouraged, a kind of a cultural pride of the simple people’s class; a unique identity of their own. In order to curb this gain of civilian strength, the governments of the Italian states repeatedly issued the above mentioned prohibitions on weapons. These were simply laws designed to disarm the people in order to make it more difficult to have bloody conflicts within the population.

      The era that is of greater interest to this book, as well as the technical peak of these schools, the zenith of their distribution, and the presence of written documentation, can be categorized from the 19th century until the beginning of the 20th century.

      These secret schools of self-defense arose in the community, which today we call “popolari”, folksy, but with the connotation: “vulgar”. One possible clue – but not scientific proof – of the existence and popularity of these “Academies of the People” can be found in the work of Basco Florio, La scienza della scherma, Catania 1844:

      “Fencing with the knife, the stick, and similar low or non-noble weapons is learned and practiced by vulgar and criminal persons”.

      Instead of occurring publicly, the duels, (documentation is only partially possible here), were relegated to the underground until supposedly 1950/1960. Especially in Sicily, the practice and wearing of the knife is a strict offence. The bans are still in effect today. Whether this is due to the effectiveness of the Sicilian systems, the proud mentality of the local population, or that it is simply a political issue cannot be clearly determined.

      1.7 The Dagger and the Italian Military, the Arditi

      The Arditi were Italian storm troopers, formed by the infantry, which was formally founded on July 29, 1917. And thus that development was “fairly contemporary” to the fencing schools of the people. Presumably, the idea of starting such a storm troop was adopted by the German army. As a storm troop, the Arditi were always on the front, albeit