Copyright 2006 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
If you have looked at the Civil War bayonet drill, you might recognize these maneuvers. They are identical. The main difference is the rifle itself. Three additional moves are included: a version of the rifle butt stroke, clubbing with the rifle, and the left guard. Otherwise, the poses, moves and footwork are the same. The text in the Civil War Bayonet section applies to these techniques.
The reason for showing what is essentially the same system is that these poses are from a different angle, and the figures wear the early 20th Century uniform. They use the modern bolt action rifle and the sword bayonet.
In 1917, this style was still around, though it was being supplanted by the "new" British system. Older soldiers accustomed to the 1904 system would have used it in World War I out of habit. Soldiers fall back on their most ingrained training.
Some of the poses are drawn from a different perspective.
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Guard From this position m,the soldier was trained to parry moving the bayonet sharply to right or left. |
Parry Right |
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Parry Left |
Head Parry |
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Thrust |
Lunge |
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Rifle Butt Stroke Variant: the barrel passes over the left shoulder, and the rifle butt strikes at a 45 degree angle rather than vertically. |
Vertical Rifle Butt Stroke: the soldier snaps the rifle butt up, and the rifle passes atop the right shoulder. |
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Rifle Butt Smash - Step 1 |
Rifle Butt Smash - Step 2 |
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Club Rifle |
Left Guard |
Disclaimer: the fighting methods shown here are for illustrative purposes only. They are not intended as actual instruction in bayonet fighting and should not be used as such. Close combat training is dangerous. It can be as dangerous for the user as it is for the target. If you wish to learn close combat, seek a qualified instructor. One should never attempt close combat without the instruction and supervision of a qualified expert instructor .
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