Editing Swordsmanship (section)

=====Historical fencing=====
{{Main|Historical European martial arts}}
[[File:Fencing display at Bath club.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.35|Advertisement for [[Alfred Hutton]]'s swordsmanship show at the [[Bath Club]].]]
As early as 1880, attempts were made to recreate the older German, Italian, and Spanish schools of swordsmanship. The movement was led in England by the soldier, writer, antiquarian, and swordsman, [[Alfred Hutton]]. In 1862, he organized in his regiment stationed in [[British India|India]] the Cameron Fencing Club, for which he prepared his first work, a 12-page booklet entitled ''Swordsmanship''.<ref>[http://www.fioredeiliberi.org/phpBB3/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=133&p=3679 Sources in the V&A Museum's library]</ref>

After returning from India in 1865, Hutton focused on the study and revival of older fencing systems and schools. He began tutoring groups of students in the art of 'ancient swordplay' at a club attached to the London Rifle Brigade School of Arms in the 1880s. In 1889, Hutton published his most influential work ''Cold Steel: A Practical Treatise on the Sabre'', which presented the historical method of military sabre use on foot, combining the 18th century English [[backsword]] with modern Italian duelling [[sabre]].

Hutton's pioneering advocacy and practice of [[historical fencing]] included reconstructions of the fencing systems of several historical masters including [[George Silver]] and [[Achille Marozzo]]. He delivered numerous practical demonstrations with his colleague [[Egerton Castle]] of these systems during the 1890s, both in order to benefit various military charities and to encourage patronage of the contemporary methods of competitive fencing. Exhibitions were held at the [[Bath Club]] and a fund-raising event was arranged at [[Guy's Hospital]].

Despite this revival, the practice died out soon after the death of Hutton in 1910. Interest in the physical application of historical fencing techniques remained largely dormant during the first half of the 20th century, and only revived near the end of the 20th century.