Single Sword

Many more words have been written on sword fighting than are presented here. The single-handed sword is the most common weapon bar none, and many manuals from later periods focus on it exclusively. It is not the intent of this manual to either reproduce or replace any of them - rather it is to present the single sword in the unique style of the Fellowship. Where we differ from period fencing manuals and fechtbuchs is that the swords we use are more commonly Viking-style heavy broadswords, rather than light and fast rapiers.

The term 'single sword' denotes fighting with a sword alone. The other hand is left empty. Fighting single sword is much harder than fighting with sword and shield, but all fighters should learn the techniques.

Single sword is rarely used in group fights - it is more commonly used in individual 'duels'. This allows a single sword fighter to concentrate on only one opponent. It is often difficult to avoid attacks from multiple opponents.

You have only three options when it comes to avoiding an opponent's attacks: Void, Ward and Parry. Voiding means simply getting out of the way. Not being there when the attack hits. You may Ward a blow with your empty hand, but use common sense. You cannot ward a head blow by simply sticking your hand in the way. You usually restrict this method to thrusts. Parrying involves putting your own sword in the way of an attack. It is the most common method, and although technically not the most effective it looks great in display combat.

Good footwork is essential when fighting single sword. Because you have no easy defence, it is always better to move out of the way of an attack. Grapples and disarms are more commonly seen when fighting single sword, for the simple reason is that the off hand is empty, and is therefore free to grab and twist.

Avoidance

Except in public displays, it is always better to void your opponent's blow than to parry it. This means stepping away from the blow such that it misses you completely.

The Stepping Void and the Hoik Void

The Stepping Void is the one recommended in most fighting manuals. You make a small step, remain in a fighting stance, and your opponent’s attack misses.

In practice, however, many fighters use the Hoik Void. This involves quickly bringing both feet together and drawing the body out of the way of an attack. Hoik!

Drill: Avoidance

Your opponent is armed with a sword - you have nothing. Keep your arms behind your back. Your opponent should throw a single slow strike of their choice. As the strike is thrown, step away so that you are out of range. Try to step such that your opponent just misses you by a few centimetres at most. This will take practice.

Try using a traverse (sideways step) to void your opponent's blow. Traversing allows you to be brought into a line where you could strike a blow of your own. It is usually better to traverse slightly backward and towards the line of attack. If the attack comes from your left, step slightly back and to your left.

Once you are comfortable with this drill, pick up a sword. Do the drill again, but with each blow you should avoid and simultaneously counterattack. Try to do this in a single movement, rather than step-then-counterattack.

Strikes

Throwing a good strike with single sword is more than simply hitting someone with it. It is essential to begin training with a baton until the Figure Eight is easy and natural. Once the Figure Eight is mastered, other blows may be learned and used.

Most strikes with the sword are thrown from the shoulder. The entire arm is brought around and the sword moves in a circular motion with the target zone at the end of the arc. Make sure your strike does not pass across your opponent's face. This is the preferred method of striking in a display combat.

Faster strikes get their force from the elbow. When in a defensive stance with the sword held vertical, a fast sudden head blow can be thrown simply by extending the elbow.

Percussion Points

Students of physics will know that a sword has percussion points. Exactly where they are located varies with the individual sword, but there is one close to the point (the outer percussion point) and one close to the hilt (the inner percussion point). These points are where vibrations in the sword cancel each other out.

If you hold a baton in one hand and ask another to hit it, the percussion points are where the baton bounces cleanly away from the strike. It is easy to feel, less easy to describe.

Any blow that you throw with a sword should land its outer percussion point on the target zone. Landing blows with the tip of the sword is not recommended. For one, a tip slice would rarely have penetrated deep enough to cause a major wound. Secondly, tip shots like that are often harder to pull and likely to hurt more.

Parries

Parries are made with the inner percussion point. There are three main types of parry: cross parry, slap parry and deflection.

Cross Parry - this is the typical parry. You put your sword in the way of the attack. This is not the preferred method of parrying, and is occasionally referred to as the "oh shit" parry. It frequently is insufficient to absorb the force of the blow and therefore the blow hits anyway. It often damages one or both blades. It is forceful and unsubtle.

Slap Parry - whack your opponent's blade with your own in order to shift it off line. Frequently very effective, but often difficult to achieve. It usually requires quite a lot of force, and if your opponent uses a second intention, your blade may be off line when it is needed most.

Deflection - superior to either the cross parry or the slap, this is similar in technique to the former, but achieves the effect of the latter. Perform a cross parry, but angle your sword so that the attack slides off to one side or another. Skilfully done, this can force the opponent's sword into your quillions, allowing a bind or a lock.

Drill - Head Parry

Two opponents face each other. Adopt Hanging Guard. One person throws a head blow while the other parries (deflection parry). Then from the parry the fighter immediately throws a head blow. The two fighters take turns to throw the blow. Try to get the movement as fast as you can. This teaches both a fast response to a head attack and the movement from a parry to an attack of your own. Do not do this drill unless you both are wearing helmets!

Once both fighters are comfortable with this drill, try it with the other blows of the Figure Eight.

Wards

Warding means deflecting a blow with your open hand. Be sensible about this. You cannot cross parry with your hand, as it just gets cut off. More often a ward is used as a defence against a thrust. Rarely you may slap aside Efri, but in the most part wards are used to avoid thrusts.

Always ward with the open palm. Do not try to catch the blade as this is frowned upon.

Combinations

It is usual (and looks good in display) to throw combinations of attacks, rather than just one at a time. When you attack, whether the attack is voided, parried or warded, it is always advisable to line up your next shot in the same movement. A series of attacks, defences and counterattacks made in one go is known as an exchange. Especially in a display, it is best to try to make the exchange go on for as long as possible. When the exchange finishes, each fighter should fall back into an effective guard, circle a little for effect, and then start another exchange.

You will find with experience that certain combinations occur naturally, For example, a thrust can be parried across the body, and the defender's sword is then in a natural position to circle and strike for the head. Frequently this then invokes the head parry drill mentioned above. Do not be predictable.

Second Intention

A second intention means that you throw one blow intending to have it fail to connect, then you use that to line up your next blow. A good example is the combination affectionately known as Mr Thrusty.

Mr Thrusty

Mr Thrusty can be executed with any weapon capable of a thrust. The technique is to attack with a thrust, then as the opponent moves to parry or ward, draw your weapon back and thrust again. The first thrust was a feint, intended to force your opponent out of line. It is the second attack - the second intention - that is intended to hit. Mr Thrusty can be completed any number of times, until your opponent gets the hint. When repeated many times this becomes the ‘sewing machine attack’. When performed by two or more spear fighters, it becomes the ‘overlocker attack’.

Grapples and Disarms

As mentioned earlier, it is more frequent to see grapples and disarms between single sword combatants because the off-hand is free to grab. Rule one of grappling is that you do not grab your opponent’s sword blade – you grab the wrist or the arm.

It is usually not advisable to do a full grapple in this system of combat. For a start, grabbing someone and throwing them roughly to the ground is considered rude. It can also hurt. It is generally best to restrict your grappling to techincal training and to go only for arm grapples and disarms.

Disarm - the Connor Pommel Catch

The Connor Pommel Catch is named after a founding member of the Fellowship who still uses it with annoying frequency.

When the attacker uses a high blow - ie, one that is descending - the defender deflects it and catches the opponent's pommel with the left hand. The sword is then wrenched out of the attacker's grasp. It is easy to do because you are working against the attacker's little finger - the weakest part of the hand.