German Longsword Study Guide

Excellent resource for students of German longsword, particularly those who are just starting out or haven't been doing it that long, though it would of great value to seasoned practitioners as well. If you're part of a group, this will help you connect the stuff you are learning in class to the source material, and if you're on your own, this will make the source material accessible (it can be intimidating when you're starting out--unless you have this book to help you!If you're reading this review and wondering, "Do I need this book, should I get it?" then the answer is yes. You need it, you want it, it will help you. Get it.

Exactly what I was looking for, but sadly it arrived with some damage. Luckily, it is very minor and doesn't affect the usability. Will potentially update review once I get deeper into it.I do have to say I 100% prefer illustrations to pictures.Ordered from Purpleheart armoury.

My main criticism of this book is that it has the wrong title. In my opinion this book should have been titled: "A Comparative Study and Review of Treaties on German Longsword." In which case I would not have bought it at this time. I have just begun my study of German longsword and was eagerly looking for a reference where I could learn more about the guards, strikes and defenses. As a study guide, this book is a poor reference and I was rather disappointed. This book would have been much more valuable had the authors provides better illustration (even pictures of themselves) of the techniques used in this sword-fighting tradition. Additionally, in many a places, they make references to techniques or strikes that they have not yet explained or explore. This book is certainly not for a novice.Having said all of this, it is important to recognize the value of the book as well. The authors have done their "homework" by studying and translating a number of classical manuscripts on the German tradition. This book is a compilation of this research and may be valuable for someone who has trained for a while and is familiar with various terminologies and techniques.

Got this as a gift for my brother-in-law. He absolutely loves it.

Keith Farrell and Alex Bourdas provide an exceptional and comprehensive study guide for Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) enthusiasts studying longsword in the German tradition of Kunst des Fechtens (Art of Fighting), stemming from the teachings of Johannes Liechtenauer. The book covers longsword principles in distinct detail, incorporates relevant translated material from various sources to compliment the text, and includes useful solo drills and exercises. Unfortunately, the authors only provided a very limited number of hand-drawn illustrations that just depict snap shots of various positions, not sequences of entire plays, and all are missing captions (key terms in German and English would have been ideal).I gave the rating of four stars because the print quality of the book could be a little better given the price and for the lack of figures and captions. This book is a study guide and probably suited better for those already slightly familiar with German longsword basics; however, comprehensive and compact, this study guide is an invaluable reference for any Kunst des Fechtens enthusiast and one that should be proudly carried with your HEMA gear!Lastly, although Amazon does not carry this title, it is available through Purpleheart Armoury and I highly recommend buying from them.

If you are going into swordsmanship then you need this book!It is easy to understand and has a lot of information for being so small.Now the reason for the lost star is the price, as this is very small paperback book with the same price tag as guides that are far larger and have more stuff.

