History of European Martial Arts

This article traces the pictorial lineages of images collected in one of the two Thun-Hohenstein albums through comparative analyses of fight books produced in the German-speaking lands, and considers how the representational strategies deployed in martial treatises inflected the ways that book painters and their audiences visualized the armoured body.

The martial arts have been practiced for thousands of years and today mixed martial arts remains the fastest growing sport in the world. I am delighted to invite you to submit your best empirical and theoretical work on martial arts to this special issue. The goal for this special issue is to showcase exemplary work on martial arts from multiple disciplinary perspectives. For example, philosophers of mind and ethics may submit work on martial arts and the cultivation of virtues, and experimental philosophers and psychologists may submit work on the influence of martial arts on psychological well-being. Other topics of interest include the use of mental simulation during shadowboxing, flow experience during training or competition, weapons as extensions of the self, qualities of exemplary martial artists, the ethics and aesthetics of martial arts, and in general, what the study of martial arts may reveal about the nature of the human mind and human society. Integrative review articles, focused philosophical arguments, and original empirical research that is philosophically relevant will all be warmly received.

Reach out to Adam at croom@berkeley.edu with any questions about this SI.
https://www.mdpi.com/journal/philosophies/special_issues/martial_arts |

Articles published in this special issue:
Croom, A. M. (2022). Muay Thai, psychological well-being, and cultivation of combat-relevant affordances. Philosophies, 7, 65. https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies7030065 |
Cynarski, W. J. (2022). New concepts of Budo internalised as a philosophy of life. Philosophies, 7, 110. https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies7050110 |
Holt, J. (2023). Physical philosophy: Martial arts as embodied wisdom. Philosophies, 8, 15. https://doi.org/10.3390/philosophies8010014 |

This thesis explores the the concept of combat sports and games as examples of cultural heritage. More precisely it examines the different processes in which a combat practice becomes a symbol of cultural heritage, or in the opposite scenario, is discarded.

Published by Paladin Press in 1999, Techniques of Medieval Armour Reproduction (TOMAR) remained in print until 2017, when Paladin closed their business. A limited number of copies are available at the URL below.

Intended for the practitioner market, TOMAR is a massive tome of 660+ pages and more than 600 photographs and illustrations documenting the fundamentals of metalwork and engineering employed in the reproduction of medieval armour. Anchored in basic techniques, it was always intended that a follow-on advanced book be completed which would include more intensive techniques such as raising, square edge-rolling, locksmithing, and the like.

The book has earned hundreds of positive reviews on Amazon and has been called the "bible" of armouring. Find it here: https://brianrprice.com/.

En el presente trabajo se analizan los datos disponibles sobre la “Esgrima Vulgar” practicada en la Península Ibérica en los siglos XV y XVI, centrándose en su uso civil más que en el militar, y en aspectos administrativos y sociales del oficio de esgrimidor, la reglamentación de las cofradías, los espacios y herramientas de la práctica, los juegos públicos, el estatus de profesionales y practicantes, los principales maestros del periodo, así como un recorrido por la tratadística conservada en la actualidad y de la que se tienen referencias.

This paper discusses the data available on the “Vulgar Fencing” practiced in the Iberian Peninsula in the 15th and 16th centuries, focusing on civilian use rather than in the military, and in administrative and social aspects of the craft of fencer, regulation of the brotherhoods, the spaces and practice tools, public games, the status of professionals and practitioners, the great masters of the period, as well as a tour of the tratadistica preserved today and have references.

An updated edition (2015) of my 2014 paper on Commonplace Fencing and how the information of the Combat Systems exhibited in sources from Spain, Italy, England and German share a common structure.

A Critical edition produced as part of The HEMA Roadmap framework.

Abstract:

