Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship: Sigmund Ringeck's Commentaries on Liechtenauer's Verses: Sigmund Ringeck's Commentary on Liechtenauer's Verses

I first took a look at this book last year, and then dismissed it to continue my own studies into Italian Swordwork. As I progressed through the range of studies, I progressed to German Swordwork, and from this, to the originator of the sword forms, Liechtenauer.This book contains (to my knowledge) one of the only publically available translations of Liechtenauers verses, the very core of swordsmanship in many of the systems that were to follow. As the previous reviewer noted, some of the interpretations I would have a slightly different slant on, but that's personal taste, the images are clear, and you can see the reasoning that went on to reach the conclusions that are presented. I was very impressed by the depth of work and thought that has gone into this book, and I would heartily recommend it to anyone thinking of, or already practising european martial arts.

Christian Henry Tobler has done a good and dedicated work in his interpretations of Lichtenauers verses and Sigmund Ringnecks comments on these verses. It is definitely not an easy task mr Tobler has done and there are most certain some interpretations that can be questioned from different points of view but this is a good book.The quality of the book is good, the paper and printing quality is high and the images are sharp but it is sometimes a little difficult to disinguish details due to the forrest background, especially at a quick glance.This is a good book, buy it.

すでに古い本になってしまったようですが、それでも充実した内容で良いと思います。写真が多いので、英語が読めなくてもそれなりに楽しめます。英語以外にドイツ語も多く出てくるので、英語が読めても理解できないのは残念で仕方ないです。こうした良い本が海外によくありますが、なぜかまったく翻訳出版されないですね。もったいない。