In an age when it has become all too commonplace for pimply faced youth with barely any life (let alone martial) experience to set themselves up as 'instructors' of an art which itself has yet to be fully rediscovered; where dozens of new schools and clubs are popping up all over the world in 'McDojo' like fashion at ever increasing and alarming rates; and where 'sportification' has sadly overshadowed the focus on legitimate defensive skills and the use of historically accurate training tools and equipment... I must admit, I had some reservations about this little book. The virtual explosion of interest in the subject of Historical Fencing has not been solely limited to the classroom, club or tournament grounds either, it has also witnessed a literary 'boom' with more books on the subject being produced in the last 15 years than in the preceding 150! With the above in mind, my primary concern (or perhaps more appropriately... question) was, 'What is the need for such a book as this?' Are we not told in the extant martial literature itself that (according to Anonymous Gloss HS 3227a or 'Döbringer' manuscript) "There is nothing new that can be devised which is not already contained in Liechtenauer's art"? What then, I could not help but wonder, is the need for yet another modern attempt to interpret already complete sources of information? Given the trends (and seeming popularity) of modern authors offering their opinions and/or interpretations of original sources overshadowing those aforesaid sources themselves, I couldn't help but wonder if the world really needed 'just another guidebook'.The answers to my aforementioned questions and concerns, I am pleased to admit, were a welcome surprise! Before offering my thoughts on the book proper and its contents, I hope the reader will indulge a few words about the authors themselves. The book is a collaborative effort between Alex Bourdas and Keith Farrell; of the former I know virtually nothing. Mr. Farrell on the other hand, I have met. I know him and I consider him a friend (to wit, I have made every effort to be objective and unbiased in this review). Mr. Farrell is young, a point which at the outset of this review I admit gives me pause, but I can assure you that Mr. Farrell's knowledge of the subject and the original source material is impressive for a person of any age. In my many 'face to face' conversations with him, he has always conveyed a passion for, and familiarity with, the subject for which I have held him in some regard.The book itself is a slight volume, coming in at a mere 132 pages cover to cover; however, the authors seem to have made great use of such small space and manage to at least touch upon considerable content within this tiny tome. A book of this size is certainly not going to be remembered as the definitive work on the subject, but in reading it seems apparent that this was never the authors' intent. The title itself further indicates this as the book is clearly and unabashedly a 'Study Guide'. If we take that to be the authors' stated objective, then it can be said that on that count, they surely deliver. One of the most noteworthy, and indeed impressive, things about this book is that it not only serves as a self contained guide in its own right, but it also serves as a starting guide for further study. This is made possible by the fact that the book is well footnoted and the sources which the authors drew upon in their writing can be further followed, read and studied by the readers of this book. I will be the first to admit that there are elements contained within this volume with which I agree, and others with which I do not. The fact that the sources of the authors' information and research are so well listed and made openly available makes it easy to see 'where they might have been coming from' on a particular issue, and/or to follow up on points that interest the reader further or to gain greater insights into content the reader might not agree with or understand. I truly commend the authors and the book for being so well documented, footnoted and forthcoming with regard to same.While I believe this book has the potential to confuse some readers (although again, it does make continuation of study easy for the enthusiastic reader to find out more), I feel as though the authors have made a sincere and valiant effort in attempting to explain the differences between those things which might confuse a neophyte of the subject. In fact, it is the simplistic yet obviously knowledgeable way in which the authors present the material where I think this book really shines. For persons new to the subject, or those not yet well versed in the taxonomical German nomenclature, this (albeit small) volume presents a well rounded catalog of basic concepts, terms and ideas which are refreshing to see presented in such a handy, portable guidebook. Experienced students and practitioners of the craft may find themselves lamenting that such a compact yet comprehensive guidebook was not available years ago.In short, this book is not without its flaws, but is an impressive and noble inaugural effort from two authors whose dedicated research and study of the themes presented are in evidence throughout. For the experienced scholar of Historical Fencing studies, you will likely find nothing new or groundbreaking here, and yet this book would still make a welcome addition to your library as a quick reference guide, etc. (I have found myself drawing upon it for reference several times myself!). For those who are new to the subject of Mediæval and/or Renaissance Martial Arts (and particularly the German corpus), provided the reader is judicious and takes care to notice the authors' discussion of the differences between sport, real martial art, etc. this book certainly has the potential to be a great starting point and one that will likely eventually become a treasured volume to which you might find yourself referring back to for years to come!-John Farthing, Deputy Director (ARMA)Association for Renaissance Martial ArtsFebruary, 2014(Review originally published at [...])

I've had the privilege of attending a German longsword course with Keith Farrell, so thought it would be interesting to compare the book to the real life style. Comparing the book to real life HEMA training, the sequence of training is spot on with an emphasis on getting footwork right early on. The guard work and cut work can be followed easily in real life. I'd highly recommend this book as your starting point if you're interesting in getting into HEMA, and it will also be used to experienced HEMA practitioners.

I was recommended this book by my (primarily German) longsword clubI have found this book a fantastic starting point for solo training. This book offers concise and educated views and translations of very important techniques, which has allowed me to start improving my techniques while alone, instead of relying 100% on my club to teach me.That said, it's also a great resource for cooperative/club training. The book offers a bunch of useful drills etc. in the back that are great for both solo and cooperative training.Thoroughly impressed; I have been unable to find any published literature that has been so useful.

This book is great. I have been into HEMA for a while, but without a group to practise with, finding source material and guides is difficult. The internet is a good resource, but only when looking for something specific. The book offers something more; experience recorded from first hand exploration. This guide is for all comers to HEMA and offers advice on all aspects. It is an invaluable sourcebook for anyone to buy for longsword study. Not only that but the product arrived exactly two weeks before the predicted date, which is always good. I have found it all very enlightening.

Very good book, good expedition, good price.

Great overview.