Medieval Swordsmanship

This page is designed for those Fighters registered and attending Knight School.  It contains notes for both Renaissance and Medieval Course and has terminology and concepts you employ to practice at home and get ready for the next class!

So get to it Fighters, and we'll see you Tuesday!        N.B. More notes to come!

(The Pell Wheel showing the 8 Strikes)

Practice Tips:

• Practice Striking at all points on the wheel (above) from as many guard positions as possible and from both sides, left and right.

• Winding, both from the bind and without the bind

• Practice Flouryshes (katas or forms) transitioning from guard to guard on each side and from strike or thrust into each corresponding guard (see below).

• "Strike when he strikes, thrust when he thrusts"

• Practice using your attacks as your defenses; make it a strong block that sets up a counter attack, not a weak block that merely stops the attack!

• If you have a stationary target like a punching bag, make it into a pell by adding markings like the wheel below and practice your fighting against it!

• Never block with your face!

• Practice, Practice, Practice!!!

Floryshes For Practice: The following are Floryshes we practiced at Knight School.  I have written them out so you can practice them at home.  The more you practice the more you will come to understand the relationships between all of the guards and strikes.  These are just a few of the countless floryshes you can design so feel free to develop your own!

Florysh 1

1)      Start in From the Roof on Right, stepping in with the back foot (right) strike a Strike of Wrath and end in the Plow left.

2)      Thrust from the Plow left stepping forward with the left foot and wind up to the right side Ox.

3)      From Right Side Ox, strike a Strike of Wrath stepping in with the right foot and end up in Left Fool Guard (Alber)

4)      From Left side Fool Guard (alber) Strike up upward, ending in The Roof (high)

5)      From the Roof (high position), step back with the front (left) foot while delivering a Parting Strike 

Florysh 2

 1)      From Left Side Ox, while stepping in with the left foot deliver a Crooked Strike (Zwerch, diagonally at zone #2 on the Pell wheel) and end in right side Fool Guard with the left foot forward.

2)      From The Fool’s Guard (Alber) step forward with the right foot and strike upwards with the short edge; end in the Roof Guard (high position)

3)      From the high Roof Guard, step back with the right foot and deliver a Parting Strike; end in a right-side Fool’s Guard (Alber)

4)      From right side Fool’s Guard (alber) while stepping in with the right foot, deliver a low arcing strike (moulinet)  across the left side and end in left Fool’s Guard

5)      (This is a repeat of the last step but on the left) From left side Fool’s guard (alber) step in with the left foot and deliver a low arcing strike across the right side and end in the right Fool’s Guard (left foot forward)

6)      From right side Fool’s Guard (alber), step in with the right foot and strike a Cross Strike (Zwerch) ending in left side Ox

7)      From Left side Ox deliver a Crooked Strike (Krumphaw) while stepping in with the left foot and end in right side Plow – thrust from the plow to finish

Florysh 3

1)      From a right side Plow, thrust while stepping in with the right foot and wind to left side Ox.

2)      From left side Ox step in with the left foot and deliver a Crooked Strike (Krumphaw) and end in the Fool Guard (alber) on the right (NOTE: can end in either the Fool or the Plow)

3)      From the right side Fool’s Guard (alber) while stepping in with the right foot  deliver a Cross Strike (Zwerch) with the short edge ending in left Ox

4)      From left Ox step in with the left foot and transition to right Roof Guard (NOTE: No Strike!)

5)      From the right Roof Guard (near the head) step in with the right foot and Strike a Low Cross Strike using the short edge and end in Left Ox

6)      From Left Ox step in with the left foot and Strike a Crooked Strike (Krumphaw) ending in right side Plow; thrust to finish.

Florysh 4

 1)      From right side Ox step in with the right foot while thrusting and then TURN the thrust into a Strike of Wrath; end in left side Plow

2)      From left side Plow thrust forward while stepping in with the left foot and end in right side Plow

3)      From right side Plow step in with the right foot and deliver a Cross Strike (zwerch) with the short edge and end in left side Ox.

4)      From left side Ox step BACK with the right foot and deliver a Parting Strike and end in the right side Fool’s Guard (alber)

5)      From right Fool’s Guard step in with the right foot and strike a Strike of Wrath across the right side; end in left side Fool’s Guard or the Plow

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