| General Information |
Paranza corta is traditional Sicilian knife fighting. It is a type of HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts). Practitioners like to use the stiletto, a thin foldable blade that can pierce even thick leather or chainmail, and are taught techniques useful in various situations using everyday clothing items like coats and hats. |
| History/Development |
Towards the second half of the 17th century, schools of dagger fencing spread and adapted to a more popular use. It spreads mainly in five regions (Lazio, Campania, Puglia, Calabria and Sicily), to which is added Corsica, a region not administratively Italian, but whose knife school is, by characteristics, Italian; these schools of knife fencing develop in regions where the art is associated with honor. The schools are Corsican, Roman, Neapolitan, Salernitana, Foggiano-Barese, Brindisi-Lecce, Tarantino, Calabrese, Palermitana, Catanese. Various branches were added to them, as pupils tended to form new schools. Sicily was home many clandestine knife schools.
Through the combined efforts of masters Antonino Tomarchio, Giovanni Tomarchio, Rosario Scalia, Gianni and Ivan Cremente and Francesco Proietti paranza corta was successfully adapted into a sports and recognized as such.In 2013 the idea of having paranza corta recognized as a sport was first introduced. In 2015, after a period of study, leading to the formation of the Scuola Tecnica della Paranza Corta Siciliana and drafting the competition regulations of Sicilian paranza corta. The National Board and the Assembly of Members was gathered in September 2015 in order to get it approved.
Dr. Angelo Rito Sciacca was commissioned to study and report the benefits of the sport.
Future teachers are trained through annual courses taking place at our National Technical Center, with the possibility of being able to affiliate their association with C.S.E.N. - Paranza Corta Siciliana sector (Associazione Nazionale Bastone Siciliano, s.d.). |
Transmission
(Policies/institutions) |
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| Relevant Organisations |
- Associazione Nazionale Bastone Siciliano
- Comitato Sportivo Educativo Nazionale (CSEN) |
| Additional Materials |
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| References |
- Associazione Nazionale Bastone Siciliano. (s.d.). “Paranza Corta Siciliana”, Associazione Nazionale Bastone Siciliano, http://bastone-siciliano.com/storia/storia-paranza-corta |
See also: Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA), paranza lunga |
