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Codex Wallerstein
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Product Description
The Codex Wallerstein is one of the best known of the late medieval fencing treatises still in existence. Though perhaps not as widely known as Talhoffer 1467 or Flos Duellatorum, it is just as important to students of the Western martial arts. Originally written in Middle High German during the late 14th and early 15th centuries, the Codex Wallerstein has long been available to scholars in microfilm format from Augusburg University. Now with the publication of this book, the text and drawings are available to scholars and martial artists in the original Middle High German, as well as in Modern German and English translations. The translations were provided by Grzegorz Zabinski, with assistance from Bartlomiej Walczak, two of the most esteemed interpreters of medieval combat in the world. The codex offers a series of fundamental counters to common attacks, using the longsword, falchion and dagger, as well as the complete system of wrestling techniques. In this work the reader will find a great deal of instruction on thrusting at or closing in against an opponent, expanding Master Johannes Liechtenauer's art of longsword combat. For martial artists, medievalists, historians or anyone with an interest in historical arms or self-defense, Codex Wallerstein is sure to become an invaluable reference.
About the Author
Grzegorz Zabinski is a medievalist from Upper Silesia in Poland. Apart from medieval and early Renaissance military history and martial arts, his fields of interest include problems of medieval social and economic history, with special reference to the Cistercian order. He is currently working on a Ph.D. dissertation on early 16th-century comments on the swordsmanship treatise of Johannes Liechtenauer. Bartlomiej Walczak is a student of nuclear physics, but his real passion is the study of medieval martial arts, which he has been pursuing since 1997. He is the chief of the Brotherhood of the Eagles' Nests, a member of the Historical European Martial Arts Community and the director of Association for Renaissance Martial Arts in Poland. Currently, he is working on a training curriculum based on Johannes Liechtenauer's teachings.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
8 of 8 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
The Codex Wallerstein is a facsimile of a 15th century German manual detailing many nifty ways of fighting, disarming and killing your opponent using weapons such as the sword, dagger, falcion and even shields with sharpened corners. I bought this book for a friend of mine who takes part in Medieval reenactments and he said it was his favourite gift for Christmas 2008! There is a very interesting section on unarmed combat which includes instructions on how to take down more that one opponent on your own! The original Medieval German text has been included with both modern German and English translations so there is the chance for those of you with language skills to read the original text. The book includes original illustrations which provide a great source of reference for male clothing and hairstyles from the period. Curiously all the illustrated characters look very pleased with themselves and are perfect models of fine, well shaped Medieval men dressed in fashionable fitted hose and doublets! Altogether a good primary reference source and will be useful for re-enactors and living history demonstrators, military historians, combat enthusiasts and anyone interested in medieval military life.
Format:Paperback
I am highly impressed by this book, due to several main reasons. It shows with a simple and clear description; the purpose of the techniques shown and the goal they aim to achieve. It does not waste time walking you through every little detail, it is an advanced manual that assumes you have the basics such as blade grips, stance and general melee weapon knowledge. The one picture shown per technique along with the description is enough to fully understand what is bieng shown, but may take a few reads to sink in. I highly reccomend practice with wooden wasters (Safely) To really sink in the knowledge via practical application. You will find no sword twirling here, instead you will find a healthy amount of using these weapons as tools of fighting, not as a statement to impress. This book is translated superbly and is a refreshing realistic showcasing of the highly underrated and very much lethal western martial arts. I would only reccomend this book to serious practioners of weaponplay who are rediscovering the old methods, or historians/ people of extreme interest in the subject.
One criticism is that the Falchion section is very small, literally 4 pages long i believe. I bought this book largely (initially) on the strength that i would learn more of the facts of this weapons' use.
That bieng said it is very expansive on the longsword and grappling (some of which i am finding works well in an mma environment), and it has rekindled my interest in the multitude of techniques it can offer, such as striking with the hilt/guard and so forth.
This book is also quick to take into account that we are not all the same, and it specifies very often that a larger/ stronger man can take advantage in certain situations. Bieng 5'11 and 130kg and a gym fanatic, in free sparring i have found this to be completely accurate, and the codex wallerstein did not dissapoint when i disengaged a sword lock clinch by simply throwing the smaller opponent with ease taking advantage of the fact he is gripping a weapon and cannot defend the takedown without reacting very fast. Lesson learned, the leaner man has his superior speed but should not initiate the clinch unless unavoidable.
Rememeber that even with armour/pads on, wooden or dull-non live weapons can still cause serious damage, and repeating some of the techniques shown here are very inadvisable unless you dont want any more sparring partners - Use common sense.
One criticism is that the Falchion section is very small, literally 4 pages long i believe. I bought this book largely (initially) on the strength that i would learn more of the facts of this weapons' use.
That bieng said it is very expansive on the longsword and grappling (some of which i am finding works well in an mma environment), and it has rekindled my interest in the multitude of techniques it can offer, such as striking with the hilt/guard and so forth.
