Haitian Machete Fencing - by Reginald Turnier & Michael Dylan Rogers (Paperback)

About the Book

Part martial-arts manual, part oral history, part coffee-table photo book, and the culmination of many years of labor and love at the request of the Avril family in Haiti. A teaching tool, a gift, and a legacy all wrapped up in one book.

Book Synopsis

An Original Photo Book and Martial Arts Manual

Explore the heart of Haiti's cultural heritage through Haitian Machete Fencing: The Avril Family Method-a unique blend of history, art, and combat technique, passed down through generations. Haiti is a country rich in culture, though economically poor. In the countryside, where time-honored traditions thrive, a legacy of African ancestry continues in music, dance, spirituality, folk medicine, and-perhaps most intriguingly-martial arts.

A Legacy of Protection and Precision: This manual takes you into the world of Haitian machete fencing, where blade-work meets art. Under the watchful eye of skilled masters, practitioners engage in intense physical practice, yet amidst the clash of steel and wood, there is an ever-present tenderness, a deep care for one another's safety. This delicate balance is as much a part of the system as the techniques themselves.

The Demand for a Timeless Tradition: The idea for this manual began with Professor Avril, who guided his students through the four core principles of his family's method before allowing them to graduate from wooden replicas to live blades. Now, for the first time, these principles are accessible to the public, providing an in-depth guide to a martial tradition long shrouded in secrecy.

Featuring rich photography and detailed instructions, this book is both a visual journey and a practical manual-a must-have for martial artists, historians, and cultural enthusiasts alike.