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In the Middle Ages, wrestling was practised as both pastime and self-defence by every level of society - nobles, townsman and peasants alike - and was regarded as the foundation of all other martial arts. And no medieval wrestler's name looms as large as that of the Jewish master Ott, 'wrestler to the noble Princes of Austria', whose treatise is included in over a dozen fencing manuscripts.
In this first of its kind book Jessica Finley, of the renowned medieval martial arts association the Selohaar Fechtschule, guides the reader on a journey that begins with the historical background of Ott's wrestling and culminates in step-by-step instruction for practising the techniques of this ancient fighting art. Both the lover of history and the wrestler on the mat will find this work an invaluable resource.
Jessica Finley has been a student of the sword for over fourteen years. Her interest began in stage combat, but quickly branched out to German Medieval Swordsmanship. She had been a student of the Selohaar Fechtschule, within which she held a rank of Free Scholar, and has founded three chapters of that organization as she has moved across the country. Currently, she lives outside of Atlanta with her husband and children.
Introduction
Chapter 1: Martial Arts of Medieval Germany
Chapter 2: Master Ott, the Baptised Jew
Chapter 3: Organization of Ott's Treatise
Chapter 4: Ott's Prologue and Fight Theory
Chapter 5: Basic Wrestling
Chapter 6: Stance and Grips
Chapter 7: Treatment of the Techniques
Appendix A: Ott's Wrestling from the Von Danzig Fechtbuch
Appendix B: Ott's Treatise across Manuscripts
Appendix C: Drills and Class Notes
Bibliography
Primary Sources