![]() Guy and others.I just read Michael Crichton ("Jurassic Park") book "Timeline" about a bunch of grad students who hop on a "quantum singularity" machine (basically, a machine that is like the Star Trek transporter) to send them to a different space time dimension, which means a different era, to rescue their medieval studies professor from two warring factions in France. A passionate advocate of the medieval Liechtenauer School, his work in translating and interpreting Sigmund Ringeck’s commentary firmly establishes him as an important contributor to the growing community of Western martial artists. The result is a must for serious martial artists,students of medieval history, hoplologists, and medieval reenactors.Ĭhristian Henry Tobler has been a longtime student of swordsmanship, especially as it applies to the pursuit of the chivalric ideals. Ringeck’s commentaries reveal a sophisticated system of fighting, based on natural, underlying bio-mechanics and a fighting philosophy built around maintaining control of initiative.Ĭhristian Henry Tobler has rendered this key text into English for the first time, providing photographic interpretation (800 photographs) and commentary for each technique of this "secret" martial art. Working through the verses line-by-line, he added explanatory commentary on the tactical and mechanical principles of the system. In the 15th century Sigmund Ringeck-master-at-arms to Albrecht, Count Palatine of the Rhine and Duke of Bavaria and one of the descendants of the "Liechtenauer school"-broke the secrecy and sought to explain the mysterious verses. These students, in turn, became masters-at-arms to the greatest noble-houses of the Empire. Gathering a select circle of students around him, Liechtenauer transmitted his teachings into cryptic, mnemonic verses and swore his students to secrecy. Through these wanderings, he developed his own unique and deadly form of martial art fully integrating sword, spear, dagger and grappling, for use in and out of armour on foot and horseback. Liechtenauer spent his youth traveling through Central and Eastern Europe, studying with masters from locales as far-off as Krakow and Prague. Thus began the teaching of Master Johannes Liechtenauer, the premier master-at-arms of medieval Germany, whose martial art dominated German swordsmanship for over two centuries. There are only so many unique ways to kill or defend with that combination. Heck, the human body can only bend in so many different ways - add to that a 3-ft. but I bet they did!)Īnyway, yes, my academic experience gives me the opinion that many of the techniques of both cultures developed simultaneously, along a parallel track. However, why should we be surprised to find out that our European ancestors were not clunky dummies? That is a disrespectful thought - as is thinking that African warriors couldn't wrestle with weapons, etc. ![]() ![]() One could really imagine that a Japanese martial arts expert went to 15th century Japan and influenced their fighting. There even was a "jujutsu" section that really took my breath away. Many of the defensive positions bear striking resemblances to Japanese kamae. I found at Barnes & Nobel a very enlightening reproduction of a 15th century German "Fechtbuch" by Talhoffer. It's been years since I was there, but we had some very enlightening discussions about the re-creation (not "recreation") of medieval European fighting styles. You could also converse with many experienced people at. Is there anyone else out there who has tried both styles and is able to tell if the above is true and to what extent? There are European sword fighting manuals from the 14th - 15th century, for example Liechtenauer's, where stances and cuts are performed much like in kenjutsu. The steel is of course different, being more flexible but not as hard as in Japanese swordmanship, and the blade is straight rather than slightly curved.Īlso, it has been argued that there are several similarities between Medieval German/Japanese sword fighting techniques. Some Medieval long swords/ hand and half swords are about the same length as a katana. Matthew Galas ("Kindred Spirits, The Art of the Sword in Germany and Japan", Journal of Asian Martial Arts VI 1997 pp 20-46). ![]() The issue seems to have been raised for the first time by G. I've read in several sources that the Medieval German "hand and half-sword" (about 120cm long) is in many ways comparable with the Japanese katana.
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