How To Fight With A Longsword

Fighting with the German Longsword

Recorded over six centuries ago, the teachings of the 14th-century Master-at-Arms Johannes Liechtenauer have been given new life by a world-wide community of modern swordsmen and women, fascinated by the elegance, efficiency and depth of his unique martial art. Christian Henry Tobler was one of the pioneers in reviving the medieval Master's art, creating the first, published syllabus for training with the two-handed longsword back in 2004. This fully rewritten, revised and expanded edition brings to bear a decade of refinement, creating a definitive, "how to" guide for students. Beginning with a short historical overview of the art, Mr. Tobler teaches stance, footwork, methods for gripping the sword, and step-by-step instructions for executing the core techniques of the Liechtenauer tradition. Additional chapters introduce students to wrestling, spear and armoured combat; demonstrating the art's depth and breadth. Heavily photo-illustrated, the book also makes use of decision-trees and training drills to aid in learning. Used as a complete, self-contained course, or a primer for studying the original medieval works themselves, this unique book will be invaluable to martial artists, reenactors, medieval historians, or anyone who has ever wondered "how did knights fight?"

Sword Fighting

A comprehensive introduction to the subject of sword fighting: Herbert Schmidt explains the fundamentals of fighting with the long sword, the guards, cuts and Master Cuts, as well as advanced techniques and tactics for practical fighting. These also include wrestling at the sword. Typical combat sequences, equipment tips, cutting tests, training and free fighting, plus an extensive glossary round out this new standard work. Its modern approach and numerous photos make this book a valuable textbook and reference work. Herbert Schmidt is the leader of Ars Gladii, the Austrian swordfighting club, and is part of an international research community that is reconstructing historical European swordfighting and awakening it to new life. He is acknowledged as an expert far beyond the borders of Austria.

The Fighting Man's Guide to German Longsword Combat