A step-by-step guide to sword fencing. How to learn fencing
During the heyday of the long sword as the main type of bladed weapon, there were two large “fencing schools” in Europe - Italian and German, which left us written sources of information describing various techniques and techniques.
The “Italian school” of fencing with a long sword was represented by two manuscripts that have come down to us - “Flos Duellatorum” (1409) by Fiori de Liberia, and “De Arte Gladiatora Dimicandi” (1482 - 1487), written by Filippo Vadis .
De Liberia, in his book, introduced seven lines of attack and the principles of the “art of the sword” - a swordsman must be fast like a tiger, vigilant like a lynx, brave like a lion and steadfast like an elephant.
The most significant contribution to the development of long sword fencing was made by German masters. The fact is that from the 15th century free cities began to rapidly develop in Germany. Cities and their citizens created increasing competition for the nobility and were often forced to repel attacks by feudal lords and their bandits. The emperor granted a number of privileges to free citizens, which also included wearing a sword. Based on this new self-awareness and the need to protect one’s rights, an unprecedented demand arose for fencing and, accordingly, for teachers of the art of fencing (it is noteworthy that almost all the famous fencers of that time came from the middle classes of society).
The names of such famous fencing masters as Johannes Lichtenauer, Hans Talhoffer, Hanko Döbringer, Sigmund Ringeck, Jude Ott, Paulus Kalla have survived to this day, among whom the names of Lichtenaur and Talhoffer are especially worth highlighting, since it is their works that are now the most famous.
Johannes Lichtenaur can rightfully be considered the founder of the longsword fencing system, in the sense that during his life he traveled to many European countries to study the art of wielding a longsword from various masters everywhere (we learn about this from the description of the priest Hanko Döbringer). From his knowledge accumulated over many years of travel, Liechtenauer created a systematic teaching and formulated it in stitched rhymes. The earliest of Lichtenaur's memorial poems that have come down to us was created in 1389 by his student Döbringer. This teaching became the beginning of the “German school” of fencing with a long sword. The traditions established by Lichtenauer lasted for more than 250 years and influenced even the second outstanding German master, Hans Talhoffer, who published in 1443, 1459 and 1467. his famous works.
Although Talhoffer's system is based on the work of Lichtenauer, he not only continued his tradition, but also developed his own approaches. In Talhoffer, along with a description of various techniques, one can find the following aspects, dynamics of movements, techniques for restoring physical strength, as well as the doctrine of nutrition; we can say that this was the first scientific work on physical culture.
Some fencing techniques with a long sword
Visually, longsword fencing can be seen as a varied but complete mixture of sword strikes, kicks, chokeholds and throws. In Lichtenauer we find 17 basic techniques, which, along with five cutting blows:
- furious blow;
- sitting blow;
- cross impact;
- oblique blow;
- blow to the head;
four main defensive positions were added:
- bull - high horizontal pointing;
- plow - “closed” median;
- fool - low median;
- the roof is high in the middle.
Longsword stance - bull and right-handed bull
Bull and right-handed bull (Finestra or "window" in Italian schools) - the point is directed towards the opponent's face. The blade is held vertically with its edges, the handle behind the head, as well as often just above it.
Plow - It is better to move into it by taking one small step with your foot. This stand has several variations.
A fool is made by lowering the point and hands.
Step your foot (forward or backward) as you transition. This stand is also called the “middle iron door”.
Roof - raise your arms with the weapon up (hold at an angle of approximately 45 degrees, not horizontally). It is convenient to step with your foot when moving into it.
Changing Stances - John Clements (video)
Each of these four stances allows you to transition into any other and are thus a basic training exercise.
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Longsword Defense - John Clements (video)
The main tactics of Lichtenaur are formulated by the expression "backwards".
“Forward” means that you need to attack the enemy before he hits himself, and force him to retreat; if this is impossible, then wait for his attack. An attack is also reflected with a blow - this is both a parry and a retaliatory strike at the same time. The initiative is seized and the enemy is forced to move again.
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Long sword fencing - Agilitas.tv (video)
Medieval fencing with a long sword was much more than simple chopping. Numerous techniques for using all available parts of the sword were used with specific tactics, oriented depending on the chosen strategy.
Training sword
In the XIV - XV centuries. training with the long sword was carried out mainly on wooden weapons. But in the 16th century, in illustrations from Joachim Mayer’s textbook, you can see an interesting sword that his students held during training.
The training sword of the 16th century is a long sword with a narrow, blunt blade. It is especially characterized by a greatly expanded ricasso with protruding shoulders (probably this design helped to better parry blows).
The Russian Fencing Federation and the Megafon company organized a five-session training course for journalists so that we could learn more about epees and foils, and hired world and European champions as coaches so that we could get to know them personally. But in these two weeks, we seem to have learned more about ourselves.
“Don’t forget the old rule of handling a rapier as if you were holding a bird in your hand: hold it softly enough so as not to crush it, but at the same time firmly enough to prevent it from flying away.”
Lesson 1
The course on the world history of fencing that the trainers greeted us with was brief and inspiring:
We feel a little uncomfortable in snow-white equipment and wait for them to give us the main thing - a weapon. The sword is considered a direct descendant of the sword, from which it inherited the same triangular cross-section, in contrast to the quadrangular rapier. Espadas roperas - exactly translated means "sword for clothing", that is, a palace weapon worn as decoration or used for training. Therefore, the sword seems to us a more serious weapon.
The weight of the sports sword is 700 grams, the length is a little more than a meter, it has a simple guard, a thin handle that needs to be held with almost two fingers - the thumb and forefinger. But the lightness of the weapon is deceptive. After half an hour of concentrated lunges on the target, the entire arm, from the forearm to the tips of the fingers, begins to be taken away. The thin blade moves from side to side, and the tip is ready to stick into any edge of the target, but not at the point that you have set as your target.
The reward for diligence is the first fight. We stand opposite each other in a position that we want to consider a fencing stance, wave our swords in front of each other and try to finish each attack with an awkward lunge. Our coaches seem to be having a hard time holding back their smiles. But we don’t care - we feel how the edge of our swords reaches our opponent, and this gives us frighteningly insane pleasure.
Violetta Kolobova, European champion
— I have never treated a sports sword as a weapon. And I have never had the opportunity to hold a real medieval sword in my hands, I only saw such a weapon from the outside, and it seems to me that it must be very heavy. Nevertheless, I do not think that modern sport fencing is in any way fundamentally different from the art of that wartime. The same techniques, the same defensive actions, the same attacking actions - everything remains. Except that the attacks at that time were not as deep as they are now, and there were fewer tactics.
Everything was, it seems to me, more cautious, and people did not rush at each other with risky attacks, and the techniques were not so cunning. Now that I have received and received the injection, there is still time to win back. And before, every injection was a wound that took away your strength. And in general, when it’s not a medal at stake, but life, this does not encourage unnecessary risk.
Photo: RIA Novosti, Kirill Kallinikov
“Don’t forget that fencing is the privilege of noble people. It is quite acceptable that people kill each other if the law of honor requires it. And the only thing you can demand from them is to kill each other with dignity and according to all the rules.”
Arturo Perez-Reverte, "Fencing Teacher"
Lesson 2
Fencing equipment is snow-white and elegant: knee socks; breeches with suspender straps; side guard - a jacket that is worn only on the right hand and protects the side closest to the opponent’s sword; a fencing jacket with a bunch of different fasteners and a zipper. All this makes you a pretty decent person, even if you are ten kilos overweight.
But a fencing mask weighing one and a half kilograms kills everything human in you by the end of two hours of training.
There was a time when they tried to make masks transparent. It was believed that fencing loses its telegenic quality when the athlete’s face is not visible. But the “glass” masks did not catch on - after several fights scratches appeared on them, and this greatly impaired the fencer’s visibility.