This book is also quick to take into account that we are not all the same, and it specifies very often that a larger/ stronger man can take advantage in certain situations. Bieng 5'11 and 130kg and a gym fanatic, in free sparring i have found this to be completely accurate, and the codex wallerstein did not dissapoint when i disengaged a sword lock clinch by simply throwing the smaller opponent with ease taking advantage of the fact he is gripping a weapon and cannot defend the takedown without reacting very fast. Lesson learned, the leaner man has his superior speed but should not initiate the clinch unless unavoidable.
Rememeber that even with armour/pads on, wooden or dull-non live weapons can still cause serious damage, and repeating some of the techniques shown here are very inadvisable unless you dont want any more sparring partners - Use common sense.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
11 reviews
37 of 38 people found the following review helpful
Excellent, but not for the casual swordsman
29 Sep 2003
Format:Hardcover
This is an excellent book. Grzegorz and Bart are to be commended for their fine work translating this important medieval fechtbuch. The book contains some of the most important material on medieval unarmed combat and is an absolute must for anyone working in that area. It also contains many plates on longsword, messer and a range of other weapons.
What this book is: An excellent translation of a significant and well illustrated medieval fechtbuch.
What this book isn't: It isn't a guide to medieval fencing. Wallerstein is primarily illustrations. With minimal text and no interpretation, it's up to you to work out what's being done in the plates. If you're like me, this is great. If you're beginner, expecting a book teaching you medieval swordsmanship, this is not that book.
20 of 20 people found the following review helpful
A fine treatment of an important manuscript
21 Feb 2003
Format:Hardcover
Messrs. Zabinski and Walczak have made a great contribution to the study of Historic European Martial Arts with their translation and analysis of the 'Codex Wallerstein'. This fascinating 15th Century German manuscript contains illustrated fighting techniques for the hand and a half knightly sword (the longsword), close quarters combat both unarmed and with a dagger, combat with the messer (a falchion-like short sword), and for fighting in the full armour of the day. The original plates from the manuscript are presented side by side with both modern German and English translations. Definitely a must-have for the sword practitioner or student of the late Middle Ages - it certainly has served *this* researcher well in my own ongoing study of German fighting arts.
13 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Excellent Resource for the Practicing Medieval Swordsman as Well as Historian
1 Aug 2006
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
One of the great challenges of studying medieval forms of the martial arts is the fact that there is no school anywhere that preserves the actual fighting techniques of this era intact. While some of the techniques have survived, the decline of the necessity for a gentleman post Renaissance to be a man of arms as well as letters and learning has resulted in much knowledge being misplaced, lost and forgotten. As a result, modern schools of medieval martial arts can, and will, teach you basic techniques, but, as opposed to some of the better preserved Renaissance arts with the epée or rapier, most of the material tends to be appropriate for and focused on purely theatrical fighting. As such, this fighting manual of the late medieval period is invaluable, particularly due to the accessibility of the techniques contained therein.
While others may find this volume a bit advanced for the novice of medieval swordsmanship, I find the pictures and descriptions eminently understandable (and I'm certainly a novice). Frankly, learning any martial art through a book is a bit of a challenge, but, in this case, the manual is extremely easy to follow, which accounts in large part for its popularity in the 15th Century. The text focuses on the REAL art of the fighting man, centering on applications of the long sword, dagger, falchion and unarmed combat, and it's neither "chivalrous" in the modern sense of the word, nor pretty. The techniques within are designed for the professional fighting man, and the full emphasis is on surviving a fight, and not looking pretty while you do it. As such, in using the techniques, you will get cut, without a doubt - some of the holds, particularly in unarmed versus armed combat, and such put your bare skin on the edge of the opponents blade. However, they do increase the likelihood of being the one to walk (or stagger, or stumble) away from the encounter.
From the perspective of one only interested in the historical aspects, the book is fascinating in that it presents facsimiles of the original plates from the book, with a Latin alphabet version of the old German text on each plate, as well as modern German and English translations of the text. It's also fascinating, again, in that this was designed for the professional warrior, and the presumed context in which it would be read, and intent and value system of the reader of the day, is vastly different from what many hold as misconceptions of the period.
Highly recommended!
While others may find this volume a bit advanced for the novice of medieval swordsmanship, I find the pictures and descriptions eminently understandable (and I'm certainly a novice). Frankly, learning any martial art through a book is a bit of a challenge, but, in this case, the manual is extremely easy to follow, which accounts in large part for its popularity in the 15th Century. The text focuses on the REAL art of the fighting man, centering on applications of the long sword, dagger, falchion and unarmed combat, and it's neither "chivalrous" in the modern sense of the word, nor pretty. The techniques within are designed for the professional fighting man, and the full emphasis is on surviving a fight, and not looking pretty while you do it. As such, in using the techniques, you will get cut, without a doubt - some of the holds, particularly in unarmed versus armed combat, and such put your bare skin on the edge of the opponents blade. However, they do increase the likelihood of being the one to walk (or stagger, or stumble) away from the encounter.
From the perspective of one only interested in the historical aspects, the book is fascinating in that it presents facsimiles of the original plates from the book, with a Latin alphabet version of the old German text on each plate, as well as modern German and English translations of the text. It's also fascinating, again, in that this was designed for the professional warrior, and the presumed context in which it would be read, and intent and value system of the reader of the day, is vastly different from what many hold as misconceptions of the period.
Highly recommended!
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