The Medieval Longsword: A Training Manual

by Guy Windsor, Christian Cameron (Foreword)

Ever wonder how good you’d be with a sword? This book is for you.
Do love movie sword fights? Learn how real sword fights work.
Are you into stage combat? Add depth with historically accurate technique.
You’re a bad uncle looking for a present for your niece? Get her this book, though her parents might hate you.
Or do you just like swords? If you’ve ever wanted to turn your sword dreams into reality, then this book is for you.
Anyone can learn the medieval Art of the longsword. This book will give you a thorough grounding in the techniques and tactics from the 600-year-old manuscript Il Fior di Battaglia , and includes free access to additional resources such as videos and full-sized images, to help you translate the movements from page to real life. Sure, it’s a 600-year old manuscript, but you know what? People who studied this manuscript lived. Why not stick with something that works?
The Medieval Longsword covers everything you need to know from tools of the trade, to footwork, strikes and defences, to how to exploit your adversary’s mistakes, and how to disarm your opponent. This complete and approachable guide to the Art of Arms provides a gateway to a world-wide community of likeminded people also practicing this historical martial art.
Whether you’re an absolute beginner or a competent fencer, this book by author and internationally renowned swordsman Guy Windsor will guide you towards mastery of this ancient Art.

Genres: Martial Arts, History, Nonfiction

263 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 30, 2014

About the author

Dr. Guy Windsor is a world-renowned instructor and a pioneering researcher of medieval and renaissance martial arts. He has been teaching the Art of Arms full-time since founding The School of European Swordsmanship in Helsinki, Finland, in 2001. His day job is finding and analysing historical swordsmanship treatises, figuring out the systems they represent, creating a syllabus from the treatises for his students to train with, and teaching the system to his students all over the world. Guy is the author of numerous classic books about the art of swordsmanship and has consulted on swordfighting game design and stage combat. He developed the card game, Audatia, based on Fiore dei Liberi's Art of Arms, his primary field of study. In 2018 Edinburgh University awarded him a PhD by Research Publications for his work recreating historical combat systems. When not studying medieval and renaissance swordsmanship or writing books Guy can be found in his shed woodworking or spending time with his family.

Reviews

[Tom]

Another solid piece of work by Guy Winsor, goes through the stances, strikes and sparring routines that you can accommodate into your own techniques if you do not do so already. There is a good bit on warming up as well as footwork, guards, parrying and free sparring. Worth getting if you are a HEMA veteran or totally new to the scene. I am sure I will be referencing back to this and I have already got the third in his series.

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't really speak to the system, I've read about it but haven't had a chance to practice it. His writing on martial arts, and he thoughts there, are more cogent than just about anything I've seen in English from practitioners of Asian martial arts. Really glad I read it.

[L.G. Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well explained & the images were great :) I enjoyed practicing the techniques and visualizing them. Fantastic for those getting into HEMA & who're interested in longsword fencing :)

[Drew Lackovic · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first found Guy's works through his Book "The Swordsman's Companion" just a few weeks before the end of the Indigogo campgaign that created this book. I was amazed by the quality and clarity of Guy's writing style, and excitedly jumped on the campaign to get the second book. I've done martial arts for most of my life, so a lot of the "basics" in the first book were pretty second nature to me already, but I really appreciated that Guy went the extra mile and included them. In his Second Volume, Guy keeps up the momentum started in the first, and builds on the foundation, providing still more detail and examples that both clarified and enhanced what I read in the first book.

I wish I lived in Finland; I would attend his school in a heartbeat. But thankfully, due to the clarity of his writing, even though I have no one to practice with, I have enough material from his books to construct effective and interesting solo-drills to tide me over until I can either con one of my friends into joining me in the study of the medieval longsword, or wait for my kids to get old enough to be conscripted into practicing with me.

Needless to say, I can't wait for book 3!

[Aidan Blake · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book for those beginning or furthering their practice of Medieval Longsword. I've been practicing HEMA Longsword for a year as of the writing of this review, I refer back to this book frequently for insight on techniques and for drills and material for new students. I highly recommend this book for anyone who is beginning or wants to further their practice of longsword. Guy is a great writer and presents the material in the order that someone just starting can follow and be successful. It covers conditioning and stretching, the basics of footwork, strikes and parries, then goes into more situations and techniques that build off of the basics.

[Christoffer Skuthälla · Rating 4 out of 5]

excellent teaching on the italian school of fencing