Dating from the 1520's, Bolognese swordsmaster's Antonio Manciolino's Opera Nova is the earliest surviving printed book on Italian martial arts. This seminal and eclectic Renaissance work contains clear and systematic instruction on the use of the sword and small buckler, sword and large buckler, sword and targa, sword and dagger, sword and cape, two swords, sword alone, and sword and rotella, plus a fascinating compendium on the use of polearms. Clearly and elegantly written, Manciolino's text is one of the best and clearest presentations of the martial skills required of the ideal Renaissance man. For the first time since its original publishing, this book has been translated into English by experienced historical fencing instructor Tom Leoni. Also included is a valuable and extensive technical introduction, complete with illustrations from both original sources and modern photographs, making it easy to follow Manciolino's instructions, sword-in-hand, even by beginners, while providing years of training for veteran martial artists.

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

History

Europe

Freelance Academy Pr

In the 1600s, the elegant and deadly Italian rapier was the choice sword of duelists, officers, gentlemen and noblemen: to master the rapier was to be a feared martial artist and a paragon in single combat. Among the original treatises on the use of this weapon, the most prized by historical fencing revivalists in the last 150 year has been the Great Representation of the Art and Practice of Fencing, written in 1610 by Master Ridolfo Capoferro. In this remarkable text, Capoferro described and illustrated--in unmatched detail--the use of the rapier alone and with a left-handed dagger, cloak and shield, offering the modern historical fencing student a true wealth of Renaissance fencing theory, form and repertoire. With this book, expert researcher and rapier instructor Tom Leoni offers a full, accurate and accessible English translation of Capoferro's teachings, complete with high-resolution reproductions of the 43 original illustrations. To make the book even more useful, Tom has included bullet-point synopses of all the actions illustrated by Capoferro, as well as a glossary of rapier-fencing terms with examples referring the reader to how they are used in the text. Also included is a primer on key rapier-fencing concepts and actions, as well as a historical introduction about Capoferro and his extraordinary relevance in the revival of historical martial arts.

Ridolfo Capoferro's The Art and Practice of Fencing: A Practical Translation for the Modern Swordsman

Leoni, Tom

World

Medieval Fighting with the German MastersChristian Henry Tobler presents a beautifully interpreted study of fighting techniques recorded in the mnemonic verse of the legendary German swordmaster, Johannes Liechtenauer. Johannes Liechtenauer was a 14th century German fencing master born in the mid 1300s. Some of Liechtenauer's teachings were preserved in rhyming couplets, possibly done so to prevent the uninitiated from learning the techniques he presented. Christian presents his interpretation in a style that is readable, translating the original and then providing a practical interpretation of each technique. At once bold and martially efficient, these classic techniques of swordsmanship have proven their enduring allure. In this second reissue of a classic work, Chivalry Bookshelf offers students of martial arts, of martial culture during the middle ages, fencing historians, reenactors and students of medieval history.

Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship: Sigmund Ringeck's Commentaries on Johannes Liechtenauer's Verse

Ringeck, Sigmund

Tobler, Henry

Liechtenauer, Johann

Sachsische Landesbibliothek--Staats- Und Universitatsbibliothek dresde

Few images of chivalry are stronger in the popular mind than that of two armoured knights in a joust, crashing together astride their chargers. Yet, considering the importance of formal combat to the medieval aristocracy, we possess surprisingly few detailed accounts of tournaments, jousts or duels. As the great sporting event of its day, fans of feats of arms enjoyed hearing about them, but extensive descriptions of the actual events involving contemporary warriors were not what they were looking for. Sometimes, however, there was an upswing of interest that inspired poets and chroniclers to write more detailed descriptions of both combats and accompanying celebrations. One particularly rich time for source material are the years 1389-90, when diplomatic competition between Charles VI of France and Richard II of England inspired the kings to sponsor some of the most spectacular formal combats of the entire Middle Ages. These feats of arms attracted a great deal of attention from contemporary writers and they were not soon forgotten. As a result, we have valuable descriptions of how jousting was performed and appreciated at the highest social levels in the two great rival kingdoms of the West. Bringing together some of the most important accounts of medieval jousting, especially those of the jousts at St. Inglevert, Royal Jousts is a direct look at the sources that have influenced our modern notion, and every modern reconstruction, of late medieval jousting. It is also the first entry in our new Deeds of Arms series a series of short, colour-illustrated readers that make primary source accounts of famous displays of martial and chivalric prowess of the High and Late Middle Ages and early Renaissance accessible to a broad audience.

Royal Jousts at the End of the Fourteenth Century (Deeds of Arms, 1)

Muhlberger, Steven

The poleaxe is a fearsome weapon: the armour-breaching weapon par excellence of the late Middle Ages, wielded on foot in friendly tournaments, lethal duels, and on the battlefield. Instruction on its use is found throughout surviving medieval martial arts manuscripts from Germany and Italy, but Le Jeu de la Hache (Axe-Play) - written in the mid fifteenth century for the Burgundian Court - is both the most complete study of this deadly weapon and the oldest known French-language martial arts text. In this new translation and interpretive guide, Jason Smith presents a complete translation of Le Jeu, detailed photographic reconstructions of its many techniques, and a short primer on the basics of axe combat, creating a complete curriculum for actually training in this unique medieval martial art. Combined with a historical overview of the manuscript and a detailed biography of Jacques de Lalain, a famed Burgundian axe-fighter, this volume is not just modern training manual, but also a window into knightly culture at the waning of the Middle Ages.

