Quick Link: Analysis and Comparison of two German thrust-fencing manuscripts.

The new Acta Periodica Duellatorum is out, and with it new and interesting articles. This one is an intersting comparison of two later German manuals that are based on Fabris' manual.

Link here. 

Babies and Explosiveness

What would happen if a year-old baby fell from a fourth-floor window onto the head of a burly truck driver, standing on the sidewalk?

It's practically certain that the truckman would be knocked unconscious. He might die of brain concussion or a broken neck.

Even an innocent little baby can become a danger ous missile WHEN ITS BODY-WEIGHT IS SET INTO FAST MOTION.

You may feel as helpless as a year-old infant-as far as fighting is concerned; but please remember: (1) YOU WEIGH MORE THAN A BABY, and (2) YOU NEED NOT FALL FROM A WINDOW TO PUT YOUR BODY-WEIGHT INTO MOTION.

You have weight, and you have the means of launching that weight into fast motion.

Furthermore, you have explosive ingredients. You may not appear explosive. You may appear as harmless as a stick of dynamite, which children have been known to mistake for an oversized stick of taffy.

You can launch your body-weight into fast motion; and, like dynamite, you can explode that hurtling weight against an opponent with a stunning, blasting effect known as follow-through.

From Championship Fighting by Jack Dempsey

The Thun Sketchbooks

The Thun Sketchbooks were preliminary drawings of commissioned armour. These drawings were then kept by armourers as records of their projects. There are only four of these highly detailed sketchbooks that are known, two which have long been available, and two which were last seen in 1936. Eventually these were tracked to a museum in the Czech republic, where they found to be in near perfect condition.

This paper reviews the types of armour found in the sketchbooks, and has gorgeous illustrations of armor from the Hapsbergs.

Link Here.