What book would you recommend today as an instruction primer for medieval and Renaissance European martial arts? The local WMA group here (in Bandung, Indonesia) has been dead for a while now, but recently I've had expressions of interest from some new potential members. My martial arts library has probably become a bit outdated, though, so I'd really like to know what more recent publications may have to offer.

Hi

I thought that Bob Charrette's update of Fiore dei Liberi's Armizare was both well written, easy to use and covered the manuscripts well.

I keep going back to it - well I would if I hadn't loaned it out just recently :)

He covers the wards, balance and the correct modes of attack very well.

cheers

mike

Which art are you interested in? I would recommend Leoni's Giganti for Italian rapier, or Leoni's Manciolino for Bolognese; Guy Windsor is coming out with a series of books on his Fiore interpretation in the next few years. Other than Bob Charrette's Armizare, I can't recommend any other introductory books which are in print. A lot of instructors seem to be reluctant to spend a lot of time writing books when their interpretations may be obsolete in five years.

Mike O'Hara wrote:

Hi I thought that Bob Charrette's update of Fiore dei Liberi's Armizare was both well written, easy to use and covered the manuscripts well. I keep going back to it - well I would if I hadn't loaned it out just recently :) He covers the wards, balance and the correct modes of attack very well. cheers mike

That is the best gloss of Fiore available in print, but note that its designed to be read alongside the manuscripts, and there still isn't any edition of any manuscript which combines a professional translation and transcription with the images. A group that wants to study Fiore has to find its own solution to that problem, such as buying a copy of the manuscripts (or Malipero's book) and Leoni's translation, or using the Exiles' partial edition with redrawn images, but its not intended to stand alone.

Ken Mondschein hopes to put out a combined edition of all four Fiore MSS in the next few years.

Getting guest instructors is a great idea.

Here are three intro books that I like. Wilson's is currently really inexpensive but does not have any pictures. But there are lots of pictures of the Bolognese guards available. Hand's book will become less available with time because of problems with the original publisher, but I believe it is still one of the best Silver books. I second Leoni's translation of Giganti. It provides you with a set of lessons written by historic master and it is reasonably priced and give you a good place to start rapier from.

16th Century Sword Combat: Bolognese Fencing and the Italian Sidesword Era by William Wilson on Amazon as a Kindle release http://www.amazon.com/16th-Century-Sword-Comb...B007KTKETQ Only $2.99us for the ebook.

English Swordsmanship: The True Fight of George Silver by Stephen Hand http://www.amazon.com/English-Swordsmanship-F...1891448277

Venetian Rapier, Nicoletto Giganti's 1606 Rapier Fencing Curriculum by Nicoletto Giganti translation and supporting materials by Tom Leoni http://www.freelanceacademypress.com/venetianrapier.aspx

mackenzie

I'd like to say that there are a good number of 18th/19th/20th century sabre manuals that are well written and perfectly understandable for those of you who are working on it as a study group.

Rowarth/Taylor, the 1845 Angelo Manual and the Waite manual from later on (all available on the Schola Gladiatoria database and google books for the Rowarth one) are very accessible for beginners and study groups as they cover all the basics, as they were written to get officers up to speed as fast as possible (well maybe not Waite, but the other 2 certainly).