A glimpse of historical martial arts

At the beginning of the 17th century, Europe was in a period of transition. The old chivalry that had its glory days during the Crusades, several hundred years earlier, was now in its death throes. A knight could now at worst be a marauding knight. And the term was no longer applied solely to those who served in the armed forces. At the center of this era was Johann Jacobi von Wallhausen, a prominent military theorist and writer whose work "Ritterkunst" offers a unique insight into the world of martial art. This blog post explores both Wallhausen's life and the fascinating illustrations in his work, thirteen in total. But here we focus on figures 1-4, which are the pictures of which we have reproductions.

Johann Jacobi von Wallhausen: Life and Legacy

Johann Jacobi von Wallhausen was born around 1580 and was an important military theorist of his time. He served as an officer in several European armies and drew on his battlefield experiences to refine his theories of military strategy and tactics. Wallhausen was also a prolific writer, and his most famous work, "Ritterkunst", was first published in 1616. This work is considered one of the most influential texts on chivalric martial arts and training. Wallhausen's contributions to military studies helped shape the modern understanding of warfare, with particular emphasis on discipline, training and organization.

Figure 1

The first illustration in "Ritterkunst" shows how to train your skills as a rider. The first three steps show how to practice sitting up on a wooden horse. Here follows a translation of the picture descriptions from the German of the original work.

1. Here you see a life-size wooden horse, intended for a lancer or cuirassier.
2. Here you see how the rider trains himself to sit up in the saddle in full armor from, as is usual, the left side of the horse.
3. Shows you how to win to be able to sit up from the right side in full harness: and these two ways of sitting up you have to learn first on a wooden horse.
4. Here you see how you first stick your left foot into the left stirrup, that's the first approach.
5. Shows how to swing off the ground with your right foot.
6. Shows the sitting position halfway with the right foot raised high.
7. How you have swung up over the horse, sat in the saddle and stuck your right foot in the right stirrup.
8. Learn how to sit up from the horse's right side, which, although an uncomfortable position for you, will often come in handy in unforeseen situations.
9. Shows you how to sit up in an emergency with a gun in one hand and the sword in the other.
10. How to do a leg bend for the left leg, or move sideways to the right.
11. How to do leg flexion for the right leg, or move sideways to the left.
12. How to teach your horse to back up.
13. how you should train your horse to stand up on its hind legs, something that is useful and beneficial to you on numerous occasions, in skirmishes and field battles.

Figure 2

Figure 2 focuses on how you maneuver your horse.

1. How to ride your horse on the vault.
2. How to train your horse in the spur stretch on an oblong vault.
3. How to make sharp turns on a snake-like track.

Figure 3

1. How you should practice with your horse to ride along the mountain up and down in spurs.
2. Shows you how to steeply ride up and down the mountain in a spur stretch.
3. How you train your horse to jump over a ditch: this is the horse's first approach, and it sets up its legs for the jump.
4. How the horse makes the leap over the ditch.
5. Shows you how to burst over a barrier or a fence with your horse, and this is the approach of the horse.
6. Here you explode with the horse over a barrel, and the horse is in the middle of the jump without contact with the ground.
7. Shows you the jump over a fence at the moment the horse finishes the jump with its front legs.

Figure 4

The fourth figure shows disembarkation from water and how to train a skittish or awkward horse. We can probably agree that the tips below are not recommended when training one's horse.

1. Here you have a team while swimming, when the rider remains seated in the saddle holding sword and gun in raised hands so as not to get wet.
2. How he has dropped the stirrups and is kneeling in the saddle, holding his gun high.
3. When the horse is too weak for the rider, he holds the tail with his right hand and the reins with his left, and thus sets off through the water.
4. If you have a troublesome horse, which is afraid of shots, let some men, 6, 7, or 8, fire at it with loose shots from all sides and edges, so that it gets used to the fire.
5. If you have a stubborn horse that doesn't want to move out of the spot, or that lies down when you try to sit up, then take a small rocket, tie it to the saddle, and let someone else set it on fire when the horse refuses move, and it will not remain standing for long, and will also thoroughly forget its capriciousness.
6. You also accustom your horse to sit through a fire, so that it gets used to the shooting.
7. This way you also teach your horse to walk on a narrow lead, something that will often give you a significant advantage.

Wallhausen's Influence on the Martial Arts

Johann Jacobi von Wallhausen's work had a significant impact on military training and tactics during his time and beyond. His detailed descriptions and illustrations provided a systematic and scientific approach to martial arts that had previously been lacking. By emphasizing the importance of discipline, training and organization, Wallhausen laid the foundation for modern military strategies. His works helped to transition from the more disorganized warfare of the Middle Ages to a more structured and effective martial art that emphasized both individual and collective skill.

Wallhausen's "Ritterkunst" continues to be an important source for the study of historical martial arts and offers valuable insights into the techniques and principles that shaped warfare going forward.

The prints we have in our shop have a translation for each image, which is reproduced below each figure in this entry. And the original text, in German, is included. There are also a few uncut prints, where all four figures and the text are shown. It will be a powerful painting, if you have space. And is one of my own absolute favourites.