
Gérard (or Girard) Thibault of Antwerp (ca. 1574–1627)
was a fencing master and writer of the 1628
rapier
A rapier () is a type of sword originally used in Spain (known as ' -) and Italy (known as '' spada da lato a striscia''). The name designates a sword with a straight, slender and sharply pointed two-edged long blade wielded in one hand. It wa ...
manual ''Academie de l'Espée''. Thibault was from the
Southern Netherlands
The Southern Netherlands, also called the Catholic Netherlands, were the parts of the Low Countries belonging to the Holy Roman Empire which were at first largely controlled by Habsburg Spain (Spanish Netherlands, 1556–1714) and later by the ...
which is today
Belgium
Belgium, officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a country in Northwestern Europe. Situated in a coastal lowland region known as the Low Countries, it is bordered by the Netherlands to the north, Germany to the east, Luxembourg to the southeas ...
. His manual is one of the most detailed and elaborate extant sources on rapier combat, painstakingly utilizing geometry and logic to defend his unorthodox style of swordsmanship.
''Academie de l'Espée'' describes a unique system of combat whose closest known relative is the contemporary Spanish school of swordsmanship, also known as
La Verdadera Destreza
is the conventional term for the Spanish tradition of fencing of the early modern period. The word literally translates to 'dexterity' or 'skill, ability', and thus to 'the true skill' or 'the true art'.
While is primarily a system of swords ...
, as taught by masters such as
Don Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza and
Luis Pacheco de Narváez
Don Luis Pacheco de Narváez (1570–1640) was a Spanish writer on '' destreza'', the Spanish art of fencing.
He was a follower of Don Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza.
Some of his earlier works were compendia of Carranza's work while his later ...
. Not unlike the Spanish, Thibault advocated the use of upright postures, walking steps instead of lunges, and non-linear footwork. However, Thibault differed from his Spanish counterparts in many areas, including his preferred stance and grip.
Biography

Details about Thibault's life are sparse, derived from his book and his ''
album amicorum
The ''album amicorum'' ('album of friends', friendship book) was an early form of the poetry book, the autograph book and the modern friendship book. It emerged during the reformation, Reformation period, during which it was popular to collect ...
''. The latter contains handwritten notes and celebratory poems from Thibault's friends, relatives, pupils, and colleagues, included among whom are several contemporary fencing masters.
Thibault was born in or around 1574 in
Antwerp
Antwerp (; ; ) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of Antwerp Province, and the third-largest city in Belgium by area at , after ...
, son of Hendrick Thibaut and Margaretha van Nispen. Although his father used the surname "Thibaut," Gérard used the French form "Thibault." Hendrick Thibaut came from a well-known family in
Ypres
Ypres ( ; ; ; ; ) is a Belgian city and municipality in the province of West Flanders. Though
the Dutch name is the official one, the city's French name is most commonly used in English. The municipality comprises the city of Ypres/Ieper ...
, living in
Ghent
Ghent ( ; ; historically known as ''Gaunt'' in English) is a City status in Belgium, city and a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It is the capital and largest city of the Provinces of Belgium, province ...
and Antwerp before going into exile in the northern Netherlands. Hendrick's eldest son, Christiaen, founded the noble family Thibaut van Aegtekerke.
Thibault first studied swordsmanship in Antwerp under Lambert van Someren, who taught between the years of 1564 and 1584. In 1605, Thibault was a wool merchant in
Sanlúcar de Barrameda Sanlúcar may refer to:
* Sanlúcar de Barrameda, a city in the Province of Cádiz, Spain
* Sanlúcar de Guadiana, a village in the Province of Huelva, Spain
* Sanlúcar la Mayor, a city in the Province of Seville, Spain
*Sanlúcar de Albaida, forme ...
, south of
Seville
Seville ( ; , ) is the capital and largest city of the Spain, Spanish autonomous communities of Spain, autonomous community of Andalusia and the province of Seville. It is situated on the lower reaches of the Guadalquivir, River Guadalquivir, ...
on the
Guadalquivir
The Guadalquivir (, also , , ) is the fifth-longest river in the Iberian Peninsula and the second-longest river with its entire length in Spain. The Guadalquivir is the only major navigable river in Spain. Currently it is navigable from Seville ...
river, and the hometown of Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza. There, he took an interest in swordsmanship, studying the Spanish rapier system of Destreza.
Thibault left Spain to return to the Netherlands, and was in
Amsterdam
Amsterdam ( , ; ; ) is the capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, largest city of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It has a population of 933,680 in June 2024 within the city proper, 1,457,018 in the City Re ...
as early as 1610. In or around 1611, he presented his system to an assembly of Dutch masters at a competition in
Rotterdam
Rotterdam ( , ; ; ) is the second-largest List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city in the Netherlands after the national capital of Amsterdam. It is in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of South Holland, part of the North S ...
. Thibault won first prize, earning an invitation to the court of
Prince Maurice of Nassau
Maurice of Orange (; 14 November 1567 – 23 April 1625) was ''stadtholder'' of all the provinces of the Dutch Republic except for Friesland from 1585 at the earliest until his death on 23 April 1625. Before he became Prince of Orange upon ...
