Just read a great chapter on the landsknechte

**MovableBookLady** · Posted On: 4/30/2012 9:22pm

Originally Posted by lordbd

As you're all coming to realize that I'm somewhat of a bibliophile, my next question might be pretty predictable: can you recommend a good book on historical fencing (not a manual but a history or narrative)?

Perhaps you'd find this book of interest. There's a considerable amount of historical fencing info woven into the fictional narrative.

The Fencing Master

by Arturo Pérez-Reverte, Arturo Perez-Reverte

3.67 · rating details · 1,990 ratings · 139 reviews
Everyone in Madrid in the torrid fall of 1868 is discussing political plots and revolution except for Don Jaime. He is a fencing master and a man of honor, an anachronism. For years he has been working on a Treatise on the Art of Fencing, the heart of which is his perfection of the unstoppable thrust.
He is approached one day by a beautiful and mysterious woman with a scar at the corner of her mouth that hints at dark violence. She asks the maestro to teach her the unstoppable thrust. Even though Dona Adela de Otero's weapons of charm and elegance are formidable, Don Jaime declines. But he is entirely unprepared for the unhurried, sure, and inexplicable movements that follow. Soon he finds himself involved in a plot that includes seduction, politics, secret documents, and murder.P
Rich with the historical detail of a decaying world that agonizes-as does the art of fencing-over ideals of honor and chivalry, The Fencing Master is superb literature and an honest-to-goodness page-turner.PBLOCKQUOTE

Paperback, 244 pages
Published June 7th 2004 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (first published 1988)
ISBN
0156029839 (ISBN13: 9780156029834)

edition language
English

original title
El Maestro de Esgrima

setting
Madrid (Spain)

**lordbd** · Posted On: 4/30/2012 9:31pm

Thanks for the suggestion! I'm actually a big Perez-Reverente fan and read this a couple years ago. I cant speak to the accuracy of the fight scenes; but I love the tone the history and just about everything about the book. Also; swordcane!

**DdlR** · Posted On: 5/01/2012 1:31am

Specific to the flamberge, I can't actually recall anyone who is recreating the fence of that weapon as a martial art (though I'm a bit out of the historical fencing loop). I do remember seeing a demonstration of it performed by Mike Loades in a stage combat instructional video.

If you do make it down to DC, be sure to train with Brad Waller - he was one of the real pioneers of the modern HEMA revival and is a superb instructor.

**lklawson** · Posted On: 5/01/2012 9:28am

Let me second the recommendation for Brad Waller. Body Movement and Footwork are key and Brad is particularly skilled in recognizing and teaching those subtleties.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk

**blossfechter** · Posted On: 5/05/2012 4:31pm

Without starting too much drama, I would say that the SCA is often times only vaguely HEMA-related. More times than not (that I've seen), their cultural research (non-fighting) is more historical than their fighting research.

Joachim Meyer's manual teaches fighting with Landsknecht weapons. He doesn't show wavy-bladed weapons, however.

Also, one of the largest HEMA tournaments in the US is going to be in Maryland in about 6 six weeks. www.fightlongpoint.com Also, Jake Norwood runs the HEMA group there, and he is a great fighter and great guy.

**blossfechter** · Posted On: 5/05/2012 4:45pm

Originally Posted by Petter

Of course, any tournament that includes heavy weapons (sidesword, longsword, polearms) is going to have armour requirements that necessitate some amount of "costume" for the safety of participants.

Costume implies trying to portray something fanasty or from the past. My HEMA group and many other HEMA groups separate fighting from costuming. We have a equipment guide and suggested uniform, but it's a fighting uniform. You wouldn't say a modern Olympic fencer wore a fencing costume. It's a uniform. Anyway....

**yli** · Posted On: 5/06/2012 9:52pm

Originally Posted by blossfechter

Also, Jake Norwood runs the HEMA group there, and he is a great fighter and great guy.

I can attest to the truth of this quote.

**blindside** · Posted On: 5/08/2012 12:35pm

Originally Posted by lordbd

Are there tournaments/competitions for this? I have to say (and I hope I don't offend anyone too badly) that this is far more fun to watch than olympic fencing. I don't know if the costumes and attitudes of the participants have anything to do with it, or if it's just cool to see these diverse styles recreated.

I haven't really delved much into HEMA, just a couple of seminars really, but I do like to watch what is going on in the study of the art(s). There are a couple of tournaments that have been well documented on youtube, one called "Swordfish" has a number of bouts over several years.

As an example: