Spanish santiago swords line art

There were many different systems and methods of historical Spanish swordsmanship, but they can be divided into three very broad categories - the old school, the true school (based on geometry), and the late school (predominantly foreign influence).

There can be a great deal of difference between methods in a given category, and many are a blend of categories that represent a transition from one to another in various degrees. Still, these groupings help us understand major changes in Iberian swordsmanship over time.

Old School
These methods were the first developed in Iberia (now Spain and Portugal) and lasted into the 18th century.

The earliest known authors are Jaime Pons and Pedro de la Torre, both writing in 1474, but records of maestros (masters) and examinations go back much further. Many different weapons were used, including the sword alone, two-handed sword/montante, sword and round shield, buckler, dagger, cloak, two swords, dagger alone,