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{{short description|Instructions on how to fight}}
'''Martial arts manuals''' are instructions, with or without illustrations, specifically designed to be learnt from a book. Many books detailing specific techniques of [[martial arts]] are often erroneously called manuals but were written as [[treatise]]s.

Prose descriptions of martial arts techniques appear late within the [[history of literature]], due to the inherent difficulties of describing a technique rather than just demonstrating it.

The earliest extant manuscript on armed combat (as opposed to unarmed wrestling) is [[Royal Armouries Ms. I.33]] ("I.33"), written in [[Franconia]] around 1300.

Not within the scope of this article are books on [[military strategy]] such as [[Sun Tzu]]'s ''[[The Art of War]]'' (before 100 BCE) or [[Publius Flavius Vegetius Renatus]]' ''[[De Re Militari]]'' (4th century), or military technology, such as ''[[De rebus bellicis]]'' (4th to 5th century).

==Predecessors==
[[Image:Beni Hassan tomb 15 wrestling detail.jpg|thumb|300px|Detail of the wrestling scenes at Beni Hasan.]]
Some early testimonies of [[history of martial arts|historical martial arts]] consist of series of images only. The earliest example is a [[fresco]] in tomb 15 at [[Beni Hasan]], showing illustrations of [[wrestling]] techniques dating to the 20th century BCE. Similar depictions of wrestling techniques are found on [[pottery of ancient Greece|Attic vases]] dating to [[Classical Greece]].

The only known instance of a book from [[classical antiquity]] is [[Papyrus Oxyrhynchus 466]] from the 2nd century CE, detailing [[Greek wrestling]] techniques. 

There are some examples in the [[Chinese classics]] that may predate the turn of the [[Common Era]]: the ''[[Records of the Grand Historian]]'' by [[Sima Qian]] (c. 100 BCE) documents [[wrestling]], referring to earlier how-to manuals of the [[Han dynasty#Western Han|Western Han]] (2nd century BCE), which have however not survived. An extant Chinese text on wrestling is "Six Chapters of Hand Fighting" included in the 1st-century CE ''[[Book of Han]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |author=Henning |first=Stanley E. |date=1999 |title=Academia Encounters the Chinese Martial arts |journal=China Review International |volume=6 |issue=2 |pages=319–332 |doi=10.1353/cri.1999.0020 |issn=1069-5834 |jstor=23732172 |s2cid=145378249}}</ref>

All other extant manuals date to the [[Middle Ages]] or later. 

The "combat stele" at the [[Shaolin Monastery]] dates to 728 CE.

The earliest text detailing [[Indian martial arts]] is the ''[[Agni Purana]]'' (c. 8th century), which contains several chapters giving descriptions and instructions on fighting techniques.<ref name=Zarrilli1992>{{cite journal |author=Zarrilli, Phillip B. |year=1992 |title=To Heal and/or To Harm: The Vital Spots (Marmmam/Varmam) in Two South Indian Martial Traditions Part I: Focus on Kerala's Kalarippayattu |url=https://spa.exeter.ac.uk/drama/staff/kalari/healharm.html |journal=Journal of Asian Martial Arts |volume=1 |issue=1 }}</ref><ref>P. C. Chakravarti (1972). ''The art of warfare in ancient India''. Delhi.</ref> It described how to improve a warrior's individual prowess and kill enemies using various methods in warfare whether they went to war in chariots, horses, [[war elephant|elephant]]s or on foot. Foot methods were subdivided into armed combat and unarmed combat.<ref name="Svinth">{{Cite web |last=Svinth |first=Joseph R. |date=2002 |title=Kronos: A Chronological History of the Martial Arts and Combative Sports |url=https://ejmas.com/kronos/ |access-date=2024-02-10 |website=Electronic Journals of Martial Arts and Sciences}}</ref> The former included the bow and [[arrow]], the sword, [[spear]], [[noose]], armour, iron dart, club, [[battle axe]], [[chakram]] and [[trishula|trident]].<ref name="Zarrilli1">{{cite web |last=Zarrilli |first=Phillip B. |date=1994 |title=Actualizing Power and Crafting a Self in Kalarippayattu |url=https://spa.exeter.ac.uk/drama/staff/kalari/power.html |access-date=2015-11-06 |website=[[University of Exeter]] |publisher=}}</ref> The latter included wrestling, knee strikes, punching and kicking methods.<ref name=Svinth/>

The oldest extant [[historical European martial arts|European martial arts]] manual is [[Royal Armouries Ms. I.33]] (c. 1300).