Burgundian Poleaxe: The Noble Art of Chivalric Axe Combat (Medieval Martial Arts)

SMITH, JASON

Follow along, sword-in-hand, with internationally renowned swordsman and instructor Devon Boorman, as he leads you through the fundamentals of Renaissance rapier combat! This sophisticated art represents the pinnacle of the duel of honor as it was originally practiced in the seventeenth century and its practice today. You will develop grace, power, and effective martial skills with solo and partnered exercises that teach the foundation of swordplay. Ideal for beginners of all age levels and physical abilities.

Introduction to the Italian Rapier: Step-by-step Guide to the Fundamentals of Rapier Combat

Boorman, Devon

Koryu, literally, 'old flow from the past, ' refers to Japanese martial traditions that predate the sweeping cultural changes that followed the Meiji Restoration of 1868. They generally have a very different character and tone from modern martial arts, such as kendo, judo or aikido which followed. More than the study of antique weapons, self-defense or a form of athletics, these martial traditions are a cultural legacy and a window to another time and place. In the first edition of Old School, Ellis Amdur, a renowned martial arts researcher, and himself an instructor in two different surviving koryu, gave readers a rare glimpse into feudal Japanese warrior arts, both as they were in the past and as they live on today. Nearly a decade later, he returns to the subject in this new, greatly expanded edition, bringing readers inside the dojos of a number ancient schools, providing details analysis of the evolution and morphology of uniquely Japanese weaponry, addressing the myth and reality of Japan's naginata-wielding warrior women, and discussing the modern relevance of the blood oaths, magical ritual and mysticism that often permeate the koryu. Finally, he looks at the challenge of preservation and transmission, especially as more and more practitioners of the koryu exist outside of Japan itself. Writing with a combination of the initiate's passion for his subject, and the scientist's rigorous search for the truth, Amdur asks critically: do the ancient traditions still meet the objectives of their founders? Are they successfully passing their ancient legacy down to the next generation? Over a third larger than the first edition and filled with new artwork and photography, Old School: Japanese Martial Traditions Expanded Edition will be an invaluable addition to the library of old readers and new alike.

Old School: Essays on Japanese Martial Traditions

Sports & Outdoors

Amdur, Ellis

Individual Sports

Ellis Amdur's writing on martial arts has been groundbreaking. In Dueling with O-sensei, he challenged practitioners that the moral dimension of martial arts is expressed in acts of integrity, not spiritual platitudes and the deification of fantasized warrior-sages. In Old School, he applied both academic rigor and keen observation towards some of the classical martial arts of Japan, leavening his writing with vivid descriptions of many of the actual practitioners of these wonderful traditions. His first edition of Hidden in Plain Sight was a discussion of esoteric training methods once common, but now all but lost within Japanese martial arts. These methodologies encompassed mental imagery, breath-work, and a variety of physical techniques, offering the potential to develop skills and power sometimes viewed as nearly superhuman. Usually believed to be the provenance of Chinese martial arts, Amdur asserted that elements of such training still remain within a few martial traditions: literally, 'hidden in plain sight.' Two-thirds larger, this second edition is so much more. Amdur digs deep into the past, showing the complexity of human strength, its adaptation to varying lifestyles, and the nature of physical culture pursued for martial ends. Amdur goes into detail concerning varieties of esoteric power training within martial arts, culminating in a specific methodology known as 'six connections' or 'internal strength.' With this discussion as a baseline, he then discusses the transfer of esoteric power training from China to various Japanese jujutsu systems as well as Japanese swordsman-ship emanating from the Kurama traditions. Finally, he delves into the innovative martial tradition of Daito-ryu and its most important offshoot, aikido, showing how the mercurial, complicated figures of Takeda Sokaku and Morihei Ueshiba were less the embodiment of something new, than a re-imagining of their past.

Hidden in Plain Sight: Esoteric Power Training Within Japanese Martial Traditions; Tracing the Roots of Ueshiba Morihei's Power

Follow along with Maestro d'Armi Devon Boorman as he leads you through the fundamentals of Medieval longsword combat. You will develop grace, power, and effective martial skills with solo and partnered exercises that teach the foundation of this beautiful and powerful martial art. Ideal for beginners of all age levels and physical abilities.

Introduction to the Italian Longsword: A Step-By-Step Guide to the Fundamentals of Longsword Combat

Joachim Meyer (ca. 1537 - 1571) is without doubt one of the most influential fencing masters of the Renaissance. A prolific writer of fencing manuals, his monumental "A Thorough Description of the Free, Chivalric, and Noble Art of Fencing, Showing Various Customary Defenses, Affected and Put Forth with Many Handsome and Useful Drawings" was reprinted, adapted and outright plagiarized for over a century after his death. As a martial artist, he was both the last great master of the medieval Liechtenauer fencing tradition and a young innovator, who combined his native, German traditions with those of the Italian and Spanish fencing masters to create a wholly unique systems of fighting with a vast number of weapons. The centerpiece of his work, however, was the cut-and-thrust "sidesword" or "early rapier" which was rapidly eclipsing the knightly two-handed longsword in popularity. Meyer's synthesis not only adapted his native art to this Mediterranean weapon, but in some cases, his innovations prefigured the developments of rapier fencing that Italian masters would promote in the next quarter century after his untimely death. In this first-of-its kind training guide, Robert Rutherfoord unpacks the complex and elegant art of Meyer's rapier in word and image, including over 200 easy to follow "first person perspective" illustrations and 3D renderings to bring the art to life!

Art & Practice of 16th-century German Fencing: A Guide to the Use of Joachim Meyer's Rappier

Rutherfoord, Robert

See the best price to sell, buy or rent books by the Freelance Academy Pr publisher. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Freelance Academy Pr