Destreza La Verdadera Destreza is a Spanish system of fencing . The word " destreza " literally means " skill . " However , the full name is perhaps best translated as " the true art . " While Destreza is primarily a system of swordsmanship , it is intended to be a universal method of fighting applicable to all weapons . This includes sword and dagger ; sword and cloak ; sword and buckler ; sword and round shield ; the two - handed sword ; the flail ; and polearms such as the pike and halberd . Its precepts are based on reason , geometry , and incorporate various other aspects of a well - rounded Renaissance humanist education , with a special focus on the writings of classical authors such as Aristotle , Euclid , and Plato . Authors on Destreza also paid great attention to what modern martial artists would call biomechanics . The tradition is documented in scores of fencing manuals , but centers on the works of two primary authors , don Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza and his follower , don Luis Pacheco de Narváez . The system of combat is tied to an intellectual , philosophical , and moral ideal . History and Development . The origins of this system of swordsmanship date as far back as 1569 , when Jerónimo Carranza began reducing it to writing . There is some evidence indicating that the sixteenth - century fencing theorist Camillo Agrippa ' s work was the inspiration for the Carranza ' s work . Pacheco makes the claim that Carranza based his text on the work of Camillo Agrippa in a letter to the Duke of Cea in Madrid on May 4 , 1618 . This claim is reinforced by a common use of geometry and circular movement in both systems . Whatever its inspiration , Carranza ' s work represents a break from the older tradition of Spanish fencing , the so - called " esgrima vulgar " or " esgrima común " ( vulgar or common fencing ) . That older tradition , with roots in medieval times , was represented by the works of authors such as Jaume Pons ( 1474 ) , Pedro de la Torre ( 1474 ) and Francisco Román ( 1532 ) . Writers on Destreza took great care to distinguish their " true art " from the " vulgar " or " common " fencing . The older school continued to exist alongside la verdadera destreza , but was increasingly influenced by its forms and concepts . After Carranza laid the groundwork for the school with his seminal work ( published 1582 ) , Pacheco de Narváez continued with a series of other books which expanded upon Carranza ' s concepts . While Pacheco originally clung closely to Carranza ' s precepts , he gradually diverged from them in significant respects . This divergence eventually caused a split between followers of Carranza ( " Carrancistas " ) and those of Pacheco ( " Pachequistas " ) , essentially resulting in the existence of three different schools of fence in Iberia . Spanish fencing methods quickly spread to Spain ' s colonial empire in the New World . Originally , this was the esgrima común , but eventually included destreza as well . Carranza himself was governor of Honduras for a time . Destreza authors and masters can be documented in Mexico , Peru , Ecuador , and the Philippines . Some degree of influence on the Philippine martial arts is highly likely , although this is an area that requires further research . Over time , Spanish fencing came to be increasingly influenced by Italian and French fencing methods . Pressure became particularly intense in the 18th century , and destreza began a decline in popularity in favour of the dominant French school . This resulted in technical changes which become increasingly apparent by the beginning of the 18th century . By the 19th century , fencing texts in Spain begin to mix destreza concepts with ideas and technique drawn from French and Italian methodology . While destreza underwent a kind of revival in the late 19th century , it appears to have largely disappeared by the beginning of the 20th century . Technical Characteristics . Technical hallmarks of the system are the following : Distinguished from Italian Rapier Schools . Perhaps the most important distinction between the Italian and Spanish schools is their approach to footwork . Over time , the Italian school increasingly moved towards linear footwork , similar to modern fencing . In contrast , Spanish doctrine taught that moving directly toward the opponent was dangerous , and specialized in off - line footwork to either the right or left side to gain a more favorable angle of attack . Another distinction is their approach to the relative value of cut versus thrust . The Italians showed a clear preference for the thrust , relegating the cut to a distant second place . The Spanish , on the other hand , refused to make such a distinction , maintaining that the cut was as useful as the thrust , depending on the situation . Italian bladework focused on the use of four primary hand and blade positions ( prima , seconda , terza , quarta ) , with an emphasis on the latter two . Destreza , on the other hand , focused almost exclusively on a hand position similar to terza ( thumb at 12 o ' clock ) . Italian masters generally taught a much wider variety of guards than Spanish masters , who focused on the so - called " right angle " , a position with the arm extended directly from the shoulder , forming a straight line from the point of the sword to the left shoulder . Although the Spanish developed a reputation for using very long weapons , the weapons used in Destreza were generally shorter than the rapiers used by the Italians . Unlike the Italian school , the Spanish system recognizes a greater number of degrees of strength in the blade . The Italian school generally recognized two degrees of strength in the blade ( " forte " and " debole " ) , sometimes expanding this to three or four parts . On the contrary , Spanish authors on Destreza use 9 , 10 , or even 12 " degrees " or sections on the blade , counting them from the point of the blade . Spanish masters paid close attention to the methods of their Italian counterparts . Pacheco specifically rebuts the works of many Italian authors in his text , Nueva Sciencia ( The New Science ) . Likewise , Thibault ' s work includes a section aimed at countering the techniques of Salvator Fabris . Francisco Lórenz de Rada ' s work also contains substantial coverage of how a Spanish diestro should oppose an Italian opponent when using sword and dagger . Authors on Destreza . Carranza and Pacheco were followed by a series of other authors . One of the most notable was Girard Thibault of Antwerp whose manual , " Académie de l ' Espée " ( 1630 ) , was strongly based on the Destreza system . 16th century 17th century 18th century 19th century English translations . An English translation of Girard Thibault ' s text was done by John Michael Greer and published in 2006 by The Chivalry Bookshelf . DVD . Anthony De Longis and PALPABLE HIT PRODUCTIONS has produced an instructional video " La Verdadera Destreza : The True Art and Skill of Spanish Swordsmanship " It features the most fundamental elements of the Spanish School of Swordsmanship . Based upon the texts of Spanish masters Don Jeronimo Sanchez de Carranza and Don Luis Pacheco de Narvaez , and other masters of the period , La Verdadera Destreza is a two - volume DVD instructional guide gleaned from over twenty years of research and study of the historical Spanish treatises by Maestro Ramón Martínez . Maestro Ramón Martínez teaches these skills in short , sequential lessons which include simple drills that illustrate the fundamentals of La Verdadera Destreza . It also features Maestro Jeannette Acosta - Martinez and Anthony De Longis .