Stockholm Manual on Sabre Fencing (1893)

This book is one of the first resources about the intriguing Swedish approach to sabre fencing, with a clear and understandable translation that will be useful in the fencing hall.

About Stockholm Manual on Sabre Fencing, 1893

Near the end of the 19th century, the Swedish military desired a new manual about sabre fencing. This resulted in the 1893 manual, Instruktion I sabelfäktning till fots (Manual on Sabre Fencing on Foot), most likely penned by the famed military leader, “the father of Swedish sports,” Viktor Balck, and illustrated by his equally famous acquaintance, the renowned wildlife painter Bruno Liljefors.

The system described in the manual is rooted in the basics seen throughout the European fencing systems of the time, yet it also deviates from them in intriguing ways and advocates for approaches that are rather unique. In addition, the text sheds light on historical training methodology by describing how lessons were directed and by presenting images of training tools.

Until now, the Swedish military sabre system has not been particularly accessible to a wider audience due to a lack of English language materials and translations. This book will be one of the first such resources about this intriguing approach to sabre fencing, with a clear and understandable translation that will be useful in the fencing hall.

About the author

When he first tried his hand at historical fencing at Tampere HEMA, Pentti Koivuniemi was instantly enamoured with the combination of practical training and period-source study that form the basis of these martial arts. Pentti majored in English with a specialisation in translation at Tampere University while continuing to study historical fencing, and so, gradually, he felt compelled to translate European martial arts texts for the international community.

Book Details

• Authors: Pentti Koivuniemi
• Editor: Keith Farrell
• Publisher: Fallen Rook Publishing
• Date of Publication: 6th July 2021
• ISBN: 978-1-913066-01-7
• Binding: Paperback
• Pages: 177
• Height: 21.0 cm
• Width: 14.8 cm
• Language: English

Table of Contents

Introduction

About the authors

About the translation

Bibliography

Manual on Sabre Fencing on Foot

CHAPTER I: Basic concepts

1. General considerations

2. Target area and striking points

3. Measure

4. On being covered and being exposed

5. Lines and sides

CHAPTER II: Formations, standing in guard, stomping, changing guard, etc.

6. Organisation and formations

7. Handling of the sabre

8. The guard

9. Preparatory lessons for standing in guard

10. Standing at ease

11. Stomps

12. Changing guard

CHAPTER III: Marches and lunges

13. Marches

14. Lunges on-line, with and without marches, and the movements of the body while defending against them

15. Lunges off-line, and the movements of the body while defending against them

16. The turns and movements of the body while defending against off-line lunges

17. Chasing marches and the movements of the body while defending against them

CHAPTER IV: Cuts and thrusts

18. General rules

19. Breakdown of cuts and thrusts

20. Single cuts

21. Thrusts

22. Combined cuts and thrusts

23. Compound attacks

CHAPTER V: Parries

24. General rules

25. Breakdown of parries

26. Single parries

27. Compound parries

CHAPTER VI: Ripostes and counter attacks

28. General rules

CHAPTER VII: Attacking while the blades are bound

29. Forced thrusts

CHAPTER VIII: Preparing strikes and follow-up strikes, persisting strikes

30. General rules

CHAPTER IX: Single and combined strikes and thrusts with marches and lunges

31. General rules

CHAPTER X: Tempo strikes (tempo cuts, tempo thrusts)

32. General rules

33. A turn of the body with a prim strike as a tempo strike

34. A lunge or turn of the body with a tempo thrust

CHAPTER XI: Free fencing and fencing between different weapons

35. Introduction to free fencing (lessons on striking at the opponent)

36. Free fencing

37. Fencing between different weapons

CHAPTER XII: Weapons and fencing equipment

38. Gymnasium sabre

39. Fencing mask

40. Plastron

41. Fencing gloves

42. Pell

CHAPTER XIII: The arrangement and leading of the lessons

43. General rules

44. Individual and joint instruction

45. Command words