“Among swordmasters, on the basis of their own and their pupils’ experience, it is taken as proved that the beginner, however strong and pugnacious he is, and however courageous and fearless he may be at the outset, loses not only his lack of self-consciousness, but his self confidence, as soon as he starts taking lessons. He gets to know all the technical possibilities by which his life may be endangered in combat, and although he soon becomes capable of straining his attention to the utmost, of keeping a sharp watch on his opponent, of parrying his thrusts correctly and making effective lunges, he is really worse off than before, when, half in jest and half in earnest he struck about him at random under the inspiration of the moment and as the joy of battle suggested. He is now forced to admit that he is at the mercy of everyone who is stronger, more nimble and more practiced than he. He sees no other way open to him except ceaseless practice, and his instructor too has no other advice to give him for the present. So the beginner stakes everything on surpassing the others and even himself.” (Eugen Herrigel, ZEN IN THE ART OF ARCHERY)
1. Stance
- A proper fighting stance will be comfortable. It will allow for a good center of gravity, which provides ease of movement and stability in movement.
- For a right-handed fighter, typically you will take a left foot lead (left foot in front) with the right foot slightly behind and to the right. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart. The exact placement will vary depending on the individual. This stance allows your right hip and shoulder to be back when you begin fighting. The position and movement of the hips and shoulders is crucial to all levels of fighting.
- Your shield should be in front of your body, with approximately 3-6 inches of space between. The top edge of the shield should rest around chin or mouth level. Keep in mind that you will not want to blind yourself with your shield, if you do, you won’t be able to see, which is bad. This is only a starting position, as the placement of the shield will vary during combat, which will be discussed later.
- The sword should begin resting comfortably in hand between the right cheek and right shoulder. It is important to get in the habit of keeping the elbow tight to the body to prevent “chicken winging”.
2. Footwork/Movement
- Good movement is essential in armored combat. Both the position you create for yourself, and the position of your opponent will dictate the course of the fight. As such;
- Do your best to maintain good balance throughout the fight. If you become off balance you will have difficulty in attaining proper position. As well as positioning, you will have difficulty delivering a blow with force and possibly staying on your feet. If you find yourself off balance or severely out of position, the best thing to do is to back away and regain proper form.
- Do not allow your feet to become crossed. If your feet cross, not only will you be off balance and likely trip over yourself, you will have limited the movement of your feet creating no options for movement.
- Move towards the weak side of your opponent. You must learn to visually gauge your opponent and the soft spots in his defense. If his shield is drifting to his left, a step to his sword side might open up good opportunity. Generally, a position standing in front of his left leg, with your belly towards his shield, will provide a defendable position for you and provide offensive options.
- Do not stop moving. Your movement helps to create openings in your opponent. If you are not moving, they are not adjusting to you. Sometimes, full body movements are not necessary. Upper body movements (jukes) or sword movements (pumps and fakes) can be very effective in creating openings.
3. Defense
- From you’re basic stance you are in a reasonably good defensive position.
- The shield is used as the primary means of blocking. Raise or lower the shield to block either shots to the head or leg.
- The sword may also be used to block shots.
- Punch block- Punch blocking is taking either the corner of the shield or the sword outward to meet an incoming blow. By extending the block outwards, the angles of your defense change, making you harder to hit. Also, by meeting the blow before it reaches its intended target, much of the force will still be undeveloped, making the shot easier to block.
- Shield positioning varies depending on range. The further you are away from you opponent the more closed your shield should be. At a starting range, you want your shield in front of you because your backside is not threatened. As you move closer, your shield should slowly open, defending your back.
- More advanced defensive techniques involve ducking, squatting, and rolling the head to create glancing surfaces.
- The best way to not get hit, is to not be there!!!!!
4. Offense
- In my mind there is a process to learning blows properly. In my opinion it is the quickest and most affective way to develop a good solid offense.
- First you must learn the proper form of a blow. Proper form provides both accuracy and the foundation for developing power. This is done slowly as the point is the mechanics the body employs, not trying to knock down a tree.
- The second step is speed. Once you feel comfortable with the mechanics of a blow, slowly increase the speed with which it is delivered. Power is not included in this step. The point of practicing with increasing speed is to refine accuracy and maintain control of the sword throughout the blow.
- The third step is the inclusion of power. Now that you are comfortable throwing quick accurate shots, you must learn how to throw them hard. It is important to keep proper form in mind while incorporating power into the blow. Add power to your blows in small increments while learning.
- Power or force is generated through the mechanics of a shot. A strong arm is not required to hit hard, although it can help. Most of the power in a blow is generated in the hips, however the knees, shoulders and elbow also come into play. The arm is simply the device used to deliver the shot to its intended target.
- There are four shots in heavy fighting. Many people have many different names for individual blows but for the sake of clarity in discussion these blows will be broken down into their most primary definition.
1. The Flat snap. A flat snap is delivered from your beginning stance. The front edge of the sword is delivered to your opponents left cheek area. Power again is derived from the hip and shoulder. In your stance, note that your right hip and shoulder should be back. As the flat snap begins, first the hip begins to rotate forward, then the shoulder goes followed quickly by the sword. The blow is struck with the front edge of the weapon. The hip and shoulder are used to give driving power to the shot as it connects. The arm is simply the mechanism of delivery for the sword. The flat snap can be varied with simple movements of the hand. Raising the hand will raise the sword, but also change the angle of the blow significantly. If a blow is going to be blocked, raising the hand can serve to pivot the sword around and over the top edge of the shield allowing the blow to finish in the space behind the shield.
2. The Offside. The offside is delivered to the right side of your opponent’s head. Imagine holding your sword parallel with your shoulders with the tip pointed to the right. The basket hilt should be close to you but in line with your opponent’s head. Now, take the tip of the sword and try to put it where the basket hilt is. This movement should push the sword forward. The right hip and shoulder should begin forward for this shot, snapping backwards to create power as the blow impacts. Again the hip rotates first, then the shoulder, with the arm serving as the mechanism of delivery for the sword. The offside can be varied in similar ways to the flat snap. Raising and lowering the hand will change the approach and angle of the blow. If a blow is going to be blocked, raising the hand will allow for the sword to pivot around and over the block again allowing the blow to finish in the space behind the shield.
3. The Wrap. The wrap is delivered to the right side of your opponent’s body. Wraps are delivered with the back edge of the blade. As a definition we will call anything that strikes the right side of the opponent’s body with the back edge a wrap.
4. The Thumb Lead. The thumb lead is delivered to the left side of your opponent’s body with the back edge of the blade. A thumb lead is an off side wrap. The body mechanics of a thumb lead are similar to that of an offside. The hand is brought across the body as the right hip and shoulder comes forward. The right hip initiates the movement of the blow, rotating backwards, followed by the shoulder. Instead of pushing the sword forward, however, the hand remains near the head (depending on the target) and rolls, turning the back edge of the weapon down towards the target.
- Remember that these shots should be practiced slowly at first, gradually picking up speed and then adding force as a last step.
- There are some tricks to developing power in slightly deficient shots. One of these is to dig or push the blow. When the blow is landing, instead of stopping the force at the surface of the target think about pushing the sword into the target. This causes the force to transfer more deeply into the target and creates a more substantial impact. Another way to think about this is to drive the blow through the target. Many people prefer to aim for point three to six inches behind their actual target, causing their blow to drive through the opponent. These are simply different ways of wording the same idea, and are all equally valid.
5. Targeting.
There are 12 targets on your opponent. These will be defined for clarity and ease of reference.
There are 3 primary target areas. These are the head, body, and legs. Each of these is split down the middle so each is split into left and right targets of each area. This division is the line down the center front of the opponent’s body. The body is split again down the side creating a shallow or deep section of each area. One as an example might be the offside (left) body, to the shallow target.
6. Advanced Shots
- The Wrap shot. A wrap is employed to deliver a blow to the back of the opponent’s body with the back edge of the sword. The wrap develops similarly to a flat snap in the beginning, with major difference during the last half of the blow. Imagine trying to throw a flat snap at a person standing next to your opponent. Doing this puts your hand about 8-12 inches to the side of your opponent’s head. At this point the sword will turn over, so that the tip which was pointing to your right, is now pointing to your left. If you get your hand past the plane of the shield, you should be able to hit your target. Power is developed in an odd way. This is not a natural body movement for many people so do not get discouraged if you don’t get the feel for it immediately. To develop power properly, the hip and shoulder travel forward with the sword. As the sword turns over, or a split second before, both the hip and shoulder snap backwards drawing the sword, and the energy of the shot, back towards yourself and with any luck into the back of the opponent’s head.
- Wrap shot to the leg. The wrap to the leg uses many of the same principals as a wrap to the head, with some slight variations for placement. I will discuss two variations of the leg wrap.
- From a basic stance, allow the sword to roll backwards over your shoulder and down behind your back. Continue the movement of the sword forward and away from your body. As the sword travels forward, begin to roll the sword so that it comes up behind your opponent’s leg, striking with the back edge. Your hand should be about 10-12 inches from your body, but this varies depending on the opening you are trying to hit. Power is generated in the same way as a head wrap, although it might be helpful to use a slightly different method of generating force. The shot should be thrown with bent knees. Straightening your legs, as if you were standing straight up, as the shot lands will also create force. A slight bend of the knees, step to the side, or lean of your upper body might be helpful in getting the right angle to land the shot. The same principal applies to this shot as to head wraps. If you get your hand past the plane of the shield, you will likely make contact with the shot.
- A second version begins in the same way, allowing your sword to roll down behind your back. This time, instead of pushing the sword away from your body, pull the basket hilt to your right hip. As the basket moves to your hip, turn it over so the open side of the basket is towards you. This puts the back edge of the sword in striking position. The blade will be fairly straight between you and its target. To get power on this shot, the method of rising a bit from your squat should be employed. As well as straightening the knees, you may also lean to the left to create power. The lean should coincide with the throwing of the shot, and create tension within your body that translates into power in the blow. This shot has a much smaller tolerance for error as you are not actually striking their leg from behind, rather bringing your sword up under the bottom of the shield. This is a good shot for pinpoint striking above the knee, where small openings often appear but there is not a good angle to hit them with a front edge shot.
7. Advanced Movement
- One of the key principals in successful fighting is the creation of space. There are several methods that can be used to create space effectively.
- It is difficult for some people to understand that fighting has 360 degrees of movement that can be utilized in movement during a fight. Getting stuck in a linear, front to back, side to side, range of movement can greatly limit your options, both offensively and defensively.
- A very good way to create space is through stepping. That sounds basic I know, but most think of a step as a small movement of the feet, not more than a shoulders width in length. This does not have to be the case. Quite often it is very effective to take big steps, of two to three shoulder widths and combine the step with a severe lean. Steps can be taken at many angles past the body, while leaning almost all the way over. All of this, of course, is dependent on the particular situation, and the spot you are trying to hit.
- One of my favorite ways to create space is moving from being tightly closed with someone, to being at a B range in one movement. This is usually achieved by jumping. The sudden movement away from your opponent does a couple of things. First, it startles them and makes them think for a split second. Second, if they have their shield open to your shoulder, it provides a second’s worth of room to throw a shot into before they cover up. There are similar advantages from going from a C range to a tight A range quickly.
- Another way to look at the creation and control of space it through distance. As a concept, distance dictates every fight. The length of your weapon and your arm determines the effective range of your blows. The same is true for your opponent. If you control the distance, you will only be inside their critical range when you want to be. With such control, it is you that will dictate the terms of the fight. By placing yourself in their range only when you are prepared to defend and strike, or when they are out of position, you gain enormous advantage in dictating the outcome.
8. Pump Fakes, and Jukes
- Pump Fakes. A Pump Fake or Pump is a movement of the sword that leads your opponent to believe that you are throwing a particular shot, when in actuality you are throwing a different one. For example, you begin to throw an offside at your opponent’s head, half way through the path of the blow you stop the movement towards the offside, turn the sword over and deliver a flat snap instead. The initial movement towards the offside, with any luck, will make your opponent react to defend a shot to the right side of his body, hopefully leaving an opening on his left side. There are limitless applications for this technique. Only through trial and error and much practice can it be effectively employed. It is important to make the movement convincing, otherwise your opponent will likely not be faked out.
