SALA D'ARMI BRIXIA: PUBLICATIONS :
TRATTATO DI SCHERMA
COL BASTONE DA PASSEGGIO
DIFESA PERSONALE
di Giannino Martinelli(Milano 1908).
by
G.Galvani, G.Zanini, E.Lorenzi e V.Pitalis.
Giannino Martinelli (Casalmorano CR 1866 - Milano1915) in his youth moved to Milan where he worked in a print-shop for few years. Then the 17 year old Giovanni Battista Serafino began his military service, and at the age of 23 began his career of Master of Fencing and Gymnastics.
Giannino was a very brilliant promoter of numerous Accademie and Tournaments. He founded the Club d'Armi Milanese in 1903, and became the Personal Defence Instructor of the Corp of the Urban Police of Milan.
His uncle was the Sergeant Giovanni Martinelli awarded a medal of valour after his death at the Custoza Battle in 1866.
His school of walking stick fencing and self defence was so successful, that he was persuaded to write his manual.In the December 1907 held a very impressive exibitions with his class of students, the Team of Policemen of the Urban Police of Milan.
The year after sent to the print his treatise invited from the Sport Councillors of Milan, Cav.Candiani.
This manual is a testimony of the development of the discipline of "Self Defence" in Italy. The approach and the tecnical system are "modern", and the need to preserve the personal security is a matter of concern in those very days.
Few things has changed so far: today modern self defence systems driven by similar needs and concern,have followed the same tecnical approach, the same martial eclecticism for the last 30 years.
The manual is divided in three parts: the first deals with walking stick fencing. The tecnique is inspired to the saber fencing of the period in his academic structure, while at the end a series of self defence manouvre with the stick against the knife, show how the stick can be useful "on the road".
The second part is dedicated to the unarmed self defence. Fencing, boxing, savate, wrestling and ju jutsu are"mixed" together, in order to provide a repertory of solutions for every needs an situations, free from any particular or national combat art. Today the story repeat again: what else is "new"?
Martinelli's work is very beautiful manual and a pleasant reading, even if synthetic and short. The beautiful illustrations, the clear and pragmatic explanations, delight the reader and make this manual a useful tool for modern martial arts and fencing students.