Armored Fighter Diary #1

Armored Fighter Diary

    I have recently entered the realm of armored fencing with the obtainment of my first full harness. Thus, the quest of armor fitting has begun. 

    To begin, I will list each component of my harness. As you can see, my harness is made of hard plastic rather than steel. I decided to make my first harness a plastic trainer because steel armor requires heavy maintenance and deep research in order to assemble properly. I wanted to begin the martial training as soon as possible so that I can develop my armored fighting skills. 

    My harness is made of: 

    Wakusi Sallet Fencing Mask (open face configuration)

    Spes AP Light PRO gambeson with SPES arm protectors

    SPES lobster clamshell gauntlets v3

    MAC Armor Breastplate 

    MAC Armor thigh, knee, and shin protectors 

    The upper body fits mostly well. The main issue I am working with right now is fitting the leg armor. The leg armor fits mostly well except I am having trouble with my left knee. It feels as if the left knee is pressing against the plate as I walk or bend my leg. Originally, I mounted the legs onto my SPES locust fencing pants via the loops on both sides of the hip. However, I believe my issue is that the loops are too low below the waist so therefore the harness is not seated properly. 

    Recently, I purchased an arming belt (girdle) to fix this issue. Therefore, the armor will be tied closer to my waist as it was done historically. I did some lite training in this configuration but in today's sparring I decided to go with the SPES pants. I sparred fairly well however the pressing on my knee bothered me. I am going to do more sparring with the girdle tomorrow and will report any changes. 

Wide and Narrow Guards: Tactical Context

  

   Grand-Master Liechentauer constructed his Kundst des Fechtens fighting system around four stances, or guards. The Zettel describes the movements made between them, marking a guard as either a starting/ending point to an attack. What is subtlety written in his poems are the guards' tactical advantages. This article was written to help uncover this mystery so that we may use the right tool for the situation in our sparring. Kundst des Fechtens centers around combat with the longsword, but when this knowledge is obtained you will find it useful with any sort of weapon-fighting system. 

  Vom Tag and Alber are guards created with a wider stance with the point of sword pointing away from your opponent. These guards are criticized by fencers for this reason, as on a surface level, they provide no direct protection against the opponent.  The defensive capabilities of these guards are subtle. These guards place the body at an angle where you can easily maintain a distance outside of the opponent's measure. The two guards also create fast and powerful arcs as you cut between the two positions. The ability to make a powerful cut while also covering a wide amount of distance as you step through makes these guards ideal for Zufechten (the onset of the duel). You will strongly establish a bind as your opponent moves to meet your sword, thus setting the stage for the limitless options of close-range play. 

   Ochs and Pflug establish the blade down the opponent's center-line, thus presenting a direct threat that they must address if they seek to tap you. Notice how both of these guards showcased the sword to be chambered closer to the body in order to absorb close-range blows. It takes longer to make an effective cut, as you must unwind the stable structure of the guard within the movement of cutting. These guards are best used for thrusts or quick cuts. These guards are also the guards used for winding (changing guard positions while maintaining a bind with the opponent's blade). Ochs in particular makes an excellent defense for guarding against overhead blows and thrusts while traversing around the opponent. These are indeed the two in-fighting guards for which a strong bind can be maintained. 

   The tactical analysis is to use the wider guards for positioning outside of the opponent's measure. Once an advantageous position is made you make take the Vor and strike first with a strong cut that will establish a bind. From the bind you will transition to your in-fighting guards to continue the fight as the distance between you and opponent closes. If they flee their close-range guards you have full control of the center-line and can tap them at will. Should you or the opponent pull away from the Kreig (bind) then transition back into a wide guard and repeat the search for a new angle of attack. 

 

I Still Have Much to Learn

        Last year as the HEMA season began to wind down, I created the Professor Fencer TikTok page. On that page I created two free online video courses where I teach the viewer the basics of Liechtenauer's longsword fighting system as the online persona "Professor Fencer". A huge part of creating these videos was the research put into accurately representing Liechtenauer's fighting system and teaching it in an engaging and authentic way. During these phases of research, I was constantly faced with aspects about the Art that I had misunderstood or overlooked. When the videos were completed and my role as a coach solidified, all I could think about was just how much about fencing I still have to learn. 

    It is true that you never truly stop being a student. What I want to pair with that saying is that everything can become your teacher if you allow it. Sometimes when I reflect upon a session with fencing trainees, I tend to find ways I can improve my own style after observing their fencing. Experience and arrogance tend to grow intertwined, and it is important for veterans of this sport to remain humble and open-minded to discovering their weaknesses both in the ring and in their understanding of the material. 

    The fun in fencing for me now is experimentation. I love to test myself against asymmetrical bouts or with a new partner. Each fencer's instincts are calibrated uniquely to reflect their journey- lessons learned at a pace and setting that could be vastly different from your own. When two experienced fencers meet, it can feel literally like an intersection of two long roads where neither fencer walks out of the interaction the same. 

    Have confidence in your knowledge of the Art, but do not let what you know stop you from learning what you could know. Even when you're working with someone who had never read single a page of a historical manual in their life you should be open to exploring their style with enthusiasm and an open mind. Test your knowledge constantly both in theory and in the ring and never be afraid to admit you're wrong if it leads you to the truth. Never hesitate to help a fellow fencer whilst continuing to carry yourself with the humble spirit of the novice.

 

Your First Sword

  Finding the right sword for you is still a trial despite living in an age where it hasn't been easier to become a swordsman. Ever since swords were aged-out as tools used for executing the law they have become little more than stage props and decorations to the average person. The Internet provides a vast catalogue of swords for purchase but many of them will disappoint the novice swordsman looking for an authentic blade to train with. Build qualities can vary due to swords being marketed as house decorations which can lead to issues such as imbalanced blades or weakened steel. As authentic swordsmanship has become more popular we see sword makers offer swords which are of martial art quality within the hoard of ornamental swords. In this article I will give guidance on choosing your first sword. 

  Novices should not look at buying a sharp sword to train with, nor should they consider a blade with a pointed tip. There are many dull, rounded blades that will be good for developing expert handling of the sword before you can safely wield a sharp one. The things you want to consider for a training blade is handling, build material, blade quality, and profile. You may find it difficult to train with a fully authentic dull medieval longsword because you haven't been conditioned to the weight of such an object. For these situations some training blades are made thinner or from lighter material than steel so that you can train techniques without straining yourself. 

  If you are new to swordsmanship on a budget I highly recommend a plastic synthentic blade to start you off. Many of them can be purchased easily online for under $100 by googling "Synthetic [blade name]". These trainers are often made with a profile to match their historical counterparts and come with flexible blades for added safety. Sparring can be a challenge with plastic blades as a good amount of safety gear is still required. The main drawback is that the dull blades are very slippery when they bind together. Plastic synthetics are best for absolute beginners on a budget. Red Dragon and Black Fencer offer high quality and affordable plastic synthetic swords.

  The ideal training blade is a historically accurate sword with a dull and flexible blade. This held true for the time period as well with the prominence of federschwerts/ "featherswords" as popular training tools. Feders have thinner blades and added hand protection above the crossguard known as the schilt/shield. The weight of a feder is comparable to an authentic sword which will give you a real-feel for the blade. If you plan on fencing a feder is necessary as it is the sole standard for acceptable tournament equipment. Of course maximum protection is needed as well before you spar with a steel blade. Manufacturers like SIGI and Regenyei offer excellent feders for purchase. 

  There are plenty of steel blades offered for reenactment as well. You assume the most risk because you'll have to sort through the piles of trashy blades to find one that will fit your swordsmanship but some of my favorite swords for training come from this category of available swords. You will need to do extensive research and find as much advice as you can on the sword that caught your eye before purchasing as many swords in this category have considerable drawbacks. The main drawbacks you will find is the quality of the steel, the lack of blade flexibility,  pointed tip, and improper balance. Some blades make great purchases on sale. I've been very happy with my Hanwei Tinker arming sword for drilling and sparring. I'm also interested in purchasing other reenactment blades such as the Red Dragon Hand and a Half Sword. If you're an absolute beginner I still recommend going with a feder or synthetic to make life easy for you but if you have done thorough research you may find yourself happy with an reenactment blade. 

  Keep in mind your first sword won't likely be your only sword. Your first sword is supposed to help walk you on the long path of swordsmanship. The best advice I can give before you buy your sword is try out as many blades as you can to find what you like. That's why it's important to connect with other practicing swordsmen in your area and try out what they have collected to see if a similar blade is right for you. You do not need to rush this process either. Be patient and the correct blade will find you! 

Edge on Flat pt. II

Edge on Flat: Part II 

 A few months ago I wrote about my exploration on the concept of parrying edge blows with the flat of your blade. I was turned onto the idea whilst researching how swordsmanship was being taught in the early stages of its revivial in the modern era. A common practice I witnessed was this idea that parries were actually performed with the flat of the blade instead of the edge. Doing so meant that the quality of your edge would remain preserved and it allowed your opponent's blade to slide downwards when using a hanging guard. I perked up from this lesson because this was a concept never taught to me.  I tested the idea over the following weeks and today I will leave my final thoughts on this. 

  First of all, the Liechtenauer commentaries heavily discourage intential parrying with the longsword (my sword of choice). Purely diffensive movements leave wide openings that can be exploited if your opponent outtimes you. Therefore, better defensive tactics utilize disciplined footwork alongside switching between the four positions (vier leger). By doing so, you will always be threatening the opponent whilst protecting yourself. Therefore, intentionally parrying with the flat wouldn't be the smartest tactical decision to make. 

  There is also the issue of your opponent's sliding blade. It seems like a big advantage at first but when I tested it I found that I lacked sufficient power in these maneuvers. It's almost as if the technique worked too good. I had zero control of the opponent's sword nor my own. When you bind edge on edge, you engage your whole body into a solid structure which allows you to make split second decisions from the bind whilst keeping their sword under control. 

  There's also the issue of the crossguard. Flat parrying doesn't keep my crossguard in the correct alignment to meet my opponent's sword. The crossguard requires prudent control in order to maintain its effectiveness or otherwise it is useless in protecting my body. 

  Based on my experience in testing I cannot condone flat parrying as a serious tactic in a duel. It may still be something that will manifest on a moment's notice, but the benefits do not justify the risks in using them. 

Liechtenauer: Four Primary Guards Quick Review

 Vier Leger

Four guards alone hold
and disdain the common
Ochs, Pflug, Alber,
vom Tag should not be unknown to you.
-Johannes Liechtenauer

    Sword fighting has a lot more to do with guarding than one would think. The four primary guards of Liechtenauer's Kunst des Fechtens fighting system are a key expression and are intertwined with the vier versetzen (four attacks). Guards are both starting and end points of cuts. If you pay close enough attention, you'll realize that the guards are a mirror of another guard. The technique of guard changing is to cut into the guard rather than simply move to it. This article contains a brief summary (and personal notes) on the four primary guards. 

Vom Tag[From the Day]: The most common of the Liechtenauer guards. Your sword arms are aligned with your strong side (the direction your chest points towards). Hold the sword with the cross-guard parallel to your pectoral region. Relax the muscles and face your knuckles forward (check by seeing if your index finger on both hands can be pointed forward). Your long edge faces your opponent or to the sky to enter a "high vom tag" guard. 

transitions: 

cut downward with a passing step to change into alber.

perform a zwerchau with a passing step to change into ochs.

cut downward and stop a hip area and raise point to change into pflug.

Alber[Fool]: The mirror of vom tag. Lures opponents to strike the head. Excellent option for lunging attacks. A useful guard when performing disengages. Masters recommend you have the left foot. Chamber the sword at your right hip. Point your sword to the ground to make the short edge face the sky. 

transitions: 

cut upwards with the short edge to arrive at vom tag.

raise knuckles to face the sky to reach ochs (left), or cross wrists, passing step, and cup upwards with the long edge to reach ochs (right). 

raise point to reach pflug. 

(see: Fencing from the Sweeps) 

Pflug[Plough]: Works best against thrusts and lunges. Chamber pommel to the right hip and raise point. Thrusting position. Holds center line. 

transitions:

raise knuckles to face the sky and point short edge downwards to transition to ochs. 

lower point to transition into alber. 

raise point to the sky to transition into vom tag. 

Ochs[Ox]: Works great to deflect downward cuts from the opponent. Very useful in winding. Easily countered by krumphau. Chambers a downward thrust. Cross wrists and face your long edge to the sky and point downward at the opponent's face. 

transitions:

face long edge to the opponent to change into vom tag.

lower knuckles to face the ground to transition into pflug

cut fully downwards with long edge. 

    Keep in mind while training that the guards are merely one half of a more whole coin. The primary cuts are the movement between guards. Through performing the cuts, you will naturally find yourself switching guards as a result. It is never recommended to excessively change guards out of measure as that allows the opponent to target openings. 

 Being "Wrong"

Hans Talhoffer, Wurttenburg Treatise plate 39

  "The only thing that I know is that I know nothing" - Socrates 

    A swordsman's study is never completed. It is important for a swordsman to make contact with others of his kind. Through discussion and group training ideas are exchanged thus helping every martial artist involved in the discourse grow as a result. Every martial artist is a manifestation of their level of training in that specific art. Sword play is a universe within itself with a seemingly infinite number of teachings for a swordsman to grasp. There will come a time when your understanding of your martial art will be ill-informed, and you be humbled for it. 

    You should never be afraid to be wrong. Very often I see swordsmen defend their takes on the art at all costs even if it derails any helpful discussion entirely. As we progress down the path of swordsmanship there is no doubt that we will be chosen to mentor other swordsmen along the way and find mentorship in those who are senior to us in the practice. A major test in your swordsmanship journey will be when you find yourself in the spot of knowing enough to not know you don't know enough. 

   Seeing the error of your ways is the highest signal of growth within yourself. It is also important to keep in mind that when other swordsmen criticize you, it is often not a personal attack but as a way to help you become stronger. Our self-centered egos would have us believe that we are under attack because it simply wants the peace and security that comes with the feeling of "knowing everything", even if that notion is actually a detriment to our true understanding. That's not to say that you should take all criticisms to heart, but it all is fair game for consideration. 

    You should ask yourself "what do I gain by seeing things differently?". Step outside of the mere interaction of two separate people and see the wholeness in the conversation.  Visualize yourself becoming a more capable warrior by having this discussion. Once you remove your attachment to your knowledge, you will know if their message resonated with you. If it did, then allow it to inform your fighting style and allow it to strengthen your spirit. 

    It is honorable to admit that your interpretation may have been misguided. From that position you have the ability to make the necessary changes to become who you were meant to become by following the sword. You can be grateful that you had the strength to overcome this internal enemy of "rightness".