Book Review: The Knightly Art of Battle

This is a book review of "The Knightly Art of Battle" by Ken Mondschein, from the Getty Museum.

While this is not a full translation or facsimile of the Fiore manuscript held by the Getty Museum in LA, this is a wonderful introduction to the manuscript for non-Fiorists and Fiorists alike. The introduction is clear and concise, as are the brief introductions to each section.

The highlight (for me) were the high-res images included in the book. While it doesn't include the whole manuscript, most of the "important" images are: the segno, all the poste, and a hand full of plays.

For so cheap a price, this book really is a must-own for any Western Martial Artist.

Book Review: The Complete Renaissance Swordsman

The Complete Renaissance Swordsman
A Guide to the Use of All Manner of Weapons
Antonio Manciolino's Opera Nova (1531)

Translated by Tom Leoni

Available from Freelance Academy Press

This book was purchased, much like Tom's translation of Giganti's rapier, as part of the "What If" section of my WMA library. As in, "what if I someday decided to teach / study, or have students who are interested in..." As most of you are aware, the Bolognese school is not in my normal area of interest (Although Manciolino does have a pretty cool section on polearms).

As with the Giganti book, the biggest value to the beginning student is in Leoni's clear introduction to the Bolognese school - stances, guards, attacks, footwork, etc. The actual translation is just as clear and easy to read as readers have come to expect from Tom Leoni.

No matter which aspect of HEMA you study, you would be smart to pick up this book.

Apologies

I have been horrible about updating this blog.

My bad.

Part of it is feeling that there is nothing I can really write that will contribute to the community at the present. However, stay tuned I as I will be receiving a couple books that I plan on reviewing here.

Brief Thought

It just struck me that polearms occupy both ends of the training spectrum.

More people focus on the sword, but traditionally the spear was the more common weapon throughout the Middle Ages. It can then be claimed that the spear is one of (if not the) simplest weapon to learn.

On the other end we have the pollaxe, which is viewed by myself and many others as being the "acme" weapon - the tip of the pyramid of weapons training. This is because the poleaxe combines so many aspects of the other weapons - the spear, the sword and the dagger.

Discuss.

Random thoughts & Musings

Anyone ever noticed how the blows of the sword described and shown in the various Fiore manuscripts are also the same motions used when parrying? When you make the parry of the 1st Master of Gioco Largo, you make a fendente. I think most of the people who study Fiore agree on that. When you make a deflection from Dente di Cinghiaro, you make a sottano. Again, agreement. What I realized was that when you execute a scambiar della punta (especially from Tutta Porta di Ferro) you're doing a mezzano. And when you cover against a fendente with Frontale, you're doing a sottano (or a mezzano). Seriously...think about it ;-)

INTERLUDE - Footwork Article

Sorry it's been awhile since I've posted but moving will kinda do that to ya.

So, here is a re-post from Jason Smith and Le Maitres d'Armes on footwork.

Forum Suckage

Just a quick note to say that I am extremely frustrated by the various HEMA forums right now.

They suck.

Badly.

I am so damned tired of watching people bicker, people inflating the status of other people (including the author's of the manuscripts themselves), and people just being asses.

That's all for now.