, where the Prince observed Thibault's system in a multi-day demonstration.
Although initially met with skepticism, Thibault convinced his fellow Dutch fencing masters, including Johannes Damius of Haarlem, Dirck van Stervergen of Leiden, Cornelis Cornelisz van Heusden of Amsterdam, and Thibault's former teacher Lambert von Someron. In 1615, Thibault was invited to the court at
Cleves
Kleve (; traditional ; ; ; ; ; Low Rhenish: ''Kleff'') is a town in the Lower Rhine region of northwestern Germany near the Dutch border and the River Rhine. From the 11th century onwards, Cleves was capital of a county and later a duchy ...
and left Amsterdam, where he once again demonstrated his system successfully. Over the next several years, Thibault traveled from Cleves, Amsterdam, to Spain, back to Amsterdam, and finally to
Leiden
Leiden ( ; ; in English language, English and Archaism, archaic Dutch language, Dutch also Leyden) is a List of cities in the Netherlands by province, city and List of municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Nethe ...
in 1622. There, Thibault studied mathematics at Leiden University. It is unclear whether Thibault taught his system at the university. It is during his time in Leiden that Thibault likely began working on ''Academie de l'Espée'' and employed a team of sixteen master engravers.
Academie de l'Espée
Thibault's only known work was a rapier manual whose full title can be translated as ''Academy of the Sword: wherein is demonstrated by mathematical rules on the foundation of a mysterious circle the theory and practice of the true and heretofore unknown secrets of handling arms on foot and horseback.'' Despite its
frontispiece, which lists the year 1628, the manual was not published until 1630, a year after Thibault's death.
Thibault was Dutch, but because ''Academie de l'Espée'' was written in French and describes a variant on the Spanish school of swordsmanship, it has often been mistaken as an alternately French or Spanish work.
''Academie de l'Espée'' is widely considered to be the most lavishly-illustrated swordsmanship manual ever produced. A team of master engravers were employed to produce plates for all forty-four chapters of the treatise, containing about twelve to fifteen pairs of swordsmen per instructional plate. These plates contain a wide variety of intricate backgrounds and costumes which appear to be purely decorative. The controversial 19th century fencing historian
Egerton Castle
__NOTOC__
Egerton Smith Castle F.S.A. (12 March 1858 – 16 September 1920) was an author, antiquarian, and swordsman, and an early practitioner of reconstructed historical fencing, frequently in collaboration with his colleague Captain Alfred ...
described ''Academie de l'Espée'' as "without exception, the most elaborate treatise on swordsmanship, and probably one of the most marvellous printed works extant, from a typographic and artistic point of view" yet simultaneously dismissed the manual as nothing more than a "bibliographic curiosity."
''Academie de l'Espée'' was translated into English by
John Michael Greer and first published by
The Chivalry Bookshelf in 2006. A reprint from Aeon Books became available in 2017. It has also been translated into Russian.
The Mysterious Circle

Thibault's treatise is notable for its highly logical, mathematical approach to swordplay. He discusses at great length the precise geometric relationships between opposing fighters, always stressing the importance of natural proportion. These relationships are expressed through a circular diagram that Thibault refers to as the "mysterious circle," visible on the floor in most of the plates in ''Academie de l'Espée.''
Every element of the circle is proportional to the fighter's body. For example, if the fighter were to stand with their feet together and arm extended (but not locked) straight upward, pointing their index finger, then the
diameter
In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the centre of the circle and whose endpoints lie on the circle. It can also be defined as the longest Chord (geometry), chord of the circle. Both definitions a ...
of the circle would be equal to their height as measured from the soles of their feet to their extended finger. The ideal blade length should not exceed 1/2 of this length, or the
radius
In classical geometry, a radius (: radii or radiuses) of a circle or sphere is any of the line segments from its Centre (geometry), center to its perimeter, and in more modern usage, it is also their length. The radius of a regular polygon is th ...
of the circle. All measurements in Thibault's system are expressed in this diagram.
The circle is not only used to determine the proper length of one's swords, steps, and distance, but also as a teaching aid to express in precise terms how and where to step in relation to the opponent in order to produce the desired effect. This allows for a kind of geometric shorthand, whereby Thibault can simply refer to a location by the nearest intersection in the diagram. Because of its use as a stepping guide, Thibault details how to draw such a proportional circle on the ground for the reader's own use with nothing other than basic tools.
The sword
Thibault's preferred weapon is the rapier, and he describes its use against a multitude of opposing weapons such as rapier and
dagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a very sharp point and usually one or two sharp edges, typically designed or capable of being used as a cutting or stabbing, thrusting weapon.State v. Martin, 633 S.W.2d 80 (Mo. 1982): This is the dictionary or ...
,
longsword
A longsword (also spelled as long sword or long-sword) is a type of European sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for primarily two-handed use (around ), a straight double-edged blade of around , and weighing approximatel ...
, and even early
firearms
A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions).
