Copyright 2006 T. Sheil & A. Sheil All Rights Reserved
The illustrations come from two primary sources. The first 13 illustrations are by by famed engraver Albrecht Durer. The second group is from Codex Wallerstein. These techniques cover the fighting methods of their day. They show the more cunning side of sword fighting, being a collection of traps and tricks. It helps to know about the tricks. They make for design of more interesting medieval miniatures. Knowing these tricks will make miniature designers more careful in their designs.
Some tricks involve the warriors holding their swords by the blade. Medieval and renaissance broadswords were not razor sharp. The edge was about as sharp as the edge of a small screwdriver. Sharp edges are vulnerable to chipping. Medieval fighters practiced frequently and developed sufficient power to compensate for the blunt edge. Only three to five inches of the blade's pointed end was sharpened.
Though combatants would block and parry, the preferred thing was to avoid a weapon entirely. There was much ducking, dodging and side-stepping. When it came time to block or stroke ,any part of the weapon might be used.
The images gathered here are illustrative of Medieval combat. They are not meant to teach techniques. Use them as guide for understanding Medieval and Renaissance combat. They might even inspire some new poses for your miniatures, and the themes of intriguing dioramas.
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Man on the left has used his sword's pommel to trap his adversary's sword. His next move would be to follow by slamming forward his left had, ramming the sword edge into the opponent's head or neck. |
The man on left has evades a thrust or downward strike. He follows by pulling his sword into his opponent's neck. |
Man on the right has trapped his enemy's sword. |
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Blocking |
Two-handed thrust. The left hand grabs the blade. |
Man on left has trapped adversary's sword with his hilt. The man on right need only shift slightly to angle sword into his neck. So who trapped whom? |
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Grappling: reminiscent of a clinch in boxing. Man on left forces blade in right man's neck. |
Man on left has trapped right's arm under his. Man on right is forcing his blade into left man's neck. Who trapped whom? |
A parry becomes a thrust |
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Right man turns a block into a head strike, all in one move. |
Left traps right man's sword and holds blade to his neck. |
Right evades left's stroke, and at the same time thrusts. |
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Right tangles left man;s arms and at the same time brings blade against his neck. |
In this image from Codex Wallerstein, the man on the left traps his opponent's sword, which he can follow with a neck strike. |
The men on the left gets in between his opponent's sword, allowing a strike and blocking the enemy's weapon. |
The man on the left strikes his opponent with the pommel of his sword. Simultaneously, he grabs the opponent' sword handle to control it. |
The man on the left grabs the handle of his opponent's sword, preventing a strike. He can follow it with a strike by the pommel or a slash with the sword. |
The man on the left jams his opponent's arm with his forearm, and with his left hand levers the sword blade into the opponent's head and neck. The strike is similar to techniques of f modern bayonet fighting. |
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The man on the left traps his opponent's sword with his hilt, and follows by using his left hand to strike with the sword's blade. |
This attack to the right is identical to the "slash" movement of 20th Century bayonet fighting. |
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Here the man on the left raps his opponent's jaw with the pommel of his sword..His arm motion is similar to the "left hook" punch of boxing. |
The "horizontal butt stroke" of 29th Century bayonet fighting is an identical move. The above shows a right-handed strike. The previous image shows the strike from the left side. |
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Disclaimer: the fighting methods shown here are for illustrative purposes only. They are not intended as actual instruction in Medieval 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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