L’argomento di questa tesi nasce dall'esperienza congiunta di rievocazione storica ed archeologia sperimentale che ho maturato con gli anni. Appassionato di rievocazione dal 2007,
ho praticato (e continuo tuttora a praticare) la scherma ed il reenactment relativi a svariati periodi della storia della Sardegna: il periodo medioevale (giudicale), quello romano-imperiale e da ultimo quello nuragico. La necessità di avere maggiori informazioni, non disponibili tramite le fonti scritte, iconografiche e archeologiche legate sopratutto a quest’ultimo periodo, mi ha portato con gli anni a pormi ulteriori quesiti sull’argomento. Quella dei nuragici era una società pacifica? In caso contrario come combattevano i suoi guerrieri? Che tipo di struttura gerarchico-militare avevano? Le risposte a queste domande diventavano sempre più impellenti man mano che mi confrontavo con il pubblico (e spesso con i pregiudizi legati a questo lontano periodo). Desideroso di avere delle risposte, coadiuvato dall’esperienza di artigiano-archeotecnico del bronzo che porto avanti nei ritagli di tempo, ispirato da studi sulla cosiddetta “archeologia del combattimento” e dalle tecniche forensi applicate nell'archeologia, sono giunto a conclusione che solo studiando i resti umani di quegli
uomini vissuti 3000 e più anni fa, avrei potuto ricavare maggiori risposte alle mie domande.
Nel presente lavoro ho esaminato i casi più noti in letteratura di reperti scheletrici con visibili segni traumatici, ponendo particolare attenzione ai periodi preistorici. Come paragone
per lo studio dei reperti nuragici è stato utilizzato lo scheletro di un presunto soldato medioevale, il quale presentava diversi traumi da combattimento. I resti ossei nuragici consistono in tre crani appartenenti a tre diverse sepolture collettive localizzate in aree della Sardegna tra loro molto distanti. Per questi tre casi si è provveduto a determinare il tipo di trauma osservato, che tipo di arma ha provocato la ferita e lo scenario ipotetico dell’aggressione che ha interessato ciascun individuo. Lo studio di questi casi ha permesso una ricostruzione delle modalità di combattimento più verosimili per tale periodo; queste hanno
permesso di dedurre quali ferite e in quali aree del corpo si potrebbero riscontrare più frequentemente i traumi. La riproduzione dei traumi mediante prove d’archeologia sperimentale (test di taglio) hanno permesso di capire quali lesioni potrebbero essere prodotte da alcune specifiche armi dell’età del Bronzo. Come ultima analisi sono stati elencati i principali casi di trapanazioni craniche per poter determinare se tali pratiche siano da mettere in relazione a traumi conseguenti ad episodi violenti o a pratiche etnoiatriche.

The subject of this thesis was born from a joint of historical reenactment and experimental archeology that I have gained over the years. Fond of living history since 2007, I practiced (and still continuing to practice) the fencing and the reenactment related to various periods of the history of Sardinia: the medieval period (Judicial), the Roman Empire and finally the nuragic one (Age of Bronze). The need to have more information, not available through the written sources, iconographic and archaeological related especially in the latter period, led me through the years to ask me more questions on the subject.
Nuragics was that of a peaceful society? Otherwise how his warriors fought? What kind of hierarchical-military had? The answers to these questions became more compelling as I compared them with the public (and often with the prejudices related to this distant period). Eager to get answers, aided by the experience of bronze artisan-archaeotecnic that I carry in my spare time, inspired by studies on the so-called "archeology of combat" and forensic techniques applied in archaeology, I have come to the conclusion that only by studying the human remains of those men lived 3000 years and more ago, I could get more answers to my questions.
In this paper I have examined the best known cases in the literature of skeletal remains with visible signs of trauma, paying particular attention to prehistoric times. As a comparison for the study of the nuragic finds, was used the skeleton of a supposed medieval soldier, who presented several combat trauma. The skeletal nuragic remains consist of three skulls belonging to three different collective burials located in areas of Sardinia each other very distant. For these three cases, it was decided to determine the type of trauma observed, what kind of weapon caused the wound and the hypothetical scenario of the attack that affected each individual. The study of these cases has allowed a reconstruction of how to combat the most plausible for that period; These have enabled us to deduce which wounds and in which areas of the body could be encountered more frequently trauma. Reproduction of trauma by tests of experimental archeology (test cutting) has allowed us to understand what injuries could be produced by a number of specific Bronze Age weapons. As the final analysis were listed the main cases of cranial drilling to determine whether such practices are to be related to trauma resulting from violent incidents or etnoiatric practices.

Dissertation excerpt (introduction, 2011) discussing the historiography of the fighting treatises, the importance of cultural context, and the argument that medieval fighting was sometimes organized into recognizable, systematic martial arts.

This booklet shows an interpretation of the martial principle of measure in the I.33. After a general presentation of the oldest fencing manuel, this paper presents an iconographical and textual study. Then, it proposes a practical study of measure in the I.33. This principle is to be considered as a keystone between three points: distance, action and decision-making.

This teaching document was prepared for the XVIth Historical European Martial Arts Gathering, Dijon, May 4-7, 2017.

First of all, I want to thank you for downloading this fascinating report. You may not know me from Adam, but you took the time to check us out at Martial Arts Weapons and Training. That means more than you can know, and I appreciate the vote of confidence. I hope that over time you will find value in what we publish and offer and that you enjoy engaging within our community. Thanks again for your time, and I hope you enjoy this compilation of cool curiosities about martial arts throughout history! Your friend in the wonderful universe of martial arts, Steve D'Agostino https://martialartsweaponstraining.com

This is a first draft. The paper addresses the question of whether the emergent field of martial arts studies might be regarded as trivial. In doing so, it explores possible rationales and raisons d'être of the field in terms of a reflection on the legitimation of academic subjects, especially those closest to martial arts studies and from which martial arts studies can be seen to have emerged.

