Medieval Wrestling, Modern Practice of a 15th Century Art

by Jessica Finley

In the Middle Ages, wrestling was practiced as both pastime and self-defense by every level of society – nobles, townsman, and peasants alike – and was regarded as the foundation of all other martial arts. And no medieval wrestler’s name looms as large as that of the Jewish master Ott, “wrestler to the noble Princes of Austria”, whose treatise is included in over a dozen fencing manuscripts.

In this first of its kind book, Jessica Finley of the renowned medieval martial arts association, the Selohaar Fechtschule, guides the reader on a journey that begins with the historical background of Ott’s wrestling and culminates in step-by-step instruction for practicing the techniques of this ancient fighting art. Both the lover of history and the wrestler on the mat will find this work an invaluable resource.

184 pages, Paperback

Published July 1, 2014

Reviews

[Christoffer Skuthälla · Rating 2 out of 5]

this is an excellent treatise on medieval wrestling. The similarities with modern wrestling is striking and it is interesting to see the formers historical roots

If you want to learn from this book I advice getting some basic on-hands training with someone who already knows wrestling or some form of grappling. It will save you time and effort. Or go watch some youtube-videos :)

[Rebecca · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and concise explanations of Master Ott's techniques, accompanied by explanatory essays. This will work best if used as a 'user's manual', as opposed to just reading it cover to cover, but it makes me want to try ringen and I have a strong dislike of ringen.