Destreza

Introduction

La Verdadera Destreza is the Spanish school of fencing starting with publishing Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza's book De la Filosofia de las Armas y de su Destreza y la Aggression y Defensa Cristiana in 1569. The approach is to turn the fencing into a science with the goal of the user of its fence without getting harmed. It uses early Renaissance geometry, philosophy and Aristotelian physics as a basis to achieve that. The name itself means "the true skill" and it's true from an axiomatic perspective. If by scientific principles you can ensure the user comes to no harm every time it follows the principles, it's true, everything else is false.

The movement itself is also a way for the nobility to distance itself from the common people. The name Destreza being used instead of the word Esgrima(fencing) is a way to distance itself from other types of local fencing. Especially early on in the life-cycle of La Verdadera Destreza is commonly contrasted to Destreza Común; the common fencing. Often times it is called by its less savoury name of Destreza Vulgar(lit. the vulgar skill). While referenced very few treatises of the Vulgar Destreza have been found.