Before I recommend this book, I want to put a disclaimer in. The techniques in this book are DEADLY. I highly recommend that if you have never handled a steel weapon before, or even IF you are a trained Martial Artist, that you use a WASTER to practice this art. Good wooden Wasters from Purpleheartarmory are available through Amazon.com for a reasonable price. Repeat...even if you've handled edged weapons use a WASTER. Liechtenauer's methods were not meant to win a Martial Arts match...they were meant to KILL your opponent on a battlefield. Remember that when you practice.Now to the review.This book is by far one of the best and most comprehensive Martial Arts Books I've ever read. What makes it even more exciting is that this book deals with the subject of Medieval Western Combat as practiced by the German School of Johannes Liechtenauer and interpreted by his disciple, Sigmund Ringeck.Master Christian Henry Tobler's presentation of Liechtenauer provides a complete system of Defense, including combat with Longswords, Short Swords and Bucklers, Hand-to-Hand-Combat and Armored Combat either on foot or on horseback and presents it in a manner that is clear, concise and easy-to-follow. The scope of this work is simply astounding and there is literally a life-times worth of study in this work alone, should you choose to concentrate on it.Abundant photographs with supporting documentation and a comprehensive glossary put the icing on the cake. In short, this is the book many a martial artist looks for...a complete combat system. Yes...you can buy this book and you've got all you need.Note:Daggers are not included, but as the author points out, it appears that this section of the original manuscript was probably lost a long time ago. However, even without dagger combat, this is a complete system.As someone who's practiced Martial Arts for over thirty years, I feel the best facit of Liechtenauer's school is it's simplicity. In combat...the simpler the technique the better. Trust me...you will forget more complex techniques under a pressure situation...so Leichtenauer's philosophy makes abundant good sense.As an Asian Martial Artist, I found the section on using the Half-Sword to be most exciting! There are really no comparable techniques in the Oriental Arts (although Chinese Broadsword fighting has some simularities.) The Half-Sword Technique lends a devestating new arsenal of moves to your combat reperitory that is well worth studying.There is another version of Liechtenauer/Ringeck out by David Lindhold which is also excellent. However, I believe that Master Tobler's text is slightly superior in that 1:It uses photographs and not line drawings and 2:It contains everything (Lindholms version is split into two books.) However, if you become a serious student of Liechtenauer, I'd recommend eventually getting Lindholm as well...but buy THIS BOOK by Master Tobler FIRST.As for the criticisms by the "reviewer from Japan" I'd say that these "criticisms" stem from the fact that it is DIFFICULT to interpret ancient Martial Arts Texts, even if the tradition survived! Everybody has a slightly different take on a text. But it is a credit to BOTH Master Tobler and Master Lindholm that they are virtually in agreement to Liechtenauer's techniques...which shows very careful analysis and scholarship (contrary to what the critical reviewer claimed.)The previous "Japanese writer's" critiques are simply groundless and a similar criticism could be made of the over-killed "Book of Five Rings" by Musashi. I've studied Musashi for twenty years and have yet to figure out what he was really trying to say. Even the fact that there are schools in Japan that claim descent from Musashi doesn't help matters much...since you'll find differences from school-to-school. Frankly, you can go to two different Kendo schools and get different intrepretations of the SAME standardized techniques. Everybody will have a slighlty different twist on a technique.In closing, the curious Martial Artist might ask me, which technique is superior...Eastern or Western? My answer is that it depends upon the Practitioner and the circumstances and the terrain. However...I feel that the WESTERN techniques are slightly superior. Let me explain.Contrary to common opinion, the Eastern Arts (although they retained more combat techniques than Western Olympic Fencing, Boxing, etc.) are also all SPORTIZED versions of the original arts. In Japan this resulted from the Shogun supressing all the Samurai Houses and then Meiji trying to outlaw them. In China this came from the Manchus trying to supress the Native Chinese. The upstart is that the techniques that survived became sportified...whereas the techniques being revived by Western Masters like Christian Tobler and David Lindholm are the original FIGHTING techniques. Therefore someone who's practicing sport Kendo is going to be trounced by someone who knows Liechtenauer's system.Today, most Asian Fighting Arts are for winning tournaments (as is the vaunted Gracie Ju-Jitsu and Ultimate Fighting League.) Sure, people might get beaten up, and sometimes beaten badly...but the goal isn't to KILL someone, it's to win a tournament by scoring points. In contrast, Liechtenauer is talking about KILLING someone. As one of my teachers said, "There'a BIG difference between Karate-do (Martial arts as a way of life) and Karate-show."In closing, I feel it's VERY exciting that the Western arts are being revived. I look forward to the day when a revitalized system of Combat Masters exists and it would be possible for me to study with a WESTERN Master without having to move half-way across the United States.Knighthood transcends nationality, and knowledge has no boundaries. In the pursuit of Martial Excellence to defend your family, your planet and yourself and to prefect your character in the process, the more dissemination of knowledge with different approaches to the problem, the better.Christian Henry Tobler's book should set the bar for all future Martial Arts books, be they concerned with an Eastern Art or a Western Art. It's well worth the price...but...remember...please use a WASTER and BE SAFE.

"Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship" is a fine quality book and best presentation of the quietly renown COMBAT-PROVEN Art of Master Johannes Leichtenauer -- as ordered and renewed by Master Sigmund Ringeck -- and as further ordered and renewed by Master Christian Henry Tobler of our time. This is a fine quality hard-cover with good binding, paper-stock, pictures, photos, font and calligraphy. It follows the main ordering of Master Ringeck -- but as logically extended, just a bit, by Master Tobler to spell-out and flesh-out some of the few murky areas for a modern follower of Medieval Combat Tradition. I greatly appreciate the parallel commentary of these Masters. This way one can find added aspects to already fine learning. An earlier version of this Fectbuch was my main source of Inspiration when attempting to master the Medieval Great Sword with a Medieval Society for about ten years off-and-on. There are other such Fectbuchs -- but this one, in this version, is the best in my view.EXCELLENT strategy, tactics and methods of Armed and Unarmed Combat, CENTERED ON THE MEDIEVAL GREAT SWORD, are rationally presented -- even with a section near the start of this manual on exactly how-to-use this fine book. So one can aquire know-how in an ordered rational effective way. This work, and its Art, are as good as any I've seen -- West, East or Other. A walking-cane held-up in both hands -- could be a "Great Sword" for nowadays. The many methods of unarmed combat self-defense are as good as any. Much as with Medieval Japanese Methods -- these unarmed methods work well when defending in-or-out of armor -- versus foes in-or-out of armor. Consider just what is "armor" -- folks deranged, drugged or drunk have about the equivalent of "armor" for practical self-defense. A rich variety of knock-downs, take-downs and lock-downs are presented in several sections -- some of these methods are very dangerous ["murder-strikes"] -- all are COMBAT-PROVEN effective.Then there's the ULTRA-COMPACT Drei Ringen [chapter 27 page 211]. These THREE methods of wrestling ENTRY-METHODS form a cycle -- defender can ENTER via each [in order] to re-counter a countering foe. They comprise TWO "body-measure" [mirror] take-downs that are flexible in themselves -- they can be done via loose or stiff arms [slapping or slamming] as defender ENTERS into the take-down -- AND a lock-down. As the foe slips-out of the first attempt via an escape-pivot -- defender just circles-in [switching arms] with a mirror take-down -- to back that up, defender can follow-on via a smooth "armbar-pivot" lock-down. They even counter themsleves -- the lock-down counters the take-down which counters the lock-down. THEREFORE these Drei Ringen follow-on in natural succession -- forming an ULTRA-COMPACT combat-grappling Art -- to ENTER other methods. This is good cause of the rich variety of other knock-downs, take-downs and lock-downs -- which are effectively ordered by these ENTRY-MOVES.A GREAT Medieval Art presented via an EXCELLENT modern work +++

