Alberto Bomprezzi
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Rapier and dagger in the Verdadera Destreza style
Verdadera Destreza being strongly theoretical does not describe guards, nevertheless they exist as part of the movements necessary to guarantee the control of the central Line or in Destreza Terms – The Diameter -. I will explain them, and we will practice how to use the less common and most difficult: The guards that cover thrusts thrown with the arm bent or coming from the low line, and the guard used to cover any kind of cut in the high line. Full equipment will be necessary as during practice thrusts and cuts must be thrown at full speed to understand how to defend against them.
Biography
Alberto Bomprezzi is the founder of the AEEA (Spanish association for historical fencing) the largest organization in Spain solely dedicated to study and teach HEMA and the technical director of the Madrid branch which his personal school that he runs directly, being the first professional historical fencing teacher in Spain. Since 2006 he is a full time professional and works teaching and creating a modern tradition of HEMA in Spain.
His first step as a martial artist were in the eighties under the tutelage of Shotokan Master Osamu Nomura from who he got the black belt.
In the nineties he left karate to start practicing and competing in sport fencing, and as a sport fencer he learned from some of the best teachers in Spain: Ileana Duarte – cuban and spanish olympic team, Raul Maroto – spanish olympic team, Alvaro Calderón – main teacher of the military salle in Madrid
After retiring from competition in the 2001 he started his career as a researcher, fencer and teacher of HEMA focusing on the following weapons: Rapier, rapier and dagger, and rapier and buckler, Sidesword, sidesword and dagger, sideswrod and buckler and sidesword and round shield, Medieval sword and buckler, Longsword, Montante, Pike formations.
In his first years he was inspired by the work of Andrea Lupo Sinclair and by his organizational ideas, though his approach was more practical and less focused on the classical tradition, relying more on the study of body mechanics and the will to develop a modern and effective practical art.
From the theoretical and historical point of view though he studies all sources that may be useful to learn and improve, mainly Italian and german, he mainly uses, researches and teaches la Verdadera Destreza the spanish theoretical method of the XVI and XVII century based on geometry which he uses as a tool to analyze fencing and develop a true practical method for the use of historical weapons. He has also an interest on the southern XVII century and early XVIII century Italian style for its close relationship with the Spanish method.
From the competitive side, he has been successful in a number of tournaments either in his youth as a modern sportsman and as an historical fencer but he does not consider tournaments a s the main field for the development of the Art of the Sword and he prefers a practical approach more focused on personal honesty and humbleness and not having to adapt to the rules and to the judging criteria.
In academical terms he has been teaching historical fencing to students of History in the Universidad Complutense, and Universidad Autonoma de Madrid. He was invited to participate in the 1st Congress of Military History held in 2014 where he participated with the conference “The military mindset as generator of a theoretical method to be used to learn how to safely face duels”.
The conference was published in the papers of the congress by Universidad Complutense de Madrid.
He has published articles in the specialized magazines:
Arma Blanca – a specialized magazine on edged weapons
Despertaferro – One of the most important History magazines in Spain, for which he often collaborates as an advisor for weapons and fighting styles of the XV,XVI and XVII centuries.
He has also participated in history documentaries on TV since the 2004:
2004 El Madrid de Alatriste made by National Geographic on the XVII century swordmanship
2015 El siglo de Aguila Roja made by RTVE – Radiotelevisiion Española the spanish televisión – on duels and history of swordmanship and fencing
He also he is a permanent teacher for the armament course of the IHCM – the spanish Institute of Culture and Military History – and collaborates with the Army Museum in Toledo and with the Royal Guard of Spain.
On 2020 he published his first book “Theory and Practice of La Verdadera Destreza” in English to help non Spanish readers to understand and apply the Spanish theory.
On the 2012 he was awarded the Great Cross of the Order of Santa Maria de España for his work of research and resurrection of la Verdadera Destreza.
In the 2020 he was awarded with the Award of the Association 31 Enero Tercios for his work and studies on La Verdadera Destreza.
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