Renaissance Swordsmanship by John Clements

Review by Steven Reich

Paperback: 152 pages Publisher: Paladin Press (March 1, 1997) ISBN: 0873649192 List Price: $25.00

It is with some trepidation that I approach writing a review of this book. John Clements is a name known to almost everyone in the historical fencing and western martial arts community, and his name nearly always provokes a strong reaction: either positive or negative. However, his place in the revival of western swordsmanship is undeniable. He was instrumental in promoting the idea of historic swordsmanship as a martial art as opposed to the martial sports and live-roleplaying types of pursuits that dominated (and actually still dominate) modern activities involving medieval and renaissance swordplay.

Like so many other people, my first exposure to the idea that historic swordsmanship could be an organized and serious pursuit beyond just a few friends came from this book. When I read it for the first time, I was immediately intrigued by the idea that the rapier had its own set of techniques and masters-with a set of skills defined specifically for it, rather than just a minor variation on modern fencing technique. While I seldom pick up the book now, it was instrumental in pulling me into the world of western swordsmanship.

When this book first came out, there were few resources available to the would-be western martial artist. Alfred Hutton’s Old Sword Play is similar, if smaller, but approaches the topic in less detail. I imagine that various SCA resources were becoming available, but even now most are geared towards SCA combat. Clements’ book offers-in nearly one hundred forty pages-his notes, observations and techniques, with many illustrations to better explain his points. These are from practical, hands-on experience of his then fourteen years of experience. Not only does Clements cover the rapier and the "cut & thrust" sword, but he also discusses the use of their companion weapons: the dagger, the buckler, the cloak and even the off-hand. He does not cater to any set of sport rules or gamesmanship; rather, he is focused on obtaining effective results in "no holds barred" confrontations involving swords of the renaissance.

Along with his techniques, Clements spends a fair amount of time discussing the strengths and weaknesses of rapiers and "cut & thrust" swords. He spends many pages emphasizing the difference between the two and explaining what each can and cannot do. There are many misconceptions about the sword in the eyes of the public-including beginning swordsmen-and Clements does his best to dispel all of them. He also dedicates several pages to explaining the parts of the weapons, as well how they are held, their guards, and the footwork he found effective while wielding them. Overall, Clements provides what must have been a significant portion of the knowledge he had at the time (or at least what he could communicate in writing).

Renaissance Swordsmanship has been in print now, for eight years (as of March 2005). While it once represented the state of the art of our modern understanding of renaissance swordsmanship, it is beginning to show its age. Although there are many plates and descriptions of general techniques, there is not even one description of a historically correct guard. In fact, almost no historical techniques are thoroughly or completely described. Instead, a student is left with some general advice with regards to the such fundamentals as footwork, the guards, the mechanics of the cut and the lunge as well as how to use the offhand companion weapons. Nor is there a clear explanation of the fundamental concepts of swordplay-especially tempo and measure. The masters used a well-established vocabulary to denote their concepts and techniques, but correct terminology is indistinct or missing. The little historical terminology that is present is often used inaccurately or out of context.

Along with Clements’ historically inaccurate terminology, the book contains a considerable amount of what I can only describe as lecturing with an agenda. He devotes a chapter each to discussing his views on the rapier, the smallsword, and the "cut & thrust" sword. While they are illuminating to beginners, Clements’ does not inform the reader from where his information is derived, or how he reaches the conclusions that he states so strongly. A collection of supporting data from historical manuals will do far more to convince me than an emphatically stated opinion; unfortunately, this is rare. In general, I find the combination of the lack of historical information and the occasional lecturing from a "soapbox" to be the major weakness of this book.

Despite the weaknesses of this book, it has the potential to be quite useful to a practitioner swordsmanship-depending on his focus and approach to the art. If you are a purely historical practitioner-preferring to work only from an historic manual and attempting find the solutions to all my problems through a careful reading and adherence to the instruction of an historic master-you will find little that is useful in this book. However, for those individuals who prefer to follow the path of experimentation and trial-and-error, this book presents a distillation of much of what Clements learned through this very method. I expect that this book will eventually be eclipsed as a general intro to rapier and "cut & thrust" fencing. However, there currently are very few alternatives for beginning students who are unable or unwilling to dedicate themselves to the works of historic masters. Also, it is well to remember the place this book occupies in the revival of western swordsmanship-a pioneer work and the catalyst that brought many of us into the arms of historical fencing.