Customer Reviews

Medieval Swordsmanship: Illustrated Methods And Techniques

5 star:		(31)
4 star:		(14)
3 star:		(13)
2 star:		(10)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

The author's first book, Renaissance Swordsmanship was a shocker. This book is perhaps worse, and it's a mystery why it continues to receive favourable reviews. I guess you can fool some of the people, some of the time.

The book covers two main weapons, longsword and sword and shield. As with his earlier work, both sections betray a very superficial understanding of any historical source. Despite showing some historical longsword guard positions, the author chooses to give his own guards, some of which resemble some historical guards, many of which don't (for example he claims that his hanging guard is the German Ochs or the Italian Posta di Donna, it doesn't really resemble Ochs and is completely different to Posta di Donna).

Clements teaches the withdrawal of the arms when cutting, something which should offend anyone with the most rudimentary understanding of tempo. He teaches what are essentially modern sabre parries with the longsword, which if he understood German theory, he would know is exactly what you are told not to do. The techniques he shows bear no resemblance to anything that can be seen by looking at original manuals.

The sword and shield section is even worse. Clements claims that his method of shield use is historical, yet it violates every principle of historical shield use. He holds the shield flat in front of the body, which authors like Marozzo tell you to do against polearms or multiple opponents, but NOT in single combat against another sword armed opponent. Clements' guards leave him vulnerable to having his shield bound by his opponent's. It also means that practically every cut he shows commits the cardinal sin of shield combat, exposing the arm in front of the shield. Lastly, Clements advocates moving the shield to block attacks, when historically combatants moved their bodies around large shields, not the shield around their body. All of the fundamentals that he could get wrong he does.

While in the longsword section you can see some effort (albeit poor) to follow historical practice, it is clear that the sword and shield section was simply made up. It is ironic that the author spends so much time criticising others for making up techniques and then does it himself.

This book was poorly researched and out of date when it was written, but it was the only book out there on medieval swordsmanship. This is no longer the case. There are a great many books, almost all of them a massive improvement on this sorry tome. For the longsword we have Christian Tobler's Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship, followed by his Fighting with the German Longsword. David Lindholm's Knightly art of Swordsmanship and Zabinski's Codex Wallerstein are both good works on the German system. There is also an excellent DVD by a German group called Ochs. The Italian system has Arte Gladiatoria, a translation of Vadi's manual, and the Swordsman's Companion, an excellent training manual. Sword and shield is less well covered. The Art of Medieval Swordsmanship translates the I.33 sword and buckler manual, while Medieval Sword and Shield explains it. There are also two excellent articles on the use of large shields in Spada and Spada II. Any of these books is preferable to Medieval Swordsmanship.

It is shocking to think that less than ten years ago, academic standards in this field were so low that this dreadful book was actually considered acceptable. There are so many good books in this field, with more being produced every year. The thought of anyone buying Medieval Swordsmanship in 2006 is apalling.

After reading all the reviews on this particular book I decided to buy it. After the first couple of pages I got the feeling that Mr Clements was full of himself and buy the end I was sure of it. As most I am sure, I was first introduced to sword's via the movies when I was young and even at that young age I knew it wasn't real. Mr Clement's seems to concentrate to much on pointing out the obvious. What you see in the movies is fake and the actors OBVIOUSLY aren't trying to kill one anouther. The book far to much concentrates on degrading and blatently insulting any and all asunder that do not conform to his veiw on swordmanship. The final straw for me was the attack he made on the great fantasy artists Boris and Frazetta. They paint picture's for crying out loud and it's fantasy painting! Of course it's not real Mr. Clements! People that engage in fantasy combat aren't trying to kill one anouther or worry about how authentic there costume's are. They are having fun and that's what they want to do. I have met these kind of people and they don't take thensevles seriously because they just want to enjoy their past time and have fun. This particular book has very little substance to it and often it's instruction is rudely interupted by the auther digressing to attack some form or method he doesn't agree with. I am an enthusiast that has been studying authentic sword play for many year's and I enjoy watching Conan and Xena and read many fantasy novel's and enjoy the art that adorn's its cover's. This book, at the core of it, is a way for Mr Clements to endorse his own method of sword practice as "The only way". Paladin Press did not do their editing job at all with this book so I did my own and took a black texter to the ranting's of the author and ended up with a much smaller and better book. I suggest you do the same.

It's customary for a reviewer to tell some of their experience so I'll just say I am a fencer with an interest in sword history. Nuff said there. Until discovering this book all I could find about European fencing other than the sport kind was fantasy stories and choreography lessons.

This book is an enormous store of information that just can't be found anywhere else. The book is not perfect but it doesn't pretend to be and says clearly its directed at many different audiences so not all the material will be relevant to everyone. The book states clearly it is not a how to work or a practice guide (although it practically is!). There is no question that in offering such a range of information and stating what has long been needed to say, John Clemens has done an invaluable service to all of us seriously studying their Western European martial heritage.

