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Cold Steel: The Art of Fencing with the Sabre
A pioneer of modern fencing, Alfred Hutton was the first president of the Amateur Fencing Association and a father of modern research into the Western combat arts. In addition to his lectures about ancient weapons and his demonstrations of their use, Hutton created this 1889 classic, a continuing source of instruction and enlightenment to modern readers.
The techniques associated with the sabre differ markedly from those of the épeé and the rapier. This study offers both technical and historical views of the art of the sabre. It begins with a look at the weapon's construction and its grip, followed by explanations of a variety of different strokes and parries as well as methods of combining attack and defense. Additional topics include approaches suitable for left-handed fencers, ceremonial aspects of the art, and contrasts between the sabre, the bayonet, and the French sword. Descriptions of associated weapons cover the great stick and the constable's truncheon, and the book concludes with considerations of the short sword-bayonet, or dagger. Fifty-five illustrations demonstrate how to hold the sabre, how to parry and guard, seizure, and numerous other aspects of the art of fencing with a sabre.
The techniques associated with the sabre differ markedly from those of the épeé and the rapier. This study offers both technical and historical views of the art of the sabre. It begins with a look at the weapon's construction and its grip, followed by explanations of a variety of different strokes and parries as well as methods of combining attack and defense. Additional topics include approaches suitable for left-handed fencers, ceremonial aspects of the art, and contrasts between the sabre, the bayonet, and the French sword. Descriptions of associated weapons cover the great stick and the constable's truncheon, and the book concludes with considerations of the short sword-bayonet, or dagger. Fifty-five illustrations demonstrate how to hold the sabre, how to parry and guard, seizure, and numerous other aspects of the art of fencing with a sabre.
208 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
August 10, 2025
The definitive book on the sabre...should be required reading for anyone who fences; may be of interest to individuals who like to read historic novels that involve sword fighting. The sequence of parries and counters may be confusing to anyone who has not fenced...but if you have you will enjoy the simplicity and elegance of the methodology.
November 23, 2019
Cold Steel is a book that aims to introduce basic fencer into a wider world. Written in 1889, it explains how to develop competency in sabre fencing for a world where the possibility of a duel or the use of a sabre in military fighting still exists. Still, that is only half the fun, because the book goes beyond sabre fencing to cover fighting with sticks, daggers, and even unarmed defenses against a dagger.
In terms of useful technique, Cold Steel would be frowned upon by many modern sport fencing coaches. That shouldn't stop modern sport fencers from reading the book for three reasons. One, the book may spark an idea for a drill or training that could be relevant. Two, it is fun to see how the sport evolved and connect your fencing to that of people who came before you. Three, sometimes it is fun to do something extra-curricular to pure sport fencing.
Some friends and I practiced the unarmed defenses against a dagger. While I am not sure how well we would fare "in an encounter of such unequal sort" to borrow Hutton's words, we did have a good time spending a couple of minutes at the end of a few fencing sessions working on a skill that was once a part of a larger fencing curriculum.. It also gave us another way to think about and practice skills such as timing, distance, and angles.
This is what I mean by taking basic fencers into a larger world. Hutton takes the approach that his readers already have a basic knowledge of fencing and likely will take a sabre in hand primarily for sport fencing. Nevertheless, he believes that there are other things worth knowing beyond just fencing in a salle or gymnasium. He writes brief chapters on fencing with a sabre against a bayonet and a short sword and talks about how to fight with a large stick, a constable's truncheon or billy club, and how to fight with daggers. It is a rather complete collection of fighting skills.
For that reason, this book would be of interest to martial artists as well as sport fencers. It goes without saying that those interest in historical fencing also will find this a good addition to their libraries if they do not already have it. (It is worth noting that Hutton taught classes at the Bartitsu Club in London for a time. Bartitsu was a martial art that combined jujitsu, boxing, savate, and stick fighting and was mentioned in a Sherlock Holmes story.) The book also references a number of other works that could give people interested in historical manuals a starting point for further research.
A couple of notes of caution are in order. First is that practicing any kind of contact skill, whether it be sports, martial arts, or anything else requires the proper equipment, training, and mindset to be done safely. Hutton himself goes into the equipment necessary. Modern equipment has given us more options, and it should be used.
Second, Hutton's terminology is antiquated, and some is even terms he has self-defined. So, if you do try to practice any of this, read everything carefully and do not assume that modern terminology applies.
I would recommend this book to people with an interest in fencing, martial arts, and the history of those subjects.
In terms of useful technique, Cold Steel would be frowned upon by many modern sport fencing coaches. That shouldn't stop modern sport fencers from reading the book for three reasons. One, the book may spark an idea for a drill or training that could be relevant. Two, it is fun to see how the sport evolved and connect your fencing to that of people who came before you. Three, sometimes it is fun to do something extra-curricular to pure sport fencing.
Some friends and I practiced the unarmed defenses against a dagger. While I am not sure how well we would fare "in an encounter of such unequal sort" to borrow Hutton's words, we did have a good time spending a couple of minutes at the end of a few fencing sessions working on a skill that was once a part of a larger fencing curriculum.. It also gave us another way to think about and practice skills such as timing, distance, and angles.
This is what I mean by taking basic fencers into a larger world. Hutton takes the approach that his readers already have a basic knowledge of fencing and likely will take a sabre in hand primarily for sport fencing. Nevertheless, he believes that there are other things worth knowing beyond just fencing in a salle or gymnasium. He writes brief chapters on fencing with a sabre against a bayonet and a short sword and talks about how to fight with a large stick, a constable's truncheon or billy club, and how to fight with daggers. It is a rather complete collection of fighting skills.
For that reason, this book would be of interest to martial artists as well as sport fencers. It goes without saying that those interest in historical fencing also will find this a good addition to their libraries if they do not already have it. (It is worth noting that Hutton taught classes at the Bartitsu Club in London for a time. Bartitsu was a martial art that combined jujitsu, boxing, savate, and stick fighting and was mentioned in a Sherlock Holmes story.) The book also references a number of other works that could give people interested in historical manuals a starting point for further research.
A couple of notes of caution are in order. First is that practicing any kind of contact skill, whether it be sports, martial arts, or anything else requires the proper equipment, training, and mindset to be done safely. Hutton himself goes into the equipment necessary. Modern equipment has given us more options, and it should be used.
Second, Hutton's terminology is antiquated, and some is even terms he has self-defined. So, if you do try to practice any of this, read everything carefully and do not assume that modern terminology applies.
I would recommend this book to people with an interest in fencing, martial arts, and the history of those subjects.
November 15, 2020
Complete and very good, imaginable of how to defend with and against, sabre, Great stick and knife.
February 12, 2020
AN excellent introduction to several different types of weapons mixing new (for the time) and old, while I am a longsword practitioner I will be getting a sabre soon and I am sure this will become a very good reference for when I do
September 17, 2019
Nice overview of the art with useful clarifications and explanations on presenting the point and specific conditional guards.
March 28, 2013
Great book! There are some awesome drills in this text for the sabre. Great book for the serious fencing enthusiast. Some of the exercises are a bit hard to follow, but Hutton does a good job of describing the European equivalents of kendo kata. The layout of the book could be a bit bothersome, as the figures to which he refers always come at the end of the chapter, rather than near the referring paragraphs, but all in all, a good book the military sabre.
February 21, 2013
Great insight into historical fencing by the previous generation of enthusiasts. Although his material is through the lens of the techniques of his day, it is clear how much he cares about the deep roots of personal combat.
February 15, 2015
Mostly useful, but some information neither advertised nor particularly wanted shows up in the mix.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews