Being the Jogo do Pau instructor with the closest international ties to the HEMA community, I have learned a lot from this interaction, while also getting a better grasp of how much Jogo do Pau can be of use to HEMA interpreters … which I would suggest includes everyone.
Being a living tradition, Jogo do Pau offers, not only a very practical understanding of the many different (combat specific) contexts that brought about each skill set, but does so while also explaining the relationship between outnumbered & single combat.
That being the case, and from my many interactions with the HEMA community, I truly believe that the history behind JdP’S technical development (in the form of how different contexts brought about the need to develop equally different parrying skill sets) can be quite interesting for HEMA practitioners to look at.
However, doing so requires avoiding the temptation to judge a book by its colour … only in this case, judging an art by its weapon. Yes, JdP is mostly practiced by means of staffs & batons nowadays. However, it is our firm belief & understanding that its main technical & tactical foundations closely relate to what is now called Historical Fencing.
Those interested in learning more about Jogo do Pau as a whole can do so through my second edition of the book: Jogo do Pau: The ancient art & modern science of Portuguese stick fighting
For more specific knowledge of both outnumbered combat & how it relates to the technical development of single combat, please look into: Combat in outnumbered scenarios: The origin of Historical Fencing
Both books are available through Amazon as both paperbacks & Kindles, though the outnumbered combat book Kindle version had to be split into 4 parts due to its terribly high number of photos (+/- 300).
Nevertheless, those still interested in acquiring the Outnumbered combat paperback version, can do so through the following link and, until the end of the present month, benefit from the following 20% discount.
https://www.createspace.com/3664753
Discount code: 46TY9K3E
Kind regards,
Luís Preto
I think it possible that Jogo do Pau is descended from what we may properly call Chivalric Arts, known throughout the nobility of Medieval Europe. For example, I know that there was some friendly interaction of Swabian & Swiss knights with Portuguese knights, allied together in combat, during the later Reconquista. That they might have mutually respected each other and consequently shared martial arts is doubtless to me. Thanks for sharing your knowledge of this staff-fighting and your work on the subject. ~ JH
Greeting, you’re more than welcome and thanks for the comment 🙂
Some facts which have been brought to my attention include:
– France’s Jeux du Baton being technically similar to JdP (back in the seventies, before the canne de combat)
– The more modern jousting setting with a barrier between horses having originated in Portugal and later taken up by other countries after a central european king who was married to a Portuguese princess saw it being used in Portugal and took it to his own country.
Sure, people didn’t have internet and much less google back in the day, but their went around and interacted (at least royal families). Where does one system end and another start? Where is the exact origin of each specific combat content? Does solving such issues matter more than “using” the only living tradition in order to understand the practical tactical application of each specific skill?
i would like to contact mr jeffrey hull ob matters of publishing