ABSTRACT
When it comes to the concept of the well-proportioned body, Vitruvius, the Roman architect and writer who, in his treatise on architecture ( De architectura ), relates the ideal proportions within the human body to the symmetrical design of a temple, is usually considered one of the main authorities. However, this chapter focuses on Girard Thibault's fencing manual, Académie de l'espée (Academy of the sword, 1630), and questions the relevance of this widely accepted doctrine for the theorization of bodily movement. According to Thibault and other fencing masters before him, a swordsman can only be successful if he moves in perfect accordance with the inner structure of his body. Thibault's geometric system, based on the proportions of the human body, transforms the static ideal of symmetry into a dynamic principle of movement, bringing Vitruvian harmony to life through measured movement.