Beginning with an introduction what is and isn't included in the book, it goes on to give a good overview of medieval warfare and the source material for the subject. Then sword themselves are describe din great detail in a way not previously done, that of a warrior or rather a modern student. The book then goes into the use of the medieval shield and sword with hundreds of lifelike drawings that are better than photos in relaying movement clearly. The same is done for the long swords with even more material presented. There are dozens of terms provided and historical background for almost everything discussed. Not much is less unanswered or uncovered. After about 200 pages it becomes overwhelmingly clear that this is a sophisticated martial art being described and that in spite of all the information included it has only begun to be address. The books rounds out with appendixes on various editorial matters (and gets a little dull here unless you look at the larger context, hardly "controversial").

As for historical references, the book is full of them and it gives constant advice to go and study them. In a general-audience work nothing except a basic bibliography is usually required (and the book provides much more than just that). The fighting material refers back repeatedly to the source manuals and does not bother with trying to footnote every single techniques suggested or every single action a sword can make in combat (which is the same style oriental martial arts books follow in describing their styles).

To make the point about how it was historically done you can't help but talk about the faults of how it's done by some people today. About 20 pages out of 340 or so detail the differences in the various styles and approaches to medieval swordsmanship followed today and he offers comments on how they affect the resurrection of western martial arts. He shares his beliefs about how while in the context of each organization their methods and beliefs are sound, they are not necessarily conducive to the study of a real martial art. In doing so he seems to have has garnered the anger of a host of enemies. Seems like the ones crying the loudest at Clement's dead-on critiques and in your face style are the same ones who all this time have done little to nothing in the first place. No wonder they attack the man and not the power of his message. Part of the problem may be that for years we heard only from theatrical fight arrangers and SCA "fighters" about how they were the only ones who had the ancient skills of medieval swordsmen. If the book comes across as too critical about reenactment sports, it could just be the backlash against all the earlier confusion created by the role-players and sportsmen themselves.

Having seen the kind of things first hand what for so long has passed for medieval swordplay movies, renaissance festivals, SCA, and fantasy games, perhaps these things needed saying in a blistering manner to make up for it. At the least these popular practices needed to be placed in the context of what the book is conveying, namely the nature of real swords and their historical style of use. Readers need to just open up and learn from this excellent book and knowledgeable author-martial artist.

Finally, given the controversy surrounding the range of the reviews above, I feel the need to offer the following. There are disgruntled critics out there who've gotten emotional and personal with their reviews rather than addressing the content or value of the book; Why? Maybe because: 1. the book contained information the id not know (-which made them feel inadequate) 2. the book contained information that contradicted or invalidated the popular ideas they believed )-which makes them feel ignorant) 3. The book contained information which they disagree (but given the first two items above, they now are unsure of and so feel insecure) I've talked to stage performs, role-players and re-enactors who all agreed with the book's characterization of what they saw in the others, but then when it came to their own group or practices they declared it was way off. That's ironic. In summary, this is a powerful and extremely useful book that does what no other comes close to doing. While I would have liked more of some areas and less of others, there is simply no other book that has ever done what this detailed and impressive book has for the subject of medieval swordplay. The author and his work should be congratulated not insulted. It will be hard to surpass.

Untill recently most practitioners of martial arts have never really taken medieval swordsmanship seriously, considering those who practise the skills a little odd . Unfortunitly the only represention of this art that martial artist have been able to view has been by way of re- enactment, stage combat and sca groups who,s combative approach is questionable at best . So it is with a welcome relief to find a book on the subject that is both well written aqnd informative .Medieval swordsmanship by John Clements offers comments ,manouevers and strategies that have for the most part been lacking in other modern text relating to the older skills . What i found especially intersting was the appendix sections covering subjects relating to sparring , these incude the pros and cons to various fighting approaches , steel blunt and plate armor sparring , the importance of full leg target and contact sparring with a variety of weapons . John Clements medieval swordsmanship book is comprehensive and will assist to make readers their own trainers in countries where very few qualified trainers are to be found teaching swordsmanship as a martial art and complete combat discipline . Craig Gemeiner

This book is a well-researched and informative reading...if you're willing to sift through the B.S.; it would seem that the book hadn't an editor to cut away the fat in lieu of the meat of the subject.

I have a few observations on the book's content:
It contains a good introduction to the nature of swords and their method of combat;
It dispels certain sword myths that are common among the uninformed;

As for the writing:
The author's writing is not great, but that is dismissible. However, John Clements is also painfully redundant, dedicating chapters to concepts that fit entirely in one or two paragraphs. He also spends an atrocious amount of time and ink on slamming stage performers, eastern martial artists, and all martial practitioners in general other than himself and his organization (ironic, seeing as how he stresses in this very book the need for eastern and western martial artists to understand each other when he so obviously knows nothing real of eastern martial arts and insults them all greatly). If you read a few essays written by Mr. Clements on [URL] you will understand.

