New book: Polearms of Paulus Hector Mair, by David James Knight & Brian Hunt
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Mair collected a vast combat library, including works by Jörg Wilhalm, Antonius Rast, Gregor Erhart and Sigmund Ringeck, as well as copies of both the
Codex Wallerstein and the <em>Königsegg-Talhoffer</em> manuscript. Circa 1540, Mair produced the <em>Opus Amplissimum de Arte Athletica</em>, or <em>Ultimate Book of the Art of Athletics</em>, a massive compendium heavily influenced by the earlier works in his library but surpassing them in content and depth. Today only three complete manuscripts of his <em>Opus</em> survive in German and Austrian collections.
In
Polearms of Paulus Hector Mair, authors Knight and Hunt make their contribution to the endeavor that Mair began so many centuries ago. Working from both the German and Latin versions of Mair’s <em>Opus</em>, they present chapters on combat with the poleax, halberd, spear and shortstaff, and lance and longstaff, with text in the original German and Latin, along with the English translation. The illustrations, taken from the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">Dresden</st1:place></st1:city> codices, C93 and C94, have been meticulously restored to give a clear view of the techniques.
This amazing volume, a labor of love of the arts of combat, belongs in the library of everyone with an interest in Renaissance martial arts.
8 1/2 x 11, softcover, illus., 292 pp.
David James Knight is an Association for Renaissance Martial Arts (ARMA) Free Scholar and lifelong martial artist. He has trained in goju ryu, no-gi Brazilian jiu-jitsu, American folkstyle wrestling, <st1:country-region w:st="on"><st1:place w:st="on">U.S.</st1:place></st1:country-region> military combatives and a smattering of other styles in addition to European longsword, dagger, grappling and polearm techniques. He currently instructs for the Mixed Martial Arts Club at <st1:state w:st="on">Washington</st1:state> and <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Lee</st1:placename> <st1:placename w:st="on">University</st1:placename></st1:place>, where he is finishing his law degree.
Brian Hunt taught himself Latin, German and Italian, and has translated the MS I.33 and Hans Talhoffer’s 1459 manuscript. An ARMA Free Scholar, he has cross-trained in Okinawan karate, kung fu, aikido, kenjutsu and American boxing in addition to European longsword, sword and buckler, sword and shield, cut-and-thrust sword, rapier, dagger, grappling and polearm techniques.