The first firearms originated ...
. Although many of his contemporaries provided instruction in the use of offhand weapons, Thibault only gave instruction in the use of a single weapon, believing it capable of defeating all other weapons and weapon combinations.
Thibault writes at length about the optimum length of a sword, concluding that its
blade
A blade is the Sharpness (cutting), sharp, cutting portion of a tool, weapon, or machine, specifically designed to puncture, chop, slice, or scrape surfaces or materials. Blades are typically made from materials that are harder than those they a ...
must not exceed the height of the fighter's
navel
The navel (clinically known as the umbilicus; : umbilici or umbilicuses; also known as the belly button or tummy button) is a protruding, flat, or hollowed area on the abdomen at the attachment site of the umbilical cord.
Structure
The u ...
when standing naturally. This blade length also corresponds exactly to the radius of Thibault's circle. This maximum length is contrasted with the long blades that had become fashionable in Thibault's time. He does not provide a minimum length.
The guard
Despite the popularity of increasingly complex
hilts, Thibault's ideal hilt is relatively simple. It features straight
quillons as well as finger rings and side rings with little else. Thibault gives proportional measurements for the various components of the hilt, each based on his circle diagram. These measurements dictate that the sword's quillons are to equal the length of one's foot, the combined length of pommel and grip should equal exactly twice the length of the guard from the quillons forward, and so on.
Gripping the sword
Thibault describes a unique method of gripping the sword which allows for many of his other techniques. Whereas Thibault's contemporaries tended to grasp a sword with one or two fingers wrapped around the fore quillon, inside the finger ring aligned with the sword's true edge, Thibault's grip involves resting the
ricasso
A ricasso is an unsharpened length of blade just above the guard or handle on a knife, dagger, sword, or bayonet. Blades designed this way appear at many periods in history in many parts of the world and date back to at least the Bronze Age—ess ...
on the
index finger
The index finger (also referred to as forefinger, first finger, second finger, pointer finger, trigger finger, digitus secundus, digitus II, and many other terms) is the second digit of a human hand. It is located between the thumb and the m ...
, with the tip of the thumb resting on the rear quillon. The blade is thus aligned horizontally when the arm is extended. Thibault's system does not rely entirely upon this grip, sometimes dropping the thumb beneath the quillon with the index finger wrapped around the fore quillon. Thibault uses this grip for cutting and for defending at close range. This latter curved or bent arm grip is similar, if not identical, to the grip for which most of Thibault's contemporaries advocated.
The posture of the straight line
Thibault's primary stance is an upright posture which allows for fluid, graceful motion while remaining profiled to the opponent. He argues that it is a "natural" stance, similar to an ordinary posture while standing or walking. It involves holding the feet several inches apart, at an angle of roughly 45 degrees. Thibault describes the placement of the feet in relation to the
diameter
In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the centre of the circle and whose endpoints lie on the circle. It can also be defined as the longest Chord (geometry), chord of the circle. Both definitions a ...
line of his "mysterious circle". The fighter's back foot is perpendicular to this line, while their front foot is angled inward, with the weight distributed evenly on the balls of the feet. Both shoulders are held in alignment and fully profiled to the opponent. The sword arm, normally extended but not locked, is also in alignment with the shoulders. The rear arm remains largely unused in order to maintain this profile, with the rear arm extended and the hand pointing downward and back.
Subjection
Thibault advocates a subjection to either the inside or outside of the arm when facing an opponent who uses his posture. Subjection is executed by first bringing the blades into contact, then increasing the angle of the sword to achieve greater leverage than the opponent’s, sweeping or pushing it aside, then advancing at an angle, keeping the opponent’s sword dominated (subjected) by this superior angle.
In the case of the inside line, the primary target becomes the opponent's flank and the attack presses the opponent's blade downward and to their own outside line. On the outside line, the primary target becomes the opponent's head, pressing his blade outwards during the attack. How the opponent responds to this is then gauged by sensitivity. Thibault identifies several different pressures of ''sentiment'' and the correct way to enter against them.
See also
*
Destreza
is the conventional term for the Spanish tradition of fencing of the early modern period. The word literally translates to 'dexterity' or 'skill, ability', and thus to 'the true skill' or 'the true art'.
While is primarily a system of sword ...
Notes
Sources
* Thibault, Gérard. ''Academy of the Sword'', trans. John Michael Greer (Highland Park, TX: The Chivalry Bookshelf, 2006)
* de la Fontaine Verwey, Herman. "Gerard Thibault and his Academie de l'espée," Quaerendo VIII (1978) pp. 284–319
* Castle, Egerton. ''Schools and masters of fence from the Middle Ages to the eighteenth century.'' (1885) p. 122.
"Академия меча" Жерар ТибоТ 39 — Днепр: Середняк Т. К., 2017, — 536 с.
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thibault Danvers, Gerald
d'Anvers
Renaissance writers
Dutch male fencers
1570s births
1627 deaths
Sportspeople from Antwerp
Writers from the Spanish Netherlands
17th-century fencers
Leiden University alumni