Medieval SwordfightingFor an avid fantasy reader and writer, fighting with swords is quite a familiar topic. How was it really? But how is it really is you do it? At least starting from the early 14th century on, we have a number of treateases and manuals which describe medieval fencing techniques with various weapong. With modern protective equipment and blunted weapons, the techniques described in these works can be explored, interpreted, practiced and tested in sparring matches.The picture that emerges shows a high degree of development - medieval swordfighting is not a simple exercise in brute force but fast and tactically challenging, requiring not only physical fitness but also the ability to out-guess the opponent or to lead him astray. Here you can find some of my ideas and research projects about medieval fencing covering topics like tactics or cutting biomechanics.
Re-enactment vs. HEMAIf you ever visit events like medieval festivals, you might get to see re-enactment fights - knightly tournaments, viking battle lines and such like. The re-enactors in these events are clad in historical battle outfits. The fight sequences you get to see may or may not be pre-arranged, but in any case they have much to do with a good show and little with historical fencing.The point of historical fencing is to get the opponent down and remain standing, in other words to hit hard and fast where the opponent is unprotected. No re-enactment done with such intent would be even remotely safe. Re-enactors are fundamentally actors who pretend to be fighting but in actual reality go to great length to protect their opposite - either by striking where they know the opponent expects this or by using rules of engagement which make the fight slow and controlled. HEMA ('historical European martial arts') on the other hand uses blunted weapons and modern full-body protection to remove the need for a fighter to keep the opponent safe. A HEMA sparring match is not done to give a good show but both combatants try hard to hit their opponent. In fact, HEMA tends to leave bruises (one doesn't walk unharmed into a full thrust with a meter of steel even with a gambeson on) but - thanks to the protection, usually no serious injuries. Actual swordfighting is fast - a cut from close distance can be done in less than 250 ms, which is about the order of the human reaction time - thus frequently in HEMA things are done driven by instinct and reflexes, not by careful considerations of safety. Generally re-enactment is a good exercise in how it feels to move in historical armour, but HEMA teaches how it feels to use historical weapons properly.
Modern vs. historical HEMALooking at modern HEMA competitions and in conversations I got the sense that may people believe that there is a two pronged approach to swordfighting - one can try to practice historical techniques or try to win competitions (with the implied sentiment that historical techniques aren't much use in winning competitions which are more decided on speeding up relatively simple actions).Personally I don't buy this at all - the Fiore manuscript for instance has been written to keep people alive in a fight. It would be odd if this kind of knowledge would be useless against some opponent coming with little but superior speed. It is of course true that trying to literally apply the techniques described in the various manuscripts as a kind of kanon doesn't lead very far in an actual exchange. But that is true for any tactics - too rigid application usually fails, tactics need to be adapted to the situation at hand. Trying to understand the principles behind the Liechtenauer or Fiore system on the other hand allows to adapt the techniques in just the way necessary to deal with whatever an opponent is trying to do. In other words, you can't just fence 'Liechtenauer' against an opponent, you need to first understand what he is trying and then decide what parts of Liechtenauer's system should be used, what parts should not be used and what might have to be adapted to the particular situation.
The LongswordThe European two-handed longsword is quite possibly one of the most versatile close-combat weapons in existance. Unlike a saber or a Japanese katana, it has two cutting edges, so both straight ('true edge') and backhand ('false edge') cuts are possible. With two hands on a relatively large handle, cutting can not only be done by swinging the sword but also by twisting one hand against the other - which cannot be done with single-handed weapons.In addition, the longsword can be used for thrusting and slicing attacks. Historical sources don't limit the use of the sword to the blade though - the pommel and crossguard can also be used for striking, and if the left hand grabs the blade about in the middle while the right remains on the handle ('half-swording'), precision thrusts, shoves, joint locks and restraining grips can be utilized. As Joachim Meyer states in his 1570 fencing course - Fencing with the [long-]sword is the origin of all other fencing. For that reason, I'm chiefly interested in an focusing on the use of the longsword in medieval fencing. Contrary to what movies sometimes show, a longsword isn't all that heavy - it weighs typically just about 1.2 kg. Back to main index Created by Thorsten Renk 2025 - see the disclaimer, privacy statement and contact information. |
