french Archive

  • <p><em>La Canne Royale</em>, my translation into English of two French cane training manuals, has hit the virtual bookshelves and is available for purchase. If you are interested in the history of stick fighting or the early development of modern physical education, this is the book for you.</p> <p>Check out the book’s page on the LongEdge Press website to find which online bookstores are carrying <em>La Canne Royale.</em></p> <p>Here’s the blurb from the back of the book to whet your appetite.</p> <hr /> <blockquote><p>La Canne holds a unique position in the development of martial arts in the nineteenth century. It was at </p></blockquote> […]017 June, 2016

    La Canne Royale: Where do I buy it?

    La Canne Royale, my translation into English of two French cane training manuals, has hit the virtual bookshelves and is available for purchase. If you are interested in the history of stick fighting or the early development of modern physical education, this is the book for you.

    Check out the book’s page on the LongEdge Press website to find which online bookstores are carrying La Canne Royale.

    Here’s the blurb from the back of the book to whet your appetite.

    La Canne holds a unique position in the development of martial arts in the nineteenth century. It was at

    […]
  • <p>Here’s an interesting little piece titled “The Strange Story of the Solicitous Phantom Cavalier who Fought a Duel on 27 January 1615 near Paris“<sup id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_7977_1" class="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text" onclick="footnote_moveToAnchor('footnote_plugin_reference_7977_1');">[1]</sup><span class="footnote_tooltip" id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_7977_1">Original title : <em>Histoire prodigieuse du fantôme cavalier solliciteur,</em> <em>qui s’est battu en duel le 27 janvier 1615, près Paris</em></span> jQuery("#footnote_plugin_tooltip_7977_1").tooltip({ tip: "#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_7977_1", tipClass: "footnote_tooltip", effect: "fade", fadeOutSpeed: 100, predelay: 400, position: "top right", relative: true, offset: [10, 10] }); (PDF). It fits firmly in attempts in Europe to ban duelling which, despite the heavy-hitters, both organisations and individual, engaged in the struggle failed to achieve this end until well into the Enlightenment.</p> <p>The movement […]</p>010 June, 2016

    A Duel with a Phantom Cavalier (1615)

    Here’s an interesting little piece titled “The Strange Story of the Solicitous Phantom Cavalier who Fought a Duel on 27 January 1615 near Paris“[1]Original title : Histoire prodigieuse du fantôme cavalier solliciteur, qui s’est battu en duel le 27 janvier 1615, près Paris jQuery("#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1936_1").tooltip({ tip: "#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1936_1", tipClass: "footnote_tooltip", effect: "fade", fadeOutSpeed: 100, predelay: 400, position: "top right", relative: true, offset: [10, 10] }); (PDF). It fits firmly in attempts in Europe to ban duelling which, despite the heavy-hitters, both organisations and individual, engaged in the struggle failed to achieve this end until well into the Enlightenment.

    The movement […]

  • <p>There’s two famous members of the Sainct-Didier clan. The most well known is Henry de Sainct Didier, the author of the fencing manual I’ve translated. The second, earlier one is Guillaume de Sainct Didier, a twelfth century Provençal poet.</p> <p>Here are the relevant entries from the catalog of Count of La Croix du Maine’s library, published in 1584. The full title of the book is <span style="text-decoration: underline;">The First Volume of the Library of the Lord La Croix Du Maine, which is a general catalog of all types of authors who have written in French for the last five hundred years and </span> […]</p>017 February, 2016

    Snippets of Sainct-Didier

    There’s two famous members of the Sainct-Didier clan. The most well known is Henry de Sainct Didier, the author of the fencing manual I’ve translated. The second, earlier one is Guillaume de Sainct Didier, a twelfth century Provençal poet.

    Here are the relevant entries from the catalog of Count of La Croix du Maine’s library, published in 1584. The full title of the book is The First Volume of the Library of the Lord La Croix Du Maine, which is a general catalog of all types of authors who have written in French for the last five hundred years and […]

  • <p>You are standing in <i>quarte</i> or fourth, the guard for defense and waiting. You opponent changes posture into one of the offensive stances: first, second or third. What do you do? How does Cavalcabo say you defeat these aggressive guards?</p> <blockquote><p>You will put yourself in quarte guard making a turn to the right side of the enemy, and holding your dagger on the left side, neither too high, nor too low, you uncover the right side, so that the enemy has the opportunity to strike first.</p></blockquote> <p>We’ve seen this before. Stand with your weapons on one side so that you […]</p>023 November, 2015

    Cavalcabo: Easy as First, Second, Third

    You are standing in quarte or fourth, the guard for defense and waiting. You opponent changes posture into one of the offensive stances: first, second or third. What do you do? How does Cavalcabo say you defeat these aggressive guards?

    You will put yourself in quarte guard making a turn to the right side of the enemy, and holding your dagger on the left side, neither too high, nor too low, you uncover the right side, so that the enemy has the opportunity to strike first.

    We’ve seen this before. Stand with your weapons on one side so that you […]

  • <p>This technique appears in various formulations so frequently in the text <sup id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_2080_1" class="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text" onclick="footnote_moveToAnchor('footnote_plugin_reference_2080_1');">[1]</sup><span class="footnote_tooltip" id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2080_1">the very influential translation by Villamont from Italian to French of Cavalcabo’s Treatise or Instruction on Fighting with Weapons (1597) and a similar essay by Patenostrier, available in English translation by Rob Runacres of the Renaissance Sword Club</span> jQuery("#footnote_plugin_tooltip_2080_1").tooltip({ tip: "#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_2080_1", tipClass: "footnote_tooltip", effect: "fade", fadeOutSpeed: 100, predelay: 400, position: "top right", relative: true, offset: [10, 10] }); that it must be at the core of Cavalcabo’s teaching. In its most concise form, it is written like this:</p> <blockquote><p><i><b>To understand how one must attack for the best</b></i></p> <p>When </p></blockquote> […]016 November, 2015

    Cavalcabo: Passing? Traverse? Triangle Step?

    This technique appears in various formulations so frequently in the text [1]the very influential translation by Villamont from Italian to French of Cavalcabo’s Treatise or Instruction on Fighting with Weapons (1597) and a similar essay by Patenostrier, available in English translation by Rob Runacres of the Renaissance Sword Club jQuery("#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1272_1").tooltip({ tip: "#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1272_1", tipClass: "footnote_tooltip", effect: "fade", fadeOutSpeed: 100, predelay: 400, position: "top right", relative: true, offset: [10, 10] }); that it must be at the core of Cavalcabo’s teaching. In its most concise form, it is written like this:

    To understand how one must attack for the best

    When

    […]
  • <p>Cavalcabo<sup id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_9973_1" class="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text" onclick="footnote_moveToAnchor('footnote_plugin_reference_9973_1');">[1]</sup><span class="footnote_tooltip" id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_9973_1">the very influential translation by Villamont from Italian to French of Cavalcabo’s Treatise or Instruction on Fighting with Weapons (1597) and a similar essay by Patenostrier, available in English translation by Rob Runacres of the Renaissance Sword Club</span> jQuery("#footnote_plugin_tooltip_9973_1").tooltip({ tip: "#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_9973_1", tipClass: "footnote_tooltip", effect: "fade", fadeOutSpeed: 100, predelay: 400, position: "top right", relative: true, offset: [10, 10] }); delays dealing with cutting strikes until after his advice on how to use the cloak as an off-hand device. Is this a measure of the importance he places on them?</p> <p>The sections on strikes are about 500 words wedged between […]</p>09 November, 2015

    Cavalcabo: Plays of the Estramaçon

    Cavalcabo[1]the very influential translation by Villamont from Italian to French of Cavalcabo’s Treatise or Instruction on Fighting with Weapons (1597) and a similar essay by Patenostrier, available in English translation by Rob Runacres of the Renaissance Sword Club jQuery("#footnote_plugin_tooltip_8972_1").tooltip({ tip: "#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_8972_1", tipClass: "footnote_tooltip", effect: "fade", fadeOutSpeed: 100, predelay: 400, position: "top right", relative: true, offset: [10, 10] }); delays dealing with cutting strikes until after his advice on how to use the cloak as an off-hand device. Is this a measure of the importance he places on them?

    The sections on strikes are about 500 words wedged between […]

  • <p>So, I’m trawling through Cavalcabo’s fencing text <sup id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_1254_1" class="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text" onclick="footnote_moveToAnchor('footnote_plugin_reference_1254_1');">[1]</sup><span class="footnote_tooltip" id="footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1254_1">the very influential translation by Villamont from Italian to French of Cavalcabo’s Treatise or Instruction on Fighting with Weapons (1597) and a similar essay by Patenostrier, available in English translation by Rob Runacres of the Renaissance Sword Club</span> jQuery("#footnote_plugin_tooltip_1254_1").tooltip({ tip: "#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_1254_1", tipClass: "footnote_tooltip", effect: "fade", fadeOutSpeed: 100, predelay: 400, position: "top right", relative: true, offset: [10, 10] }); for nuggets of tactical advice. You know the sort of thing I mean, “always maintain the initiative,” “don’t  feint because smart fencers won’t fall for it and stupid ones won’t respond the way you […]</p>04 November, 2015

    Cavalcabo: Tactical Advice

    So, I’m trawling through Cavalcabo’s fencing text [1]the very influential translation by Villamont from Italian to French of Cavalcabo’s Treatise or Instruction on Fighting with Weapons (1597) and a similar essay by Patenostrier, available in English translation by Rob Runacres of the Renaissance Sword Club jQuery("#footnote_plugin_tooltip_8729_1").tooltip({ tip: "#footnote_plugin_tooltip_text_8729_1", tipClass: "footnote_tooltip", effect: "fade", fadeOutSpeed: 100, predelay: 400, position: "top right", relative: true, offset: [10, 10] }); for nuggets of tactical advice. You know the sort of thing I mean, “always maintain the initiative,” “don’t  feint because smart fencers won’t fall for it and stupid ones won’t respond the way you […]

  • <p>I’m trying to figure out the very influential translation by Villamont from Italian to French of Cavalcabo’s Treatise or Instruction on Fighting with Weapons (1597) and a similar essay by Patenostrier. This text is available in English translation by Rob Runacres of the Renaissance Sword Club.</p> <p>The text is fairly straightforward but there are occasional sections which seem very dense and need some unpacking to understand what is being said. Here’s the second example I came across and what I did with it.</p> <blockquote><p>“<strong>Against those who use feints</strong><br /> So you understand which things are counters to those who use </p></blockquote> […]25 October, 2015

    Cavalcabo: Techniques Against Feints

    I’m trying to figure out the very influential translation by Villamont from Italian to French of Cavalcabo’s Treatise or Instruction on Fighting with Weapons (1597) and a similar essay by Patenostrier. This text is available in English translation by Rob Runacres of the Renaissance Sword Club.

    The text is fairly straightforward but there are occasional sections which seem very dense and need some unpacking to understand what is being said. Here’s the second example I came across and what I did with it.

    “Against those who use feints
    So you understand which things are counters to those who use

    […]
  • <p><strong>Title</strong>: Fencing through the Ages<br /> <strong>Author</strong>: Adolphe Corthey<br /> <strong>Translator</strong>: Chris Slee<br /> <strong>Publisher</strong>: LongEdge Press<br /> <strong>Pub. Date</strong>: 2015<br /> <strong>Language</strong>: English (original in French)<br /> <strong>Pages</strong>: 76<br /> <strong>Format(s)</strong>: US Digest, EPUB, MOBI<br /> <strong>ISBN</strong>: (Paperback) 9780994359001, (eBook) 9780994359018</p> Selling Paperback and eBook <ul> <li>Lulu Bookstore [paperback link, ebook link]</li> <li>Amazon</li> <li>Barnes and Noble</li> <li>AbeBooks</li> </ul> Selling Paperback Only <ul> <li>Angus and Robertson</li> <li>Fishpond Bookstore</li> </ul> Selling eBook Only <ul> <li>Kobo Bookstore</li> </ul> The Back of the Book <p>Adolphe Corthey is the powerhouse behind the revival of interest in historical or period fencing in late nineteenth century France yet he remains largely […]</p>08 September, 2015

    Fencing through the Ages: Where do I buy it?

    Title: Fencing through the Ages
    Author: Adolphe Corthey
    Translator: Chris Slee
    Publisher: LongEdge Press
    Pub. Date: 2015
    Language: English (original in French)
    Pages: 76
    Format(s): US Digest, EPUB, MOBI
    ISBN: (Paperback) 9780994359001, (eBook) 9780994359018

    Selling Paperback and eBook
    • Lulu Bookstore [paperback link, ebook link]
    • Amazon
    • Barnes and Noble
    • AbeBooks
    Selling Paperback Only
    • Angus and Robertson
    • Fishpond Bookstore
    Selling eBook Only
    • Kobo Bookstore
    The Back of the Book

    Adolphe Corthey is the powerhouse behind the revival of interest in historical or period fencing in late nineteenth century France yet he remains largely […]

  • <p>Here’s my modern English translation of Henry de Sainct-Didier’s 1573 sidesword/rapier treatise <em>Secrets of the Sword Alone</em>. This is a straight translation. I’ve not attempted to interpret the text as it’s really not required.</p> <p>It’s 154 pages long including  an introduction and 34 pages of Sainct Didier’s images.</p> <p>The print version is currently available from these stores.</p> <ul> <li>Lulu</li> <li>Book Depository</li> <li>Amazon</li> <li>Barnes and Noble</li> <li>AbeBooks</li> <li>Foyles</li> <li>Adlibris</li> </ul> <p>The eBook can be ordered today from these stores:</p> <ul> <li>Barnes and Noble</li> <li>Apple iBookstore</li> <li>Kobo</li> <li>Amazon (Kindle)</li> <li>Bookworld</li> <li>Angus & Robertson</li> <li>Scribd</li> <li>Blio</li> <li>BookBaby</li> </ul> <p>The back of the book says:</p> <p><em><span style="color: #000000;">A modern </span></em> […]</p>22 September, 2014

    Secrets of the Sword Alone: Where do I buy it?

    Here’s my modern English translation of Henry de Sainct-Didier’s 1573 sidesword/rapier treatise Secrets of the Sword Alone. This is a straight translation. I’ve not attempted to interpret the text as it’s really not required.

    It’s 154 pages long including  an introduction and 34 pages of Sainct Didier’s images.

    The print version is currently available from these stores.

    • Lulu
    • Book Depository
    • Amazon
    • Barnes and Noble
    • AbeBooks
    • Foyles
    • Adlibris

    The eBook can be ordered today from these stores:

    • Barnes and Noble
    • Apple iBookstore
    • Kobo
    • Amazon (Kindle)
    • Bookworld
    • Angus & Robertson
    • Scribd
    • Blio
    • BookBaby

    The back of the book says:

    A modern […]

  • This is a translation of the section concerning how to draw the sword in Henri de Sainct Didier's Secrets of the Single Sword (1573). More sections of the text will be translated as time allows. The importance that Sainct Didier gives to drawing the sword is a puzzle that I believe is only resolved when the illustrations are considered literally. All the draws start with the opponents facing each other, feet together and hands on hilts. This does not suggest to me a military application but a civilian and social setting, whether a judicial duel, duel of honour of friendly competition.04 February, 2013

    Sainct Didier’s Drawing the Sword

    This is a translation of the section concerning how to draw the sword in Henri de Sainct Didier's Secrets of the Single Sword (1573). More sections of the text will be translated as time allows. The importance that Sainct Didier gives to drawing the sword is a puzzle that I believe is only resolved when the illustrations are considered literally. All the draws start with the opponents facing each other, feet together and hands on hilts. This does not suggest to me a military application but a civilian and social setting, whether a judicial duel, duel of honour of friendly competition.
  • <p>Ever since I achieved my DELF B1 certificate more than a year ago, I’ve allowed my French to slip. I just haven’t used it. I’m trying to correct this sorry state of affairs. Here’s how.</p> <p>First, as always for me, is listening practice. If you can’t understand what’s being said, there’s not much point. Living languages are all about conversing, gossipping and chatting. Only dead languages, such as Latin and Anglo-Saxon (which I also understand) centre on reading. I used to listen to a wide range of podcasts but I find, this time around, that I’ve limited myself to the […]</p>05 August, 2011

    Recovering My French

    Ever since I achieved my DELF B1 certificate more than a year ago, I’ve allowed my French to slip. I just haven’t used it. I’m trying to correct this sorry state of affairs. Here’s how.

    First, as always for me, is listening practice. If you can’t understand what’s being said, there’s not much point. Living languages are all about conversing, gossipping and chatting. Only dead languages, such as Latin and Anglo-Saxon (which I also understand) centre on reading. I used to listen to a wide range of podcasts but I find, this time around, that I’ve limited myself to the […]