Fechtbuch
Encyclopedia
Martial arts manuals are instructions, with or without illustrations, detailing specific techniques of martial arts
.
Prose descriptions of martial arts techniques appear late within the history of literature
, due to the inherent difficulties of describing a technique rather than just demonstrating it.
The earliest extant manual on armed combat (as opposed to unarmed wrestling) is the I.33
, written in Franconia
around AD 1300.
Not within the scope of this article are books on military strategy
such as Sun Tzu
's The Art of War
(6th c. BC) or Vegetius
' De Re Militari
(4th c. AD), or military technology, such as De Rebus Bellicis
(4th to 5th c.).
Some early testimonies of historical martial arts consist of series of images only. The earliest example is a fresco in tomb 15 at Beni Hasan
, showing illustrations of wrestling
techniques dating to ca. 2000 BC. Similar depictions of wrestling techniques are found on Attic vases dating to Classical Greece
.
The only known instance of a manual from Western antiquity
is P.Oxy. III 466
(2nd century), detailing Greek wrestling
techniques. There are some examples in classical Chinese literature that may predate the turn of the Common Era
: the Records of the Grand Historian
by Sima Qian
(ca. 100 BC) documents wrestling
, referring to earlier how-to manuals" of the Former Han (2nd century BC) which have however not survived. An extant Chinese text on wrestling is "Six Chapters of Hand Fighting" included in the 1st century AD Book of Han
.
All other extant manuals date to the Middle Ages
or later.
The "combat stele" at Shaolin Monastery dates to AD 728.
The earliest text detailing Indian martial arts
is the Agni Purana
(c. 8th century), which contains several chapters giving descriptions and instructions on fighting techniques. It described how to improve a warrior's individual prowess and kill enemies using various methods in warfare whether they went to war in chariots, horses, elephants or on foot. Foot methods were subdivided into armed combat and unarmed combat. The former included the bow and arrow, the sword, spear, noose, armour, iron dart, club, battle axe, chakram
and trident
. The latter included wrestling
, knee strikes, punching and kicking methods.
An old Indian "martial arts manual" is a list of wrestling techniques contained in the Malla Purana, 13th century Gujarat.
The oldest extant European martial arts manual is MS I.33 (ca. 1300).
"Illustrations only" manuals do not become extinct with the appearance of prose instructions, but rather exist alongside these, e.g. in the form of the Late Medieval German Bilderhandschriften.
Fechtbuch (plural Fechtbücher) is Early Modern High German for "combat manual" (literally "fightbook"), one of the manuscripts or printed books of the late Middle Ages
and the Renaissance
containing descriptions of a martial art. Usually, the term is taken to include 15th and 16th century German manuals, but the nature of the subject matter does not allow a clear separation of these from treatises from other parts of Europe on one hand (particularly from the Italian and French schools), and from manuals of later centuries on the other hand.
A list of Fechtbücher include:
is attested in an early manual of 1410, at which time it is not yet clearly separable from the German school. Indeed, the author Fiore dei Liberi
states that he has learned much of his art from one "Master Johannes of Swabia". The heyday of the Italian school comes in the 16th century, with the Dardi school.
's Paradoxes of Defense (1599).
such as the early Portuguese work A ensinança de bem cavalgar em toda a sela
by Edward of Portugal (1391–1438). A riding instruction manual that also included martial information.
17th century Spanish Destreza
is very much steeped in the Spanish Baroque
noblemen mindset, so doesn't contain much graphical explanations of the fencing techniques so much as hard to understand explanations based on mathematics and philosophical sciences in general. The subsequent difficulty on interpreting the theory and practice of Destreza
correctly has lead many times to this school of fencing being misunderstood.
The Chinese Ji Xiao Xin Shu
dates to the 1560s. The Art of War by Sun Tzu dates to (206 BCE)
The Korean Muyejebo
dates to 1598, the Muyedobotongji
dates to 1790.
The Japanese Book of Five Rings
dates to 1645.
Martial arts
Martial arts are extensive systems of codified practices and traditions of combat, practiced for a variety of reasons, including self-defense, competition, physical health and fitness, as well as mental and spiritual development....
.
Prose descriptions of martial arts techniques appear late within the history of literature
History of literature
The history of literature is the historical development of writings in prose or poetry which attempts to provide entertainment, enlightenment, or instruction to the reader/hearer/observer, as well as the development of the literary techniques used in the communication of these pieces. Not all...
, due to the inherent difficulties of describing a technique rather than just demonstrating it.