`Western martial arts are every bit as sophisticated as their Asian counterparts. The German martial systems incorporate both armed and unarmed combat, with and without armor, on foot and on horseback, using daggers, long and short swords, bucklers, shields, falchions, and spears and poleaxes.'In Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship, Christian Henry Tobler has done an outstanding job of introducing the reader to the skills and methods of the Germanic man-at-arms.The book is broken down into five major sections:>> Longsword Techniques>> Sword & Buckler>> Wrestling Techniques>> Armored Combat>> Mounted CombatSecrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship is an interpretation of the teachings of Master Johannes Liechtenauer and of the later work in the 15th Century of Sigmund Ringeck, a descendant of the Liechtenauer school and master-at-arms to Albrecht, Count Palatine of the Rhine and Duke of Bavaria.While there were, of course, no photographs in the 15th Century ~ Christian Henry Tobler has filled Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship with hundreds of photographs demonstrating the techniques of the masters. He has made an accurate interpretation of the techniques described in the writings of the masters and displays that described in photographs.Each photograph is clear and in sequence allows the reader to learn the techniques of the masters. These techniques are highly effective and the more one practices, the greater insight one gains into the secrets of the masters of arms of the 15th Century.The book concludes with a glossary of terms well-worth learning to improve understanding of this text and others related to it.I found Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship to be an absolutely indispensable reference for the student of Medieval Swordsmanship and Western Martial Arts.

An invaluable resource for anyone studying HEMA. The Author breaks down and extrapolates upon Master Ringeck's translations of Master Lichtenauer's cryptic prose. Sections on various weapons as well as armored, unarmored and even mounted combat. Complete with step by step diagrams, in depth explanations to the techniques, and in depth discussion of German fighting style in general. This shouldn't be the only book you study from but it's a fantastic reference.

i bought this book on the recommendation of the guy at the UPS store (long story), and I am so glad that I did! this is just a lot of fun to read through. the combination of text and photography helps make these concepts extremely clear for something that can't really be taught through a book - pretty impressive! one caution, however. though i have not had any training in swordsmanship, i am a black belt with over a decade of experience, and this has made a substantial difference in my ability to interpret the text. I suspect that some sort of training in marital arts is probably necessary to follow the instructions for something which....can't really be taught in a book.

The book is really interesting from a historical standpoint. I found it fascinating to read the riddle-like descriptions of moves by a german swordmaster (he didn't want those who didn't already know the system to understand) followed by the explanation given by one of his students (he wanted anyone who was familiar with swords to be able to understand the system). For anyone interested in medieval swordplay, this is an excellent read.

Very helpful to increase knowledge of moves & movements. Helped improve my skills and give me a better understanding of HEMA.

This is by far the best of it's genre out there. All of the old material is there much like the other codices, but the author details so much more of the material. This is the one book on Western martial arts you will learn from.

Amazing book lots of pictures and explanations to help you through. Seeing all 3 interpretations makes it a little easier to visualize each move.