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Hugh Knight
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 Posted: Tue 15 Sep, 2009 11:32 pm Post subject: A New Book About Pollaxe Combat |
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I am very pleased to announce the publication of the third book in the die Schlachtschule armored combat series entitled The Play of the Axe: Medieval Pollaxe Combat by Hugh T. Knight, Jr.
This book is intended to introduce the reader to authentic medieval pollaxe techniques as taught by medieval fighting masters. Consisting of more than 200 pages with more than 380 photographs, the book begins with a general introduction about medieval fight books and the nature of armored pollaxe combat, and follows with a chapter dedicated to the strategic principles of medieval combat as they apply to the pollaxe. The author then gives a detailed chapter on how to train, including information about finding a teacher, training without one, and the equipment necessary for training. Next, the book goes on to explore detailed pollaxe techniques, starting with fundamentals such as stance, footwork and guards, and moving logically through techniques to be used in a wide variety of situations in pollaxe combat. Finally, it ends with an appendix containing instructions for creating drills to use with any of the techniques in the book, rules for free play in armor designed to recreate real combat, and a detailed glossary. It is available in both a perfect-bound edition and a spiral-bound edition designed to lay flat and open for use at practices.
This book will be of interest to anyone with an interest in knighthood, medieval combat, history or martial arts in general.
The Play of the Axe: Medieval Pollaxe Combat has been published through Lulu.com and is only available for internet purchase at this time:
http://stores.lulu.com/hughknight
The author is the founder and head instructor of die Schlachtschule in North Hollywood, CA, a school dedicated to rediscovering and practicing the knightly arts of combat from medieval Germany. He has more than 30 years of martial experience ranging from traditional Japanese sword and grappling arts to over ten years of German martial arts. He founded die Schlachtschule in 2003 and teaches a curriculum that includes sword, spear, pollaxe, grappling and dagger combat both in and out of armor. More information can be found on the school’s web site:
www.schlachtschule.org
Regards,
Hugh
www.schlachtschule.org
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Steven H
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| Posted: Wed 16 Sep, 2009 7:42 am Post subject: |
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Hello,
Congrats!
Is this a combination of sources? If so, which ones?
Cheers,
Steven
Kunstbruder - Boston area Historical Combat Study
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Hugh Knight
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| Posted: Wed 16 Sep, 2009 10:31 am Post subject: |
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| Steven H wrote: | Congrats!
Is this a combination of sources? If so, which ones? |
Hello,
The vast majority of the techniques come from Le Jeu de La Hache, rounded out by additions from Talhoffer and Paulus Kal.
Regards,
Hugh
www.schlachtschule.org
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Alex Spreier
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| Posted: Wed 16 Sep, 2009 11:39 am Post subject: |
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Hi Hugh!
I'm excited to order this book, but Lulu.com and I appear to be having some difficulties 
Oh well, as soon as it works out, I will be ordering one. I'm sure it'll become well-worn and dog-eared (that's why I'm ordering the spiral bound edition).
Compagno, Northwest Fencing Academy
http://bunkaijuju.blogspot.com/
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Hugh Knight
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| Posted: Wed 16 Sep, 2009 12:27 pm Post subject: |
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| Alex Spreier wrote: | I'm excited to order this book, but Lulu.com and I appear to be having some difficulties
Oh well, as soon as it works out, I will be ordering one. I'm sure it'll become well-worn and dog-eared (that's why I'm ordering the spiral bound edition). |
I'm sorry to hear Lulu is causing problems; I must say I've ordered quite a few things from them and they've always been very easy to deal with, so hopefully this is a minor and soon-to-be-rectified glitch.
I think you'll like the spiral-bound edition. I've been criticized for publishing things like this, with people saying that shows they're not "real" books, but the spiral-bound books are really great for taking to practice. I recommend folding the book over and clipping the loose pages together so the wind doesn't flip them.
Regards,
Hugh
www.schlachtschule.org
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M. Eversberg II
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| Posted: Wed 16 Sep, 2009 7:29 pm Post subject: |
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That's...an awesome idea. Props!
I'll grab one of those if I get a chance. I'm trying to organize a seminar on the staff this November.
M.
This space for rent or lease.
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Alex Spreier
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| Posted: Wed 16 Sep, 2009 9:34 pm Post subject: |
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No problems Hugh, Lulu was just having technical difficulties. Placed the order.
Compagno, Northwest Fencing Academy
http://bunkaijuju.blogspot.com/
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Hugh Knight
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| Posted: Thu 17 Sep, 2009 12:20 am Post subject: |
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| Alex Spreier wrote: | | No problems Hugh, Lulu was just having technical difficulties. Placed the order. |
Excellent, I'm glad that was resolved. I've been very impressed with Lulu so far.
I do hope you'll let me know your impression of the book when you get it.