Now our trainers convinced us that a mesh mask is one of the healthiest pieces of equipment:
—Have you seen black glasses with holes that improve vision? - asked European champion Alexey Cheremisinov. — A fencing mask with its mesh has the same effect. Plus, the mask limits oxygen access, which means your lungs develop.
In fact, after several vigorous three-minute fights that ended each of our workouts, my lungs were ready to burst. After the first lesson, a third of all those invited did not survive. However, after the second one, everyone who came to it remained.
We pass an electrical cord along the right sleeve under the jacket. Near the glove it is connected to the sword socket, behind the back - to another wire that keeps us tied on the fencing track. Its width is two meters, length - 14 meters. Now each of our injections is accompanied by a sharp squeak from the electronic system.
We are put against each other and given the task of taking turns injecting each other without defense in order to understand what a missed blow is and what a delivered blow is.
Lunge - prick - squeak Lunge - prick - squeak Lunge - prick - squeak By the end of this endless lesson, I just want the electronic device to finally shut up. But every good injection, after which the sword bends by a third, is a decent-looking bruise on the right forearm or the right side of the chest.
In the locker room without jackets, we looked like a gang of experienced drug addicts.
Violetta Kolobova, European champion
“We don’t have any clearly defined “code of honor” - a set of unwritten rules that you must follow on the track. But at the same time, as in any sport, there are dirty tricks. For example, if your opponent is angry or wants to provoke you, he can hit you in the mask with the hilt. Yes, such blows are strictly suppressed by the judges, but sometimes they are inflicted on the sly in close combat, and this may go unnoticed from the outside. The blows are so scary and can have serious consequences - the face in the mask is very close to the net, and there have been cases when the fencer's teeth were knocked out with the hilt.
Women's fencing has its dirty tricks. We had one French woman who always tried to inject her in the shin. This is the most painful injection, and if you hit the same place several times, it can result in very serious injury.
Photo: RIA Novosti, Kirill Kallinikov
“I must admit, I do not envy those who are destined to survive the wars that humanity will wage in twenty or thirty years from now.”
Arturo Perez-Reverte, "Fencing Teacher"
Lesson 3
We spend more and more time fighting. Sometimes coaches find a rather unusual motivation to get us back on track:
- Do not give up! You need to hold out for at least five minutes to survive until the main forces arrive!
Having survived these five minutes, you survive the next, and so on - until the end of the two-hour lesson. But how happy those who fought three hundred years ago were. Now, when you watch apocalyptic films where the planet dies from another nuclear strike, in the dark halls of cinemas you can only dream of one thing - to be among those 95% who will die immediately, so as not to rot later in the ruins of the world you are familiar with. And those who lived two hundred years ago with swords in their hands, even dying, could hope for the approach of those same “main forces.”
Violetta Kolobova, European champion
— Everything you see in films has nothing to do with fencing. More precisely, it has nothing to do with sports fencing. But there is a whole direction - artistic fencing. This is no longer a sport, this is art. Every technique, every attack is a staged element, and everything together looks more like a dance than a fight. More and more slowly and gracefully so that the audience can appreciate the beauty of the movements.
I saw how they were preparing. We often hold training camps at the Round Lake base, and somehow the guys who practice stage fencing ended up there at the same time as us. I came to watch them train, or, more precisely, rehearse. Yes, it’s interesting, but I wouldn’t trade sports for it. We have competition in our fights, we have a real fight, they have a dance. I would really miss the excitement of a real fight.
Photo: RIA Novosti, Kirill Kallinikov
“It makes no difference to me what kind of person a person is: strong or weak, elegant or slovenly, sick with consumption or completely healthy. Another thing is important: with a sword in hand, he must feel superior to any opponent.”
Arturo Perez-Reverte, "Fencing Teacher"
Lesson 4
“To learn something, you need to fencing with those people who know how to do something,” with these words they introduced us to a man, standing on the path opposite whom, we realized that we couldn’t do anything.
“The man who knows how to do something” in a duel of up to five injections took out the first of us in less than a minute. After another quarter of an hour, I was proud that I had managed to repel one of his, I would like to believe, serious attacks. These were pure instincts: I managed to take the guard twice, someone else’s sword made a scratch on the mesh of my mask, and a second later I realized that I did not hear the squeak of the electronic system.
Those same two hundred years ago, I would probably rate my luck even higher. But even without that, avoiding inevitable defeat is also a pleasure.
Violetta Kolobova, European champion
“I try to end every fight with a shot in the foot or thigh. This can be considered foppery, or it can be considered a signature move. But it seems to me that every fencer has his own trademark. If I play a long combination with many preparatory actions, and it is successfully completed with such a thrust, this is the highest pleasure in battle.
But in our country it is considered real foppery to prick in a defensive action through the first or ninth defense. This is a very coordinated and complex action; not everyone can do it; only a few can do it well. I don’t know how offensive it is to receive such an injection - I rarely got it, but I myself really like to do it. The first time such a technique was performed was Tatyana Logunova, who specially practiced it with a trainer. Now the same trainer works with me, and sometimes I also get this technique.
Photo: RIA Novosti, Kirill Kallinikov
“I always believed that during a fight I could recognize a kindred spirit. With a rapier in hand, everyone becomes who they really are."
Arturo Perez-Reverte, "Fencing Teacher"
Lesson 5
By the end of the second week, I have a favorite technique: you need to seize the moment, with your blade moving from top to bottom, weave your opponent’s sword, move it a little to the side and inflict a thrust. To be honest, this technique is the only one that I can carry out in an attack intelligently and with everything properly prepared.
With protection, everything is more or less clear. You can take a step back and move your opponent's weapon to the side. This is enough for our entry level. But for four classes in a row we were told that after the defense there should be an answer. And the more fights there are, the less strength there is to respond. And then you go forward and most likely run into “defense-response.”
The next day we had a team tournament. Each of us fought four fights. I lost two of them this way.
But he won the other two!
“On the day when the last fencing teacher finishes his earthly journey, everything noble and holy that conceals the eternal confrontation between man and man will go to the grave with him, and only cowardice and the thirst to kill, fights and stabbings will remain.”
Arturo Perez-Reverte, "Fencing Teacher"
Famous British fencing master and fight director Richard Ryan
What do you think is wrong with this fight? And in general, in almost all artistic scenes of sword fighting there is one very crude assumption, compared to real combat. Wait, what could be wrong with sword fighting? After all, there are only so many ways to hit another person with a sharp piece of iron. Take a look, for example, at this fight scene from the movie Kingdom of God:
When defending with a slashing sword, the aspect of using the weapon is often very unclear. It is extremely important to understand that defenses (counteraction that blocks attacks) with a medieval sword or any sharpened cutting blade are performed not with the edge of the blade, but with the plane (“mit der flech”). However, it is amazing how often this basic truth of fencing is violated or ignored. Many continue to naively believe that the blade of a cutting sword can easily block a blow, or that this should be preferred.
Whether the sword has a sharp, highly hardened blade, or a dull and softer one, parrying blade-to-blade will quickly render it unusable (as seen in many films and videos of fights). This action speeds up the breakdown of the sword. For example: even without sharpening the blade, the best replica rapiers today will immediately begin to receive many small and noticeable dents on their “blades”, caused by blade-to-blade contact during simple exercises. This applies even more to wider swords with blades designed for cutting. In fact, taking a hard blow to the hardened edge of a real sword can cause it to break (this rarely happens today with the softer cemented replicas used for theatrical combat; in contrast, their thicker soft edges can be repeatedly hit and re-sharpened).
Slashing blades can have quite hard edges, but they are very thin, after all. They are too sharp to be deliberately placed in the path of impact. The blades of chopping blades must remain sharp and free of nicks or nicks. How can you chop effectively with a dented, jagged, or chewed blade? Although defense can be performed with a slashing blade when there is no other option, such an action is not appropriate in a normal situation. Weapons of this type are not intended to be used in this manner and should not be deliberately used to block with the blade.