- A Juke is similar to a pump fake, only the misdirection is not in the movement of the sword but rather in the movement of the body. This can be a movement of the feet, head, shield, eyes, shoulders, upper body, or any other part of you that moves. Again, this is a movement that makes your opponent believe you are taking one action while executing another. Quite often jukes are most effective when combined with a pump fake. Practice along with trial and error will help you to learn what works best and in which situations.
9. Angles
- The magic is in the angles. Slight variations of angles create huge opportunities to deliver blows successfully. The angle of your final attack has many variables. Foot placement, body position, lean, knee compression, arm position and hand placement all factor into the path the blow takes to reach the target. With so many variables going into each blow, the combinations are limitless.
10. Pell Work
- Use of a pell can be very useful, particularly to new fighters. The use is limited, however, due to the fact that pells do not move, block, or throw shots. The main benefit to be sought from pell work is the practice and application of form and technique as a blow is being learned. There are many ways to use a pell that can be of benefit. To understand the best way or ways that a pell should be included in training the desired end result of that training must be determined. Of course the desired result is winning fights, or skill, but what is skill in this medium. Skill is required to be victorious in combat, but skills are learned. Speaking purely offensively, skill in this context is the ability to deliver the sword to its target consistently. This consistency is derived from accuracy, speed, and power. At the most fundamental level, these are the tools that must be honed in order to achieve skill and ultimately victory.
- How are these tools obtained? Well, there is no easy way. The only way to acquire these things is through dedicated practice. The amount of time needed, though, can vary. If practice is without focus it might take many years to achieve. With focus and direction in the training of the body this time can be drastically reduced.
- The most crucial place for this focus is in the initial introduction and application of each blow. If the body does not come to understand the fundamental form of each blow in it’s most basic form then the body will not be able to use that information to adapt to more complex and advanced situations. The method to learn these blows properly is very simple; accuracy, then speed, then power.
- Here is one drill that stresses the gradual implementation of these elements for the end purpose of fully understanding each blow, both physically and mentally.
1. Starting, for example, with a flat snap. Pick a spot about head height. Throw the flat snap very, very slowly and with absolutely no power, trying to hit the selected spot. The focus here is on the form and technique needed to throw the blow correctly. Continue to throw at this pace until the flat snap has successfully landed on the selected spot ten times in a row. If the blow misses, start again. There is no point in cheating here, as you are only cheating yourself.
2. Once step one has been completed successfully, very gradually increase the speed with which the shot is thrown. The focus is still on the form of the blow. With each successful ten blows thrown consecutively, continue to increase the speed used until eventually the blows are being thrown as fast as possible. At this point, even with a top speed being reached, there should be no power in the blows.
3. Now you should have a very fast, deadly accurate shot. The next step is power. Begin slowly incorporating power into the exercise. Do not add too much too quickly. More repetitions will only be of benefit in the long run. Continue increasing the power with each successful ten blows thrown consecutively. Eventually you will find yourself throwing accurate shots as fast and hard as you can.
4. Repeat this process for many spots for a single blow. The purpose is not to teach your body how to throw one exact shot. The purpose is to train your body to understand and control the sword as it travels to any spot. By repeating the process in many different locations, your body learns how the shot functions and will be able to apply that knowledge to whatever target presents itself.
5. Work your way through this process with each of the four basic blows. As your comfort level increases with each, pick more challenging spots and from each of the target areas, both shallow and deep. For more of a challenge, try the process while throwing combinations of shots, but limit yourself to two blows. If you dedicate the time to learning how these blows function, applying them to a fight will be relatively simple. Be creative!
- A huge problem that many people face when learning to fight is that they cannot control their blows. They think that they must be throwing hard shots all the time, but the problem is that their bodies do not know how to control so much power. Teach your body to harness and control the power, to use it as a tool, so that you can fight your opponent instead of yourself.
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11. Field Condition
The condition of the ground on which you will be fighting should be carefully examined before any engagement. Look for holes, sticks, bumps, mud, anthills, anything that might be harmful to your person or your fight. Also note any slope of the field, as higher ground might lend advantage to the fight.
12. Fight Mentality
A fight is not won by the strength of one’s arm but rather by the preparedness of ones mind and spirit.
