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Istituto Ars Dimicandi
Web page:http://www.arsdimicandi.net
Group with a Latin name "Arts of Fighting" very revealing about their performances. It is probably one of the very few truly professional groups in the world of re-enactment. They are doubly professional: not only they earn their living as expert re-enactors, but also the extraordinary quality of their shows makes them a group difficult to improve.
Group exclusively centred on the world of gladiators and the Roman army. Famous Gladiators were the elite footballers or sportsmen counterparts of our time: loved by the mass and real stars with which managers -owners at the period named lanistes- could make real fortunes. Good gladiators did not usually die in the arenas of amphitheatres, for the pubic adored them and there was too much money into play. Gladiators' fights performed by this group are imposing, especially if acted out in ancient roman amphitheatres -as it is the case at the Tarraco Viva Festival-, where their show awakens tremendous admiration.
The group has carried out very rigorous recreation of Gladiators Schools and fights against 5 classical opponents: provocatores, thraecis, mirmillones, retiarii and secutores. They also recreate boxing fights with the participation of fighting girls, as it is documented.
The group also takes an interest in learning the way Roman armies worked and fought. As a matter of fact, some fighting techniques used by gladiators were eventually adopted by the legions. As members of the group explain, "becoming a legionary is much more than simply wearing an armour and pushing a gladius or a pilum for some time. Being a legionary means experiencing the type of situations ancient Romans met during battle in order to understand their behaviour and the importance of both discipline and the so called sprit of corps".
In the last years, the group has been called for advice in some battle scenes by movies or television series. They edit the Esercito Romano magazine and an international forum can be found on their web page.
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