You can still hear today such delusional opinions as: blocking with the edge of a sword is “stronger”, because the sword “cuts” across the blade (!). Such comments reflect a complete lack of basic knowledge about the nature of sharp steel. The flexibility of a cutting sword lies in the elastic deformation of the blade from one side to the other, and good swords are specially designed with this in mind. Obviously, they cannot bend correctly if the blow is across the blade.
As the head of ARMA and a sword expert, Hank Reinhardt repeatedly points out:
If this was not the case, how then do we explain the apparent and well-documented lack of significant damage on the large number of historical swords that have come down to us? They are, of course, not all polished.
Reinhardt also adds:
If you still can't understand why the flat of a sword is used for blocking, then simply take two large, sharp hunting knives and slam their blades together as hard as you can. Then you will quickly understand what's what.
Of course, when your life is at risk, to avoid death you will indeed block in any way possible. But remember that taking a strong blow with a blade can always result in its breakage. You never know if your sword can withstand every hit that gets blocked. In addition, receiving slaps and strikes with the blade while parrying can allow the enemy to use any number of techniques aimed at connecting and preparing traps for the blade, as well as knocking your blade to the side and getting close.
Here it is probably necessary to define exactly what is meant by the “blade” of the sword. The blade (edge) is formed by the intersection of the flat sides that all swords have. But it can also determine the sharpened, chopping part of the blade, i.e. "the blade itself." All swords have "edges", but not all edges are sharp or even capable of being so. A blade with a thick cross section and a large sharpening cannot have a well-sharpened blade, nor can it cut deeply. There are many examples of such blades from medieval Estocs to rapiers and almost all small swords. In addition, the edges of swords can have different degrees of sharpening. The blade of a katana does not mean the same thing as a spadon, and the blade of a falchion is not identical to a saber.
Today, people often want to think that they can parry with a blade, either because they see it on TV or because they have no idea how to do it any other way. Much of the problem of not understanding how to parry is caused by theatrical fencing and stage combat. It will seem surprising to many that it is almost impossible to find an example of theatrical fencing or stage combat where the blades do not collide edge-to-edge. The reasons stage combat courses teach this way have more to do with safety than with the realism of combat (it takes a long time to learn how to defend yourself correctly, and incorrect methods have now become doctrine).
Take a look at this video of a Viking Age battle reconstruction. Notice how physical it is, how its participants use shields and how their swords never touch:
In fact, in every example of sword fighting in movies, on television, and even in live shows, the fighters block directly with the blades. This is incorrect and inherently flawed (despite crucial, fundamental misunderstandings like this, we are often inclined to accept the theory of stage combat as a kind of manifestation of real "combat knowledge" on the part of the performers).
Respected Italian sword maker Fulvio Del Tin recently said this:
...It is wrong to hit edge to edge with swords...it is better to deflect the enemy's sword. Those people who do the fighting wrong... use swords with full force, edge to edge... I want more people in the future to learn how to fight correctly, instead of imitating Hollywood heroes.
So for those who haven't grasped the intuitive or technical aspects of how and why to parry with the flat of a sharpened sword instead of the edge, the only question left is how do we know that this is the case. Do any historical combat manuals have a detailed description of how to parry? In fact, for the most part, there is no answer (for that matter, they don't even teach how to chop). Defenses were rarely defined in precise terms. They were described more as basic defensive actions than sword positions, and the idea was more of an evasive and counter-strike movement than a block. There is even some dearth of any examples of straight sword blocks in the works of medieval artists.
Without going into the technical aspects of fencing, suffice it to say that trying to avoid a blow is preferable to trying to parry it. The idea is that it is more effective and efficient to counterattack than to parry and hit again (this is described in the manuals). There are many ways to deflect strikes with a counterpunch, instead of blocking them with a hard block. There are no real instructions for parrying even among the many medieval combat manuals, with the possible exception of the Norse sagas. This may be a very good thing, because whenever blocking with the plane, like cutting with an edge, was possible, it was considered such an obvious and natural function of the sword that it did not need to be said.
In the Norse Cormac's Saga, Cormac fights off Bersi's sword "Hviting" using the blade of the sword "Skofnung" which he borrowed from his friend Skeggi. He breaks off the end of Bersiv Hviting with his block, but in doing so a deep notch appears on Skofnung, and this upsets him, because... it was Skeggi's sword and Skeggi would be "very much annoyed." In addition, illustrations in a 13th century German sword and buckler manuscript (Tower Manuscript "I.33") show quite clearly the use of the flat in several deflecting and slapping defenses. In fact, what is very clear in any medieval and renaissance sword manual is that the "defense" seems to be meant to be a deflecting action rather than a direct block, as in the notorious many theatrical fights.
This is also consistent with how a katana is taught to block in traditional Japanese fencing (where a thicker back of the weapon is used to keep the front edge sharp - as with other single-edged blades). In kenjutsu, I also prefer deflection of blows and evasive movements to direct blocking.
This is similar to the methods described in medieval European manuals and supported by the practice of modern reconstruction (but, of course, not the invented conditions of sports fencing or stage combat). Despite many differences, both major and minor, the physical principles underlying Japanese and pre-rapier European fencing are essentially the same.
Indeed, detailed illustrations of fighting poses and prepared stances in many medieval German and Italian depict the blade prepared to block with the flat rather than the edge. But confusion usually arises with those actions that use blade against blade to engage, press, or trap after approach. But they do not notice that there are many defenses against strong blows that can only be performed correctly when using the plane of the blade. Plus, the easiest transition from effective defense to a strong blow is achieved only by blocking the blow with the flat of the sword.
There is no special "twist of the wrist" involved in using the flat of the sharp sword in parrying strikes, nor does the "swing" or bend of the sword occur when defending in this manner. There are also several ways to deflect and knock down attacks, instead of outright blocking. Even slashing at the same time as the opponent is striking is a viable technique (and again, it is common in kenjutsu).
In Western fencing, it was only with the horizontal or "in line" parrying motion of the rapier and later the small sword (as well as some cut-and-thrust swords) that the block was introduced - which sport fencers sometimes call the "true defense". The use of faster and lighter weapons allowing for an immediate counter-punch made this both a possibility and a necessity. Even then, with the rapier, "escape" was the preferred means of defense.
In earlier fencing, the use of direct "blocks" against blows was avoided as ineffective, and modern practice confirms this. You push two sharp blades together edge to edge and they immediately (and often violently) chip. In the 1460 French text King René's Tournament Book, dull swords used for the tournament are described with the following comment:
...the crossbar should be so short that it can only block any blow that accidentally falls or slides down the blade towards the fingers
. If the blade or guard was deliberately used for a direct block, then, of course, it could not be said "accidentally."
The lack of emphasis on direct parrying is noticeable in German "fight books" and Italian longsword manuals. They are also absent from Renaissance masters who championed the hack-and-pierce method, such as George Silver and Joseph Swetnam, as in the 1639 Pallas Armata and the work of various German masters.
But, to some extent, what has confused followers of historical fencing is the use of defenses by the early Renaissance masters Marozzo and Agrippa. Their treatises are full of passages where they write about the need to parry this or that blow either with the “right” (front) blade or the “false” (back) blade. They often specify exactly which blade to use almost every time they mention what kind of protection should be made. There can be no doubt that they fought and that they learned to parry with blades. But, unlike hard directed strikes, thrusts can be easily parried with a blade when you just need to slip and deflect. It is not surprising then that Agrippa and the Bolognese masters Manziolino and Marozzo do not mention in their texts parrying strong slashing attacks - either with or against a heavier sword (it is also interesting to note that Marozzo, as well as the later master Lovino, both briefly discuss the use of two-handed swords).
