Fighting "Christian" style
Jan 11, 2007 23:49:30 GMT
Post by Deleted on Jan 11, 2007 23:49:30 GMT
No am not about to embark on a crusade to the recover the holy lands, I am talking about an interesting SCA method of fighting. This method is not in any traditional manuals, but it works non the less so I thought I might bring it up for discusion.
You use what ever single hand sword you normaly use as your primary weapon. In you off hand you will hold a large bastard sword or early claymore upside down. Picture the "Braveheart" sword poined down as you are holding the ricaso (that leather area on the blade). If you are using a bastard sword, you are holding the blade itself. The style assumes you are wearing a guantlet in at least that hand.
So now you have holding the sword upside down so it looks like you are holding a giant cross. Hence the name "Christian". You move that side to side to block as a shield. The sword has a long enough handle so it should cover your head and the blade will go down well past your knees, so you don't have to worry about any vertical motion, just side to side blocking. The large crossguard is pointed sligtly forward to catch any cuts that come down vericaly.
This style has the added advantage of being a secondary weapon. Form the cross possition you can occasionaly pull back the upside down handle towards your ear and thrust with the tip. You do this as you would a spear if you were holding it overhanded. Then quickly drop the point to resume you deffensive position.
The advantages of this is that you have increased visibility because you no longer have a shield. Your single hand sword in your other hand also has a greater range of motion. You head is better covered then with a sheild, cause the handle sticks up past your head. You only need to move side to side to defend.
The main disadvantage is that you are vulnerable to thrusts from swords... very vulnerable against spears.... and totaly helpless against arrows. I recommend you get good with the sheild first. Then practice this as a backup.
A similar style to this is called "Husgard". In stead of a two hand sword as a shield, you use an axe with a long handle and buttspike. You hold the axe right under the head so the stick hands down. The buttspike will be used as I discribed before to stab. This has the advantage that the axehead can be used to punch if you get close enough. You loose the crossguard which is usefull for stopping vertical attacks and deflecting thrusts.
You use what ever single hand sword you normaly use as your primary weapon. In you off hand you will hold a large bastard sword or early claymore upside down. Picture the "Braveheart" sword poined down as you are holding the ricaso (that leather area on the blade). If you are using a bastard sword, you are holding the blade itself. The style assumes you are wearing a guantlet in at least that hand.
So now you have holding the sword upside down so it looks like you are holding a giant cross. Hence the name "Christian". You move that side to side to block as a shield. The sword has a long enough handle so it should cover your head and the blade will go down well past your knees, so you don't have to worry about any vertical motion, just side to side blocking. The large crossguard is pointed sligtly forward to catch any cuts that come down vericaly.
This style has the added advantage of being a secondary weapon. Form the cross possition you can occasionaly pull back the upside down handle towards your ear and thrust with the tip. You do this as you would a spear if you were holding it overhanded. Then quickly drop the point to resume you deffensive position.
The advantages of this is that you have increased visibility because you no longer have a shield. Your single hand sword in your other hand also has a greater range of motion. You head is better covered then with a sheild, cause the handle sticks up past your head. You only need to move side to side to defend.
The main disadvantage is that you are vulnerable to thrusts from swords... very vulnerable against spears.... and totaly helpless against arrows. I recommend you get good with the sheild first. Then practice this as a backup.
A similar style to this is called "Husgard". In stead of a two hand sword as a shield, you use an axe with a long handle and buttspike. You hold the axe right under the head so the stick hands down. The buttspike will be used as I discribed before to stab. This has the advantage that the axehead can be used to punch if you get close enough. You loose the crossguard which is usefull for stopping vertical attacks and deflecting thrusts.