# Historical Manuals



## Andrew Green (Feb 8, 2006)

Here's a few good reads:

The Science of Self Defence
 A Treatise on Sparring and Wrestling
 By Edmund Price 1867
http://www.geocities.com/cinaet/price.html

The  famous Farmer Burns Mail Order Course
 Scanned direct from a 1912 set of lessons
http://www.sandowplus.co.uk/Competition/Burns/lessons/lesson01.htm

Wrestling from Donald Walkers 1840 text "Defensive Exercises"
http://www.geocities.com/cinaet/walker.html

Historical Fencing Manuals
Lots of them, from 13th century on
http://www.thearma.org/manuals.htm

Brief History of the Quarterstaff
http://ejmas.com/jwma/articles/2001/jwmaart_docherty_0501.htm

Quarter-Staff:A Practical Manual
by Thomas A. McCarthy, 1883
http://ejmas.com/jmanly/articles/2001/jmanlyart_mccarthy_0901.htm


----------



## SAVAGE (Feb 8, 2006)

Where do you find this stuff?

Thank you!


----------



## terryl965 (Feb 8, 2006)

The farmer burns mail order course I have what a treasure from that time period.
Thanks for teh other links.
terry


----------



## stone_dragone (May 31, 2006)

This stuff is better than sleep (which is what I should be doing right now).

I'm going to be busy sorting through this stuff for the next few years!


----------



## Jonathan Randall (Jul 14, 2006)

Let's kick these great links provided by Andrew Green up for new members. Thread stickied: members please feel free to add your own links as appropriate!


----------



## lklawson (Jul 31, 2006)

The library at The Exiles:
http://the-exiles.org/Library.htm

Historic Irish Stickfighting (most thanks to Ken Pfrenger):
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/4933/boxingtext.html
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/4933/sft.html
http://www.savateaustralia.com/Weaponry Essays/Simple tricks of self defence.htm
http://www.geocities.com/cinaet/droghedy.html

Military Sabre/Cutlass:
http://www.anesi.com/prsefs.htm
http://www.ejmas.com/jnc/jncart_burtonnewsword_0200.htm
http://www.thehaca.com/pdf/ColdSteel.pdf
http://www.careyroots.com/broadsword.html
http://www.the-exiles.org/manual/Pepper1797/Pepper1797-portrait.pdf
http://www.geocities.com/Athens/Acropolis/4933/cassell.html
http://www.navyandmarine.org/cutlassmanual/1869cutlass.pdf
http://www.navyandmarine.org/cutlassmanual/1906cutlass.pdf

Classic Pugilism:
http://www.sirwilliamhope.org/lsd/resources/mendoza.html
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/class...art School of Arms/ArtAndPracticeOfBoxing.PDF
http://www.angelfire.com/alt/wma/Walker/ (this is the *whole* manual of Walker's Defensive Exersises)


I've got dozens more but I've also got to get back to work.

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


----------



## Jonathan Randall (Jul 31, 2006)

lklawson said:
			
		

> The library at The Exiles:
> http://the-exiles.org/Library.htm
> 
> Historic Irish Stickfighting (most thanks to Ken Pfrenger):
> ...


 
Great job, thanks! Check your reputation...


----------



## lklawson (Aug 21, 2006)

Jonathan Randall said:
			
		

> Great job, thanks! Check your reputation...


I have a reputation?  Aw crap!  It's not true!  I'm a nice guy, honest!  ;-)

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


----------



## Fionn McCool (Sep 17, 2006)

lklawson said:


> The library at The Exiles:
> http://the-exiles.org/Library.htm
> 
> Historic Irish Stickfighting (most thanks to Ken Pfrenger):
> ...


 
Well, I'll be up all night! Thanks a lot!


----------



## donna (Sep 18, 2006)

Interesting links, thanks.


----------



## lklawson (Feb 20, 2008)

just to make sure it gets on the list...

Several historic manuals I've republished here:
http://stores.lulu.com/lawson


----------



## lklawson (Jun 18, 2008)

Adding another historic manual:

"American Jiu Jitsu" by Len Lanius. As usual, PDF is free for download.

Available at: http://stores.lulu.com/lawson

Blurb:





> Born about 1865 in Cincinnati, Len Lanius began wrestling around the age of 12, eventually wrestling on the Vaudeville circuit before retiring and joining the Sports staff with the Cincinnati Post. Lanius claimed to have held the title of Lightweight Champion Wrestler of the World, which would have been around 1890.
> After the famous Gotch-Hackenschmidt matches of 1908, Lanius started developing his American Jiu Jitsu. In his own words, it was the invasion of the Jap wrestlers around that time that put me to work on perfecting a style of defense to check their attack. Their methods were quite baffling.
> In March of 1921, Lanius demonstrated his creation, Yankee Jiu Jitsu, to the Rotary Club and, again in June of 1921, he demoed his Jiu Jitsu to the Kiwanis. In 1922 he published this book, American Jiu Jitsu.
> Special thanks to Jason Couch and the Martial History Magazine at: http://martialhistory.com for making the original of this document available for republishing.


----------



## lklawson (Jul 18, 2008)

*Wrestling and How to Train by Frank Gotch* 

I am pleased to announce the republishing of a facsimile copy of Frank Gotch's seminal Catch-as-Catch-Can wrestling manual, "Wrestling and How to Train." (AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AND UNDER BUDGET!!!)

The text is available at:
http://www.lulu.com/content/3135330

As always, the download is fee, no cost.

Marketoid Blurb:



> Frank Gotch is, perhaps, the most famous (and controversial)
> Catch-as-Catch-Can Wrestler of all time.
> 
> Retiring in 1913, Gotch held three wrestling titles in his career,
> ...


 
Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


----------



## lklawson (Jul 30, 2008)

Boxing and How to Train - Fox's Athletic Library

Same as my other republished manuals, free download

http://stores.lulu.com/lawson

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


----------



## Jeff Richardson (Feb 23, 2009)

Historical fencing tretise sources.

There is a collection freely available here
http://www.ahfi.org/resources.php

There is another collection here
http://jan.ucc.nau.edu/~wew/fencing/manuals.html

And don't forget there are modern translations and how to books published on Morozzo, Thibault, Fabris, CapoFerro, Fiore, Vadi, Silver, Meyer and others.... check Amazon.com


----------



## Jason Striker II (Feb 26, 2012)

Wow!  There's a heck of a lot of info, via links, in this thread. 

Thanks to all.


----------



## Jeff Richardson (Mar 5, 2012)

There is a huge collection of historic western texts being uploaded and archived.... original text and pictures plus translations at  http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Main_Page

Jeff Richardson
Academia Duellatoria
Association for Historic Fencing
American Karate Academies National Association


----------



## lklawson (Aug 6, 2020)

lklawson said:


> just to make sure it gets on the list...
> 
> Several historic manuals I've republished here:
> http://stores.lulu.com/lawson


Lulu changed how the present their pages.  New page is here:

Lulu

Peace favor your sword,
Kirk


----------

