By RHYS WALTERS

Ever since Cecil Longino was a kid, enchanted by the Three Musketeers movies, he's loved sword fighting. He and his neighborhood friends would sometimes play sword fight with sticks. He remembers fondly all of them filing out of their houses at dusk to hold mock battles in the woods. They even tried jousting on their bikes.

During the '80s, in Longino's teen-age years, his father, who was in the Air Force, was transferred to the small town in Germany. The whole family went with him, including Longino. It was there that Longino had the good fortune to befriend an old man who was the caretaker of a 16th century castle in that stood in the town. The old man, whom Longino describes as a "drunken old jolly caretaker," let Longino and his friends stay at the castle when he was away.

Inspired by the romantic setting, they spent hour upon hours fencing with purchased swords. "We learned what worked and what didn't," Longino recalls. "When someone's swinging a three-foot piece of steel at you, you learn to avoid it really well."

Now, at age 32, Longino, a West Seattle resident, is a fence master who teaches a twice-a-week course called "Academia Della Spada" (Italian for "Academy of the Sword") at the Phinney Neighborhood Center.

The Academia Della Spada has been held at the Phinney Neighborhood Center since 1998. Every Monday, from 7-9 p.m., and Saturday, from 1-3 p.m., students come to the Phinney Neighborhood Center to learn what Longino calls "the noble art and science of fence," as it was studied in the 16th and early 17th century.

Don't confuse fencing with the "Art of Fence." Fencing, according to Longino, is the modern Olympic style of sword fighting, which has rules and plays to score points. The blades, foil, saber and epee, are thin and light. Players are restricted to moving forward and backward, and can only hit their opponent in certain spots. Hits are scored electronically, via electric suits and scoring machines. It's a sport, not a form of combat.

The Art of Fence is a martial art. Longino teaches students how to use the rapier, among other weapons, to duel an opponent. The rapier is a long, double-edged blade commonly associated with the Three Musketeers and Zorro. There are no rules in the Art of Fence except practical ones that prevent duelists from harming each other. They can move in all three dimensions, disarm their opponent, and hit anywhere on his or her body.

Which is why lots of safety equipment, like chest protectors, neck guards, and heavy gloves are used, and why beginners aren't allowed to fight at full speed.

Longino provides all the equipment necessary, though he urges students to purchase their own if they plan to continue coming to class for a long time. The rapiers, which are historic recreations, usually start at around $300.

There's also an historical aspect to the Longino's class. Since all the techniques he's teaching come from the texts of the past masters, study of these texts is an integral part of the class.

"We're fortunate," explains Longino, "that the past (fencing) masters wrote everything down. Eastern martial arts have all been passed down by living tradition, but the western arts were recorded."

The class costs $100 per month, though a $50 discount is given to students and others short of funds.

"If anyone is really interested," explains Longino, "we won't prevent them from joining because of money."

Academia Della Spada is affiliated with a Renaissance performance and history group called "Blood, Love & Rhetoric," which meets regularly in the Green Lake area. Longino, who is a member of Blood, Love & Rhetoric, says the group does everything from teach medieval dances and give history presentations at local schools to perform music at weddings, anniversaries and parties.

If you want to learn more, visit Longino's Web site www.blr.org/academy.jsp, or call him at 935-6855. b