But there can be no doubt that these swordsmen did not use a medieval slashing sword, or a real rapier without blades, but were trained in the use of tapered slashing blades. By emphasizing the use of thrusts over strikes in their method, they could really care less about any damage caused to their blades by parrying edge to edge. In addition, for the same reason, they could not be overly concerned with the actual alignment of the blade, which is necessary in order to cut after guarding (difficult when parrying with the edge instead of the flat). It is also very similar and quite possible that deflecting a thrust attack and then responding with a thrust of their own is what leads to their rapier-like method of parrying with the blade. However, we cannot ignore that they also attach great importance to care protection.
Marozzo, Agrippa and other Renaissance masters of defense fought primarily in urban environments against opponents with little or no armor. They taught combat mainly for duels, not for war, and duels were often short-lived. So the swords could withstand several dents and nicks. Keeping in mind that in the civilian street fights, ambushes and fence skirmishes of their era, they did not need to deal chopping, splitting blows to the armor to cut deep into flesh and bone. Their blows were only meant to cripple enough to either force the opponent open for a fatal thrust or keep them at a distance. The sheer threat of a stinging, tearing metal blade pointed at you may, if not deflect or deflect your weapon, make you think twice about attacking. Even on the battlefield of the Renaissance, blows with lighter blades were aimed at the joints, away from the steel chest plates, and thrusts were quite useful.
Another major source of misunderstanding regarding sharp blade defense comes from the overlap between sport fencing and historical fencing. Misconceptions about slashing defense are almost always the result of epee/rapier (or even rapier/smallsword) theory being poorly applied to slashing swords. In modern fencing, their edgeless pseudo-weapons can block any and all possible attacks using almost any part of the blade. While this method works well for sporting forms, it is completely flawed when applied to real swords with flatter, wider cutting blades.
Thinking in terms of a weak thrusting blade while performing strong cut and counter actions is not a good perspective. While lighter, faster edge-fighting blades can easily make single deflecting or stopping blocks followed by immediate counterpunches, slashing, breaking blades cannot do this. Instead, either an escape, a counter (with or without deflecting contact), or a direct block followed by a separate attack must be made. This is a calculated counterstrike and is almost always preferable.
Sports and classical fencing instructors who teach epee and have little experience with earlier military swords sometimes want to argue that with wider cutting blades (which are completely beyond their competence) one should constantly block with the blade. It is foolish to equate parrying methods with sporting swords, rapiers and sabers (or even historical small swords and rapiers) with parrying with sharp cutting swords.
It is also noteworthy that although there are some superficial similarities in the basic defensive movements used in modern sport saber fencing to the sharp medieval and Renaissance swords, they are not the same thing. Sports sabers are also very light and thin, their light whipping blows are delivered only from the wrist. The weapon and method they attempt to replicate bear only superficial resemblance to the historical use of medieval and Renaissance cutting swords.
Historically, many combat sabers had fairly thick blades and were often not very sharp. They were not designed to resist armor and were used more for chopping and even just “punching”. Therefore, much less attention was paid to whether or not the blade was used for protection. Similar things are noticeable in the fencing styles of Chinese Kung Fu and South Pacific, which rarely or do not practice test cutting in their training. “Currently, some practitioners mistakenly believe that using a blade somehow aligns the wrist to better stop a punch with more forceful resistance. Yet, in reality the opposite occurs. A direct block with the blade deprives you of the ability to properly position the blade, which is necessary both for proper defense and for a retaliatory strike. It also reduces the best chance of making a more effective counterstroke into any opening created by the opponent's attack. Even the renowned sword authority Ewart Oakeshott, although he later changed his mind, fell victim to this error when producing his short work The Knight and His Arms in 1960 (modern reprints, however, still contain the error).
By using a flat, it is actually better to align the wrist and the blade of the sword for a quicker and smoother return strike without wasting time and momentum turning the hand. Only in this way can a blocking movement be turned into a more effective counterpunch. However, in other actions, such as deflecting, connecting, or striking the opponent's blade, it is possible to hit the plane with both the flat and the edge. Again, this is best understood after extensive practice in parrying with replica swords and testing cutting with sharp blades.
Having spent a significant amount of time cutting with sharp cut-and-thrust swords, one can certainly understand that a sharpened blade must remain as sharp as possible to be effective in cutting.
Although, unlike wider, heavier slashing blades, the Renaissance cut-and-thrust sword has sufficient ability to parry both thrusts and thrusts (of other thin blades) with either the edge or the flat - although the result will be significant damage. Remember that most one-handed swords were used in conjunction with a shield. It was a shield used for protection and blocking, thus leaving the weapon free for preferred and specialized striking work. This is also true for those one-handed swords that were used with a buckler or dagger. In the case of two-handed swords, the role of defense was mainly assigned to care, dodging and deflecting with a counter move.
The reason may be due to the lack of distinct edges on many forms of modern sparring weapons (i.e. round sticks, bamboo shinai, soft boffers, etc.), which may also influence the parrying habits of some fighters. As a result, it becomes unusual to use a plane instead of an edge.
It is also important to note that parry techniques that work well in stick fighting or with softened weapons are not quite equivalent to those used with a thin strip of sharp metal (i.e. real swords). These differences can be fully appreciated in the practice of defense with unsharpened replica swords. Impacts of metal on metal can jump over or deviate to the side, independently changing direction until they come to a complete stop. The differences even extend to the use of blunted theatrical swords. Most stage or theatrical swords are also too thick and heavy, making them quite capable of withstanding improper blocking by the blade. Of course, this weapon was never intended for chopping, let alone for use by real fighters. In addition, due to the abundance of cheap imitations, available swords will often have a weak, wobbly blade, which will confuse beginners who will not be able to figure out how to reliably parry with a flat.
Unlike mistakenly blocking with the blade, parrying with the flat allows the blade to remain undamaged, and the elasticity of the steel and the shape of the blade ensure the flexibility of the blade under attack. Remember that in sword fighting you are not trying to hit your opponent's sword with all your might over and over again, but rather to cut through his flesh and bone. When defending, you don't place your sword across his blow as if it were a shield, but try to deflect the blows by forcing the blow to bounce or change direction, or even deflect away with your own strike. This is not taught in theatrical stage combat and is rarely, if ever, shown in live choreography.
In essence, the further you are from the control room, the less you understand about defense and combat with a sharpened weapon. The worst thing is to base your understanding of defense on the refined techniques of modern sports, or on impressive, exaggerated artificial movements designed to entertain spectators. Finally, what teaches proper slashing defense techniques is training with the correct cues, and practicing contact sparring with the appropriate equipment.
Some of these techniques, like most slashing fencing in general, can be used in hand-to-hand combat practically unchanged. The principles are the same, the effectiveness of the actions is different.
1. Sudden blow to the hand
They haven’t come up with anything simpler yet! If the enemy is standing in such a way that you can with a slight movement, probably from below or from the side, hit him in the hand holding the sword - immediately take advantage of this opportunity! Of course, in training or friendly fights, no one canceled sanity and control over the force of the blow. If the fight takes place with steel blades, then a sharp blow to an unprotected hand can lead to serious injuries.
In many fencing schools and movements, the hands are not included in the zones of permissible attack with all that that implies - they are not taught to defend them. In a duel with a minimum of rules, hands are certainly one of the most tasty targets, as in reality.
2. Counterattack
In many cases, the enemy opens up when attacking, making a lunge or strike. At least his arm becomes outstretched. And the position of the blade during a strike is predictable. Hit your opponent's arm or body, dodging or parrying his attack.
The whole point of a counterattack is timing. It must be applied at the most opportune moment with maximum speed.
3. Imposing distance
A duel between two people of the same height and build using exactly the same weapon is a fairly rare situation. Typically, you or your opponent has longer arms. The relative length of the weapon is of great importance when choosing a technique. At the very beginning of the fight, evaluate who has the advantage in this aspect.
If you are taller, your arms and weapons are longer than those of your opponent, do not get close under any circumstances. Use this advantage, stay at a distance at which he cannot attack you, but you can attack him.
If the advantage in length is not on your side, then you will have to force close combat, which is also good - short weapons and short arms are much more maneuverable at short range. Keep advancing.