The earliest extant manual on armed combat (as opposed to unarmed wrestling) is the I.33
I.33
Royal Armouries Ms. I.33, also known as "the Tower manuscript" because of its long stay in the Tower of London, is the usual name for the earliest known surviving European fechtbuch, although it deals only with the sword and buckler. The illuminated manuscript, of German origin, is now in the...
, written in Franconia
Franconia
Franconia is a region of Germany comprising the northern parts of the modern state of Bavaria, a small part of southern Thuringia, and a region in northeastern Baden-Württemberg called Tauberfranken...
around AD 1300.
Not within the scope of this article are books on military strategy
Military strategy
Military strategy is a set of ideas implemented by military organizations to pursue desired strategic goals. Derived from the Greek strategos, strategy when it appeared in use during the 18th century, was seen in its narrow sense as the "art of the general", 'the art of arrangement' of troops...
such as Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
Sun Wu , style name Changqing , better known as Sun Tzu or Sunzi , was an ancient Chinese military general, strategist and philosopher who is traditionally believed, and who is most likely, to have authored The Art of War, an influential ancient Chinese book on military strategy...
's The Art of War
The Art of War
The Art of War is an ancient Chinese military treatise that is attributed to Sun Tzu , a high ranking military general and strategist during the late Spring and Autumn period...
(6th c. BC) or Vegetius
Vegetius
Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus, commonly referred to simply as Vegetius, was a writer of the Later Roman Empire. Nothing is known of his life or station beyond what he tells us in his two surviving works: Epitoma rei militaris , and the lesser-known Digesta Artis Mulomedicinae, a guide to...
' De Re Militari
De Re Militari
De Re Militari , also Epitoma Rei Militaris, is a treatise by the late Latin writer Vegetius about Roman warfare and military principles as a presentation of methods and practices in use during the height of Rome's power, and responsible for that power...
(4th c. AD), or military technology, such as De Rebus Bellicis
De Rebus Bellicis
De rebus bellicis is a 4th or 5th century anonymous work about war machines used by the Roman army of the time. It was written after the death of Constantine I , and before the fall of the Western Roman Empire...
(4th to 5th c.).
Predecessors
Beni Hasan
Beni Hasan is an Ancient Egyptian cemetery site. It is located approximately 20 kilometers to the south of modern-day Minya in the region known as Middle Egypt, the area between Asyut and Memphis.While there are some Old Kingdom burials at the site, it was primarily used during the Middle...
, showing illustrations of wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
techniques dating to ca. 2000 BC. Similar depictions of wrestling techniques are found on Attic vases dating to Classical Greece
Classical Greece
Classical Greece was a 200 year period in Greek culture lasting from the 5th through 4th centuries BC. This classical period had a powerful influence on the Roman Empire and greatly influenced the foundation of Western civilizations. Much of modern Western politics, artistic thought, such as...
.
The only known instance of a manual from Western antiquity
Classical antiquity
Classical antiquity is a broad term for a long period of cultural history centered on the Mediterranean Sea, comprising the interlocking civilizations of ancient Greece and ancient Rome, collectively known as the Greco-Roman world...
is P.Oxy. III 466
P.Oxy. III 466
Papyrus Oxyrhynchus III 466 is a fragmentary 2nd century Greek papyrus manuscript containing instructions for wrestling, including the description of various grips and holds, constituting the earliest European martial arts manual...
(2nd century), detailing Greek wrestling
Greek wrestling
Greek wrestling, also known as Ancient Greek wrestling and Pále , was the most popular organized sport in Ancient Greece. A point was scored when one player touched the ground with his back,hip,shoulder,or tapped out due to a submission-hold or was forced out of the wrestling-area...
techniques. There are some examples in classical Chinese literature that may predate the turn of the Common Era
Common Era
Common Era ,abbreviated as CE, is an alternative designation for the calendar era originally introduced by Dionysius Exiguus in the 6th century, traditionally identified with Anno Domini .Dates before the year 1 CE are indicated by the usage of BCE, short for Before the Common Era Common Era...
: the Records of the Grand Historian
Records of the Grand Historian
The Records of the Grand Historian, also known in English by the Chinese name Shiji , written from 109 BC to 91 BC, was the Magnum opus of Sima Qian, in which he recounted Chinese history from the time of the Yellow Emperor until his own time...
by Sima Qian
Sima Qian
Sima Qian was a Prefect of the Grand Scribes of the Han Dynasty. He is regarded as the father of Chinese historiography for his highly praised work, Records of the Grand Historian , a "Jizhuanti"-style general history of China, covering more than two thousand years from the Yellow Emperor to...
