This book is one of the first resources about the intriguing Swedish approach to sabre fencing, with a clear and understandable translation that will be useful in the fencing hall.
About Stockholm Manual on Sabre Fencing, 1893
Near the end of the 19th century, the Swedish military desired a new manual about sabre fencing. This resulted in the 1893 manual, Instruktion I sabelfäktning till fots (Manual on Sabre Fencing on Foot), most likely penned by the famed military leader, “the father of Swedish sports,” Viktor Balck, and illustrated by his equally famous acquaintance, the renowned wildlife painter Bruno Liljefors.
The system described in the manual is rooted in the basics seen throughout the European fencing systems of the time, yet it also deviates from them in intriguing ways and advocates for approaches that are rather unique. In addition, the text sheds light on historical training methodology by describing how lessons were directed and by presenting images of training tools.
Until now, the Swedish military sabre system has not been particularly accessible to a wider audience due to a lack of English language materials and translations. This book will be one of the first such resources about this intriguing approach to sabre fencing, with a clear and understandable translation that will be useful in the fencing hall.
About the author
When he first tried his hand at historical fencing at Tampere HEMA, Pentti Koivuniemi was instantly enamoured with the combination of practical training and period-source study that form the basis of these martial arts. Pentti majored in English with a specialisation in translation at Tampere University while continuing to study historical fencing, and so, gradually, he felt compelled to translate European martial arts texts for the international community.
Book Details
- Authors: Pentti Koivuniemi
- Editor: Keith Farrell
- Publisher: Fallen Rook Publishing
- Date of Publication: 6th July 2021
- ISBN: 978-1-913066-01-7
- Binding: Paperback
- Pages: 177
- Height: 21.0 cm
- Width: 14.8 cm
- Language: English
Table of Contents
Introduction
About the authors
About the translation
Bibliography
Manual on Sabre Fencing on Foot
CHAPTER I: Basic concepts
1. General considerations
2. Target area and striking points
3. Measure
4. On being covered and being exposed
5. Lines and sides
CHAPTER II: Formations, standing in guard, stomping, changing guard, etc.
6. Organisation and formations
7. Handling of the sabre
8. The guard
9. Preparatory lessons for standing in guard
10. Standing at ease
11. Stomps
12. Changing guard
CHAPTER III: Marches and lunges
13. Marches
14. Lunges on-line, with and without marches, and the movements of the body while defending against them
15. Lunges off-line, and the movements of the body while defending against them
16. The turns and movements of the body while defending against off-line lunges
17. Chasing marches and the movements of the body while defending against them
CHAPTER IV: Cuts and thrusts
18. General rules
19. Breakdown of cuts and thrusts
20. Single cuts
21. Thrusts
22. Combined cuts and thrusts
23. Compound attacks
CHAPTER V: Parries
24. General rules
25. Breakdown of parries
26. Single parries
27. Compound parries
CHAPTER VI: Ripostes and counter attacks
28. General rules
CHAPTER VII: Attacking while the blades are bound
29. Forced thrusts
CHAPTER VIII: Preparing strikes and follow-up strikes, persisting strikes
30. General rules
CHAPTER IX: Single and combined strikes and thrusts with marches and lunges
31. General rules
CHAPTER X: Tempo strikes (tempo cuts, tempo thrusts)
32. General rules
33. A turn of the body with a prim strike as a tempo strike
34. A lunge or turn of the body with a tempo thrust
CHAPTER XI: Free fencing and fencing between different weapons
35. Introduction to free fencing (lessons on striking at the opponent)
36. Free fencing
37. Fencing between different weapons
CHAPTER XII: Weapons and fencing equipment
38. Gymnasium sabre
39. Fencing mask
40. Plastron
41. Fencing gloves
42. Pell
CHAPTER XIII: The arrangement and leading of the lessons
43. General rules
44. Individual and joint instruction
45. Command words