4. Feints with attack
A feint is a deceptive movement, a false attack. There are countless different feints; it is enough to understand the general principle of their use.
The essence of a false attack is an impressive start, relaxation in flight and a cessation of movement with a change in trajectory at the end.
Suppose you decide to perform a feint that simulates a blow to the shoulder from the right. Unlike a real strike, the blade will go from right to left in a different plane, much closer to your body. Changing the trajectory is simply done by turning the hand.
An inexperienced fencer will not be able to distinguish a feint from an attack and will seriously invest in defense, opening himself up to a backhand that will be immediately delivered.
A more experienced opponent may have time to defend against an attack or even realize that the first movement was a feint - but no one bothers you to make two or three feints, delivering an attack at the most opportune moment.
5. Combination of powerful blows
Frankly, I love simplicity. A simple technique is easier to pull off, and there is nothing easier than pretending to be a jackhammer. After making an attack that was blocked, immediately make another one in this or that direction. Repeat as necessary until the bitter end.
If attacks are blocked, then cover yourself by returning to your stance, and then immediately attack. If attacks are parried, use circular movements to deliver multiple slashes from different angles. Watch the speed of the attack and control the distance. If you hesitate, you will immediately be counterattacked.
6. Nested strike
Fencers often like mirror defense - that is, symmetrical responses to all enemy actions. A good way to break through it is with a nested strike. You provoke a mirror defense against a simple right hand. After the blades touch, you immediately put all the force of your arm from the elbow and shoulder, turning your hand so that this impulse knocks the enemy’s sword down into the ground.
The effect is terrible, up to injury to the opponent's wrist. Of course, after the inserted blow it will be completely open.
7. Blade control
A completely identical technique is used in hand-to-hand combat. The idea is simple - press your sword against the enemy's blade. There is no need to try to put all your weight on the blade, but a small amount of force should be applied constantly. When you control the blade, you know exactly when the attack will come. In addition, you are protected in advance from most possible attacks.
This technique won't give you a quick win, but it will save you from a quick defeat with minimal cost.
8. Attack on the legs
Many fighters are accustomed to protecting their head and body. And it is right. Something else is wrong. When trying to hide the head and body back, the legs are often sacrificed. Having your foot too far forward is common. In many schools and areas of fencing, kicks to the legs are either not counted or are not profitable for points, and in some cases this is quite logical. For example, a rapier thrust into the thigh can be fatal if an artery is damaged, but death will not occur immediately, and the thrust will open the attacker's entire upper body to an oncoming attack.
In the chopping technique, everything is completely different: the blow is more destructive, and does not open as much as a lunge, and it is easier to come back. But they still don’t know how to defend against it. Hit your feet.
9. Batman passing by
Batman or beating is a completely ordinary action that often occurs when two blades collide. The passing batman is a pretty tricky trick that will take some practice to learn. But it's worth it.
Let's say you're fighting against a much stronger physically opponent who has a penchant for mirror defense. The inserted blow does not help, the enemy is too strong. What to do?
First a feint from the right, but not one in which your blade avoids contact with the opponent's sword. On the contrary, they should touch as in a normal blow. The difference is that at the moment of contact your hand is relaxed. The enemy's sword demolishes your blade, but the hand does not stop and goes further to the left, dragging the weapon behind it.
After your blade passes under the enemy's sword, immediately deliver a very strong blow to the back of the enemy's sword. The vector of his movement was already directed from left to right relative to you, and you also pushed him, using the enemy’s strength against him.
The further action is quite obvious - a direct blow is delivered to the open enemy.
10. Shout with attack
While underestimating your opponent can be fatal, why not try a trick that works against less-than-prepared fighters? Again, there is nothing simpler: without warning, you scream loudly and sharply, and then, taking advantage of a second’s stupor, you immediately deliver an effective blow.
The danger of this trick is that people with well-trained reflexes in such a situation will have the correct reaction to a scream, namely, a counter blow. Be careful when attacking your enemy. However, as always.
Fencing textbook
(Note from the site - these materials belong to http://www.aemma.org/ Academy of European Medieval Martial Arts. Data on authorship and translation of the text into Russian will be added later)
Preface
This series of instructions is based on three years of study of late medieval and early Renaissance fencing manuscripts, supplemented by field experimentation. These manuscripts are mostly of German origin and are known as fechtbucher, or fighting books, in the sense of fencing textbooks. These textbooks date back to 1389 with the teachings of master Johann Liechtenauer. The style, in fact, arose much earlier; it just so happened that some of his students were among the first masters to publish detailed manuscripts describing various medieval martial arts. These treatises focused mainly on fighting techniques used in German judicial duels. In most cases, these duels were fought without armor, and the main weapon was a long sword.
This research has led me to certain views regarding the beginnings and development of modern Western fencing. The training program presented here is compiled according to the instructions presented in the longsword sections of fencing textbooks, with the addition of my personal experience as a student. Most books also describe other weapons, such as the rapier and the dusac, but they always begin with the longsword, which was considered the basic weapon for learning fencing, regardless of subsequent choice. Unfortunately, the study of the longsword, as well as some other swords, fell out of fashion in the 17th century and now only a portion of the once large field of disciplines is called Western fencing.
This analysis and instruction is intended to help restore the longsword to its true place as a key element in the vast art of fencing.
1. Where to start
2. Basic defenses/stands
4. Offset
5. Disengagement
7. Principles of attack 2,3,4: Strikes
8. Masterful strikes
9. Cares and counter injections
11. Secondary stances/protections
12. Last hope stands
1. Where to start
Equipment Tips
*Beginner (Vaster) Hickory Vaster
* Fencing mask
* Gambeson or similar printed jacket
* Tough mittens or thick padded gloves
* Knee and elbow pads
*Optional: cuirass or other chest protection, shoulder protection
Note: wooden weapons are used only by beginners, the Vaster is not used in a duel. Students should switch to steel within 6 months. Students wishing to start with steel must provide themselves with the minimum equipment for a steel match (see below)
* Duelist (steel) Precisely hung long sword (from 110 to 140 cm, 1.3 - 1.8 kg) without sharpened points and blades.
* Balaclava (steel tile - optional)
* Fencing mask
* Knee pads, elbow pads, shoulder protection
* Gambeson or the like.
* Cuirass or other hard chest protection
* Bracers (leather or steel)
* Steel gauntlets.
Crossed and open grip
As you can see in the figure, there are two main grip positions: closed and free. A closed grip is any grip in which the wrists are crossed. A loose grip is a grip in which the wrists are not crossed. The grip should be light and relaxed, more like holding a fishing rod rather than a baseball bat. Avoid the “death grip”, because this reduces mobility.
Three phases: Opening, Clearing and Closing correspond to Mayer's and Süter's Initial, Middle and Final phases of fencing with a long sword. There is a rough correspondence between the three phases of combat and the three phases of the instructions presented here:
* Opening – initial stances, defenses, eye and maintaining distance, simple probing and distracting maneuvers. The main goal of the opening phase is to gain an advantage.
* Clearing - opening the possibility of attack (the action of clearing the tip/blade, reaching a clear and open target). The clearing method is used depending on the opening methods.
* Closing – various methods of attack. They vary from thrusts to slashing and throwing. The closing method depends on the clearing method.
Before and after
Before - all the movements you started
After – all movements started by your opponent.
Four targets
Divide your body into quadrants, intersecting at waist level. This creates four main targets: top, bottom, left and right. The principle of the four guides applies in all areas. There are four main defenses, four main attacks and four main counterattacks (since there are four targets).
In the figure we see an image of the entire body divided into targets. Each part is a quadrant: High, Low, Right and Left. The circle around the body is a circle of protection that must not be crossed. Quadrants can be reached by two main methods: pricking and chopping.
Four targets
Exercises
Stretching: Spend about 10-15 minutes stretching your arms, back and legs.
Stances: Essentially the stance of a fencer mounted on an elephant, with either leg in front.
