Fighting with the German Longsword

Rating:
Summary: You want to learn German longsword? You got it.
Review: There have been a number of books in recent years that have addressed the use of the European longsword, but very few have taken a specific historical martial art, picked it apart, and presented it in a clear, logical way, as Christian Tobler does here in Fighting with the German Longsword.

This is not just an collection of techniques from German masters in the Liechtanauer tradition of fighting: It is a how to guide, one that presents the basics of footwork and body mechanics, and building off them with the core concepts and techniques to embody the reader with a good sense of the foundation of this system. One of the really excellent things about this book is that a complete novice can read it and grasp the concepts easily, while a seasoned practitioner can still read it from cover to cover and learn from it.

Fundamental concepts such as distance and timing are discussed, primary and secondary guards, feeling your opponent's actions through the blade, and understanding the five master strikes. While the majority of the book in focused on fighting without armor, it does go into armored fighting as well, and there is even a small section on spear, which helps illustrate key longsword concepts such as winding. There is also a section showing major concepts in unarmed fighting, as this forms the basis of much of the longsword.

Christian Tobler is also to be commended for his honest approach to research. The text is full of examples of where the techniques came from out of period manuscripts, and Christian clearly admits where he has stepped in to fill in some of the blanks that are not explicitly clear in the original texts. Naturally there are differences in interpretation amongst practitioners, but even the places where Christian has had to take some creative liberties, he is still making sure that his interpretations are as faithful to the system as possible.

Who benefits from this book? If you are a practitioner of the Liechtanauer school, then the answer is obvious. If you are a practitioner of a different school of longsword, this is a perfect way to get a broad understanding of how this system works. If you are a sword enthusiast, reenactor, historian or collector, you will undoubtedly find the book a great read. If I had to recommend a book that wasn't a primary source for an example of what a Western martial art should look like, this would be the book.