Sunday, July 09, 2006
Review of English Swordsmanship (Vol 1) by Steve Hand
I got my copy of Steve Hand's new book English Swordsmanship (Volume 1) three nights ago and have been reading with interest since. While I have by no means read it all, I have examined it enough that I thought I would give a short review of the book for those who are interested, and for those who aren't but should be. By way of disclosure I need to point out that I began my sword career under Steve Hand at Stoccata Sydney and was taught by him until he moved to Tasmania. I am still a student at Stoccata Sydney.
I have to admit that I have been looking forward to Steve's book for quite a while. I like the way that he writes about swordplay (he has written many, many articles and a book or two) and I know him to be a thorough teacher of a subject. I was also looking forward to having a comprehensive record of what I had been taught over the past five years of studying Silver. I am glad to say that I haven't been disappointed.
It is obvious from first glance at this book that it contains a very detailed description of Silver's techniques and ideas. There is a huge amount of text and the number of pictures is astounding. From a usability point of view, the text is easy to read and the pictures are fairly clear.
After reading several sections in depth, the main feature of this book, and the reason I would recommend it to everyone, is Steve's inclusion of fifteen years worth experience. By this I don't mean that he simply writes with authority (which he does), rather I mean that he has included every mistake, blind alley and false idea he has had regarding this system. If you look at the way the work is presented, you will see that not only are you shown a technique, you are also shown logical variations that won't work (and why), what the limitations of the technique are and how it has been or might be defeated. The honest presentation of these dalliances will save modern practitioners of the system enormous amounts of time. (I remember countless times in classes where the light bulb would go on above Steve's head as he was explaining a technique, or when someone accidentally defeated a technique that was thought to be correct. Being taught be Steve is to see the evolution of his ideas on Silver's system. All of this evolution is in the book.)
In addition to the practical aspects of Silver, there is a significant amount of time and effort dedicated to Silver's tactical theory. Over the years at Stoccata I have seen time and time again how Silver's theory of time and place are applicable to all fighting systems (and not just weapon systems). As such, English Swordsmanship is suitable for both beginner and advanced sword students. Beginners will find numerous practical exercises that can be used to learn Silver's techniques and ideas. Advanced practitioners will find interest in topics such as attacking in false and broken times.
I have enjoyed looking at Steve's work and I will continue to use this in my ongoing exploration of Silver (which forms the core of teaching at Stoccata Sydney). This book contains material that complements, but doesn't overlap other books on Silver or English swordsmanship. The works of George Silver are an important piece of the practical and theoretical historical fencing puzzle. English Swordsmanship deserves a place on every martial arts bookshelf.
I have to admit that I have been looking forward to Steve's book for quite a while. I like the way that he writes about swordplay (he has written many, many articles and a book or two) and I know him to be a thorough teacher of a subject. I was also looking forward to having a comprehensive record of what I had been taught over the past five years of studying Silver. I am glad to say that I haven't been disappointed.
It is obvious from first glance at this book that it contains a very detailed description of Silver's techniques and ideas. There is a huge amount of text and the number of pictures is astounding. From a usability point of view, the text is easy to read and the pictures are fairly clear.
After reading several sections in depth, the main feature of this book, and the reason I would recommend it to everyone, is Steve's inclusion of fifteen years worth experience. By this I don't mean that he simply writes with authority (which he does), rather I mean that he has included every mistake, blind alley and false idea he has had regarding this system. If you look at the way the work is presented, you will see that not only are you shown a technique, you are also shown logical variations that won't work (and why), what the limitations of the technique are and how it has been or might be defeated. The honest presentation of these dalliances will save modern practitioners of the system enormous amounts of time. (I remember countless times in classes where the light bulb would go on above Steve's head as he was explaining a technique, or when someone accidentally defeated a technique that was thought to be correct. Being taught be Steve is to see the evolution of his ideas on Silver's system. All of this evolution is in the book.)
In addition to the practical aspects of Silver, there is a significant amount of time and effort dedicated to Silver's tactical theory. Over the years at Stoccata I have seen time and time again how Silver's theory of time and place are applicable to all fighting systems (and not just weapon systems). As such, English Swordsmanship is suitable for both beginner and advanced sword students. Beginners will find numerous practical exercises that can be used to learn Silver's techniques and ideas. Advanced practitioners will find interest in topics such as attacking in false and broken times.
I have enjoyed looking at Steve's work and I will continue to use this in my ongoing exploration of Silver (which forms the core of teaching at Stoccata Sydney). This book contains material that complements, but doesn't overlap other books on Silver or English swordsmanship. The works of George Silver are an important piece of the practical and theoretical historical fencing puzzle. English Swordsmanship deserves a place on every martial arts bookshelf.
# posted by David and Melissa @ 23:53 
