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The Art of Combat: A German Martial Arts Treatise of 1570
Among the substantial legacy of martial arts texts left by combat masters working in the medieval German tradition, this book stands out as one of the most remarkable and important, translated for the first time in English by Jeffrey Forgeng. The only major original text in this corpus to be disseminated in print, Meyer's manual is an ambitious comprehensive encyclopedia of traditional German martial arts, covering a range of weapons forms, and offering a rationalized introduction to a complex and organic tradition inherited from the Middle Ages.
316 pages, Hardcover
First published January 30, 2006
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 29, 2016
This is a commentary on the treatise itself - not Forgeng's translation, which is excellent, as is his intro essay.
The one big thing I came away with here was 'flashy, flashy'.
Basically, Meyer teaches you how to fence, sure, but there are a lot of - what seem to me to be - extraneous movements. There's also a note about thrusting being disallowed by the government of the time, to give you an idea.
Of course, I'm biased - I come from the school of Liechtenauer, which aims to end a fight as simply, and deadly, as possible.
Meyer is still a key part of the German tradition, and my opinion would very likely change with some experience trying to put Meyer's devices into action, but as for now I will stick with PPvD, Ringeck, and 3227a as my fencing guides.
The one big thing I came away with here was 'flashy, flashy'.
Basically, Meyer teaches you how to fence, sure, but there are a lot of - what seem to me to be - extraneous movements. There's also a note about thrusting being disallowed by the government of the time, to give you an idea.
Of course, I'm biased - I come from the school of Liechtenauer, which aims to end a fight as simply, and deadly, as possible.
Meyer is still a key part of the German tradition, and my opinion would very likely change with some experience trying to put Meyer's devices into action, but as for now I will stick with PPvD, Ringeck, and 3227a as my fencing guides.
April 28, 2011
An excellent book, well written and beautifully bound. I use the translation almost every week and therefore own two copies of the book. One for home and one for work!
January 27, 2021
both read and currently reading, heh.
Out of the historical treatises I study (largely Lichtenauer's KDF, along with some southern european greatsword (Godinho, Alfieri, and Figuredo)), this is by far the one with the most developed pedagogy
Out of the historical treatises I study (largely Lichtenauer's KDF, along with some southern european greatsword (Godinho, Alfieri, and Figuredo)), this is by far the one with the most developed pedagogy
July 17, 2021
Must read for HEMA enthusiasts, only one of its kind
February 3, 2025
My favorite European fencing treatise, Meyer illustrates his style effectively and informatively.
June 23, 2017
This is a translation of a text from that was written in 1570 by Joachim Meyer. It is a full guide to German martial arts of the time. The introduction is very informative and gives historical details of the time that helps the reader to fully understand the text. This includes earlier forms of martial arts and how they were taught compared to Meyers preferred method.
The actual writing is fairly easy to understand and pretty fun to read. The translator Jeffrey Forgeng mentions that there was difficulty in translating exactly and he did the best that he could. The writing is very colorful and sometimes rather comical (to me anyway). Many texts of the past come off as dull, however this is clearly not. Some spots can get a little confusing, but that’s not the case overall and a quick look at the illustrations when available helps out a lot.
This book has re-printings of original black and white, wood-cut prints, which are quite beautiful. They were apparently very expensive to produce at the time. The illustrations are actually quite useful as you’re trying to grasp the instructions. The book goes through the long sword, Dusuck, a rapier, and staff weapons.
Overall, I liked this a lot. This is good for anyone interested in historical warfare, martial arts, German history, or cultural changes in weapon use. This is written at a time when martial arts are waning in favor of guns. Meyer was trying to preserve and promote what Meyer described as “the knightly and noble art of combat”. You can tell throughout this book how proud and honorable he felt his craft was and this book is the result of such a passion.
michmustread.com
The actual writing is fairly easy to understand and pretty fun to read. The translator Jeffrey Forgeng mentions that there was difficulty in translating exactly and he did the best that he could. The writing is very colorful and sometimes rather comical (to me anyway). Many texts of the past come off as dull, however this is clearly not. Some spots can get a little confusing, but that’s not the case overall and a quick look at the illustrations when available helps out a lot.
This book has re-printings of original black and white, wood-cut prints, which are quite beautiful. They were apparently very expensive to produce at the time. The illustrations are actually quite useful as you’re trying to grasp the instructions. The book goes through the long sword, Dusuck, a rapier, and staff weapons.
Overall, I liked this a lot. This is good for anyone interested in historical warfare, martial arts, German history, or cultural changes in weapon use. This is written at a time when martial arts are waning in favor of guns. Meyer was trying to preserve and promote what Meyer described as “the knightly and noble art of combat”. You can tell throughout this book how proud and honorable he felt his craft was and this book is the result of such a passion.
michmustread.com
March 10, 2009
Meyer's opus on German martial arts. Aimed at single combat and introducing concepts that are clearly geared toward sport over life or death fighting. On my "currently reading" list because I'm constantly reading it and bouncing around through the sections (not organized in a way 20th c. readers usually follow).
October 13, 2023
I read this to help me learn more than just the physical aspect of medieval martial arts. It was a good read and had some good information in it. It is a specialized topic and might not be a book for everyone.
January 12, 2016
Forgeng is the best translation of Meyer, bar none. If you're here, you already know who Meyer is and know about his treatise.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews