The two men who led Germany to its most successful senior world championships in 1993 (3 gold, 2 silver and 6 bronze medals), team manager Berndt Barth and chief coach Emil Beck, have joined forces to produce a comprehensive textbook on German fencing methods. They have edited contributions from experts in all aspects of fencing and there are detailed sections on all three weapons. A special chapter is devoted to Emil Beck's formidable system of lessons, each of which typically includes 12-17 activities performed with seven different forms of footwork in a session lasting 20-40 minutes.
The translators have understandably struggled to turn the densely technical German original into clear and concise English, with the result that the book does not provide easy reading. But coaches will find perseverance rewarding and all fencers should benefit from this guide to international success.