A book series that publishes research monographs in the fields of Martial Arts Studies.

http://www.rowmaninternational.com/series/martial-arts-studies

Series Editor: Paul Bowman (Cardiff University). Author of Martial Arts Studies: Disrupting Disciplinary Boundaries (Rowman & Littlefield International, 2015), Director of the Martial Arts Studies Research Network, and co-editor of the open-access journal Martial Arts Studies (Cardiff University Press).

The Martial Arts Studies book series aims to foster cross-disciplinary dialogue and generate new knowledge in the interdisciplinary fields of martial arts studies. The series welcomes proposals that explore martial arts studies in terms of such key questions as identity, gender, ethnicity, film, creativity, (digital) culture, media (and social media), drama, diaspora, performance, dance, memory, movement, pedagogy, institution, violence, the state, (post) colonialism, experience, ritual, training, fitness, incarceration, heritage, belief, and so on.

The series also seeks to explore such questions as the purpose(s) of martial arts studies; what martial arts ‘achieve’; why people (still) practice martial arts; why there has been a huge global upsurge in some martial arts – such as the staged actual violence of mixed martial arts (which is now bigger than boxing and wrestling combined) – and the ways in which these issues relate to such themes as contemporary capitalism, globalization, the current era of internet connectivity, and so on; as well as studies of the ways martial arts changed in recent years, the future directions of martial arts, and the future directions of martial arts studies.

Editorial Review Board:
Alex Channon (University of Brighton)
DS Farrer (University of Guam)
TJ Hinrichs (Cornell University)
Benjamin N. Judkins (chinesemartialstudies.com)
Gina Marchetti (Hong Kong University)
Michael A. Molasky (Waseda University)
Meaghan Morris (University of Sydney)
Benjamin Spatz (Huddersfield University)
Sixt Wetzler (German Blade Museum, Solingen)
Luke White (Middlesex University)
Douglas Wile (CUNY)
Gehao Zhang (Macau University of Science and Technology)

The sixteenth-century Collectanea of the condottiero Pietro Monte contains some of the most thorough writings that exist pertaining to the use of staff weapons. A detailed study of how these weapons are categorised, contextualised, and used in Monte’s work can, due to their sometimes limited treatment in other fight books, allow for a comparative approach between Monte’s works and those of other fight book authors. Such a study allows for a more complete understanding of how Monte’s work fits in with the wider fight book genre, properly contextualising the Collectanea, and demonstrating to what extent this important but often overlooked text should be considered revolutionary or reflective of contemporary military and martial trends. In this article is discussed Monte’s approach to defining staff weapons, his contextualisation of staff weapons according to military and martial environments, and Monte’s teachings on the use of staff weapons.

The sixteenth-century Collectanea of the condottiero Pietro Monte contains some of the most thorough writings that exist pertaining to the use of staff weapons. A detailed study of how these weapons are categorised, contextualised, and used in Monte’s work can, due to their sometimes limited treatment in other fight books, allow for a comparative approach between Monte’s works and those of other fight book authors. Such a study allows for a more complete understanding of how Monte’s work fits in with the wider fight book genre, properly contextualising the Collectanea, and demonstrating to what extent this important but often overlooked text should be considered revolutionary or reflective of contemporary military and martial trends. In this article is discussed Monte’s approach to defining staff weapons, his contextualisation of staff weapons according to military and martial environments, and Monte’s teachings on the use of staff weapons.

It has been argued in the historical martial arts community that the British game of Singlestick was so popular around the turn of the 20th century that President Roosevelt himself was a loyal adherent to the practice, and that it was even presented at the St. Louis Olympic Games in 1904. This small essay explores some primary sources to examine these claims, and establishes that a common misnomer of the time is most probably behind the origins of these two myths.

Though well-known as a collector, compiler, and author of fight books, Paulus Hector Mair amassed diverse martial objects. Analysis of his posthumous inventories and sales reveals the objects he owned as artifacts of Augsburg’s martial culture. https://martcult.hypotheses.org/date/2020/05

The Martial Arts Studies Research Network (mastudiesrn.org) now has a new podcast.

The podcast is available in audio only here: https://martialartsstudies.podbean.com/

Episodes can also be viewed as videos on the Martial Arts Studies YouTube Channel, here:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCdcGhPhHamDuLIsc6NPVSYg

The following spreadsheets represent a Stemmatological statistical analysis of the Liechtenauer corpus.

This paper consists of the output from this activity, the aggregates from which have been used to build a statistically accurate picture of the relationships between source-materials within the Liechtenauer corpus.

Hypothesis:
A number of surviving source-materials demonstrate observable similarities, in which some demonstrate the same errors and idiosyncrasies.
A programme was web-based, written in PHP, jQuery and MySQL. It was written to attempt to validate and measure the similarities between different source-materials, to make the first attempt to build a statistically accurate Stemma Codicum.