Try to open as small an area as possible. It is possible that longswords were designed with longer hilts than their predecessors, the one-and-a-half-handed swords, not only to increase leverage at impact, but also because the longer hilt allows the left hand and left shoulder to be held further back in stance. Plow or Fool (see Basic Stances). This reduces the target area for the enemy.
Footwork 1: Understep and pass
An extension step is a movement of the leg that is closest to the direction of movement. For example: if you move forward, move your front leg first, if you move backward, move your back leg first.
A passing step is to walk one foot past the other, thus changing the foot in front.
* Exercises 1 The square step is a good exercise. Move forward, then right, then back, then left until you are in the starting position. Perform with an extended step. Repeat with the other leading leg.
*Additional front-front-passing step and thrust; attached rear-rear-passing and protection. Perform with various hand exercises. Try variations.
Footwork 2: Snatches and Lunges
All the textbooks say the same thing: when you attack from the left, step with your left foot, and when you attack from the right, step with your right foot. At first glance this is too simple. This simple rule applies to all stances, regardless of which foot is in front. There are two points in this lesson:
1. Avoid crossing your stance at all costs.
2. Never turn your back on your opponent
Let's repeat the rule in a more simplified way: when stepping to the left, step with your left foot, no matter whether it is in front or not. When stepping to the right, step with your right foot, regardless of whether it is in front or not.
*If your back leg passes your front leg in a passing stride, you are running.
*If you thrust forward from your front foot, you are performing a lunge
Exercises with a sword
* 20 injections from below from the right and left hands.
* 20 injections each from above on the right and left hands.
* 20 injections with both hands from the right Plow, then 20 from the left.
* 20 transitions from left to right Bull and back. Keep your point forward throughout the transition - do not flutter (see Basic Stances for an explanation of the Bull Stance).
2. Basic defenses/stands
There are four main stances: Plow, Bull, Fool and Roof
The plow is often confused with the middle post (see below). This is the basic en-garde position with either foot in front. The hand at the guard is slightly to the side of the leading knee, the blade is pointed straight forward, the tip is at the level of the opponent’s chin. The hand on the pommel is slightly to the side and in front of the leading hip. As with other swords, the "wall" must be presented on the outside. The sword continues this wall.
The plow can also be twisted while holding the sword in front of the outstretched hip. This is a Closed Rack. It allows you to get close to the enemy while maintaining control of the blade.
Liberi Window or Süter's Bull. The bull is also known as the two-horned stance. In the Right Bull, the hand at the guard is raised to the level of the ear on the right (for a right-hander). The hand is on the pommel at the back, the wrists are crossed. Left foot forward. The tip is ahead and threatens the opponent's top level.
In the Left Bull, the stance is reversed and the grip is free. See also Mayer, page 6
The fool is the front free post. In this position, the front arm is extended forward in a loose grip. The blade is held forward and slightly downward. Either foot is in front.
The roof is a high pillar, the tip above the head. It is the only basic stance in which the tip of the blade is not pointed at the opponent, and is thus the only stance not used in the wall method. She is, like the bull, a left-sided guard and is good at starting all blows from the shoulder, as well as the zwerchhau, or breaking attack.
Another view of the Fool and the Roof - see Goliath, page 62.
To learn more about all four basic stances, see Mayer's On the Attitudes or Stances.
3. First principle of attack: Thrust/Edge
Thrust is a principle subsequent to the Wrathful Edge, or Zornort. The thrust is the first principle of attack. Direct hit.
There are four principles of attack:
* Vertical,
* Diagonal,
*Horizontal and
* Direct, which underlies the four principles of attack.
Wrathful Edge is the first leading attack. All the others are slashes (overhand, underhand, rage, and cross), which are covered in Chapter 7.
Basic thrusts should be practiced from all three main stances (except the roof).
* injections can be done with a simple step - a forward throw from the leading leg - a lunge.
* injections can also be performed with a passing step - passing forward from the back leg - a throw.
Exercises
* From the main stances, perform: arm extension (long point)
* thrust at a short step (lunge)
* injection with a passing step (throw)
Practice until you can hit a target the size of a buckler or the hand of a gauntlet.
Fiore dei Liberi (1410)
Long point: from a plow or closed rack, extend arms and point.
Langer Ort – long point. Begin any thrust from the Plow by raising your arms into a long point, where "point" is understood as the act of aiming. You must aim at your target to hit them with the thrust.
Hans Talhoffer (1467)
Throw from the Plow: long point and step forward.
Sturzhau – Overhead kick
Hans Talhoffer (1467)
A thrust from a closed Bull, or a closed point, down and forward is called a mounted blow. The arms will unwind as you stretch. This attack is most effective with a passing thrust or throw (see Talhoffer, sheet 2)
Zornort – Wrathful Edge
The angry point is a thrust into the upper level from a free grip (see Talhoffer, sheet 3)
Pruning
* A trimming thrust is any thrust that was intended as a trimming with any blade, but ended up as a thrust with a point.
* The undercut draw is the act of moving the blade across the opponent while quickly withdrawing the blade.
Cuts can begin with either thrusts or strikes, and can be used when returning from an over-lunge when the blade is close enough to make contact. Undercuts are a way to strike either while thrusting or while withdrawing the blade.
4. Protection: Bias
Hans Talhoffer (1467)
Displacement of the angry tip. Place the point/blade to the side using an offset (Talhoffer, sheet3)
The simplest defenses are blocks that take the threatening edge off the line. They are also known as displacement (Absetzen). Done correctly, they open up the possibility of riposte.
The main defenses from the Plow are simple "iron doors", where the tip is either raised or lowered, and the enemy's blow is knocked to the side.
The main defenses from the Fool are displacements, which can bend either up or down while shifting to the side.
The basic defenses of High Stance, Suspended Point and Bull are simple blocks in any direction, point down, displacing the blow.
Basic defenses must be learned from all basic stances. The exercise consists of displacing a simple parry thrust from all stances. Try to vary your footwork, first by stepping back when parrying, then to the side, then forward. Check the position opposite each other with your opponent after all possible leg movements.
Students should then practice thrusting and displacing, working in pairs. The one who performs the thrust seeks to hit the opponent in the chest/body, while the second one tries to protect himself. In this exercise, you need to pay attention to your footwork and introduce the principle of distance.
Exercises for students
* From each main stance, offset: short step thrusts
* injection with a passing step.
Strikes are delivered from all racks except the roof.
Fiore dei Liberi (1410)
Image of affected areas from De Liberi's Flos Duellatorum. Please note that the sword, directed straight from bottom to top, is aimed at the neck. He shows a basic thrust from the Plow. Diagonal swords meet at the waist and are aimed at the four targets discussed in the preface. Two cross swords are aimed at the upper targets.
Leaf from treatise Fillipo Vadi, 1485. Here we see a similar representation of the four targets. Note that the cross blades are now aimed at the neck, described as the optimal target (see "Strikes" and Mayer's Ch. 1 for more on targets).
Fillipo Vadi, (1485)
Students should try to target all four zones while practicing thrusts. Students should try both receiving and giving injections in all four zones. This contributes to better aiming when working with the tip and playing with the blade.
5. Disengagement
There is essentially no graphic material on the topic, as applied to the long sword. The disengagement is more implied than actually depicted.
Unlocking the opponent's sword is one of the central principles of fencing and is considered as such in fechtbucher. The principle of disengagement is to prevent your opponent from finding your blade when he tries to do so.
The difficulty with a long sword is its mass. Even a pointed sword is approximately 1.5 kg heavier and thus more inert than an épée or rapier.
* On the one hand, this means that the speed of release will be limited by the mass and strength of the wrist.
* On the other hand, not only does a moving object strive to maintain its motion. The added inertia makes it harder to stop moving.
This is the principle of slap, where you help the enemy's already moving blade autonomously by hitting him at the end of the release. Of course, if your opponent is expecting this, things can turn against you, since your slap also has its own momentum. This is shown further in double and multiple tripping.