Regards,
Hugh
www.schlachtschule.org
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Steven H
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| Posted: Thu 17 Sep, 2009 8:00 am Post subject: |
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| Hugh Knight wrote: | | Steven H wrote: | Congrats!
Is this a combination of sources? If so, which ones? |
Hello,
The vast majority of the techniques come from Le Jeu de La Hache, rounded out by additions from Talhoffer and Paulus Kal. |
That's what I figured based on other things you've posted.
Cheers,
Steven
Kunstbruder - Boston area Historical Combat Study
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Felix R.
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| Posted: Mon 21 Dec, 2009 9:23 am Post subject: |
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Doesn.t LuLu carry this anymore?
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Hugh Knight
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Christopher VaughnStrever
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| Posted: Mon 21 Dec, 2009 3:57 pm Post subject: |
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I just made a purchase of the pole axe book. Also I purchased the book on daggers and... grappling I think. I look forward to learning all that I can. Thanks for all the help.
Experience and learning from such defines maturity, not a number of age
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Hugh Knight
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| Posted: Mon 21 Dec, 2009 4:58 pm Post subject: |
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| Christopher VaughnStrever wrote: | | I just made a purchase of the pole axe book. Also I purchased the book on daggers and... grappling I think. I look forward to learning all that I can. Thanks for all the help. |
Hello,
Thank you very much for your purchases. I hope you enjoy these books and get a lot of good use out of them. If you have any questions or comments about the books I hope you won't hesitate to contact me.
Regards,
Hugh
www.schlachtschule.org
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Mon 21 Dec, 2009 8:57 pm Post subject: |
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| Hugh Knight wrote: | | Christopher VaughnStrever wrote: | | I just made a purchase of the pole axe book. Also I purchased the book on daggers and... grappling I think. I look forward to learning all that I can. Thanks for all the help. |
Hello,
Thank you very much for your purchases. I hope you enjoy these books and get a lot of good use out of them. If you have any questions or comments about the books I hope you won't hesitate to contact me. |
Well, Merry Christmas and I went crazy and bought 8 of your books:
1) Fencing With Spear and Sword: medieval Armoured Combat
2) Introduction to Liechtenauer's Longsword.
3) The last resort: Unarmoured Grappling and dagger Combat.
4) The Ambraser Codex by Master Talhofer.
5) medieval Sword & Buckler Combat.
6) The Gladiatoria Fetchbuch.
7) The play of the Axe: Medieval Pollaxe Combat.
8) Grappling and Dagger Combat in Armour.
I'm tired just writing down all the titles.   Apart from reading these I will be showing them to my instructors of
" lesduellistes " in Montreal so they can use them as references, they certainly may already have read much of this material already but it's always useful to read a variety of interpretations.
Oh, to anyone in the Montréal region courses start up again on the 4th of January if you are looking for a place to train.
The curriculum includes:
1) Longsword ( Liechtenauer )
2) 1:33 Sword and buckler.
3) Dagger and unarmoured wresting.
4) Staff and polearm based on " Le jeux de la hache ".
5) Rapier
http://www.lesduellistes.com/index.htm Note: I'm in the clip, the guy with shaved head and goatee. Sorry it's in French.
Hope the " plug " for my school is O.K. and not against any rules ( if a bit off-topic ) but we are always looking for new students and the classes are small 8 to 12 generally.
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Hugh Knight
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| Posted: Mon 21 Dec, 2009 9:09 pm Post subject: |
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| Jean Thibodeau wrote: | Well, Merry Christmas and I went crazy and bought 8 of your books:
1) Fencing With Spear and Sword: medieval Armoured Combat
2) Introduction to Liechtenauer's Longsword. |
First, thank you very much for buying all those books, and I hope you enjoy them and that they're useful for you. If you have any questions or comments please don't hesitate to write to me.
I'd like to comment about these two books, however: First, the Liechtenauer book, as the blurb with it says, was really just written for my newer students. It is *not* a complete longsword book by any stretch, because it leaves out all the very basic fundamentals (footwork, etc.) that they should already know by the time they get that book, and only includes the first level of our longsword curriculum. So it's really pretty limited; I'm sorry if that isn't what you're looking for, I tried to make the description clear on this point. I have just finished writing a complete longsword book covering all aspects of Ernstfechten longsword--some 350 pages and more than 600 photographs--and that should be available in a few weeks.
As for the spear and halfsword book, that one is very old; in fact, it was written a few years before the publication date, even. I am in the process of completely re-writing it from scratch, with entirely new photographs (of much better quality), and many, many more techniques--probably double the material (a lot of the sources I have now weren't available to me in 2004 when I wrote that). That book is about 6 months away, I should think.
Regards,
Hugh
Regards,
Hugh
www.schlachtschule.org
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Mon 21 Dec, 2009 9:24 pm Post subject: |
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No problem it's always interesting to read even older interpretations or more fragmentary information.
