The Appeal of Historic Swordsmanship

There is something truly romantic about the medieval longsword. We can remove the myths, castles, costumes and ancient battles, and an elegant piece of finely cutlered steel will still cause people of all ages to marvel in awe.

While many enjoy the sword from an aesthetic viewpoint, some take it a step further and engage in martial practice.

Putting aside the elements of self-defence and physical fitness, a common thread runs through all martial arts – rather than just being something to pass the time, they can be pursued as a way of furthering ourselves mentally and emotionally, and can even become a focus to enhance our spirituality.

So, why do people choose the Historical European Martial Arts, or even more specifically, medieval swordsmanship?

The pull of the sword – an innate interest in edged weaponry may lead us to view the sword as a potent symbol or elegant weapon.

The pull of the times – we may have an interest in medieval history, re-enactment, or the myths of old, where the sword often features strongly.

The pull of the unknown – we might view the reconstruction of these arts as a great puzzle, enjoying the research and study, and recreating a part of our collective history.

We can appreciate the appeal of historical swordsmanship from a romantic perspective, but we must always remember to respect the sword. In its time it was an efficient, versatile and deadly tool, and that is no less true today, even when we are employing blunts or wasters.

The exact reason why anyone chooses this as a martial pursuit will likely involve more than one specific motive, but its position as a practical and historically based method for employing the longsword will continue to arouse interest for generations to come.

First Contact

Many people I have talked to have had their first contact with the historical combat arts through various media items posted on the internet, and have often encountered them unexpectedly.

A number of individuals that I have had the pleasure to converse with, both practicing swordsmen and not, have confessed that their initial impressions of the German Kunst des Fechtens were formed after the discovery of short clips of swordplay posted on YouTube.

It is great for our art as a whole that there are some fantastic clips posted on YouTube and various other sites across this world wide web. In this post I'd like to bring one in particular to your attention which helped to cement my desire to undertake the study of this art.

The video embedded below, titled "Fechten mit dem langen Schwert" or Fencing with the Longsword, was posted on YouTube in May 2007 by TheRealGladiatores.

I urge you to take 2 minutes and 21 seconds out of your day to watch and enjoy it, even if you've seen it before.

The creators of the video, a school of Historical European Swordsmanship named Gladiatores, operate a number of schools and training groups in Germany.

For those readers desirous of learning more about Gladiatores I have taken the liberty of posting a link to their website translated into English by Google Translate here.

Videos like this help to dispel some of the general misconceptions surrounding medieval swordsmanship.

The most common misconceptions are that employing the longsword was merely a matter of using strength to bash sword on sword, or that medieval swordsmanship was brutish and without any discernible heritage, refinement of technique, or finesse.

Another misconception involves the weight of medieval swords, which will be mentioned in an upcoming post.

The first step to a wider acceptance of historical combat arts as a whole is dispelling these false assumptions, and it is exciting to see more and more content coming online that represents these arts favourably and accurately.

• Brock, for Vier Leger

Fechtschule Sankt Peter

During June 2008 I was honoured to attend classes on the basics of the German Longsword as taught by Andrew Brew of Stoccata School of Defense.

Andrew teaches German Longsword and Polish Sabre at his Fechtschule Sankt Peter, located in Pymble NSW Australia.

As a beginner entering his school, I found his approach and teaching style both engaging and accomodating. The sessions were logical and practical, doing away with much of the pomp and ceremony that I have experienced in other martial arts.

Andrew is very approachable, with a visible enthusiasm for historical combat, and a deep knowledge of not only the German tradition, but many of the traditions within the Historical European Martial Arts.

Safety was a key concern during the sessions, with all participants working to their own level with a variety of swords, both wasters and blunts. After engaging in ordered progressions of individual and partnered drills, I watched as the advanced students engaged in free-play at differing speeds.

The school was populated by friendly and sincere students, who were happy to share their time and knowledge and trade strikes with a beginner. I felt very welcome and learned a great deal during my short stay.

If you are in the greater Sydney area and you're interested in the German Longsword, I heartily recommend that you get along to Fechtschule Sankt Peter and try a class. I'll definately be back!

For more information on attending a session at Fechtschule Sankt Peter, please visit the Stoccata site here.

• Brock, for Vier Leger