Simple releases
Extend your tip and point it at the target. When the opponent's blade begins to displace yours, disengage from the opponent's blade by moving your far weak under and around his blade. You can assist his blade with an upward spin and slap and either control his blade in the strike or aim elsewhere.
Applicable in all stances and guards with the tip pointing forward.
The exercise for students is to practice thrusts and releases along with simple displacement. Students should try to attack each other with thrusts, continue with a displacement and introduce a new action as a continuation. When a student points to the long point and another student moves to offset, we should encourage disengagement and re-targeting to the long point before thrusting to the second target.
Double and multiple clutches
They consist of repeatedly dodging the enemy's blade with rapid retargeting, jerking from one side of the enemy's tip to the other.
Quickly aiming, disengaging, re-targeting (and possibly again) is the name of the game. Leads to variations with a change of stance, a change of target, and a reorientation of the blade.
Once you have unhooked and circled for a slap, your opponent may move back to dislodge, or even unhook in turn. Multiple disengages include repeated probing actions, feints, disengaging, and retargeting.
The exercise for students follows from uncoupling. We will now introduce multiple disengagements as part of the duel.
Circular movements are used frequently. Imagine a cone extending forward from your pommel. This is an attack circle from which you can move to any point.
Circular release is a circular movement of the tip above and/or under the opponent's point. In general, it leads to a strike from the circle, or a strike from a similar level. (See below for representation of circular attacks and level matching).
6. Circular actions and level matching
fast curved kick
successful fast curve kick
Above are sheets 19 and 20 from Talhoffer's 1467 fechtbuch. Sheet 19 describes a quick curved strike and defense by turning the point against it. Sheet 20 shows a successful quick curve kick.
A quick circular release that goes into an attack past the point with a short circular cut is called a fast curved cut.
A fast circular attack can be stopped by raising the tip up and above the attack curve. This is a forward defense that has the ability to counterattack.
This circular movement of the blade can be considered as a "cone". In a circular attack, the blow can come from any point on the circle. Defenses can thus be either "forward and over" or "down and under".
Note: Meyer's fechtbuch, at the bottom of page 14, shows the Rusher, or Point Engine, in which the principle of the circular point is considered as the strike opener.
Circular attacks and uncouplings lead us directly to the correspondence of plans.
Goliath (1500)
Sutor
These two pictures depict the level correspondence. This is when the angle of the blade relative to the body is determined by the opponent's blade, allowing a thrust or strike in parallel. Effective against hands and forearms. Also effective against a point on the body that is in line with the level behind the sword.
Level matching often comes out of a circular motion either up and over or down and under the opponent's point. From different planes, disengage and continue the curve until you are parallel to the enemy's blade. When the angle matches, chop.
A matching level will often lead directly to a new level crossing and point break, allowing you to change the angle of attack while breaking through the point's defense. This is called the Through Shift, or Durchwechselen. See Süter, page 15 for a description of the hit that matches when changing levels from Fool or Suspended Point.
Students' exercises should now include experimentation with new principles of active sparring.
Strikes are formed by three of the four principles of attack: Vertical, Horizontal and Angular. The first principle of attack is the piercing attack or Wrathful Edge, discussed in Chapter 3.
There are four main attacks:
Wrathful Edge should not be confused with Wrathful Strike, although they share the same targets.
Slashing blows are blows in which the blade passes through an arc. They are usually second level attacks, launched once the tip has passed.
* Oberhau / Overhead Strike – A vertical strike to the upper body, delivered from above.
* Zornhau / Wrathful Strike - A diagonal strike to the upper body, delivered from above.
* Mittelhau / Median strike - Transverse strikes performed from either side.
* Unterhau / Low blow – A blow to the lower body performed from below
Italian terms for strikes are also divided by affected area.
* Fendente – Same as Oberhau.
* Squalembrat – Corresponds to Zornhau.
* Traversi - Transverse blow, or Mittelhau.
* Montante – Means upward, or Unterhau.
Slashes and hit zones
striking pattern
The figure shows another type of affected areas. Here are not just the four main stealers, but also the lines of attack.
The lines running through the image show the cutting directions. But we must remember that each quadrant and each line of attack can be associated with the tip, and not just the blade.
These lines, however, represent pure attack lines that can be delivered as a slash. When defending against a slashing blow, remember the affected areas and all lines of attack, both for the tip and for the blade.
We see a full view of the affected areas.
The knight's head is now highlighted with a smaller kill zone. This is due to the fact that the head can be hit both from above and below, from the left and from the right.
Notice the two transverse lines running through the head. One at neck level, the second at eye level. These, along with the lines running through the body, are the optimal paths for attack.
striking pattern
Other types of kill zones can be found in Mayer's and Süter's textbooks.
Exercises for Students: Practice all the punches mentioned above in a shadow boxing style.
8. Masterful strikes
Master blows are not descriptions of blows. These are the guidelines for liberation and resistance.
These include:
* breaking through (Zwerchhau),
* sliding (Schielhau),
* splitting (Scheitelhau),
* bending (Krumphau).
Krumphau – Curved kick
Krumphau This is an action consisting of a step/curve away from the line of attack and a counterpunch. This is the principle of care.
If the attack is coming from above, jump to the side, deflecting the blow to the side with a crossed hanging stance and counter-punch to the head.
If the attack is from any direction, step (ausfallen) from under the blow to the side and forward (vorfallen), turning your body perpendicular to the enemy, being close and facing the arc or line of attack. Now counterattack with a punch to the arms or hands. This is suitable for both lateral and upward strokes. This way you can fight off the injection.
Excerpt from Goliath:
Krumphau: Curve, throwing your point into the brushes. Dodge from the stance that allows you to slash. The attack prevents strikes and most slashing moves. When the sword falls from above, move away and step away from the direction of the blow. Curl towards the impact, don't dive. Change straight and hit behind the sword so he doesn't know where to defend.
See also page 12 of Süter and Mayer for details.
Schielhau – Glancing blow
Schielhau The Glancing Strike is the movement of intercepting an outside strike from the inside, causing the blade to slide outward during a counterattack. The counter strike pushes the opponent's blade away to end on the inside line.
The principle of the attack is to make the enemy's blade slip.
The principle of defense is to allow the attack to slide outward from your blade as you move to meet the blow. (see Talhoffer, sheet 5, 18; Süter p. 8, Mayer p. 11).
Excerpt from Goliath:
Schielhau: Straight slide breaks hits by throwing them off. Hit from the side with your strong one and rush forward when trying to stab him in the neck. Slide straight with the front hand inverted in the thrust until it is on top.
Scheitelhau – splitting blow
The principle behind the Splitter is the center of the axis on which you spin your blade over, under or around your opponent's blade and deliver a direct strike that splits the guard.
Mayer said that the splitter was an overhead punch, splitting the head, and that punching through was duplieren.
Splitter To find a compromise between masters, we can say that a splitter is a high blow that begins with a slash and ends with either a thrust or a blow, depending on the defense it meets.
Bottom line, a splitter is any attack that rotates over or around the defense.
From Goliath:
Scheitelhau: Splitting the defense is achieved by quickly passing forward and, depending on the defense he has taken, by a direct blow and breaking the defense by thrusting and cutting.
Zwerchhau – Breaking blow
crossed breaker
The Breaker follows the principle of meeting force with force.
Crossed breaker (other type)
The Breaker breaks through an incoming attack with a blade-to-blade strike and then enters to counter.
free breaker
free breaker
If the strike is from your left side (for a right-handed person), jump to the right and knock down the strike with a crossed hanging stance held high, point down and forward. Now counter with either a hanging strike (sturzhau) or a high thrust with the pommel.
If the blow is from the right side (also for a right-hander), jump to the left and knock down the blow with a free guard taken high, with the tip half forward. Now counterattack with a thrust thrust or a high cross kick.