(ca. 100 BC) documents wrestling
Wrestling
Wrestling is a form of grappling type techniques such as clinch fighting, throws and takedowns, joint locks, pins and other grappling holds. A wrestling bout is a physical competition, between two competitors or sparring partners, who attempt to gain and maintain a superior position...
, referring to earlier how-to manuals" of the Former Han (2nd century BC) which have however not survived. An extant Chinese text on wrestling is "Six Chapters of Hand Fighting" included in the 1st century AD Book of Han
Book of Han
The Book of Han, Hanshu or History of the Former Han Dynasty |Fan Ye]] . Various scholars have estimated that the earliest material covered in the book dates back to between 206 and 202 BCE...
.
All other extant manuals date to the Middle Ages
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
or later.
The "combat stele" at Shaolin Monastery dates to AD 728.
The earliest text detailing Indian martial arts
Indian martial arts
The Indian subcontinent is home to a variety of fighting styles. In Sanskrit they may be collectively referred to as ' or '. The former is a compound of the words and , meaning "knowledge of the sword" or "knowledge of weaponry"...
is the Agni Purana
Agni Purana
The Agni Purana, one of the 18 Mahapuranas, a genre of Hindu religious texts, contains descriptions and details of various incarnations of Vishnu. It also has details account about Rama, Krishna, Prithvi, and the stars...
(c. 8th century), which contains several chapters giving descriptions and instructions on fighting techniques. It described how to improve a warrior's individual prowess and kill enemies using various methods in warfare whether they went to war in chariots, horses, elephants or on foot. Foot methods were subdivided into armed combat and unarmed combat. The former included the bow and arrow, the sword, spear, noose, armour, iron dart, club, battle axe, chakram
Chakram
The chakram , sometimes called a war quoit, is a throwing weapon from India. Its shape is of a flat metal hoop with a sharp outer edge from in diameter...
and trident
Trishula
A trishula is a type of Indian trident but also found in Southeast Asia. It is commonly used as a Hindu-Buddhist religious symbol. The word means "three spear" in Sanskrit and Pali....
. The latter included wrestling
Malla-yuddha
' is the traditional South Asian form of combat-wrestling created in what is now India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka...
, knee strikes, punching and kicking methods.
An old Indian "martial arts manual" is a list of wrestling techniques contained in the Malla Purana, 13th century Gujarat.
The oldest extant European martial arts manual is MS I.33 (ca. 1300).
"Illustrations only" manuals do not become extinct with the appearance of prose instructions, but rather exist alongside these, e.g. in the form of the Late Medieval German Bilderhandschriften.
German Fechtbücher
Middle Ages
The Middle Ages is a periodization of European history from the 5th century to the 15th century. The Middle Ages follows the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 and precedes the Early Modern Era. It is the middle period of a three-period division of Western history: Classic, Medieval and Modern...
and the Renaissance
Renaissance
The Renaissance was a cultural movement that spanned roughly the 14th to the 17th century, beginning in Italy in the Late Middle Ages and later spreading to the rest of Europe. The term is also used more loosely to refer to the historical era, but since the changes of the Renaissance were not...
containing descriptions of a martial art. Usually, the term is taken to include 15th and 16th century German manuals, but the nature of the subject matter does not allow a clear separation of these from treatises from other parts of Europe on one hand (particularly from the Italian and French schools), and from manuals of later centuries on the other hand.
A list of Fechtbücher include:
- Royal Armouries MS I.33I.33Royal Armouries Ms. I.33, also known as "the Tower manuscript" because of its long stay in the Tower of London, is the usual name for the earliest known surviving European fechtbuch, although it deals only with the sword and buckler. The illuminated manuscript, of German origin, is now in the...
(Walpurgis Manuscript) (ca. 1300, predating Liechtenauer) - MS 3227a (ca. 1389)
- Fechtbuch of Sigmund RingeckSigmund RingeckSigmund Schining ein Ringeck was a 14th or 15th century German fencing master. While the meaning of the surname "Schining" is uncertain, the suffix "ain Ringeck" may indicate that he came from the Rhineland region of south-eastern Germany...
(1440s) - Codex Vindobonensis B 11093Codex Vindobonensis B 11093The Codex Vindobonensis B 11093 is an anonymous fechtbuch of 46 pages of drawn illustrations only, with no text, dating to the mid 15th century, probably created in southern Germany...
, kept in ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, and "GladiatoriaGladiatoriaGladiatoria is the name given to an anonymous mid 15th century German Fechtbuch, formerly kept at the Preussische Königliche Staatsbibliothek in Berlin, now at the Biblioteka Jagiellońska in Kraków, Poland...
