Introduction

The purpose of a guard is twofold: to protect a line of attack (and force your opponent to attack where you are expecting it), and to be ready to launch an attack of your own.

All these guards are formed on the same basic fighting stance. Your front foot should point towards your opponent. Your rear foot should be turned a little to the side. Your knees should be slightly bent, and there should be enough distance between your feet so that you are not knocked off balance if someone pushes you. Your shoulders should not be square-on to your opponent.

A ward may be either weapon-arm-back or weapon-arm-forward. In general (there are exceptions), the weapon-arm-back wards are more aggressive and allow you to throw a fast attack, while the weapon-arm-forward wards are more defensive - the sword is held forward ready to intercept or parry an oncoming attack.

Note: The terms "ward" and "guard" are more or less interchangable. George Silver uses the term "fight" in this manner - as in Open Fight or Guardant Fight.

Primary Guards

These are the guards that we teach to all new recruits. You should be familiar with the guard positions and what actions can be taken from any of them before moving on to the advanced guards.

Outside Forearm Ward

Outside Forearm is the most common ward, although it is not the most effective. The sword is held in front of the body, angled to protect the sword-side of the body and the head. You should be looking at your opponent under your blade. This makes it impossible to attack the protected line without first forcing the sword out of the way. The blade is held almost vertical, to prevent against an immediate bind. Compare ths ward to Longpoint, below.

From this ward it is possible to defend against practically any line of attack with a minimum of movement. Arm and head blows can be parried with the point raised, body and leg blows can be parried by dropping the point. It is equally easy to defend either side of the body.

Open Fight

This is Open Fight, as described by George Silver in his Brief Instructions. It is a very aggressive fight, suitable only for launching an immediate attack. For this reason it is the guard in which we teach students the Figure Eight. The sword is held high with the sword arm and leg held back. Face your knuckles towards your opponent so that you don't have to turn them before making any attack.

Attacking from Open Fight is extremely fast. Always move the sword first, and follow up with the leg. The sword and leg should arrive at the same time. Open Fight is somewhat vulnerable to an aggressive attacker, but even then it allows for a fast counterattack. Under a determined assault, the fighter is advised to drop into a more defensive guard, such as Guardant Fight, below.

Guardant Fight

George Silver's basic defensive guard. Stand with your sword arm and leg forward, and the sword pointing towards your rear-leg knee. Hold the sword high enough so that your vision is not obscured by your arm.

Almost any attack can be easily parried from this position. At first, it appears that the sword arm is vulnerable, but it is not difficult to parry even a fast head shot from this position. Counterattacks can be made almost as quickly as from Open Fight - just remember to step to the side when defending.

Advanced Guards

Once the primary guards are mastered, the student can learn some of the more advanced guards. Many of these are invitations - you are encouraging your opponent to make the move *you* want, much like a stage magician "forcing" a card.

Inside Forearm Ward

This is very similar to Outside Forearm Ward, except that the sword is held to protect the other side of the body. Usually this is used when fighting against a different-handed opponent (ie, by a left-hander fighting a right-hander or by a right-hander fighting a left-hander). The reason for this is so that the swords are crossed. Standing with your sword parallel to that of your opponent means that either of you can attack along the length of the blade with little opposition. So you want to prevent this by crossing your sword with that of your opponent.

Longpoint

Longpoint is a special guard. It is not a guard that you would intentionally adopt for any reason, but it is a guard that you will always find yourself in. The reason for this is that it is the position that completes your attack. If you attack your opponent with a head strike, you will end your movement in longpoint. For this reason it is important to know what to do about it when it happens.

For an attacker in longpoint, the most important thing is to continue the movement, with either another attack, a parry against an opponent's counterattack, or a return to another of the standard guard positions. Lying in this guard for any length of time invites your opponent to bind and take control of your sword.

Extended Longpoint

Extended Longpoint is a variation on Longpoint above, and all the same sentiments apply. The difference is that in Extended Longpoint, the elbow is held more or less straight and the sword points directly toward your opponent.

The Spanish school of rapier fencing focuses on this position, but the swords used by the AAF are too heavy to effectively allow the fast disengages and counters that are possible with a rapier.

Tail Ward

Tail ward is an invitation for your opponent to attack. It is deceptive. The sword is held close to the ground, away from your opponent. In many ways it is similar to Open Fight in that it allows for some very fast attacks and counterstrikes, but the fighter is vulnerable to a determined assault by a cautious opponent.

Almost any attack on your sword side can be made from Tail Ward, but the reverse attacks are almost impossible. Your opponent therefore knows, to a certain extent, which side you are going to attack on. However, this can be used to fool and outmaneuver an unwary opponent.

Underarm

Underarm is another deceptive guard, similar in principle to Tail Ward, but on the other side of the body. Again, it is somewhat vulnerable to a determined assault, but it holds quite a few surprises. This is very effective when used with a small shield or buckler. In fact, the majority of Manuscript I.33 is based around this ward.

It is important to note that this is the position you adopt when you are drawing your sword from its scabbard. By studying Underarm, you will be able to make many attacks and counters while drawing your sword.

Fool's Guard

No-one really knows why this is called Fool's Guard. Some say that it is only used by fools, while others say that it is a sucker-punch against a foolish opponent. Certainly it is possible to make a very fast thrust against an injudicious advance simply by raising the point. Fool's guard makes you appear vulnerable, but it is an illusion.

Fool's Guard is mainly found in longsword fighting, but it does have some application in single-handed sword. Many attacks and defenses can be performed from this position.

Hanging Guard

Included for completeness is Hanging Guard. It is not usually used in shieldless combat. Its purpose is to protect the head. That's about all it's good for. As a defensive guard, Guardant Fight is better. For attacking, you are better off in Open Fight.

However, when a shield is used, Hanging Guard comes into its own. Hanging Guard covers the head while the shield protects the body. Attacks from Hanging Guard are almost as fast as attacks from Open Fight, and when combined with a shield, the defensive possibilities are endless.

Conclusion

These are by no means an exhaustive list of possible guard positions. Any good fencing manual or fechtbuch will show you many more. These, however, are the main guards used in AAF combat. They are a starting point for developing an advanced system of training - they are not a complete system by themselves.

Learn the guards, especially the three primary guards (Outside Forearm, Open Fight and Guardant Fight), and train with them as often as possible. Learn how they defend your body from attack. Learn how you can launch an attack of your own. You will eventually find yourself adopting correct guard positions without conscious thought.