The breaking blow from the Plow consists of simply raising the sword and meeting the blow forcefully, causing it to deflect while you have the sword ready to strike in anger. (See also Mayer, p. 12; Suter, p. 16 and Thalhoffer, sheet 12)
Excerpt from Goliath:
Zwerchhau: Counterattack delivered from the Roof. Grab your sword and make an effort to counterstrike. If from the Plow, it works well against attacks from the Bull. All you have to do is counter the blow by standing more firmly and striking lower and against the force of the blow. Strike and step forward, striking from your elbows. It is best to perform the technique as a single movement, and not divided into two movements, because in connection the advantage will be lost.
Note: All the principles of counterattack described above are effective against both strikes and thrusts. Any defense that takes the opponent's sword out of play and ends with a counterattack is effective.
Drill: Continue to practice striking and guarding against slashes. Students must not only demonstrate at least two defenses against each strike. They must now apply both displacement and counterattack for each strike.
9. Cares and counter injections
Be where there is no sword.
Avoiding a thrust is simply a step to the side from the line of attack. Any counter attack while leaving is the principle of both krumphau and Wechselhau, a curved and changing strike.
Since thrusts are linear attacks, avoiding a thrust consists of moving to the side, left or right, forward or backward. This leads to footwork and line of attack. The position of your foot and which foot is in front is what largely determines the direction of your escape.
With the right foot in front and when the blow comes from the right of the sword, it is best to dash left and forward in a passing step, away from the opponent's blade and facing the line of attack.
When the blow comes to the left of the blade, it is best to push to the right and forward with a lunge to the side while facing the line of attack. These moves are called the best because they allow you to close while hitting the edge.
With the left foot in front, all of the above still applies, just the directions change.
The principle of leaving is the same principle of movement discussed in the introduction. When moving to the left, step with your left foot, regardless of whether it is in front or not. When moving to the right, step with your right foot.
Stepping back and turning also helps avoid sticking. Again the direction of the turn depends on which foot is in front and which side of the blade the strike comes from.
If your right foot is forward and the blow is coming from the left side of the blade, you can pivot with your left foot to face the line of attack. The exit also works with the left foot in front - turn back and to the side with your right foot. There is no practical counterpunch when stepping back with the front foot. It's just care.
The choice of Curved or Variable Counterstrike depends on how you position your blade when leaving:
* If you raise the blade when leaving, the counter-strike will be downward - a slashing krumphau.
* If your tip is aimed at the enemy, the counter-attack will be a stabbing Krumphau. If the sword is low, an upward strike, or Wechselhau, will follow.
Escape and counterattack with a slash
Exiting and re-entering the circle
Avoiding a slash is based on the same principle as avoiding a thrust, but with the addition of an arc of attack as opposed to a line of attack.
Escaping an overhead attack (fendente) is done by pushing forward and outward with the front leg, raising the arms to counterattack and turning inward toward the line of attack. Then a blow is struck to the hands or forearms.
Diagonal attacks:
* a jerk is performed to the side of the enemy opposite the attacking side, forward from the outside leg.
o If the outside leg is already in front, then instead of a jerk, a push step is used.
o If the outside leg is behind, the jerk will be a passing step.
* Raise your arms at the same time as you step outward and rotate inward.
* Counterattack with a punch to the hands.
Cross attack:
* step back, raising the blade, or lower it down. If the sword has been raised, immediately respond fendente after the tip of the opponent's sword has passed you.
* If you lower the blade, raise the point and step with a thrust immediately after the enemy's point passes you.
Rising Attacks: Similar to avoiding diagonal attacks. The difference is that you must always lower the blade before the upward strike in order to be able to pass under the arc of the attack and attack the enemy.
Bottom-up strikes are neutralized in the same way as downward strikes, only the blade must be lowered.
Exercise: Students should work in pairs, experimenting with escapes and counterpushes from all stances, applied in all four zones against all four stances. Then you should continue to work with escapes and counterattacks, delivering them along all eight lines of attack.
10. Nachreissen: following behind
Following the edge
When your opponent withdraws the point from any attempt or attack, you must take the opportunity to follow his point with your own and try to hit the opening before the point returns and does not threaten.
To avoid pursuit, it is important to retreat not with the sword, but with the foot. Always try to pull back at the long point. Try not to move your hands away when aiming, disconnecting and re-aiming.
Following the Rising Blade
* If your opponent moves the tip of his sword away from you and yours is still in play, you have the opportunity to attack.
* >When your opponent's arms are raised to strike, try to follow the movement to strike underneath them.
To avoid such following, always ensure that your opponent's point is not aimed at you, whether you are preparing to attack or not.
Try not to knock down the enemy's blade, because... The most powerful blows to the blade are often the easiest to avoid. As a result, the tip comes out of play, giving your opponent a wide choice of places to attack.
Goliath, page 83 The picture shows a counter-punch where the left fighter avoided the unterhau and followed the rising blade to deliver an angry thrust.
11.Secondary stands/protections
Crossed stance (Schranckhut) is a blocking stance with crossed arms held in front and to the side. The tip is directed towards the ground.
J. Sutor Hangetort - a free-handed stance in which the sword is held in front and slightly to the side. The point is directed slightly downward, the right leg is in front. It is similar to the free Ox, but is more directed upwards and forwards.
The Schlussel is both a good transitional and provocative stance. It gives a spring-loaded position that is difficult to take with a rush, although it looks vulnerable and can provoke a swift response. With the left leg in front, the sword is held in front of the chest with a crossed grip, the blade rests on the left hand above the wrist.
J. Sutor The Wechsel is a transition stance that allows upward strikes. Performed with either leg in front.
J. Sutor's Wrath Stance
Angry edge.
The angry stance (Zornhut) is both threatening (angry) and provocative (feminine stance):
* She provokes because she looks vulnerable and can cause a rapid reaction.
* She threatens because... "fully raised" for an angry strike.
This is a stance with the left foot in front, the sword held over the right shoulder, the blade suspended across the back with the tip slightly forward. Weight is shifted 2/3 to the right or rear leg.
Angry tip (Zornort) – a high stance, the tip is aimed directly at the enemy’s face, or in the upper zone. This is nothing more than a long point, only slightly less elongated and with high-placed arms, both crossed and free. This is a threatening or angry stance that allows both edge and edge attacks.
13. Last hope stands
The advantage is lost in the connection
Goliath, page 13
Defenses that only block a blow are defenses of last resort. They are defenses in which the blades are connected and the tip is not facing the opponent. Any counterattacks from these stances must be launched after the incoming blow has been blocked, so they are called "double-beat" counterattacks. In this case, your opponent will have time to return the blade and react to your counterstrike.
The studs of last resort are called Doors, Windows and External Hanging Studs. These stances are often performed with a stepping back while blocking, with only hanging stances allowing slight forward movement.
High window -
These are stances in which the blade is held horizontally above and in front of the head. Arms can be crossed or free. Used against attacks from above. This stance is nothing more than solid defense.
Low window -
a stance in which the blade is held horizontally below and in front of the body. It takes you out of your stance and puts you in a bad position. If you have to use this stance, you lose.
High door -
akin to a plow, the blade is raised and the hilt is pushed to the side. It can be either left- or right-handed. Used against lateral and diagonal attacks from above. If done well, it easily goes into Zwerchhau.
Low door -
a low relative of the plow. The tip is lowered, the sword presses to the side. Performed on the right and left sides. Used against upward attacks. If executed successfully, it moves to Wechselhau.
High external hanging stand -
This is a stance in which the arms and blade are suspended high and on either side, the tip pointing down. Hanging racks can be performed with both crossed and free arms on either side. When executed well, the high outside hanging jays transition into either a throwing Schielhau or a sliding Krumphau. Used against lateral and diagonal attacks from above.
Low external hanging stand -
it is a suspended post held low and on either side. Used against upward attacks. If executed successfully, it turns into a strike with the pommel.