Burgundian Poleaxe

The Noble Art of Chivalric Axe Combat

Jason Smith author

Format:Paperback

Publisher:FreeLance Academy Press

Published:24th Sep '20

Currently unavailable, and unfortunately no date known when it will be back

Burgundian Poleaxe cover

The poleaxe is a fearsome weapon: the armour-breaching weapon par excellence of the late Middle Ages, wielded on foot in friendly tournaments, lethal duels, and on the battlefield. Instruction on its use is found throughout surviving medieval martial arts manuscripts from Germany and Italy, but Le Jeu de la Hache (Axe-Play)—written in the mid fifteenth century for the Burgundian Court--is both the most complete study of this deadly weapon and the oldest known French-language martial arts text.

In this new translation and interpretive guide, Jason Smith presents a complete translation of Le Jeu, detailed photographic reconstructions of its many techniques, and a short primer on the basics of axe combat, creating a complete curriculum for actually training in this unique medieval martial art. Combined with a historical overview of the manuscript and a detailed biography of Jacques de Lalain, a famed Burgundian axe-fighter, this volume is not just a modern training manual, but also a window into knightly culture at the waning of the Middle Ages.

 

ISBN: 9781937439064

Dimensions: 254mm x 178mm x 17mm

Weight: 631g

284 pages