The writing aside, this book does offer a pleuthora of good information pertaining to medieval swordsmanship...you just have to ignore the redundancies/attitudes of the author.

A good introductory text for the field, which until very recently lacked any sort of instructional manuels. Since the time of its publication, and as research in the field has expanded, some of the information appears a bit dated and inadequate. A (further) revised edition would probably be in order.

My greatest complaint, however, is the amount of ink wasted lambasting "certain rattan-fencing groups." Well, by that he means the SCA, which is fine, their fencing is decidedly not historically accurate, but the paper spent criticising them could have been better spent on useful, instructional material. In places Clements' vitriol sounds like George Silver foaming at the mouth about Italian rapiers.

I'd love to see a new, updated edition, removing the diatribes about the SCA (which, to me, read like a defense or justification for this book...) and replacing that with solid, up-to-date, instructional materials.

If the author spent less time complaining about how certain organizations re-create medieval sword play using rattan sticks, the book would be half as thick.

While he doesn't say, SCA, it's obvious that they are one of the organizations he doesn't care for.

Don't get me wrong, once you get past his vitriolic commentary regarding anyone who recreates sword play differently than he does, his book is excellent. About half of the book is a modernized, repackaged presentation of various historical resources. And that part, he does quite well.

Yes, he is correct, rattan swords do not have the same dynamics as even a wooden practice sword that's shaped like the steel blade, he neglects to tell you *why* various groups choose to use such things in full-speed combat scenarios. He also doesn't quit complaining about the topic...chapter after chapter touches back on his dislike.

Personally, I think that he should re-edit the book, mention his criticisms once, and focus on the technique he so plainly knows.

Well, I guess this is better than his last book (it is more in line with his expertise), but once again Mr. Clements gives us a lot of generalizations and a lot of non-specific advice. Given the state of resurrection of the Western Martial Arts, I'd say that you're better off with direct translations and interpretations of historical works (Christian Tobler's "Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship" is one example) or general interpretive pedagogies (Guy Windsor's "The Swordsman's Companion"). However, for those SCA guys looking to find some quick, practical advice so that they can "jump right in," then this is the book for you--it has just enough advice to get you going...

I bought this book with high expectations, having been involved in Asian martial arts for over thirty years and in historical European combat for ten. I admire Mr. Clements' obvious passion for his subject, and can only regret that this passion seems to have developed into a kind of zealotry.

Medieval Swordsmanship is emphatically not a "How-to" manual, being presented in a haphazard, disorganised fashion. It reads similarly to the "Tao of Jeet Kune Do" - but bear in mind that the "Tao" was compiled from random notes after Bruce Lee's tragic death. Mr. Clements does not have that excuse. As a result, although it is of value to the experienced practitioner (who should be able to piece the various sections together), I could not recommend it for the novice. The attentions of a good editor would have greatly increased this book's value.

The greatest flaw in this book is not at the technical, but rather at the ethical level. Mr.Clements emerges as an egotistical, self-proclaimed "bad boy" of historical fencing, a wanna-be Bruce Lee railing against "the establishment". He comes across as a young man trying to make a name for himself, and has, unfortunately, chosen to sling mud at all and sundry in his efforts.

His basic approach is to attribute attitudes to his imagined enemies (an extensive list comprising sport fencers, theatrical fight directors, SCA fighters, fantasy role-players, weekend boffer enthusiasts, and so-on) and then spend paragraph after paragraph sledgehammering them into submission. He states and restates, phrases and re-phrases, pours scorn and spits vinegar, until the mature reader quite simply wishes that he would get a life. One can easily foresee this obsessiveness developing into a full-blown messiah/persecution complex.

Some of his points along these lines are valid. Some are, quite simply, ludicrous. Many are childishly insulting and undeserved. Few add to the reader's appreciation of Medieval swordplay as a martial art, painting instead a rather sad picture of John Clement's inner life.

A pity.

This book contains a whole lot of good information. The challenge is wading through the arrogant, condescending writing style. Yes, SCA fighters don't practice a "real" fighting art. For that matter, neither do Olympic fencers, boxers, or anyone else who competes in a rule-based tournament. After all, the law frowns on killing your opponent in a sporting competition. The historical references are quite good and the topic is interesting, even insightful, but I just can't handle the writing style. If Clements could lighten up a bit I'd rate this much higher...

Lawrence Kane
Author of Surviving Armed Assaults, The Way of Kata, and Martial Arts Instruction