", discovered in PolandPolandPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
, both dating to the mid 15th century and largely uninfluenced by Liechtenauer. - Fechtbücher of Hans TalhofferHans TalhofferHans Talhoffer was a Fechtmeister , employed as 'master of arms' to the Swabian knight Leutold von Konigsegg, a feudatory of Count Eberhardt the Bearded of Württemberg in southern Germany...
(several surviving manuscripts dating 1443–1467). - Fechtbuch of Peter von Danzig, Cod. 44 A 8Cod. 44 A 8Cod. 44 A 8 also known as MS 1449, Bibliotheca dell'Academica Nazionale dei Lincei e Corsiniana, is a Fechtbuch compiled by Peter von Danzig in 1452. Danzig was a 15th century German Fencing master...
, 1452 - Jud Lew Cod.I.6.4°.3 (1450s), AugsburgAugsburgAugsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a...
- Fechtbuch of Paulus KalPaulus KalPaulus Kal was a 15th century German fencing master. In 1460, he wrote a combat manual describing the art of fencing .-Literature:...
(1460s) - Cgm 558Cgm 558The Cgm 558 is a convolution of two 15th century manuscripts with a total of 176 folia, bound together in the 16th century. It is kept at the Bavarian library in Munich...
a Swiss treatise of the later 15th century only loosely related to the German school. - Codex WallersteinCodex WallersteinThe Codex Wallerstein is a 16th century fechtbuch. The titleVom Baumans Fechtbuch appears on the first page, together with the date 1549. The Codex came in the possession of Paulus Hector Mair in 1556...
(Vom Baumans Fechtbuch), 1470s, AugsburgAugsburgAugsburg is a city in the south-west of Bavaria, Germany. It is a university town and home of the Regierungsbezirk Schwaben and the Bezirk Schwaben. Augsburg is an urban district and home to the institutions of the Landkreis Augsburg. It is, as of 2008, the third-largest city in Bavaria with a... - Solothurner Fechtbuch, no text, dependent on Paulus Kal, 1470s, SolothurnSolothurnThe city of Solothurn is the capital of the Canton of Solothurn in Switzerland. The city also comprises the only municipality of the district of the same name.-Pre-roman settlement:...
- Johannes LecküchnerJohannes LecküchnerJohannes Lecküchner was a 15th century priest and fencer of the area of Nuremberg. He was inscribed at the University of Leipzig in 1455 and receives the title of bacalaureus in 1457. He was consecrated as acolyte in 1459, and as priest at some point before 1478...
Cod. Pal. Germ. 430, HeidelbergHeidelberg-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
(1478), Cgm. 582, MunichMunichMunich The city's motto is "" . Before 2006, it was "Weltstadt mit Herz" . Its native name, , is derived from the Old High German Munichen, meaning "by the monks' place". The city's name derives from the monks of the Benedictine order who founded the city; hence the monk depicted on the city's coat...
(1482) - Cod. Guelf. 78.2, Herzog August Bibliothek WolfenbüttelWolfenbüttelWolfenbüttel is a town in Lower Saxony, Germany, located on the Oker river about 13 kilometres south of Brunswick. It is the seat of the District of Wolfenbüttel and of the bishop of the Protestant Lutheran State Church of Brunswick...
(late 15th century) - Peter FalknerPeter FalknerPeter Falkner is the name of a German fencing master, active in the late 15th century , influenced by Paulus Kal.He is the author of a fechtbuch, now KK 5012, at the Kunsthistorisches Museum, Vienna....
P 5012, Kunsthistorisches Museum, ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre... - Hans FolzHans FolzHans Folz was a German author of the late medieval or early Renaissance period.Folz was born in Worms. He was made a citizen of the city of Nuremberg, Germany in 1459 and master barber of the city in 1486. Folz was a reformer of the meistersangs, adding 27 new tones to those that had been...
Q566 (ca. 1480), WeimarWeimarWeimar is a city in Germany famous for its cultural heritage. It is located in the federal state of Thuringia , north of the Thüringer Wald, east of Erfurt, and southwest of Halle and Leipzig. Its current population is approximately 65,000. The oldest record of the city dates from the year 899... - Hans von SpeyerHans von SpeyerHans von Speyer was a 15th century German scribe. He was probably born near Speyer, Germany in the mid 1400s. In ca. 1491, he produced the MS M.I.29, a fencing manual compiling several significant treatises from the tradition of Johannes Liechtenauer....