"Illustrations only" manuals do not become extinct with the appearance of prose instructions, but rather exist alongside these, e.g. in the form of the Late Medieval German [[illuminated manuscript]]s.

==Historical European martial arts==
===German Fechtbücher===
{{see|German school of fencing}}
[[Image:Cpg359 46v.jpg|thumb|Example of an illustration of half-sword, c. 1418: Islan the monk executes a half-sword thrust against Volker the minstrel ([[CPG 359]], fol. 46v).]]

[[Image:MS 44 A 8 2r.jpg|thumb|250px|fol. 2r of the [[Cod. 44 A 8]], depicting two fencers in the ''vom tag'' and ''alber'' wards.]]
[[Image:Augsburg Cod.I.6.4º.2 (Codex Wallerstein) 107v.jpg|240px|thumb|Illustration of a [[half-sword]] thrust against a ''[[Mordhau (weaponry)|mordhau]]'' in [[plate armour|armoured]] [[langes schwert|longsword]] combat. (Plate 214) [[Codex Wallerstein]].]]
'''{{Lang|de|Fechtbuch}}''' (plural '''{{Lang|de|Fechtbücher}}''') is [[Early New High German]] for 'combat manual',<ref group=Note name=Note01 /> one of the manuscripts or printed books of the late [[Middle Ages]] and the [[Renaissance]] containing descriptions of a martial art. The term is usually taken to include 15th- and 16th-century German manuals, but the nature of the subject matter does not allow a clear separation of these from treatises from other parts of Europe on one hand (particularly from the Italian and French schools), and from manuals of later centuries on the other hand.

Notable {{Lang|de|Fechtbücher}} include: 
*[[Royal Armouries Ms. I.33]] ("Walpurgis Manuscript") (c. 1300, predating [[Johannes Liechtenauer]])
*[[Nürnberger Handschrift GNM 3227a]] (c. 1389)
*Fechtbuch of [[Sigmund Ringeck]] (1440s)
*[[Codex Vindobonensis B 11093]], kept in [[Vienna]], and "[[Gladiatoria]]", discovered in [[Poland]], both dating to the mid-15th century and largely uninfluenced by Liechtenauer.
*{{Lang|de|Fechtbücher}} of [[Hans Talhoffer]] (several surviving manuscripts dating from 1443&ndash;1467).
*{{Lang|de|Fechtbuch}} of Peter von Danzig, [[Cod. 44 A 8]], 1452
*Jud Lew Cod.I.6.4°.3 (1450s), [[Augsburg]]
*{{Lang|de|Fechtbuch}} of [[Paulus Kal]] (1460s)
*[[Cgm 558]], a Swiss treatise of the later 15th century only loosely related to the German school.
*[[Codex Wallerstein]] ({{Lang|de|Vom Baumans Fechtbuch}}), 1470s, [[Augsburg]]
*Solothurner Fechtbuch, no text, dependent on Paulus Kal, 1470s, [[Solothurn]]
*[[Johannes Lecküchner]] Cod. Pal. Germ. 430, [[Heidelberg]] (1478), Cgm. 582, [[Munich]] (1482)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.pragmatische-schriftlichkeit.de/cgm582.html |title=Transkription der Fechthandschrift cgm582, Johann Lecküchner, Bayerischen Staatsbibliothek. |publisher=Pragmatische-schriftlichkeit.de |access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
*Cod. Guelf. 78.2, ''Herzog August Bibliothek'' [[Wolfenbüttel]] (late 15th century)
*[[Peter Falkner]] P 5012, ''Kunsthistorisches Museum'', [[Vienna]]
*[[Hans Folz]] Q566 (c. 1480), [[Weimar]]
*[[Hans von Speyer]] (MS M I 29) (1491)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thearma.org/Manuals/Mertin_Siber/MS-Web.htm|title=The Fight-Lore of Mertin Siber, 1491 AD|work=Thearma.org|access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
*[[Cluny Fechtbuch]], c. 1500, influenced by Kal and Falkner, drawn upon by Wilhalm.
*[[Glasgow Fechtbuch]] (1505)
*Hans Wurm, grappling, (c. 1505)
*"Goliath (manuscript)" (1510s)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thearma.org/Manuals/Goliath/Goliath.htm|title=Goliath|work=Thearma.org|access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
*[[Albrecht Dürer]]'s fechtbuch HS. 26-232 (1512), [[Michigan State University]]
*[[Andre Pauernfeindt]], {{Lang|de|Ergründung der ritterlichen kunst des fechtens durch freyfechter czu Vienn}}, [[Vienna]], 1516
*[[Cologne Fechtbuch]], anonymous (early 16th century)
*{{Lang|de|Fechtbücher}} by [[Jörg Wilhalm]] (1520s)
*Egenolph: {{Lang|de|Der Altenn Fechter anfaengliche Kunst}}, anonymous, printed by [[Christian Egenolff]], 1529, [[Frankfurt]]. This is largely derived from Pauernfeindt's 1516 manual.
*Hans Czynner MS. 963 (1538), [[Graz]]
*the compendia of [[Paulus Hector Mair]] (1540s).
*[[Johannes Lecküchner]] (1558) (this is a reprint from the {{Lang|de|Altenn Fechter anfaengliche Kunst}}, printed by Egenolph).
*[[Joachim Meyer]] "{{Lang|de|Gründtliche Beschreibung der freyen Ritterlichen vnnd Adelichen kunst des Fechtens in allerley gebreuchlichen Wehren mit vil schönen vnd nützlichen Figuren gezieret vnnd fürgestellet|italic=no}}" (1570)
*Gunterrodt: "{{Lang|la|De veris principiis artis dimicatoriae|italic=no}}" (1579), [[Wittenberg]]
*Codex Guelf. 83.4 (c. 1591)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thearma.org/essays/guelf.htm|title=Codex Guelf|work=Thearma.org|access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
* [[Jacob Sutor|Jakob Sutor von Baden]] (1612)
* Hanko Döbringer, Cod.ms.3227a (1389)

