First published in 1570, Joachim Meyer's 'The Art of Combat' is among the most important texts in the rich corpus of German martial arts treatises of the Middle Ages and Renaissance. Meyer is unique in offering full recommendations on how to train for various weapons forms. He divides his book into five parts by weapon types: longsword; dusack (a practice weapon analogous to a sabre); rapier; dagger; and staff weapons. For each weapon, Meyer lays out the principles of its use and the vocabulary of techniques, and then describes a range of specific 'devices', attack combinations for use in combat. This rational approach, along with Meyer's famous and profuse woodcut illustrations, make this a crucial source for understanding the history and techniques of medieval and Renaissance martial arts. In the first ever English translation of this important work, Jeffrey Forgeng has sought to improve accessibility of the text. His Introduction is the first substantial account to be published in English of the German Fechtbuch corpus, and the Glossary likewise is the first of its kind to be published in English. AUTHOR: Jeffrey L. Forgeng is curator of the Worcester Art Museum's Higgins Collection, the second largest collection of arms and armour in the Americas, and also teaches as Adjunct Professor of History at Worcester Polytechnic Institute. His academic work specialises in European treatises on the use of arms and armour. His publications include translations of Royal Armouries MS I.33, the earliest known treatise on swordplay, and of Joachim Meyer's Lund manuscript. Forgeng was for many years an editor for the Middle English Dictionary, and has published extensively on topics including the Robin Hood legend, the history of games and sports, and the history of daily life. b/w integrated images