(MS M I 29) (1491) - MS 862MS 862MS 862 is a fechtbuch dating to ca. 1500. It is influenced by Paulus Kal and Peter Falkner, and was in turn drawn upon by Jorg Wilhalm .The manuscript was up for auction at Sotheby's in 2005....
, ca 1500, influenced by Kal and Falkner, drawn upon by Wilhalm. - Hans Wurm, grappling, (ca. 1505)
- "Goliath (manuscript)" (1510s)
- Albrecht DürerAlbrecht DürerAlbrecht Dürer was a German painter, printmaker, engraver, mathematician, and theorist from Nuremberg. His prints established his reputation across Europe when he was still in his twenties, and he has been conventionally regarded as the greatest artist of the Northern Renaissance ever since...
's fechtbuch HS. 26-232 (1512), Michigan State UniversityMichigan State UniversityMichigan State University is a public research university in East Lansing, Michigan, USA. Founded in 1855, it was the pioneer land-grant institution and served as a model for future land-grant colleges in the United States under the 1862 Morrill Act.MSU pioneered the studies of packaging,... - Andre Pauernfeindt, Ergründung der ritterlichen kunst des fechtens durch freyfechter czu Vienn, ViennaViennaVienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, 1516 - Cologne FechtbuchCologne FechtbuchThe Cologne Fechtbuch is a historical martial arts manual, formerly kept at the Historical Archive of the City of Cologne The Cologne Fechtbuch (Kölner Fechtbuch) is a historical martial arts manual, formerly kept at the Historical Archive of the City of Cologne The Cologne Fechtbuch (Kölner...
, anonymous (early 16th century) - Fechtbücher by Jörg WilhalmJörg WilhalmJörg Wilhalm was an early 16th century German fencing master, hatmaker, and citizen of Augsburg.There are six fechtbuchs attributed to Wilhalm:* 1522 Cod.I.6.4°.5, 47 folia, Augsburg University library, bought by Paulus Hector Mair in 1552....
(1520s) - "Egenolph": Der Altenn Fechter anfaengliche Kunst, anonymous, printed by Christian Egenolph, 1529, Frankfurt am Main. This is largely derived from Pauernfeindt's 1516 manual.
- Hans Czynner MS. 963 (1538), GrazGrazThe more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
- the compendia of Paulus Hector MairPaulus Hector MairPaulus Hector Mair was an Augsburg civil servant, and active in the martial arts of his time. He collected Fechtbücher and undertook to compile all knowledge of the art of fencing in a compendium surpassing all earlier books...
(1540s). - Hans Lecküchner (1558) (this is a reprint from the Altenn Fechter anfaengliche Kunst, printed by Egenolph).
- Joachim MeyerJoachim MeyerJoachim Meyer was a self described Freifechter living in the then Free Imperial City of Strassburg in the 16th century and the author of a fechtbuch Gründtliche Beschreibung der kunst des Fechten first published in 1570.Meyer's book was reprinted in 1600, and may have been an...
"Grundtliche Beschreibung der freyen Ritterlichen vnnd Adelichen kunst des Fechtens in allerley gebreuchlichen Wehren mit vil schönen vnd nützlichen Figuren gezieret vnnd fürgestellet" (1570) - Gunterrodt: "De veris principiis artis dimicatoriae" (1579), WittenbergWittenbergWittenberg, officially Lutherstadt Wittenberg, is a city in Germany in the Bundesland Saxony-Anhalt, on the river Elbe. It has a population of about 50,000....
- Codex Guelf. 83.4 (ca. 1591)
- Jakob Sutor von Baden (1612)
Italian treatises
The Italian schoolItalian school of swordsmanship
The term Italian school of swordsmanship is used to describe the Italian style of fencing and edged-weapon combat from the time of the first extant Italian swordsmanship treatise to the days of Classical Fencing ....
is attested in an early manual of 1410, at which time it is not yet clearly separable from the German school. Indeed, the author Fiore dei Liberi
Fiore dei Liberi
Fiore Furlano de Civida d'Austria delli Liberi da Premariacco was a Medieval master of arms and the earliest Italian master from whom we have an martial arts manual...
states that he has learned much of his art from one "Master Johannes of Swabia". The heyday of the Italian school comes in the 16th century, with the Dardi school.
- Fiore dei LiberiFiore dei LiberiFiore Furlano de Civida d'Austria delli Liberi da Premariacco was a Medieval master of arms and the earliest Italian master from whom we have an martial arts manual...
