I just picked up the premiere issue #1 of Western Martial Arts Illustrated Magazine. I came across it while perusing the wares of the Arms & Armor booth at the Bristol Renaissance Fair in Bristol Wisconsin. It's an interesting read for sure, I didn't know that there were all these groups of people studying ancient European arts. It's has some interesting articles by people whom according to their credentials really know their stuff. I found the boxing articles interesting, and met the author of the "The Renaissance of Western knife fighting" article, Keith Jennings. A very informative and all around cool guy. He is a member of the Chicago Swordplay Guild. Which looks like something I may check out in the future. Anyway here is a link to the magazines website http://www.wmaillustrated.com/. If you live in the Wisconsin/Minnesota/Illinois/Indiana area check out the Bristol Renaissance Fair. Its alot of fun especially for kids. My kids had a blast. http://www.renfair.com/bristol/index.php
I have a copy of Issue 1 and it's really excellent stuff. I especially enjoyed Ken Pfrenger's article on old-school boxing and the essay on "gentlemanly" arts of self defense in the 19th century (Bartitsu, anyone?). Hopefully they will also start running articles on living lineages of WMA such as savate, Portuguese stick fighting etc. Devn
I received a copy of issue 1 yesterday, and let me say that it's great stuff. Really good articles, with the Halberd one being my favourite. In fact, I plan on taking up the Halberd as soon as I can. Best regards, -Mark
I liked the halberd article as well. The rest was a bit dull and not of much interest - hoping that there will be more for me in the next ish especially as my postage cost more than the damn subscription!
I read the Hamster's copy.... Found the article on the pugilist punch being redundant during the medieval period interesting.... The knaves not wanting to chance breaking their knuckles on rusty helmets! Louie
Honestly, I thought he missed the boat on that one. Fist-fighting has never been a realistic option for battlefield H2H in any culture, and more significantly, there are detailed records of fist-fighting sports in Italy throughout the period in question and well thereafter. IMO it's likely that what Figg actually did was introduce Italian pugilism to England, rather than "re-invent boxing" per se.
"re-invent boxing" Hi Devon.... Interesting theory although pugilism matches were fought in England well before Figgs time - a collection of poems celebrating "Mr Robert Dovers Olimpic Games upon Cotswold-Hills" states that: "The warrelike Champion with his powerful fists, Contended for the Prize, as in our lists" - this was in 1637. Matches were also popular in Scotland & Ireland with one of the first recorded pugilist champions being Billie Marshall from Ayrshire, a 'King of the Gypsies' in the late 1600's (a bareknuckle title that survives to this day amongst the travelling folk) In Scotland in the 1500's and probably earlier, the word 'punch' was used to describe a strike (to another person) with the hands, knees or feet; to punch, kick or knee (another). I'm of the opinion that our medieval ancestors weren't daft, if the opportunity to strike with a closed fist arose - they used it - particularly if wearing mail or armoured gauntlets. Louie
Hi Louie, I'm looking for evidence of a continual tradition of organized, competitive fist-fighting in England, equivalent to that in Italy. Of course, English people hit each other with their fists, knees and feet, but I'm not finding much evidence of a formalized system of pugilism in English sources prior to Figg. Basically, I find it hard to believe that English boxing sprang suddenly into existence in the late 1600s after a hiatus beginning with the fall of the Roman Empire, without influence from Italy, where various forms of pugilism had been practiced continually since the 1300s. Of course, it may just be that the English seldom bothered to record boxing matches ...
