Western long sword techniques pdf

It is true that they had their own fighting systems with a sword, but keeping sword techniques a secret was the regular practice of almost all japanese sword schools. Historical european martial arts beginner sources hema guide. But we will go over its main advantages, because unlike some of my fellow hema practitioners, i r. But sword techniques have been a part of the western world. The hilt at face level with the blade vertical and oriented at an angle. A comprehensive introduction to the subject of sword fighting. Make the cut diagonally upwards, and, after the sword has passed through the target, complete the circle close to the right side. In the italian manuscripts, this is known as long lying tail, or just tail guard. Talhoffers work offers todays student of european martial culture a. Mair is part of the nuremberg tradition and assembled his text in 1542.

The medieval age is proof of the fact that swordsmanship was practiced diligently in the western world. In order to avoid contact with the long guard from the high guard position, twist the sword to deliver. Longsword fighting techniques pdf download ebook pdf. The longsword was predominantly used by a medieval knight. Wiktenauer, the worlds largest library of hema books and. Recorded over six centuries ago, the teachings of the 14thcentury masteratarms johannes liechtenauer have been given new life by a worldwide community of modern swordsmen and women, fascinated by the elegance, efficiency and depth of his unique martial art.

Normally, several modes of combat were taught alongside one another, typically unarmed grappling kampfringen or abrazare, dagger degen or daga, often of the rondel dagger, long knife or dusack, half or quarterstaff, pole weapons, longsword langes schwert, spada longa, spadone, and combat in plate armour harnischfechten or armazare, both on foot and on horseback. But, the power sometimes goes into the shoulder when a beginner tries to put the power in the kissaki. While you can have a lot of fun sword fighting, you should never use. The weapons, armor and horse of the knight were extremely expensive the fighting power. The smallsword project a contextual repository for the. Remove the power of the shoulder and the arm, and swing a sword by the. Nebenhut near guard is another low guard held with the sword near the body and the point facing back a tail. Recorded over six centuries ago, the teachings of the 14thcentury masteratarms johannes. This is the biggest book in chinese history on military topics, and inside it is a chapter on swordsmanship with a 2handed long straight sword. How to swing a sword how to swing the sword which we. Most attacks will involve the blade, though in some circumstances the pommel or cross will be employed, such as when ones opponent has.

George silver and joseph swetnam is a singlehanded cutandthrust sword with a 4foot long 1. Meaning of longsword meaning of longsword the longsword was also known as the bastardsword and in later times as a hand and a half swords. Longsword techniques and outline free download as pdf file. Mairs german longsword 2 level 2, 4th revision this workbook begins looking at the longsword manual of paulus hector mair. Knife sharpening basics step two hold the knife as pictured,with your index finger resting on the spine of the knife,your thumb on the flat part of the blade,and your three remaining fingers grasping the handle. If you want to learn ninjutsu, study with a qualified bujinkan instructor.

Rapier, and target is a dutch drill manual illustrated by adam van breen. The video provides an effective training resource for learning the art of fighting with a bladed weapon. Dec, 2019 it is true that they had their own fighting systems with a sword, but keeping sword techniques a secret was the regular practice of almost all japanese sword schools. This must be performed as the last, save that the sword describes its. Crawley states, mcarthur is the most accessible smallsword treatise for starting out yet the least available so he and jamson have made it. There are many types of japanese swords that differ by size, shape, field of application and. Position 3 sword held straight up and down with point toward ceiling and knuckles facing away from opponent. The longsword was given the name due to the long handle which allowed for twohanded use and a longer blade. Instructors of the association zornhau historical art of fencing whrere performing a demonstration of longsword techniques, based on the old european martial arts of medieval. Instructors of the association zornhau historical art of fencing whrere performing a demonstration of longswordtechniques, based on. I have tons of resources in pdf format and would love to view these within esword or access them within esword.

Swordsmanship is the art of attacking and defending with a sword. Remove the power of the shoulder and the arm, and swing a sword by the point which throws a fishing rod. It was chiefly used in the 0s and 1400s, but survived as a sport weapon into. Check out these great books below that we are have put together and are now available to purchase directly through amazon. A longsword also spelled as long sword or long sword is a type of european sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for twohanded use around 16 to 28 cm 6 to 11 in, a straight doubleedged blade of around 85 to 110 cm 33 to 43 in, and weighing approximately 1 to 1. The longsword, also called the bastard sword or handandahalf sword, was the classic weapon of the knight in the late middle ages.

Both schools declined in the late 16th century, with the. The primary weapon studied at wstr is the longsword. For most people the first weapon they create is the one handed sword. A sword isnt swung fast when the power goes into the shoulder.

Schranckhut barrier guard is a low guard with some cutting potential, which also invites attack. Oct 27, 2012 most period two hand sword texts or fechtbucher of the 14th and 15th centuries were of german or italian provenance so folios 82 85 of harley ms 3542 provide a rare and welcome glimpse into a medieval method of english twohand sword combat. But there are very competent katana fencers in my teaching lineage including the curren. Then, stretch both arms enough, and try to draw a big circle. Do not try to sharpen by gripping the handle only in a cutting grip. Longsword training books are you looking for additional longsword training books or longsword resources for your home or club library. May 01, 2009 the basic movements and concepts of the european long sword are strategically covered in this comprehensive guide. Before practicing with a real sword, you need to practice with a wooden sword, called a mok gum.

For the left side plow, we are told only to hold the sword close to the left side below the left hip long edge up. The art has been popularized by its depiction in movies, and owes its prominence mostly to japanese movies. Wu bei zhi military preparation manual is an ancient chinese military book written in 1621 by mao yuanyi, a ming dynasty military officer. Most attacks will involve the blade, though in some circumstances the pommel or cross will be employed, such as when ones opponent has moved in too close to allow effective use of the blade. The longsword became popular due to is extreme reach and cutting and thrusting abilities. Swordplay the five basic positions position 5 sword held overhead parallel to ground, knuckles facing up pronation. Raise the sword to a perpendicular position at the right side. Various sword fighting styles and the basic techniques. Although there are occasional examples of twohanded swords prior to this, during the late th century european armour began to incorporate steel plating for added protection, which in return resulted in the development of new weapons.

In the fool we are told to hold the sword with arms stretched in frontthe point on the ground. The basic movements and concepts of the european long sword are strategically covered in this comprehensive guide. Only straightbladed, europeantype simulators are allowed in the tournament. We also offer classes on selfdefense, italian stickfighting, grappling, and modern knife combat. We will be launching our new class locator soon, but until then feel free to subscribe to our newsletter or send us an email through our contact page to stay up to date. The spaghetti western is a movie about the american west, made in europe typically by italian filmmakers. Historical european martial arts hema refers to martial arts of european origin, particularly using arts formerly practised, but having since died out or evolved into very different forms while there is limited surviving documentation of the martial arts of classical antiquity such as greek wrestling or gladiatorial combat, surviving dedicated technical treatises or martial arts manuals.

It differs from the japanese style of sword fighting, since haidong gumdo readies you to face multiple opponents. In the sequel to the first volume, which introduced the long sword, herbert schmidt explains singlehanded sword fighting techniques with a buckler, or small shield. General rules for the longsword tournament fighting. Swing a sword by a feeling that a kissaki is thrown toward the target. The messer, like the longsword is divided up into different sections. With just a few clicks and with amazon prime 2day shipping. In meyers fencing manual, he explained four basic cuts, from which all the other. This seems to imply that the main purpose of the text is to teach the long sword more as a sport than as a form of defense. It is also usually the most common weapon thus making it very important to be fully skilled at it. The arms are thus not kept bent and against the body, but whether this means literally resting the blade upon the ground is.

Stances or guards legerhuten or guardiaposta are in many ways the very foundation of medieval swordsmanship. Many concepts are presented for both styles of sword, ranging from different guards and techniques to footwork and training drills. Training two swords, or dual wielding is definitely a different kind of practice, a more risky one. Our facility features an indoor archery range, a private fitness program, and indoor airsoft. The manuscript also includes unarmed combat, dagger, spear, axe fighting, fighting. Some weapons styles, such as kendo, kumdo and western fencing all sword arts, focus on a particular weapon or a little variety of weapons. According to meyer, the techniques described within his work are to overcome the other with foresight and all handiness, artfully, finely, and manfully in using the long sword meyer 1v. Position 4 sword held straight up and down with point toward ceiling and knuckles facing opponent. Are you looking for longsword classes or medieval training classes in your area. Jamson and crawley have teamed up to transcribe and digitally present a legible edition to mcarthurs 1780 smallsword manual. Long pointcenter guard is considered weak in the german system because it doesnt defend one of the four quadrants from cuts, and leaves your hands exposed. Carry the sword over to the right side, and lower the point to the front about four inches from the ground, and draw back the right foot about six inches. Page 3 before the sword there are a number of things that one can and should do to train without even picking up a sword. Swords have been made from as early as the kofun period, though most people generally refer to the curved blades made after the heian period when speaking of japanese swords.

Wiktenauer is an ongoing collaboration among researchers and practitioners from across the western martial arts wma community, seeking to collect all of the primary and secondary source literature that makes up the text of historical european martial arts hema research and to organize and present it in a scholarly but accessible format. That said, you pass through it when you thrust or wind from one thrusting guard to another plow or ox. Other parts have come and sometimes gone from the sword. The basic techniques include begi cuts, palkom paldo, and chakkom sheathing. This is not just an collection of techniques from german masters in the liechtanauer tradition of fighting. The free library of historical european martial arts books and manuscripts.

Let thy long rapier or long sword be foure foote at the least, and thy dagger two foote. Fighting with the german longsword pdf book library. Singlehanded sword here refers to the sword wielded in one hand, as used throughout almost the entire middle ages. Before reading this guide, make sure you are familiar with the basic combat guide, because. I should qualify that by saying im not a katana fencer. The european twohanded sword was developed in response to improvements in armour design in the 14th and 15th centuries. Sword 4 10 physics 4 10 stance 4 10 snap techniques 4 11 teaching analogs 4 12 speed exercise 4 variations 4 14 return techniques 4 15 side return teardrop 4 16 half teardrop return 4 18 overhead return 4 19 pushthrough return 4 20 advanced strikereturns 4 21 sword side attacks 4 21 sweep strikes 4 23 backhand reverses 4 23. A longsword is a type of european sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for. A longsword also spelled as long sword or longsword is a type of european sword characterized as having a cruciform hilt with a grip for twohanded use around 16 to 28 cm 6 to 11 in, a straight doubleedged blade of around 85 to 110 cm 33 to 43 in, and weighing approximately 1 to 1. Sep 01, 2011 lynn c thompson, jason heck, luke lafontaine, kendall wells and anthony delongis sparring with a wide range of swords and knives at the cold steel training facility. The specific area you will sharpen on traditional japanese knives and westernstyle knives is explained on pages 76 and 77.

To really excel at longsword fencing, one must be strong, flexible, quick, and in good cardiovascular shape. Elbow bent at 90 degrees to the right of your body. Extend the arms and sword with the point directed just below line 3. Bring the sword perpendicularly in front of the body with the quillons in line with the mouth. Boxing, muay thai, systema, knife fighting, escrima between us weve got some. Detailed photo sequences and illustrations that clearly depict stance and movements pair with engaging prose that perspicuously explicates the origins of long sword tactics. Your strategy cannot include closing to zogho stretto grappling measure you must stay in zogho largo and make all your plays from there. While many consider sword fighting to be a thing of the past, the sword and the art of swordfighting still fascinates and inspires people. Master johannes liechtenauers knightly art of the longsword. A longsword also spelled long sword, longsword is a type of european. Additional chapters introduce students to wrestling, spear and armoured. The socalled fechtschwerts or fechtfeders are preferred. I mean for one, it has no practical application so instantly ive lost the interest of anyone who is still in someway imagining that backyard or freestyle cutting is in anyway applicable as an actual.

Martial arts of the middle age worcester polytechnic institute. Western martial arts davenriche european martial artes teaches historical sword fighting techniques with longsword, rapier, and other medieval weapons. Sword fighting and training basics for beginners sword fighting 101. Fighting on foot or from horseback demands different kinds of weapons, and so does the kind of armor. Thin and long, rapiers focus on delivering quick and precise thrusts. Follow good basic sharpening techniques to sharpen the entire edge until there is a slight and even burr on the reverse side. Langenort long point is a guard wherein power is focused in striking from above. The sword cross at or just below shoulder level with the blade pointing forward and down, as if hanging. One of the most important elements of historical fencing study is that of basic fighting stances and guard positions. In addition to five plays, this workbook will include sections on additional guards and the five master strikes.

We all know what the katana is, so going into a discussion on it is kinda superfluous. A crossguard sometimes divides the hilt from the blade. The sword in history introduction at its core, the sword is a simple tool. Longsword techniques and outline melee weapons blade. Lynn c thompson, jason heck, luke lafontaine, kendall wells and anthony delongis sparring with a wide range of swords and knives at the cold steel training facility. When a sword is swung, it is the most important that the biggest power is applied to the kissaki.

The manual also presents halfsword techniques as an integral part of armoured combat. Herbert schmidt explains the fundamentals of fighting with the long sword, the guards, cuts and master cuts, as well as advanced techniques and tactics for practical fighting. Longswordtechniques by zornhau, offenbachgermany youtube. How to swing a sword how to swing the sword which we know is. It is a how to guide, one that presents the basics of footwork and body mechanics, and building off. Historical european martial arts hema refers to documentable methods of armed and unarmed. Why did the crusaders not switch from their long straight swords to the curved ones of their. The term twohanded sword, used as a general term, may refer to any large sword designed to be used primarily with two hands. While many consider sword fighting to be a thing of the past, the sword and the art of sword fighting still fascinates and inspires people. Others, such as kobudo the research study of standard okinawan weapons such as the bo personnel, sai, tonfa, kama and nunchaku. I dont think theyre fundamentally very different at all. This free pdf contains various german longsword sources attributed to. I have tons of resources in pdf format and would love to view these within esword or.