I’m Roland Warzecha — professional illustrator and swordsman. The name Dimicator comes from the Latin for “sword fighter.” I share cutting-edge research into historical martial arts, focusing in particular on Viking and high medieval sword-and-shield combat. My work is carried out in collaboration with museums, fellow martial artists, and scholars around the world.
Your New Guides to Medieval Sword & Shield, Virtual and Real
New I.33 Online Course Launches This Weekend!Dear sword-and-shield enthusiasts, martial artists, and gamers, Cornelius and I are excited about our new online course on medieval sword-and-buckler fencing, based on Europe’s oldest surviving combat treatise—Royal Armouries manuscript I.33. It will be released this weekend. What we will present to you adds an important set of options to your repertoire of sword-and-buckler techniques, complementing the material covered in our first foundational course, which explores the plays of First Ward (Prima Custodia) against Half-Shield. For my esteemed readers, this foundational course is still available at a 35% discount. In any case, you can look forward to a unique course—and be ready to take advantage of special offers during the upcoming launch campaign! Cornelius on the Fighting in KCD 2If this acronym doesn’t ring a bell, you’re as unfamiliar with computer games as I am. Everyone else will recognise it as "Kingdom Come: Deliverance II"—a medieval open-world game featuring plenty of sword fights, as you might expect. Cornelius was invited by a popular YouTube channel to comment on the authenticity of the weapons, armour, and combat mechanics in the game (in German). Even I found the video highly entertaining, and I must say, the quality of the props and animations is truly impressive.
My Favourite 3D ArtistSpeaking of KCD 2, I’d like to highlight the work of Béla Csampai, an artist whose work I deeply admire. Inspired by the game last weekend, he created his own 3D model of a sword featured in KCD 2. I’m sharing it with you here—not least because it would be perfectly suited for sword-and-buckler combat—if only it were real!
If practicing swordplay in the real world is more to your taste, don't forget to sign up for the Hedeby Bouts and the BBB! So, that's it for today. Take care, and keep your sword and buckler at hand. If you enjoyed this newsletter, please recommend it to your friends. They can sign up here or on my website. Or simply forward them this email. If you wish to read more, find hundreds of related posts on my Patreon. Special thanks to all my loyal supporters on Patreon – you keep me going! And if you are not a patron yet, you are most welcome to join. If you feel like dropping a coin into my tip jar, you can do so here. Thank you for your time and your interest. Yours, Roland You are receiving this newsletter because you have signed up for it, or because you have previously expressed your interest in my work and events. If you prefer to not receive further emails, you can unsubscribe below. |
Dimicator
I’m Roland Warzecha — professional illustrator and swordsman. The name Dimicator comes from the Latin for “sword fighter.” I share cutting-edge research into historical martial arts, focusing in particular on Viking and high medieval sword-and-shield combat. My work is carried out in collaboration with museums, fellow martial artists, and scholars around the world.
Exploring Prehistoric Fighting Arts Bronze Age weapons from the inventory of the Museum of Prehistory in Halle Hello fellow fighters and (pre-)history aficionados, This newsletter is all about Bronze Age weaponry — their design, handling, and function. As this email goes out, I am on my journey home from two days of filming at the Museum of Prehistory in Halle, home to the world-famous Nebra sky disc. Professor Harald Meller in front of the Museum in Halle At the invitation of Professor...
Mark Your Calendar Contents of my sword case Hello fellow fighters, sword enthusiasts and living history experts, I’ve just returned from a wonderful sword-and-shield weekend in Berlin, training at the 24th Berlin Buckler Bouts with around forty dedicated practitioners from all over the world. As one of the organisers, I’d like to express my gratitude for a cheerful and safe training environment. It was a physically demanding two days — yet I enjoyed each of my 500+ passes. Thank you all! The...
Final Event Info Dear fellow buckler fighters, This weekend, we will gather for the 24th Berlin Buckler Bouts — hurrah! We anticipate 35 dedicated fencers from the Czech Republic, the US, Poland, Denmark, and Germany. If you’d like, you can watch my video of the BBB XI, which nicely captures the atmosphere. The event logo is available for download. Additionally, you’ll find links to a great article on slow fencing and another video on the BBB here. These two texts are also highly recommended:...