===Italian treatises===
The [[Italian school of swordsmanship|Italian school]] is attested in an early manual of 1410, at which time it is not yet clearly separable from the German school. Indeed, the author [[Fiore dei Liberi]] states that he has learned much of his art from one "Master Johannes of [[Swabia]]". The heyday of the Italian school comes in the 16th century, with the [[Dardi school]].

*[[Fiore dei Liberi]]'s ''[[Flos Duellatorum]]'' (1410)
*[[Filippo Vadi]]'s ''[[De Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi]]'' (1485)
*[[Pietro Monte]] (1509)
*Anonimo Bolognese M-345/6 (c. 1510s)<ref>{{cite web |title=Di Accia Armato di Tutt'Arme |url=http://www.achillemarozzo.it/it/trattati/anonimo_bolognese.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060621230211/http://www.achillemarozzo.it/it/trattati/anonimo_bolognese.htm |archive-date=June 21, 2006 |language=it}}</ref>
*[[Antonio Manciolino]] (1531)
*[[Achille Marozzo]] (1536)
*[[Camillo Agrippa]], ''Trattato di Scienza d'Arme'' (1568)
*[[Giacomo di Grassi]], ''His True Art of Defense'' (1594)
*[[Vincentio Saviolo]], ''His Practice'' (1595)
*[[Salvator Fabris]] (1606)
*[[Ridolfo Capo Ferro]] (1610)
*[[Francesco Alfieri]], ''La Scherma'' (1640)
*[[Giuseppe Colombani]] (1711)

===French manuals===
Similar to the situation in Italy, there is one early manual (c. 1400, dealing with the [[pollaxe]] exclusively), and later treatises appear only after a gap of more than a century.

*''[[Le jeu de la hache]]'' (c. 1400)
*Andre Pauernfeindt, {{Lang|fr|La noble science des joueurs d'espee}} (1528)—This is a French translation of Pauernfeindt's 1516 work. One notable difference between it and the original is that the "noble science" print has colored images, unlike the German.
*[[Henry de Sainct-Didier]], {{Lang|fr|Traité contenant les secrets du premier livre de l'épée seule, mère de toutes les armes, qui sont épée, dague, cappe, targue, bouclier, rondelle, l'espée deux mains, et les deux espées, avec ses pourtraictures, ...}} (1573)
*[[Gérard Thibault d'Anvers]], {{Lang|fr|Académie de l'epee, ou se démontrent par reigles mathématique, sur le fondement d'un cercle mysterieux, la theorie et pratique des vrais et jusqu'a present incognus secrets du maniement des armes, à pied et a cheval}} (1623)
*Monsieur L'Abbat, ''The Art of Fencing, or, the Use of the Small Sword'' (1734)

===British manuals===

==== England ====
Apart from three rather opaque texts of the later 15th century,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mymartialheritage.org/manuals.html |title=Discover your martial heritage with the English Martial Arts Academy |publisher=Mymartialheritage.org |access-date=2015-11-06 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110727104736/http://www.mymartialheritage.org/manuals.html |archive-date=2011-07-27 |url-status=usurped }}</ref> the native English tradition of fencing manuals begins with [[George Silver]]'s ''[[Paradoxes of Defense]]'' (1599).

