The Spanish school of arms known as la Verdadera Destreza is based on the application of fundamental principles of science and geometry to the practice of fencing. While Destreza is most commonly associated with the Spanish rapier, its principles were intended to be applied to all manner of weapons, from the dagger, to the longsword, to the pike. Since Destreza is intended to be universal in application, examples of applied Destreza principles can be found in all schools of swordsmanship. Since these principles are deep and fundamental, they are applicable to a variety of other sword arts, without (normally) being in contradiction to the precepts of those arts. Understanding Destreza principles thus gives the HEMA practitioner a useful new lens through which to view other sword arts, and provides valuable and useful perspective. This lecture will give an overview of key Destreza principles; show examples of how they apply in sword arts as varied as I.33, Fiore dei Liberi, and Johannes Liechtenauer; and provide ideas of how they might be applied to the modern practice of HEMA.
