Medieval Swordsmanship: From the author of Renaissance Swordsmanship comes this exhaustive examination of one of the most fascinating and overlooked areas of Western martial arts: the Medieval sword.
Medieval Swordsmanship is the most thorough look ever at Medieval swords from the point of view of their historical function. It was derived from rare historical sources detailing the techniques of the sword and shield, long-sword and great-sword, as well as from years of extensive training and research in the use of European weaponry. Richly detailed with more than 200 illustrated pages of weapons, techniques and fighting principles, this book serves as both a general references for medieval scholars and hands-on instruction guide for beginning and advanced students of martial arts and military history. In this book, John Clements, one of the West's preeminent historical swordsmen, reconstructs the lost fighting arts of knights, warriors and men-at-arms so Western martial artists can reclaim their forgotten heritage, which is a far cry from the Medieval sword-banging depicted in films and at historical fairs.
The formidable effectiveness of Medieval swords in detail.
Based upon years of hands-on study and practice by HACA Director and sword scholar John Clements, this sweeping work finally approaches Medieval swordsmanship as a legitimate martial art form and not as fantasy play or theatrical performance. This is a detailed examination and practical guide to one of the most fascinating areas of our Western martial heritage: the Medieval sword!
Derived from rare historical manuscripts and material covering the highly effective techniques of sword and shield as well as Medieval long-swords and great-swords. A one of a kind detailed compilation featuring over two hundred illustrated pages of weapons, techniques, and fighting principles.
Both a general reference work and an instruction guide for beginning and advanced students of martial arts and military history. A thorough study of the martial art of Medieval swordsmanship and the historical fighting skills of knights, warriors, and men-at-arms which attempts to reconstruct and rebuild their lost fighting arts. Also the only exhaustive and comprehensive study of the formidable but overlooked Medieval shield.
Based upon years on extensive training in the use of historical European weaponry it offers extensive instruction on practice and modern sparring. This seminal work sets a new standard in the approach to this fascinating subject.
Medieval Swordsmanship presents to martial-arts students and instructors, historians, and anyone interested in European culture an overview of European armed combat techniques from appx. 1100 to 1500. It is a work of impressive scholarship and helps to fill the gap in knowledge which exists concerning Western fighting styles. Mr. Clements demonstrates how to use the medieval longsword and also presents the use of the sword and shield combination, spear usage, and the use of the shield as a weapon. As with his first book, Renaissance Swordsmanship, the authors excellent illustrations clearly demonstrate how to use these weapons. The illustrations are actually better than the photos which are used in most martial-arts books. In addition, the author also provides a historical background and setting for the weapons which are demonstrated. He also addresses the various types of medieval combat systems which are currently practiced by different groups around the world as well as describing the basics of evaluating a sword. All of these extras help to make this book a most worthwhile purchase. The author clearly takes this subject seriously and sets high standards for himself and for other practitioners of armed combat arts. This seriousness, and the demand for exacting historical accuracy which the author demands for those who wish to practice medieval combat, will probably cause controversy. Mr. Clements is clearly willing to back up his historical claims, however, and also presents powerful arguments for his theories in the text of the book. This helps to make the book a valuable resource in and of itself. The reader will not only find a blueprint for studying medieval weaponry, but also solid historical research which shows how these weapons were used. The book is a welcome addition to the libraries of martial-arts practitioners worldwide. It is also one which is long overdue. Many myths and pseudo-histories exist as to the history of European martial-arts. Mr. Clements helps to dispel those myths and invites others to do so as well.
Renaissance Swordsmanship: This scholarly, entertaining guide is the most thorough work on Medieval swordsmanship ever undertaken. It was written for advanced and beginning sword enthusiasts, students of military history and martial artists. To write this book the author combined exhaustive research with hands-on practice in fencing, contact-weapon sparring and training with historically accurate replicas. He then illustrated the text with more than 100 original drawings depicting authentic Renaissance sword-fighting techniques and how you can use them today.
When it comes to our Western martial heritage there is a high degree of common myth, misconception, and error. This is the case particularly in reference to Renaissance martial arts and its forms of historical swordsmanship. During the Renaissance there arose in Europe a distinction between those swords intended for war and those for personal self-defense. It is a myth that Renaissance fighting arts used entirely a brutal, artless approach. Examination of the historical texts and artwork of the period clearly dismisses this prejudice. Swordsmanship at the time was a systematic and highly dynamic art, far from being uniform. Understanding the weapons Renaissance fighters were using is key to studying the progression of their concepts and techniques of their fighting skills. Yet, today we are bombarded with inaccurate and silly notions derived from theatrical performances and the near irrelevance of the modern forms of sport fencing. Modern sport fencing is so far removed from its martial origins in the renaissance as to not qualify as a true martial art. The emphasis of my work is therefore necessarily not on rule-bound games or fantasy role-playing or on pretend performance, but on sound hands-on experience with accurate replica weaponry by studying the manuals of the historical masters. This book makes a substantial leap forward in the effort to reconstruct and replicate the formidable fighting arts of our Western martial heritage. It is a must for anyone serious about pursuing skill in historical swordsmanship today.
A cross-over book - Intended for both English/Renaissance/Shakespeare scholars as well as for theatre/stage combat people.
Featuring period drawings and prints of swordplay, this book examines and compares, the only three existing Elizabethan fencing manuals written in English before 1600: Giacomo Di Grassi's His True Arte of Defense (1594), Vincentio Saviolo's His Practice in Two Bookes (1595), and George Silver's Paradoxes of Defence and Bref Instructions Upon my Paradoxes of Defence (1599). More than a technical manual on swordplay, this book explores the influence of a new form of violence introduced into Elizabethan culture by the invention of the rapier. The authors examine the rapiers influence on the various social classes, the clash between the traditional English fencing masters and those embracing the new style, the growing concern with unregulated duelling, and the frequent references to rapier play in the works of Shakespeare and his contemporaries. As producer Joseph Papp notes in his Foreword, this is a book that "makes a difference in performance"
I would highly recommend this book to anyone recreating Elizabethan, or early 17th century fencing. It is a detailed look at the three main fencing manuals published in England and attempts to recreate some idea of the overall style of swordplay during this period. The authors' goal is to encourage stage combat styles that are much more historically based than many portrayals to-date.
Run by submariners for submariners to bring you the finest selection of submarine merchandise, submarine collectables, submarine insignia, jewelry, art, and other submarine products available anywhere!
Copyright � 1997, 1999, 2005 1EarthMedia, PO Box 695, Coolum Beach, Qld, Australia, 4573.