The Author
This blog is written by a fencer, researcher, and instructor in the Historical European Martial Arts HEMA from the period of the 14th until the 17th century.
Jens P. Kleinau (nom de plume “Johann Paulus Kal”) is the instructor for single handed weapons at Zornhau (since 2007) and Fechtfabrik (since 2015).
His main studies since 1973 had been Fencing and Shotokan Karate, and today are Tai Chi, Wing Chun and of cause Historical Martial Arts. He has been a member of Zornhau since 2005 and of Stahl auf Stahl. In 2013 he founded the New Marxbrüder association in Frankfurt and is the Hauptmann of the Marxbrüder since.
Jens P. transcribes, translates, and interprets the medieval and renaissance fighting manuals and publishes mostly at his well-known blog https://talhoffer.wordpress.com. He was awarded as Best Instructor by the HEMA Scholar Award 2017.
He is a sought-after instructor at international events or workshops as he reduces his appearence to only a few selected per annum. His favorite teaching subjects are Langes Messer (long knife), sword & buckler, and shield and spear.
To broaden his horizon and assure the quality of his own work, he is in constant exchange with other experts (mostly using his three letter acronym “jpk” or a nome de plume matching this acronym like “Johann Paulus Kal” at Facebook).
What other people say:
Tea Kew (instructor at Cambridge HEMA)
If you ever have the chance to bring Jens to your club or event for a workshop, you should absolutely go for it. Hopefully we’ll have him back next year.
James Wran ·
Before JPK, Lignitzer was good…
After JPK, Lignitzer is brilliant, sneaky, efficient, brutal, applicable…
Workshops
Jens P. strives for a ‘bullshido’ free interpretation of the work of the old masters. His interpretations are very down-to-earth and even though there may be younger and faster fencers, he will never put a challenge down.
He would love to teach you in person how to use his favorite weapons accordingly to the original sources. Alas he usually has a schedule full of other things dear to him. But if you pay him the expenses and some drinks he will see what he can do. Just contact him on Facebook or via mail to hans.thalhoffer{at}googlemail.com. Here are some of the workshop he did: Selected Workshops
Academic appearance and publications
“Visualised motion: iconography of medieval and renaissance fencing books”, Late Medieval and Early Modern Fight Books, eds. Timothy Dawson, Daniel Jacquet, and Karin Verelst. Leiden: Brill, forthcoming 2016.
“Hans Talhoffer and case of Wilhelm von Villenbach. Trade and justice in the first quarter of the 15th century“, L’art du combat d’après Hans Talhoffer 1448-1467, 27 april 2015, University of Geneva
Dedication
The blog is dedicated to Hans Talhoffer a Fencing Master of the 15th century. You will find a growing lot of material for your own researches and for the training of the Historical European Martial Arts.
Hans Talhoffer (Dalhover, Talhouer, Thalhoffer, Talhofer) was a Fencing Master, a Contract Combatant and a Consultant regarding Martial Arts and the Arts of War. He was born between 1410-1415 and lived at least until 1482 (latest mention of his name is 1489 in Munich Bavaria).
He produced at least five surviving manuals to the arts of fencing and warfare which were copied several times. Talhoffer was a well educated man, who took interest in astrology, mathematics, onomastics, and the auctoritas and the ratio. He was ranked highly by his customers who paid a fortune to produce the manuals.
Hans Talhoffer 