44 of 46 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent new translation of a superlative book, October 22, 1999
This review is from: Epee Fencing: A Complete System (Hardcover)
The first English edition of this book was marred by a worthy but literal translation. As a result it was turgid and difficult reading.
Stephan Khinoy has made an excellent new translation. The text flows freely, and is much more understandable. Given that this is the fundamental book on epee, this is to be commended.
This isn't to say that there aren't flaws in the book. Epee has moved on since the original publication, and some of the sections look a little old fashioned. This is mitigated by Khinoy's editorial interspersions which present the modern style. This slightly negative comment should not detract from the fact that this book is unrivalled in its treatement of the weapon, and should be read by all epeeists and their coaches.
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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An excellent primer and tactical source, February 10, 2006
This review is from: Epee Fencing: A Complete System (Hardcover)
Imre Vass's book on Epee fencing is probably one of the finest books that one could read on the subject. While Vass learned and studied Epee fencing in Hungary, under the very heavy influence of Russian at times, it still shows a system of fencing that is strongly founded in modern competitive fencing and has many practical applications. So, any student of Epee can learn about this fencing system.
Vass primarily lays the book out in a series of chapters on different elements of fencing. Moving from discussions on target areas and engagements of the blade, there is a wide variety of topics that are covered. The material is well laid out, and comprehensive in nature, with some talk by the author of the value of different actions and his thoughts on what an Epee fencer should be doing.
However, this is not a book for the faint of heart. For the starting Epeeist, this may be a very difficult read. Especially when there are discussions of drills and the training. For the intermediate or advanced Epeeist, or a coach, this is an excellent source for practicing fencing and designing new drills to perform. Plus is helps to consider this as a way to analyze one's own fencing.
This book is primarily geared to the competitive fencer, so it does mean that there is some discussion about actions that would be more present in competitive fencing and not historical fencing. So, this book may not appeal to some people. Likewise, because of Vass's Hungarian style, this may also not appeal to those in the competitive circuit if it doesn't fit with your style of fencing. That being said, as someone who appreciate Bruce Lee's views on the martial arts (taking a little bit of something from everything), one can incorporate some of the concepts and learn from them.
Overall, if you can find a copy of this book (it is very difficult to find, and I had trouble finding a second copy for a friend of mine), it is an excellent resource to have on your shelf.
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8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Epee for the Epeeist, November 19, 2002
This review is from: Epee Fencing: A Complete System (Hardcover)
One of the first things that attracted me to this book was the fact that it was an honest-to-goodness book about epee fencing. The majority of fencing books that I have read have put more emphasis on foil. Although it can be a little tough to slog through reading-wise (I had some problems, doesn't mean everyone will), Epee Fencing: A Complete System, is extraordinary in the amount of detail presented. A definite must for anyone who has a love for epee! I heartly recommend this book!
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