's Flos Duellatorum (1410) - Filippo Vadi's De Arte Gladiatoria DimicandiDe Arte Gladiatoria DimicandiDe Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi was written by Italian fencing master Filippo Vadi at some time between 1482 and 1487. It consists of an opening prologue describing the art of fencing followed by colored plates illustrating specific techniques for the longsword, dagger, pollaxe, spear and club...
(1485) - Pietro MontePietro MontePietro Monte was a Spanish master of arms who lived in Italy in the late 15th century. He was a contemporary of Leonardo da Vinci, and is said to have taught da Vinci to play darts. Monte was versed in many fields; he was a warrior, a scholar, and a theologian who wrote numerous books,...
(1509) - Anonimo Bolognese M-345/6 (ca. 1510s)
- Antonio Manciolino (1531)
- Achille MarozzoAchille MarozzoAchille Marozzo was an Italian fencing master teaching in the Dardi or Bolognese tradition.Marozzo was probably born in Bologna. His text Opera Nova dell'Arte delle Armi was published in 1536 in Modena, dedicated to Count Rangoni, then reprinted several times all the way into the next century...
(1536) - Camillo AgrippaCamillo AgrippaCamillo Agrippa was a noted fencer, architect, engineer and mathematician of the Renaissance. He is considered to be one of the greatest fencing theorists of all time.-Biography:...
, Trattato di Scienza d'Arme (1568) - Giacomo di GrassiGiacomo di GrassiGiacomo di Grassi was an Italian fencing master who wrote the fencing manual Ragione di adoprar sicuramente l'Arme, si da offesa come da difesa in 1570. The text was later translated into English and published again in 1594, as DiGrassi, His True Arte of Defence...
, His True Art of Defense (1594) - Vincentio SavioloVincentio SavioloFencing master Vincentio Saviolo , though Italian born and raised, authored the first book on fencing in the English language.He arrived in London from Padua in 1590...
, His Practice (1595) - Salvator FabrisSalvator FabrisSalvator Fabris was an Italian fencing master from Padua. During his life he taught in various European countries, most notably in Denmark where he was the fencing instructor of King Christian IV. It was during his time in Copenhagen that he published his treatise on rapier fencing, Lo Schermo,...
(1606) - Ridolfo Capo FerroRidolfo Capo FerroRidolfo Capoferro or Capo Ferro of Cagli was a fencing master in the city of Siena best known for his rapier fencing manual published in 1610....
(1610) - Francesco AlfieriFrancesco AlfieriFrancesco Ferdinando Alfieri of Padova was a 17th century master of the Italian school of swordsmanship and “Maestro D’Arme” to the Accademia Delia in Padua in 1640.-Works:Several manuals by Alfieri are known:...
La Scherma (1640) - Giuseppe ColombaniGiuseppe ColombaniGiuseppe Colombani is known as l'Alfier lombardo He wrote a treatise on martial arts, published in 1711. It is the latest known treatise discussing the spadone, or longsword, before the revivalist movements of historical fencing in the 20th century....
(1711)
French manuals
Similar to the situation in Italy, there is one early manual (ca. 1400, dealing with the poleaxe exclusively, and later treatises set in only after a gap of more than a century.- Le jeu de la hacheLe jeu de la hacheLe jeu de la hache is a French manual on combat with the poleaxe dating to ca. 1400.The manuscript measures 240mm by 160mm and consists of ten vellum leaves. The text consists of a prologue Le jeu de la hache ("play of the axe") is a French manual on combat with the poleaxe dating to ca....
(ca 1400) - Andre Pauernfeindt "La noble science des joueurs d'espee" (1528)—This is a French translation of Pauernfeindt's 1516 work. One notable difference between it and the original is that the "noble science" print has colored images, unlike the German.
- Henry de Sainct-DidierHenry de Sainct-DidierThe history of fencing in France begins in the 16th century, with the adoption of Italian styles of rapier fencing.There are medieval predecessors, such as the Burgundian Le jeu de la hache of ca...
"Traité contenant les secrets du premier livre de l’épée seule, mère de toutes les armes, qui sont épée, dague, cappe, targue, bouclier, rondelle, l’espée deux mains, et les deux espées, avec ses pourtraictures, ..." (1573) - Girard Thibault d'Anvers "Académie de l'epee, ou se démontrent par reigles mathématique, sur le fondement d'un cercle mysterieux, la theorie et pratique des vrais et jusqu'a present incognus secrets du maniement des armes, à pied et a cheval" (1623)
- Monsieur L'Abbat "The Art of Fencing, or, the Use of the Small Sword" (1734)
English manuals
Apart from three rather opaque texts of the later 15th century, the native English tradition of fencing manuals begins with George SilverGeorge Silver
George Silver was a gentleman of England during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, who is known for his writings on fencing. He is thought to have been the eldest of four brothers , and eleventh in descent from Sir Bartholomew Silver, who was knighted by Edward II...
