La Canne holds a unique position in the development of martial arts in the nineteenth century. It was at once a weapon for self-defense taught in the boxing and savate clubs across France and Belgium as well as a tool for gymnastics and physical education. The canne was taught to the officer class in military academies and to children in public schools. This volume presents two mid-century methods for learning the canne which encompass both these aspects of its use. Larribeau's 1856 A New Theory of the Art of the Canne concentrates more on self-defence and introduces lessons against a mannequin as a teaching method. Humé's 1862 Treatise and Theory of La Canne Royale centres more on the gymnastic and athletic aspects of the canne. Both provide a fascinating insight into the canne before it was codified by Vigny and incorporated into the composite English martial art of Bartitsu.

Jean de Brye's The Art of Fencing (1721) is a manual for fencing instructors and coaches showing how to break down the discipline into four broad developmental stages. He begins with the basics of posture, balance, guard positions and simple actions before progressing to chaining together these actions to make complex attack phrases and later moving on to sparring with another opponent. It is not a book which teaches early French smallsword techniques but it describes a small collection of techniques for illustrative purposes. Historical European Martial Arts instructors and historians will find The Art of Fencing useful in understanding Enlightenment period fencing pedagogy as well as proving a useful framework for teaching period swordsmanship in the modern day. There are a great many practical examples of how de Brye's teaching framework was and can be put into action in the training hall. This is a book which deserves to be found on every fencing instructor's bookshelf.