As to the longsword book I should be able to use it even if it isn't a complete work or very basic and is missing certain things: It helps that I have been doing this for 3 to 4 years and am not depending on just a book for instruction.
Thanks for the information and I will certainly keep in mind that some interpretations may be " dated " and that you future work(s) might expand or even contradict some of what is in some of the current books.  
| Quote: | | I have just finished writing a complete longsword book covering all aspects of Ernstfechten longsword--some 350 pages and more than 600 photographs--and that should be available in a few weeks. |
Note: Just more books to look forward to soon.
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Jason Daub
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| Posted: Mon 21 Dec, 2009 10:18 pm Post subject: |
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Jean,
You too? I caught this thread while at home for lunch, thought what the heck and ordered all the same titles as you, Merry Christmas to ourselves I guess. It must be nice to have a group locally, I am stuck learning from books, DVD and YouTube videos. The nearest HEMA groups are in Edmonton AB followed by Calgary AB, a five hour and eight hour drive respectively.
Hugh,
Looking forward to the Ernstfechten book as well.
'I saw young Harry, -with his bevor on,
His cuisses on his thighs, gallantly arm'd,-
Rise from the ground like feather'd Mercury,
And vaulted with such ease into his seat,
As if an angel dropp'd down from the clouds,
To turn and wind a fiery Pegasus,
And witch the world with noble horsemanship.'
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Mon 21 Dec, 2009 10:39 pm Post subject: |
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| Jason Daub wrote: | Jean,
You too? I caught this thread while at home for lunch, thought what the heck and ordered all the same titles as you, Merry Christmas to ourselves I guess. It must be nice to have a group locally, I am stuck learning from books, DVD and YouTube videos. The nearest HEMA groups are in Edmonton AB followed by Calgary AB, a five hour and eight hour drive respectively.
Hugh,
Looking forward to the Ernstfechten book as well. |
Yes I'm lucky to have a good group within walking distance and I usually take 3 classes a week: Longsword, staff/pollarms and a Saturday free class where we just have fun or review techniques as well as do some friendly bouting or experimenting.
Mixed arms bouting is also fun like 1:33 versus longsword, longsword versus staff or staff versus 1:33 as well as voiding exercises or 3 attackers against one defender in a controlled series of single attacks to learn to react with the right master cut versus specific attacks or guard ..... getting used to using the proper guard without having to think about it. Just examples of stuff we might do in class or on a free day apart from the specific drills.
3 times a week is really good for physical fitness and accelerates the learning process a great deal. ( Oh, it's also fun and the people are nice and I made some good new friends ).
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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Christopher VaughnStrever
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| Posted: Tue 22 Dec, 2009 9:39 am Post subject: |
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| Quote: | Hugh Knight:
Thank you very much for your purchases. I hope you enjoy these books and get a lot of good use out of them. If you have any questions or comments about the books I hope you won't hesitate to contact me. |
Thanks for the oppurtunity to pose questions. I will definitly have a few questions at the least. I cannot wait to get these books in my hands.
Experience and learning from such defines maturity, not a number of age
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Jean Thibodeau
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| Posted: Thu 31 Dec, 2009 6:41 am Post subject: |
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| Hugh Knight wrote: | [
I'd like to comment about these two books, however: First, the Liechtenauer book, as the blurb with it says, was really just written for my newer students. It is *not* a complete longsword book by any stretch, because it leaves out all the very basic fundamentals (footwork, etc.) that they should already know by the time they get that book, and only includes the first level of our longsword curriculum. So it's really pretty limited; I'm sorry if that isn't what you're looking for, I tried to make the description clear on this point. I have just finished writing a complete longsword book covering all aspects of Ernstfechten longsword--some 350 pages and more than 600 photographs--and that should be available in a few weeks.
Regards,
Hugh |
(The above edited down for length ).
Well, I really like the Liechtenauer book and I find it a very good quick reference and look forward to the more complete and up to date version. For someone with a few years of training in this book is really ireally useful.
I just got the books yesterday ( 6 out of 8, 2 are back ordered and will ship next week I think ), and the shear volume of reading material means that I have only skimmed the content of each book, but I have to say I like what I have read so far: The photographs are clear enough and the action(s) well described in the text taking care to explain the sequences of actions not shown or when things have to happen in sequence(s) or in one fluid move since it's mostly a pic showing the starting position, a pic showing an important point in the action and a pic showing the ending position. ( Books all have this limitation and DVDs give a more complete idea of actions, beginners may need DVDs plus instruction in class but an experienced trainer can get a lot more out of just text and limited pics ).
Anyway, I find the supporting text well written and in " CLEAR LANGUAGE " as well as using the German terminology.
Bottom line I'm very pleased with all the books and the spiral binding is much better for constant use as reference during or before/after training as ordinary bindings get a beating when one is forced to bend back the spine of a book to get it to lie flat.
You can easily give up your freedom. You have to fight hard to get it back!
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