Medieval Italian Longsword Technique

[Snarf Zagyg]

Just stumbled across this-

Watch Accurate Recreations of Medieval Italian Longsword Fighting Techniques, All Based on a Manuscript from 1404

Given recent events, the prospect of hundreds of young men meeting on Facebook, then traveling from around the country to a central U.S. location might sound like reasonable cause for alarm.

www.openculture.com

Thought I'd share. Pretty fascinating stuff, although perhaps not as heroic as I might have in my mind. It's a recreation of certain techniques as provided in a manual from 1404 (the Fior di Battaglia) that had illustrated techniques for fighting with a longsword.

Cool cool.

 

[Ryujin]

There's some very good stuff out there, showing historically accurate technique. Unfortunately in many cases if period accurate fights were depicted they would be rather boring because they might last three passes, with minimal movement, then end with one or both combatants being stuck. Rapier fights would likely be particularly boring for movie audiences, with the almost imperceptible changes in angle and stance.

 

[Snarf Zagyg]

Unfortunately in many cases if period accurate fights were depicted they would be rather boring because they might last three passes, with minimal movement, then end with one or both combatants being stuck. Rapier fights would likely be particularly boring for movie audiences, with the almost imperceptible changes in angle and stance.

So much of what we believe to be true from visual media ... just ain't. For good reasons, usually- people don't like boring stuff.

One of my favorite realizations was that Foley artists will create the sound, not as it is, but as people imagine it to be.

Except for those 70s Hong Kong movies I loved so much. Even I got be a little skeptical.

 

[Ryujin]

So much of what we believe to be true from visual media ... just ain't. For good reasons, usually- people don't like boring stuff.

One of my favorite realizations was that Foley artists will create the sound, not as it is, but as people imagine it to be.

Except for those 70s Hong Kong movies I loved so much. Even I got be a little skeptical.

Speaking of the '70s, I'm waiting for my DVD copy of "The Duelists" to arrive.

 

[Mad_Jack]

I used to have a dvd with a bunch of swordfighting tutorials on it, but I'll be damned if I can remember where it got to...
There are some guys at the local Ren Faire who do demonstrations of both medieval and Rennaissance techniques - they're pretty damn good.

 

[Umbran]

There's some very good stuff out there, showing historically accurate technique.

Yeah. The basic flaw in the videos is that these guys go at it fast and furious for extended periods, as if they are both able to predict what the other guy is going to do several exchanges ahead so they can protect themselves and not leave fatal openings.

I mean, in this videos they can, because they are choreographed. But in reality human reaction time isn't that amazing. It is more "swish, swish, crap, lemme step back for a sec..."

 

[Ryujin]

Yeah. The basic flaw in the videos is that these guys go at it fast and furious for extended periods, as if they are both able to predict what the other guy is going to do several exchanges ahead so they can protect themselves and not leave fatal openings.

I mean, in this videos they can, because they are choreographed. But in reality human reaction time isn't that amazing. It is more "swish, swish, crap, lemme step back for a sec..."

Which is where the rest of the comment that you quoted comes in

 

[Umbran]

Which is where the rest of the comment that you quoted comes in

Yep. It is called "agreeing with you." Funny, I know, to see that on an internet message board, but sometimes it happens.

 

[Ulfgeir]

You can find a lot of interesting stuff on Wiktenaur. And yeah, some of of those manuals are pretty hard to follow.

I did longswords (both armed/unarmed) according to Ringeck's school, as well as ring-am-schwert (wrestling with swords), and we did the i:33 (one-handed arming sword + buckler) as well. Have also tried a little bit of Messer according to Hans Lekuchnër (didn't get very far at all).

 

[Ryujin]

You can find a lot of interesting stuff on Wiktenaur. And yeah, some of of those manuals are pretty hard to follow.

I did longswords (both armed/unarmed) according to Ringeck's school, as well as ring-am-schwert (wrestling with swords), and we did the i:33 (one-handed arming sword + buckler) as well. Have also tried a little bit of Messer according to Hans Lekuchnër (didn't get very far at all).

If you're interested you can find Matt Easton's (Schola Gladiatoria) take on the Thomas Mathewson manual "FENCING FAMILIARIZED; OR A NEW TREATISE ON THE ART OF THE SCOTCH BROAD SWORD" (sorry for the caps; copy/pasted from the PDF) with an easy Google search. Or I could email it to you, if you PM me where to send it. Being from 1805 it's a bit easier to muddle through than most.