*[[British Library, Harley MS 3542|Harley MS 3542]] (''The Man Who Wol''), late 14th–early 15th century<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thearma.org/Manuals/Harleian.htm|title=Harleian|work=Thearma.org|access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
*[[Cotton Titus]], 15th-century English [[greatsword]] and [[Stick-fighting|staff]]
*Additional Manuscript 39564, 15th century<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thearma.org/Manuals/MS39564/MS39564.htm|title=Additional Manuscript 39564 - 15th century English sword text|work=Thearma.org|access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
*[[George Silver]], ''[[Paradoxes of Defense]]'' (1599)
*[[Joseph Swetnam]], ''Schoole of the Noble and Worthy Science of Defence'' (1612)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thearma.org/Manuals/swetnam.htm|title=Joseph Swetnam -- Part One|work=Thearma.org|access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
*Captain John Godfrey, ''A Treatise Upon the Useful Science of Defence, Connecting the Small and Back-Sword'' (1747)
*[[John Musgrave Waite]], ''Lessons in [[sabre]], [[singlestick]], sabre & [[bayonet]], and sword feats'' (1880)
*[[Alfred Hutton]], ''Cold Steel, A Practical Treatise on the Sabre'' (1889), ''Old Sword-Play'' (1892)

==== Scotland ====
{{main|Historical fencing in Scotland}}
Scottish manuals detailing the use of the [[basket-hilted Scottish broadsword]], besides other disciplines such as the [[smallsword]] and [[spadroon]], were published throughout the 18th century, with early and late examples dating to the late 17th and early 19th centuries, respectively:

