Daggers are mentioned in many modern books about medieval and Renaissance swordplay, but until now none described how daggers were used in combat. Drawing from sources written from 1409-1600 (including the works of Hans Talhoffer, Fiore dei Liberi, Filippo Vadi, Joachim Meyer and more), this book uses step-by-step photos and historic illustrations to demonstrate the deadly and effective techniques of European dagger fighting. Talhoffer and the others were men with real fighting experience, not self-promoted "grand masters" or denizens of the training hall, and they wrote the manuals that form the basis for Medieval and Renaissance Dagger Combat. The dynamics of the knife fight have not changed over the centuries, and the masters' lessons are as useful against an attacker with today's tactical folder as they were against the first dagger.
Customer Reviews:
Avg. Customer Rating: 4.5 / 5.0
An excellent basic guide to Medieval Dagger techniques and tactics.:
Though my experience is mostly with the Asian knife and sword arts,
I am interested in all knife, sword and dagger arts developed by
fighting cultures. In my opinion, this large, fully illustrated
book may be the best text ever published on the early European knife
and dagger arts. This well researched volume demonstrates in detail
numerous knife counter techniques. The dagger was probably the
first pointed weapon created by humans. This is because it is
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Great introduction to western dagger/knife methods.:
Since the 1990's, there has been a surge of interest in the fighting arts of medieval and renaissance Europe. Since that time, there have been a number of books published dedicated to the subject of Western Martial Arts. As more and more scholars take part in researching Europe's rich martial heritage, there has been a steady increase in the quality of the work published. However, as diversified as that heritage is, the majority of these books focus more on the sword, and less on the other weapons found... more info
An Excellent Reference for a Scholar of the Arts of Defense:
* * * "Most people do not seriously consider how they could secure themselves against all manner of abuse or assault, as might be leveled against them by evil hearted villains, eager for violence". * * * - Nicolaes Petter, 1647 "Medieval and Renaissance Dagger Combat" by Jason Vail is an excellent addition to the growing collection of works on the martial arts of Europe. The book begins with a brief history and a study of the forms of the dagger, such as the sax, rondel, baselard, and quillon... more info
