The Selohaar Fechtschule (German for 'Fencing School') is a historical fencing study group within the Order of Selohaar. The group meets weekly to research, study, and practice the martial arts of Medieval and early Renaissance Europe under the guidance of the Grand Master of the Order, Christian Henry Tobler. Mr. Tobler, a member of the Advisory Board for Swordplay Symposium International, he has instructed at the 2001 and 2002 Schola St. George Swordsmanship Symposia, and the 2001 Western Martial Arts Workshop in New York.
Fechtschule members have worked with the I.33 sword and buckler manuscript, as well as Fiore dei Liberi's treatises, the anonymous pollaxe manuscript 'La Jeu de la Hache', and Hans Talhoffer's fechtbuchür. However, the group's primary focus has been on the fechtbücher of Sigmund Ringeck and Peter von Danzig, 15th Century masters whose commentaries on the secret verses of Johannes Liechtenauer (14th Century) constitute some of the earliest and most complete works in the German Kunst des Fechtens (Art of Fighting).
"SECRETS OF GERMAN MEDIEVAL SWORDSMANSHIP: Sigmund Ringeck's Commentaries on
Liechtenauer's Verse" is now shipping at last. 
The book is a translation and interpretation of the 15th Century fighting manual (or 'fechtbuch') of Master Sigmund Ringeck, at the time a master at arms in the employ of the Duke of Bavaria. His work is primarily a commentary on the work of Master Johannes Liechtenauer, the father of the German longsword tradition. Master Liechtenauer wrote his teachings as a series of cryptic verses - later masters, like Ringeck, interpreted those verses, providing commentary on their meaning.
The book is approximately 400 pages and is hardbound. Over 800 photographs depict techniques for fighting with swords unarmoured, fighting with sword and buckler, wrestling and grappling, and fighting in armour on foot and on horseback. A number of Selohaar members assisted in the production of this book: our Sir Andrew did almost all the photography, while my squire, Lord Benjamin, played the victim in most of the technique photographs. He can be seen here receiving a thrust to the face as Christian attacks him using the 'half-sword' - a manner of using a longsword where one stabilizes the blade with the left hand, thus facilitating strong thrusts into the gaps of the armour. I'd also be remiss in not pointing out that the members of our Fechtschule were instrumental in helping me interpret how to perform the techniques of Ringeck's manual.
The fine folks at Chivalry Bookshelf (the publisher) did an incredible job in designing the book's layout and editing it. You can visit their website for more information on the book:
Last Updated June 24, 2002