* Sir William Hope, ''The Scots Fencing Master (the Complete Smallswordsman)'' (1687)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sirwilliamhope.org/Library/Hope/ScotsFencingMaster/ |title=Scots Fencing Master: Hope: Library: The Linacre School of Defence |publisher=Sirwilliamhope.org |access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
* Sir William Hope, ''Advice to his Scholar from the Fencing Master'' (1692)
* Sir William Hope, ''Complete Fencing Master'' (1691–1692)
* Sir William Hope, ''The Swordsman's Vade-Mecum'' (1692)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://sirwilliamhope.org/Library/Hope/VadeMecum/ |title=Vade Mecum: Hope: Library: The Linacre School of Defence |publisher=Sirwilliamhope.org |access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
* Sir William Hope, ''New Short and Easy Method of Fencing'' (1st edition, 1707)<ref name="swordsmanship">{{cite book |title=Highland Swordsmanship: Techniques of the Scottish Sword Masters |date=2001-11-15 |publisher=[[Chivalry Bookshelf|The Chivalry Bookshelf]] |ISBN=9781891448157 |editor-last=Rector |editor-first=Mark |editor-last2=Wagner |editor-first2=Paul}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sirwilliamhope.org/Library/Hope/NewMethod/|title=Hope: Library: The Linacre School of Defence|author=Jonathan Miller, The Linacre School of Defence|work=sirwilliamhope.org}}</ref>
* Sir William Hope, ''New Short and Easy Method of Fencing'' (2nd edition, 1714)
* Sir William Hope, ''A Few Observations upon the Fighting for Prizes in the Bear Gardens'' (1715)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sirwilliamhope.org/Library/Hope/Observations/Observations.php |title=Observations: Hope: Library: The Linacre School of Defence |publisher=Sirwilliamhope.org |access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
* Sir William Hope, ''A Vindication of the True Art of Self-Defence'' (1724)<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sirwilliamhope.org/Library/Hope/Vindication/ |title=Vindication: Hope: Library: The Linacre School of Defence |publisher=Sirwilliamhope.org |access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
* [[Donald McBane]], ''Expert Swords-man's Companion'' (1728)<ref name=swordsmanship/>
* Captain James Miller, ''A treatise on backsword, sword, [[buckler]], sword and [[dagger]], sword and great gauntlet, [[Falchion|falchon]], [[quarterstaff]]'' (1737)<ref name=miller>{{cite web|url=http://www.sirwilliamhope.org/Library/Miller/ |title=Miller: On-line manuals: Library: LSD |publisher=Sirwilliamhope.org |access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
* Thomas Page, ''The Use of the Broad Sword'' (1746)<ref name=page>{{cite web|url=http://sirwilliamhope.org/Library/Page/ |title=Page: On-line manuals: Library: LSD |publisher=Sirwilliamhope.org |access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
* Captain G. Sinclair, ''Anti-Pugilism – Anonymous'' (1790)<ref name="broadsword">{{Cite book |title=Highland Broadsword:Five Manuals of Scottish Regimental Swordsmanship |publisher=[[Chivalry Bookshelf |The Chivalry Bookshelf]] |year=2003 |isbn=9781891448218 |editor-last=Wagner |editor-first=Paul |editor-last2=Rector |editor-first2=Mark}}</ref><ref>Anti-Pugilism, or The Science of Defense Exemplified In Short and Easy Lessons for the Practice of the Broad Sword and Single Stick Illustrated with Copper Plates, By a Highland Officer, London, Printed for J Aitkin, NO 14, Castle-street, corner of Bear Street, Leicester Fields 1790, www.hroarr.com/manuals/boxing-pugilism/Anti-pugilism.doc</ref>
* Captain G. Sinclair, ''Cudgel Playing Modernized and Improved; or, The Science of Defence, Exemplified in a Few Short and Easy Lessons, for the Practice of the Broad Sword or Single Stick, on Foot''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sirwilliamhope.org/Library/Sinclair/Sinclair.php |title=Cudgel Playing: Sinclair: Library: The Linacre School of Defence |publisher=Sirwilliamhope.org |access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
* Archibald MacGregor, ''Lecture on the Art of Defence'' (1791)<ref name=broadsword/>
* Thomas Rowlandson, ''The Guards of the Highland Broadsword'' (1799)<ref name=rowlandson>{{cite web|url=http://www.davidrumsey.com/amica/amico820629-47674.html |title=Thomas Rowlandson / The Guards of the Highland Broadsword / 1799 |publisher=Davidrumsey.com |access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
* [[Henry Angelo]] and son, ''Hungarian & Highland Broadsword'' (1799)<ref name=broadsword/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thearma.org/pdf/HungarianHighlandBroadsword.pdf |title=Digital Historical Documents |author=Peter Valentine |publisher=Thearma.org |access-date=2011-11-06}}</ref>
* John Taylor, ''The Art of Defence on Foot with Broadsword and Saber'' (1804)<ref name=broadsword/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=Y7kUAAAAYAAJ&q=John+Taylor+broadsword |title=Art of Defence on Foot, with the Broad Sword and Sabre: Adapted Also for the ... |author=John Taylor |date=1938-06-22 |access-date=2015-11-06}}</ref>
* Thomas Mathewson, ''Fencing Familiarized; or, a New Treatise on the Art of the Scotch Broad Sword'' (1805)<ref name=broadsword/>

===Iberian manuals===
There are some manuals containing training advice for the [[medieval tournament]] and [[jousting]], such as the early [[Portugal|Portuguese]] work ''[[bem cavalgar|A ensinança de bem cavalgar em toda a sela]]'' by [[Edward of Portugal]] (1391&ndash;1438), a riding instruction manual that also included martial information.

In 1599, the swordmaster [[Domingo Luis Godinho]] wrote the ''[[Arte de Esgrima]]'', the only fencing manual that preserved the older "Common" or "Vulgar" system of Spanish fencing, which has its traditions in the Middle Ages.

17th-century Spanish [[destreza]] is steeped in the Spanish [[Baroque]] noblemen mindset, so it does not contain graphical explanations of the fencing techniques so much as explanations based on mathematics and philosophical sciences in general. The subsequent difficulty in interpreting the theory and practice of {{Lang|es|destreza}} correctly has frequently led to this school of fencing being misunderstood.{{Editorializing|date=August 2022}}{{Cn|date=August 2022}}

