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Ott Jud

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Ott Jud
Born date of birth unknown
Died between 1443(?) and 1452
Occupation Wrestling master
Ethnicity Jewish
Patron princes of Austria
Movement Fellowship of Liechtenauer
Genres Wrestling manual
Language Early New High German
Manuscript(s)
First printed
english edition
Tobler, 2010
Concordance by Michael Chidester
Translations

Ott Jud was a 15th century German wrestling master. His name signifies that he was a Jew, and several versions of his treatise (including the oldest one) state that he was baptized Christian.[1] Paulus Kal describes him as the wrestling master to the princes of Austria, and names him as a member of the Fellowship of Liechtenauer in 1470.[2] While Ott's precise lifetime is uncertain, he may have still been alive when Hans Talhoffer included the Gotha version in his fencing manual in ca. 1443, but seems to have died some time before the creation of the Rome version in 1452.[3]

Ott's treatise on grappling is repeated throughout all of the early German treatise compilations and seems to have become the dominant work on the subject within the Liechtenauer tradition.

Treatise

Additional Resources

References

  1. The Gotha version, as well as the Augsburg, Vienna, and Glasgow versions, all use the term tauffter Jud, "baptized Jew".
  2. The Fellowship of Liechtenauer is recorded in three versions of Paulus Kal's treatise: MS 1825 (1460s), Cgm 1570 (ca. 1470), and MS KK5126 (1480s).
  3. His name lacks the traditional blessing on the dead in Talhoffer, but receives it in the Rome (see folio 100v).
  4. vor ringen
  5. mit ringen
  6. nach ringen
  7. There is obviously a mistake in the text. This is evident from the von Speyer version of the Ott text, which says to hold his left arm with your right. In the Goliath manuscript the relevant text says: "grab his right arm with your left hand firmly and come with your right hand to help your left". Taking into consideration the subsequent instruction on the direction of the turning through, the last record of Ott’s teaching seems to be the most logical and credible.
  8. wendt dich durch
  9. This play is placed after the subsequent counter in some versions, but as it is a play of turning-through it seems more correct to follow the Rome version and place it before.