John Godfrey (Captain)

Captain / Master of Arms

British captain and author of the seminal 1747 fencing treatise covering backsword, saber, and boxing.

Quick Facts

Date of Birth18. století

Date of Death18. století

Era18th century

Country of OriginUnited Kingdom

Rank / TitleAuthor of A Treatise Upon the Useful Science of Defence (1747)

Active Years1730–1755

Biography

Captain John Godfrey published "A Treatise Upon the Useful Science of Defence" in 1747, providing a historic technical analysis of 18th-century backsword fencing and prize-fighter boxing.

Associated Martial Arts

London Prize Ring RulesCodifier→

The 1838 rules of the bare-knuckle prize ring. A round ended with a knockdown, rounds were unlimited, and a bout ran until a man failed to toe the line.