's Paradoxes of Defense (1599).
- Cotton Titus 15th Century English Greatsword and Staff
- "Additional Manuscript 39564", 15th century
- Harliean Manuscript 3542 ("The Man Who Wol"), 15th century
- George SilverGeorge SilverGeorge Silver was a gentleman of England during the late 16th and early 17th centuries, who is known for his writings on fencing. He is thought to have been the eldest of four brothers , and eleventh in descent from Sir Bartholomew Silver, who was knighted by Edward II...
"Paradoxes of Defense" (1599) - Joseph SwetnamJoseph SwetnamJoseph Swetnam was a Renaissance author and Jacobean fencing master, author of the first complete English fencing treatise.- The Pamphlet Wars :...
"Schoole of the Noble and Worthy Science of Defence" (1612) - Sir William Johnstone HopeWilliam Johnstone HopeVice Admiral Sir William Johnstone Hope, GCB was a prominent and controversial British Royal Navy officer and politician in late eighteenth and early nineteenth century Britain, whose career experienced fleet actions, disputes with royalty, party politics and entry to both Russian and British...
, several books (1690s) - Captain John Godfrey "A Treatise Upon the Useful Science of Defence, Connecting the Small and Back-Sword" (1747)
- Alfred HuttonAlfred HuttonAlfred Hutton was a Victorian officer of the King's Dragoon Guards, antiquarian and swordsman. He originated the first English revival of historical fencing, together with his colleagues Egerton Castle, Captain Carl Thimm, Colonel Cyril Matthey, Captain Percy Rolt, Captain Ernest George Stenson...
"Cold Steel, A Practical Treatise on the Sabre" (1889), "Old Sword-Play" (1892)
Spanish and Portuguese manuals
There are some manuals containing training advice for the medieval tournament and joustingJousting
Jousting is a martial game or hastilude between two knights mounted on horses and using lances, often as part of a tournament.Jousting emerged in the High Middle Ages based on the military use of the lance by heavy cavalry. The first camels tournament was staged in 1066, but jousting itself did not...
such as the early Portuguese work A ensinança de bem cavalgar em toda a sela
Bem cavalgar
Bem cavalgar, fully Livro da ensinança de bem cavalgar toda sela , is a book written by Edward of Portugal, left incomplete as Edward died of a plague in 1438. It is one of the oldest remaining manuals of medieval horsemanship and jousting...
by Edward of Portugal (1391–1438). A riding instruction manual that also included martial information.
17th century Spanish Destreza
Destreza
La Verdadera Destreza is a Spanish system of fencing. The word "destreza" literally means "skill." However, the full name is perhaps best translated as "the true art."...
is very much steeped in the Spanish Baroque
Baroque
The Baroque is a period and the style that used exaggerated motion and clear, easily interpreted detail to produce drama, tension, exuberance, and grandeur in sculpture, painting, literature, dance, and music...
noblemen mindset, so doesn't contain much graphical explanations of the fencing techniques so much as hard to understand explanations based on mathematics and philosophical sciences in general. The subsequent difficulty on interpreting the theory and practice of Destreza
Destreza
La Verdadera Destreza is a Spanish system of fencing. The word "destreza" literally means "skill." However, the full name is perhaps best translated as "the true art."...
correctly has lead many times to this school of fencing being misunderstood.
- Jerónimo Sánchez de CarranzaJerónimo Sánchez de CarranzaDon Jerónimo de Carranza is commonly called the "Father of Spanish Fencing" and he wrote his text Of the Philosophy of the arms, of its art and the Christian offense and defense in 1582 under the sponsorship of Don Alonso de Guzmán El Bueno, 7th Duke of Medina Sidonia.His work on Destreza, the...
, De la filosophia de las armas y de su destreza... (1582) - Luis Pacheco de NarváezLuis Pacheco de NarváezDon Luis Pacheco de Narváez was a Spanish writer on fencing. He was don Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza's student and later published a multitude of works based on the Destreza school of fencing. Some of his works were compendiums of Carranza's work while others were less derivative.He may be the...
, Grandezas de la espada (1600) - Gerard Thibault, Academie de l’espée (1628)
- Luis Pacheco de NarváezLuis Pacheco de NarváezDon Luis Pacheco de Narváez was a Spanish writer on fencing. He was don Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza's student and later published a multitude of works based on the Destreza school of fencing. Some of his works were compendiums of Carranza's work while others were less derivative.He may be the...
