One of the hardest things about working through a drill heavy book such as Manciolino is that it can be hard to keep track of what you’ve worked on. You may do an drill, then completely forget it the next time around.

So I’m going to try an experiment. I’ve put together a training log for Manciolino’s Sword and Small Buckler. As you look this over, you’ll see what I expect of each scholar:

Work with the drill on at least two different occasions

Teach the drill to someone else at least once

Create a written interpretation of the drill, covering both the physical mechanics and the theory behind it.

Create a video interpretation to accompany the written.

The inspiration for this was my level 2 blacksmithing class. In it, the teacher has a long list of skill building exercises that we need to complete in order to pass the course. While the order of completion isn’t important, every project must be signed off before we are allowed to progress to the next level.

You may be wondering about the requirement for a written and video interpretation. I am a strong believer in the Medieval educational model where in each student is expected to create a gloss of the master’s work. This not only forces the scholar to think deeper about the topic, but also creates a body of material from which others can learn.