Year: 2000
Author: Talhoffer H.
Genre: Martial arts
Publisher: Greenhill Books
ISBN: 978-1-85367-418-4
English language
Format: PDF
Number of Pages: 320

In 1467, Hans Talhoffer, a fencing master from Swabia (the South German region), created a textbook on the art of hand-to-hand combat ("Fechtbuch"), consisting of many illustrations. The book shows combat techniques using almost all types of cold steel, considered popular in Europe during the XV century. Particular attention is paid to "judicial fights" (officially authorized type of armed duel, conducted to resolve legal disputes between nobles, or peasants). Medieval warriors had to deftly maneuver to repel an enemy attack, and it was good to evaluate the time and distance to commit their own attack, considering and trying to use the cutting and cutting properties of blade weapons as efficiently as possible. These basic skills were combined with captures, kicks and throws of opponents, and the opponent's disarming technique was also used. Each attack of a skilful warrior gave him the opportunity to repulse a counter strike, and every defensive technique was designed to carry out a counterattack. Many drawings do not depict the course of the battle step by step, in favor of showing the only key moment of the fight in which one combat technique surpasses the other, which was often a fatal episode of the bout. Without modern interpretation, medieval images may seem incomprehensible and confusing, because The original edition contained a minimum number of explanations. In this regard, in this revised edition there is an introduction, footnotes and comments on drawings in English. language, compiled by professionals, also along the way practical explanations are given regarding the German military arts and the general picture of a harsh and cruel medieval society (especially medieval justice).

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