Book Review: "Medieval Swordsmanship"
Illustrated Methods and Techniques - by John Clements

Review by Adrian Ko

In his first book, Renaissance Swordsmanship, author John Clements - Director of the HACA (Historical Armed Combat Association) - guides the reader through period methods of the primary civilian weapon of the 16th century: the rapier. Reviewed in this article, his second book - Medieval Swordsmanship - is an excellent introduction into the martial and military traditions of 10th-15th century Europe.

In Medieval Swordsmanship, Clements presents a synthesis of effective skills with medieval weapon systems (sword and shield, long-sword, etc.) with unambiguous language, resolute instruction and intuitive illustrations, covering a broad range of techniques defined by ancient masters such as Talloffer, Dei Liberi, Liechtenauer, and Vadi to name a few. Though the book reflects tremendous scholastic depth and research and can serve as a stepping stone to the study of period texts, Medieval Swordsmanship is intended more as a practical guide to Medieval period fighting forms rather than as an academic discourse of only concepts. Clements makes no pretenses that the martial arts systems of Medieval Europe reflected a brutal and horrific age; these skills were strenuously honed because they were were essential for survival upon the battlefield - and thus the life-or-death seriousness of Clements' approach to swordsmanship are evident Medieval Swordsmanship.

Medieval Swordsmanship is rich with information on medieval swords, their affect against plate armor, obtaining, qualifying and using modern replica swords, and the medieval combat environment, giving the reader not only a well-rounded perspective of the times but making these martial traditions accessible to the common man today. The book will benefit the complete beginner and seasoned swordsman alike - without requiring the academic experience in the subject matter to fathom the material.

Where the book might improve is more footnotes to the references used so that studied readers can track the origins and the reasonings that Clements arrives at. However, as this book, again, is a practical guide and not an academic account, the readability and value of the information is by no means lost.

In short, Medieval Swordsmanship is a reconstruction of authentic Medieval era swordsmanship, which is a systematic, scientific and skillful martial tradition. Whether you are an SCA fighter wanting to fight better, or a stage combatant seeking to add some authenticity to your presentation, this book will be of good value, but where Medieval Swordsmanship truly excels is to introduce an every-day person to his/her rich European martial heritage in authentic Medieval European swordsmanship.

Soft Cover. 319 pages.

List price: $40.00
ISBN: 1-58160-004-6
Publisher: Paladin Press

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