* [[Jerónimo Sánchez de Carranza]], {{Lang|es|De la filosophia de las armas y de su destreza...}} (1582)
* [[Luis Pacheco de Narváez]], ''[[Libro de las grandezas de la espada]]'' (1600)
* [[Gerard Thibault]], {{Lang|fr|Academie de l'espée}} (1628)
* [[Luis Pacheco de Narváez]], {{Lang|es|Nueva ciencia}} (1632)
* Luis Méndez de Carmona Tamariz, {{Lang|es|Compendio en defensa de la doctrina y destreza del comendador Gerónimo de Carranza}} (1632)
* Luis Diáz de Viedma, {{Lang|es|Método de Enseñanza de Maestros}} (1639) and {{Lang|es|Epitome de la Enseñanza}} (1639)
* Cristóbal de Cala, {{Lang|es|Desengaño de la espada y norte de diestros}} (1642)
* Diogo Gomes de Figueyredo, {{Lang|pt|Memorial da Prattica do [[Montante]] Que inclue dezaseis regras simplez}} (1651)
* Miguel Pérez de Mendoza y Quijada, {{Lang|es|Resumen de la verdadera destreza de las armas en treinta y ocho asserciones}} (1675)
* Francisco Antonio de Ettenhard y Abarca, {{Lang|es|Compendio de los fundamentos de la verdadera destreza y filosofia de las armas}} (1675)
* Álvaro Guerra de la Vega, {{Lang|es|Compreension de la destreza}} (1681)
* Thomas Luis, {{Lang|pt|Tratado das liçoens da espada preta, & destreza que hao de usar os jugadores della}} (1685)
* Nicolás Tamariz, {{Lang|es|Cartilla y luz en la verdadera destreza}} (1696)
* Manuel Cruzado y Peralta, {{Lang|es|Las tretas de la vulgar y comun esgrima de espada sola y con armas dobles}} (1702)
* Francisco Lórenz de Rada, {{Lang|es|Nobleza de la espada}} (1705)
* Nicolás Rodrigo Noveli, {{Lang|es|Crisol especulativo, demostrativo, práctico, Matemático de la destreza}} (1731)
* Manuel Antonio de Brea, {{Lang|es|Principios universales y reglas generales de la verdadera destreza del espadín}} (1805)
* Jaime Mereló y Casademunt, {{Lang|es|Tratado completo de la esgrima del sable español}} (1862)

==Historical Asian martial arts==
[[File:Ji Xiao Xin Shu; pg 464.jpg|thumb|Unarmed fighting from the ''[[Jixiao Xinshu]]'' (1560s)]]
{{see|History of martial arts#Asia}}
Some texts on unarmed combat survive from [[Han dynasty|Han China]] (c. 1st century). A list of wrestling techniques is contained in the [[Malla-yuddha|''Malla Purana'']] of 13th-century [[Gujarat]], India. The Chinese ''[[Jixiao Xinshu]]'' dates to the 1560s. The Korean ''[[Muyejebo]]'' dates to 1598, the ''[[Muyedobotongji]]'' dates to 1790. The Japanese ''[[The Book of Five Rings]]'' dates to 1645.

==See also==
{{portal|Martial arts}}
*[[German school of fencing]]
*[[Martial arts timeline]]

==Notes==
{{reflist |group=Note|refs=
<ref name=Note01>''[[:wikt:fechten|fechten]]'' is cognate to English ''fight'' and still meant "fight, combat" in general in Early Modern times; in contemporary [[Standard German]], ''fechten'' translates to "fencing", while the noun ''[[:wikt:Gefecht|Gefecht]]'' retains the generic meaning of "fight, battle".</ref>
}}

==References==
{{Reflist|colwidth=30em}}

==External links==
{{Commonscat|Martial arts manuals}}
*[http://www.wiktenauer.com Wiktenauer: A Wiki database dedicated to the masters, manuals, and techniques of Historical European Martial Arts] hosted by the [[Historical European martial arts|HEMA Alliance]]
*[http://www.thearma.org/manuals.htm THE ARMARIUM: Online Historical Fencing Manuals & Texts of the Doctrina Armorum] by The [[Association for Renaissance Martial Arts]] (ARMA)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080412063205/http://www.aemma.org/library.htm Online Library of Historical Fencing Treatises] hosted by the [http://www.aemma.org Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts] (AEMMA)
*[http://www.aemma.org/onlineResources/hils/genealogy/hils.html Genealogy of the German "Fechtbücher"] hosted by the [http://www.aemma.org Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts] (AEMMA)
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20080423134718/http://www.plumes.org/destreza/ Destreza Translation & Research Project]

{{Fencing}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Martial Arts Manual}}
[[Category:Combat treatises|*]]
[[Category:Martial arts manuals| ]]