, Nueva ciencia (1632) - Luis Méndez de Carmona Tamariz, Compendio en defensa de la doctrina y destreza del comendador Gerónimo de Carranza (1632)
- Cristóbal de Cala, Desengaño de la espada y norte de diestros (1642)
- Diogo Gomes de Figueyredo Memorial da Prattica do Montante Que inclue dezaseis regras simplez (1651)
- Miguel Pérez de Mendoza y Quijada, Resumen de la verdadera destreza de las armas en treinta y ocho asserciones (1675)
- Francisco Antonio de Ettenhard y Abarca, Compendio de los fundamentos de la verdadera destreza y filosofia de las armas (1675)
- Álvaro Guerra de la Vega, Compreension de la destreza (1681)
- Thomas Luis, Tratado das liçoens da espada preta, & destreza que hao de usar os jugadores della (1685)
- Nicolás Tamariz, Cartilla y luz en la verdadera destreza (1696)
- Manuel Cruzado y Peralta, Las tretas de la vulgar y comun esgrima de espada sola y con armas dobles (1702)
- Francisco Lórenz de Rada, Nobleza de la espada (1705)
- Nicolás Rodrigo Noveli, Crisol especulativo, demostrativo, práctico, Matemático de la destreza (1731)
- Manuel Antonio de Brea, Principios universales y reglas generales de la verdadera destreza del espadín (1805)
- Jaime Mereló y Casademunt, Tratado completo de la esgrima del sable español (1862)
Historical Asian martial arts
The oldest known martial arts manual from Asia is contained in the Indian Malla Purana (13th century), which includes portions dealing with wrestling techniques.The Chinese Ji Xiao Xin Shu
Ji Xiao Xin Shu
The book Ji Xiao Xin Shu was written by the Chinese general Qi Jiguang of the Ming Dynasty. The title can be translated as New Book Recording Effective Techniques....
dates to the 1560s. The Art of War by Sun Tzu dates to (206 BCE)
The Korean Muyejebo
Muyejebo
The Muyejebo is a Korean martial art manual written during the reign of King Seonjo in 1598.-History:As the Imjin war dragged on for years, Korea needed a way to effectively train a large number of troops, and the Korean military adopted a training methodology based on a Chinese military manual...
dates to 1598, the Muyedobotongji
Muyedobotongji
In 1790, King Jeongjo of Korea commissioned a book called the Muyedobotongji which was an illustrated manual of Korean martial arts. This book, written by Yi Deokmu and Pak Jega , described in detail Korea's martial arts of which an unarmed combat style of kicking and punching is extensively...
dates to 1790.
The Japanese Book of Five Rings
The Book of Five Rings
is a text on kenjutsu and the martial arts in general, written by the samurai warrior Miyamoto Musashi circa 1645. There have been various translations made over the years, and it enjoys an audience considerably broader than only that of martial artists: for instance, some business leaders find its...
dates to 1645.
See also
- Historical European Martial ArtsHistorical European martial artsHistorical European martial arts is a neologism describing martial arts of European origin, used particularly to refer to arts formerly practised, but having since died out or evolved into very different forms...
- German school of swordsmanshipGerman school of swordsmanshipThe German school of fencing is the historical system of combat taught in the Holy Roman Empire in the Late Medieval, Renaissance and Early Modern periods , as described in the Fechtbücher written at the time...
- Martial arts timelineMartial arts timelineThis martial arts timeline is designed to help describe the history of the martial arts in a linear fashion. Many of the articles for particular styles have discussions of their history...
External links
- Wiktenauer: A Wiki database dedicated to the masters, manuals, and techniques of Historical European Martial Arts hosted by the HEMA AllianceHEMA AllianceThe HEMA Alliance is a martial arts federation dedicated to the study of Historical European Martial Arts. It is organized as a United States nonprofit organization incorporated under the laws of the State of Utah....
- THE ARMARIUM: Online Historical Fencing Manuals & Texts of the Doctrina Armorum by The Association for Renaissance Martial ArtsAssociation for Renaissance Martial ArtsAssociation for Renaissance Martial Arts is an international educational non-profit organization dedicated to the study and practice of historical European martial arts of the 15th to 17th centuries...
(ARMA) - Online Library of Historical Fencing Treatises hosted by the Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts (AEMMA)
- Genealogy of the German "Fechtbücher" hosted by the Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts (AEMMA)
- http://www.hemac.org
- http://www.fencingbibliography.com/_uk/
- Articles on Spanish Destreza by Martinez Academy of Arms
- Destreza Translation & Research Project