Alfred Hutton was a remarkable individual. A British military man, he served in India in the 1860’s with the 79th Highlanders where his swordsmanship was noted after besting skilled combatants with mixed weapons. Hutton advocated for a codified British sabre tradition that melded the Southern Italian sabre school of Parise (Holzman) with the Scottish backsword, and excluded French influence (he was trained by Angelo the Younger). This culminated in his 1889 publication Cold Steel: A Practical Treatise on the Sabre for which he served as the illustration model. He was a key player in the 19th Century British swordsmanship revival, promoted accuracy in stage combat, and was schooled in numerous martial and self-defense arts such as Bartitsu, and la canne Vigny.