Fighting with the German Longsword

by Tobler

Recorded over six centuries ago, the teachings of the 14th-century Master-at-Arms Johannes Liechtenauer have been given new life by a world-wide community of modern swordsmen and women, fascinated by the elegance, efficiency and depth of his unique martial art. Christian Henry Tobler was one of the pioneers in reviving the medieval Master’s art, creating the first, published syllabus for training with the two-handed longsword back in 2004. This fully rewritten, revised and expanded edition brings to bear a decade of refinement, creating a definitive, “how to” guide for students. Beginning with a short historical overview of the art, Mr. Tobler teaches stance, footwork, methods for gripping the sword, and step-by-step instructions for executing the core techniques of the Liechtenauer tradition. Additional chapters introduce students to wrestling, spear and armoured combat; demonstrating the art’s depth and breadth. Heavily photo-illustrated, the book also makes use of decision-trees and training drills to aid in learning. Used as a complete, self-contained course, or a primer for studying the original medieval works themselves, this unique book will be invaluable to martial artists, reenactors, medieval historians, or anyone who has ever wondered “how did knights fight?”

Genres: Martial Arts, Nonfiction, War, History, Reference

331 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 2004

Reviews

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a beginning book for students of the medieval German longsword, this is the way to go. While Mr. Tobler's other book, Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship is superior as a research text, this book is meant as an accessible starting-point for interested folks, complete with drills and sidebars which explain the importance of certain concepts.

[Michael Thomas · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a truly excellent manual by a most splendid fencer by the name of Christian. The book is simple and clear and perfect for any beginner to get stuck into. The only real shame is it is now no longer available due to issues with the publisher. We can only hope the author is able to re-release it sometime soon.

[Saronyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very well crafted martial arts manual. The material is presented systematically and logically, with appropriate reference to historical sources and the historical framework of the system. I am very pleased with the scope of the book. As a practitioner of other sword traditions since 1993, I found that this provides me with a very nice framework for understanding how HEMA practitioners approach their martial arts study. I like the way that the book provides a logical curriculum of study with detailed explanations, principles, and drills for practice.

I think I would like to see more information on procedures on how sparring, bouts, competitions, and combat versus multiple opponents would be addressed, but I think that information could be presented in other books. That portion is best learned in person with guidance from an experienced instructor anyway.

This book appears to do precisely what it is intended for.
1. Provide students with the fundamentals of the practice with terminology and guidance for practice.
2. Provide a logical framework for instructors to present material logically, systematically, and in an organized sequence. In short, it provides a course curriculum, that should be sufficient for the first several years of study for most newcomers, and even experienced martial artist from other traditions.

If I were teaching this tradition, I would likely use this book as the primary textbook for my school.
That is the best praise I can give.

[Scott · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great intro to the basics of the German Longsword.

[Rachel · Rating 3 out of 5]

this will be so fun when i get done with it