Methodology:
1. Each source transcription was loaded into a database (MySQL), using a comparison script to best-match and align paragraphs into columns and rows.
2. Additional material was added to the rows, so that filtering could be performed based upon identifying DISTINCT values. (The programme can therefore compare only certain sources, only titles, zettel or glosse, only Blossfechten, Kampffechten, or Rossfechten etc.)
3. All content was loaded into an array, and a normalisation function applied to make all spellings reconciled, as well as sanitise special characters out of the comparison.
4. All content was loaded into an array, and a function applied to output a new multidimensional array consisting of soundex, metaphone and normal keys and values (modified to cope with Germanic alphabet).
5. A comparison function based upon a similar_text method was then written to cross-reference each value with all others.
6. Based upon a random selection of the sources, the output was then measured and ordered against human (manual) corroboration and validation.
7. The result was that Metaphone produced the most accurate ordering of the similarities (up to 100%), with a standard deviation of around 3%.
8. The algorithm was then applied to all sources within the database, and a percentage value output into a table.
9. Colour-coding and back-end metrics were then used to easily demarcate and distinguish the similarities between sources.
10. Pivot-tables within the programme were then used to generate aggregations and orders between highest to lowest similarities.
11. These aggregates allowed for the design of a Stemma Codicum, presented in my Blossfechten Critical Edition.
12. This entire process has been automated to allow for quick execution of further or edited queries.

The paper deals with the interpretation of a judicial duel in the law code of the Zips Saxons - Zipser Willkühr. The aim of the paper is to introduce its changed perception, not as a means of proof in ordeals but as a form of retribution (punishment) for sustained monetary and health loss. After introduction into the issue of ordeals, the whole text of the norm is being subject to analysis and interpretation of individual phrases. Subject to analysis are causes of duel, fighting tools – weapons, course and outcome of duel and supervision of the court over dispute. Findings are compared with knowledge of scholarly literature. The outcome of the paper should be an image of divine ordeal in the medieval law and society.

"La charla es en español. Comprobaremos qué visión tenían los guerreros de sí mismos, cómo veían a los demás y, sobre todo, cómo veían y vivían el mundo de las armas y el combate individual. ¿cómo se entrenaban? ¿existía un arte marcial occidenteal en el medioevo? ¿Quien controlaba las armas?... en definitiva cómo el guerrero, a nivel individual, se enfrentó al mundo cambiante el siglo XV
La clase tendrá dos partes. Una teórica y otra "semi-práctica""

"""The issue of the trial of ordeals can be described as quite interesting topic of historical research. However in Slovak historiography there is still a little interest in ordeals, and if authors are discussing them, they generalize their findings and deal only a little with concrete form of test.
Judicial duels represent specific form of legal settlement which demands partial research. Outcome of this process should be a complex picture of this phenomenon. To reach some conclusions we need to analyze all legal regulations connected to judicial duels. Recently for completion of this analysis there has been chosen legal regulation of judicial duels in Zips (Spiš) law (Zipser Willkühr). Analysis of normative representation of judicial duel in Zipser Willkühr leads to opinion that it is surviving relic of ordeals.
Content of analyzed norm points out changed perception of this legal act. It is not possible to discern a reference to the involvement of clergy in the process. Supervision over the course of the legal act include representatives of the secular power – count of Zips (Spiš) Saxons and two mayors of province cities of Zips (Spiš) Saxons. Also a brief statement of factual reason does not indicate the cause of this duel as ordeal but rather as method of repaying for wrongs committed. Duelists fight in the duel by weapons corresponding to lower social classes. Accuser should fight with club and shield, defendants fighting tool is stick. The prescription of club and shield weapons having in Franconian background tradition in early Middle Ages, it point to the origin of this legal act in this area. Norm by following regulations governs the course of duel. Emphasizes that no third party should get involved in duel. Warns duelists against altering their fighting weapons and so on. Nevertheless certain aspects which usually accompany the conduct of battle are absent. Firstly there is an oath. Because of its severity it can not be excluded by custom. There is a similar lack of duelists dress regulation.       
Zipser Willkühr is a proof that right to duel was extended on ignoble people. It is an important proof of the fact that the judicial duel is transforming from form of divine ordeal and its character is becoming more profane. To what extent was judicial duel really used in Zips (Spiš) area is not known.  We can not exclude the possibility that analyzed norm was never used and its practical side consisted only in its existence in Zipser Willkühr.
"""

Purposes of the conference: introduction into scientific circulation of new sources on the history of arms and armor; development of international scientific cooperation in the studies of military history, history of arts and martial arts; studies of historical arms and armor in museums and private collections in Ukraine and the worldwide; discussions of the problems of preservation and restoration of historical weapon.