What comes after the Big Book of Fencing?

[corinna2u]

The Magnum Libre d'Escrime (Big Book of Fencing) by Rudy Volkmann was recommended to us by one of our coaches. (It is also advertised on this site as a great beginner book.)

We really appreciate this book. You can read it, practice, then reread it a year later and still find something to work on.

Are there any books that are recommended as a sequel?

[dreadfoil]

Yes the Big Book still rules. Other books that I've bought are Vass' Epee Textbook; and another book about Modern fencing. My reviews on the two are:

Vass: I can't highly recommend this book, but most serious fencers should have a copy on their shelf. There are several errors. Cult fans should try to find them and post them on the board for yet another 'activity'. He talks about the ilnquartata, imbroccata and time thrust insideand low instead of change seventh thrust, he doesn't describe things however, he tends to list things. He doesn't talk about the target for example he never isolates each target and describes an attack or defense.

Kukovich: Fencing - the modern international style. Well, this is another interesting book. You have to have it for the sake of having another textbook for your shelf and reading it. The highlights are Chapter III: Task oriented and inductive exercises. An entire chapter devoted to conditioning exercises for the fencer. Chapter IV: another reference for the fencer for the forgotton Footwor. He feels epee is a tougher sport than saber or foil. He also feels that a epeeist can start later in life and go on to future glories [he likes to start epee at age 14].

I'm in the market again for more books, my next text must have more description for the epeeist; and especially the decription of the target. Many completely forget the hand, arm, mask, and foot.

[KBayDog]

"Epee Combat Manual" by Terence Kingston, available at www.duellist.com

Excellent read for beginning epeeists; over 100 illustrations (including 'fencer-eye-views' of techniques).

Focuses on fundamentals and techniques; little to nothing on strategy.

[dreadfoil]

thank you kbaydog, i will check into it. I'm also hoping that if i get to summer nationals the vendors will be there with bows and ribbons and lots of books.

don't you just love fencing?

[corinna2u]

Thanks for the postings...we will get a hold of these books because I find that most fencing books will teach you something, even if the book isn't about your primary weapon.

Do you know what would be the next book for foil? And to be even-handed what about for saber?

[MikeHarm]

I liked Istvan Lukovitch's books, as well as Imre vass's epee book. Big and complicated with lots of drawings I'm always finding new insights in them as time goes on and I learn more.

[typoink]

If you're interested in some theory-heavy reading that's of a more classical nature, Luigi Barbasetti's books are worth checking out. His book "The Art of Foil" has genuinely improved my skills in a modern context.

[wflaschka]

I'm also looking for the "next thing" in fencing books. After Volkmann's (or anybody's) how to get en garde, how to parry 4, how to lunge, the next thing one needs is how to fit all this into the framework of bouting. And books like that seem sadly lacking.

Lukovich comes recommended but his Electric Foil Fencing: Advanced Competitive Training (url) starts with a comparison of how the mask and the scoring box influenced foil fencing. This is like a book on Internet programming that analyses the impact of selectric typewriter keyboards: high "whuh?" factor. I hesitate to go on a rare book search for something that leads with an irrelevancy.

Re: "theory-heavy reading that's of a more classical nature, Luigi Barbasetti's" -- I also presently don't seek to try to re-frame old fencing manuals into a modern context, though it's clearly a worthy exercise sometimes.

What's needed is quite different. The sort of thing you'd get by screen-dumping the brain of a modern fencer like Bau or Romankov or Golubitsky. A tactical handbook with "best practice" methods for success. Such a thing doesn't exist, afaik. I really hope I'm wrong.

(OTOH, Szabo's "Fencing and the Master" is one example of how it's very worthwhile to persevere with a fencing book. Took me many years, but now I use it every day.)

[Jupiter]

i tried to order Electric foil Fencing, but they were out of stock. I went and re-read 90 pages of Big Book again last night, he's very good. Most of us forget the parries in high or low line, but he has documented all of them. If we could all parry like that we'd be great fencers. It occurred to me while reading that he's actually a modern fencer. There really is no such thing as a Modern Fencer. If it only mean to fence electric, then fine, if not, everything that any hotshot kid does on the piste now is textbook classical fencing. I also realized that if we could master the parry system, we'd hardly have to move; it's highline, midline; low line in all 8 or 9 o'clocks. Refreshing my memory on the flick from prime, which is classical, yet way hijacked as being "Modern".

I'm hoping he write another Big Book of Epee; followed by Big Book of Saber.

[corinna2u]

Yeah!

The Big Book of Epee and The Big Book of Saber...

Then The Big Book of Foil 2: Practical Applications...

[typoink]

w, I recommend not Barbasetti not just as attempt to reframe his work, but actually because he satisfies a portion of what you're saying you desire. Barbasetti explains WHEN and WHY certain actions work well better than any other fencing manual or text I've read (admittedly I've read fairly few). He DOESN'T cover the motions as thoroughly or as well as many other manuals (only five parries, Luigi?), but he explains HOW to use them to great effect.

[haggis]

I've recommended it before and I'll reecommend it again: Wojiekowski's Theory Methods and Exercises for Fencing.

Not a big book of fencing but a little book of foil. Captures Ziemek's quirky English but is generally well written, nicely photographed and full of technical and tactical analysis.

[Sarah]

Is "Magnum Libre d'Escrime'" in english?

[corinna2u]

Yes...Big Book of Fencing.

Go to the homepage of Fencing.Net. There is a picture of it with a bit of information. I highly recommend it.

[Sarah]

Ok, cool, thanks!

[wflaschka]

Originally posted by typoink
Barbasetti explains WHEN and WHY certain actions work well better than any other fencing manual or text I've read (admittedly I've read fairly few).

Barbasetti is sounding better now; this is indeed one of the things I'm looking for. Amazon says: The Art of the Sabre and the Epee -- Price: $125.00; Art of the Foil and A Short History of Fencing -- Price: $65.00. These are zShops resellers. I'll keep an eye out for it.

Wojiekowski's Theory Methods and Exercises for Fencing

Theory, Methods and Exercises in Fencing - Ziemowit Wojciechowski -- Also sounds interesting. (Publisher - British Fencing Association, 1 Barons Gate, 33-35 Rothchild Road, London W4 5HT.) Methodology of coaching competitive fencers, technical, tactical, physiological and psychological preparation for successful performance. Found on this site.

[Sarah]

I've been looking for some foil books, but a lot of them are out. Can you make any recamendations? Thanks! (I'm looking in to buying the Big Book of Fencing)

[Tomas N]

Can one get ahold of "epee combat" in the U.S.?

Anybody else have insights into the epee books out on the market? Magnum is the best fencing book I've seen so far, but I'm also looking for something more epee specific.

Tomas

[Sigurd]

Now, could anybody reccomend any books that have good sabre specific information? A lot of the books that I've come accross only have cursory discussion on it, and I would be interested in some in-depth reading.

[sabreur]

Sabre:

Fencing and the Master by Szabo.

Aimed at teachers of fencing, but a lot of good information for fencers as well.

Foil, sabre and epee fencing, by Garret et al. has a pretty good section on sabre, with some good drills.

Complete fencing, by Albert Manley, long out of print, is interesting as well.

MR