Hi, my name is Ben Smith, I research and interpret historical European martial arts. I specialize in the longsword style of Sigmund Ringeck. I’ve been doing it for twenty years, and I hope to do it for forty or fifty more. I teach, compete, and write. I’m pleased to announce that my first book on Rineck’s fighting style The Art of Fighting with the Longsword: Teaching the Foundations of Sigmund Ringeck’s Style. In it I lay down my research into the teaching methods of this great Renaissance master, and how, why, and when we should try to replicate and use them in our modern context. It also presents my interpretation of this complex art, and how to transmit it in a simple, easy to learn way to a new student. I emphasize how to lay the foundation for the fighting style as a whole, how to understand and share the broader concepts necessary for a modern HEMA student, how to teach someone to drill, spar, and train safely, and how to avoid pitfalls that can impede a student’s progress.
You can find my book at Pen and Sword, and on Amazon.