Learning how to use a long/broad sword

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Learning how to use a long/broad sword

Postby mondu_the_fat » Wed Apr 27, 2011 10:10 pm

What are the steps in learning to use a broad sword, long swords, or two-handed swords? How does one learn how to do so?

There are resources on fencing on the web, but they're largely foils and rapiers (pointy and stabby, as opposed to slashy like a broad sword). There's also stuff for curved swords like katanas, but I'd like to research on the the correct way of holding and weilding a broadsword.
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Re: Learning how to use a long/broad sword

Postby Spokavriel » Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:01 pm

Wish I could help. About all I know at the moment is that most of the people on LOTR got training in exactly the styles you are asking for. And in some cases the person training them was making up new styles based on the sword designs.
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Re: Learning how to use a long/broad sword

Postby Nekomata-sensei » Wed Apr 27, 2011 11:01 pm

From what I've heard, a lot of the old European martial arts (including ones related to the use of longswords and broadswords) have been lost, partly due to practitioners dying out in duels and plagues and stuff, and following a master/apprentice system, rather than a master/school system, so if both the master and the single heir die out, the fighting style is lost.

It's also relatively simple in some ways. Despite being a bladed weapon, the longsword is often treated similar to some kind of club-like weapon where the edge focuses the force, rather than slicing or slashing or piercing, using the weight of the blade, because they were often used against opponents in heavy armors, often used in knightly duels and such. The broad-sword was particularly geared towards such, it's breadth adding to it's mass, in order to have greater impacts and impart greater momentum against an enemy's armor. Two-handed swords were often used even more simplistically, but unlike the others couldn't be used with a shield or on horseback, and were even more extreme in being intended to simply bash through an enemy's armor with the force of both hands. The blade doesn't actually need to penetrate or damage the armor itself, but instead sort of turns the armor itself into a weapon against the opponent, although causing dents and such would likely also reduce the opponent's mobility, as armor often has to be carefully fitted.

I'm not really sure about all the details, this is just stuff I've heard from some friends who go to Renaissance fairs and such, so it might be inaccurate 2nd hand knowledge.
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Re: Learning how to use a long/broad sword

Postby Spokavriel » Thu Apr 28, 2011 12:29 am

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Anderson_(fencer) Found Bob Anderson listed in Wikipedia. It seems he was involved in all but 3 of the sword fights where I really enjoyed watching it.

If you can find Reclaiming the Blade it might help answer allot of your unasked questions.
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Re: Learning how to use a long/broad sword

Postby Knight of L-sama » Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:01 am

As a general comment might I suggest finding out about local medieval re-creationists. They're bound to have someone who can point you in the right direction.
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Re: Learning how to use a long/broad sword

Postby three headed dog » Thu Apr 28, 2011 2:50 am

Don't know how helpful this is but I found a site about Broadsword exercises via google. Broadsword exercises
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Re: Learning how to use a long/broad sword

Postby camk4evr » Thu Apr 28, 2011 4:11 am

You might be able to adapt the Sabre style of fencing to tghe longsword. Other than that my only other suggestion would be to check with a local theatre group or (as Knight of L-sama suggested) a local recreationist group such as the Society of Creative Anachronism (which has it's own style) or you can try a local dojo as some teach weapons forms (which you may be able to adapt) and even if they might know of someone can teach you.

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Re: Learning how to use a long/broad sword

Postby Ellen Kuhfeld » Thu Apr 28, 2011 5:37 am

Seek out the local Society for Creative Anachronism. http://sca.org/ I learned to use a broadsword there. Never did learn how to use a shield well, though. If any fight instructor mentions the "Bellatrix Snap", pay extra-special attention.
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Re: Learning how to use a long/broad sword

Postby mondu_the_fat » Thu Apr 28, 2011 8:03 am

Thanks for the suggestions!

I'll take a look at the links. Unfortunately, I'm in the wrong country to look for mideival recreations, so that's out.
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Re: Learning how to use a long/broad sword

Postby Spokavriel » Thu Apr 28, 2011 11:20 am

Reclaiming The Blade had a couple related web sites it turns out.
http://www.reclaimingtheblade.com/ and http://www.swordmovie.com

Edit:Might be the same site now... They weren't always on the same server.
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Re: Learning how to use a long/broad sword

Postby Ellen Kuhfeld » Thu Apr 28, 2011 1:43 pm

mondu_the_fat wrote: Unfortunately, I'm in the wrong country to look for mideival recreations, so that's out.

Not necessaryily. The kingdom of Lochac includes Australia, New Zealand, and Antarctica. (I suspect there are few members in the Great White South.) The kingdom of The West also includes Japan, Korea, and the Pacific Rim. I've heard of activities in England and Europe -- who can resist all the castles -- but the recreationists there seem to have their own groups.

If none of these are good for you, there are a lot of instructional videos at YouTube.
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Re: Learning how to use a long/broad sword

Postby Pale Wolf » Sat Apr 30, 2011 5:37 pm

Nekomata-sensei wrote:I'm not really sure about all the details, this is just stuff I've heard from some friends who go to Renaissance fairs and such, so it might be inaccurate 2nd hand knowledge.


It pretty much is completely. Even the biggest two-handed swords weighed, like, under four kilograms. (For comparison, that's the same weight range as a modern-day assault rifle)

You smash it into shit, and you're going to ruin the sword. You don't even block edge-on-edge, you're supposed to block with the side of the blade. Sharp edges are thin, and comparatively delicate. Crushing the armour is what maces, hammers, and the like are for. Anti-armour swords work by concentrating large amounts of force on weak spots in the armour.

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Re: Learning how to use a long/broad sword

Postby mondu_the_fat » Sun May 01, 2011 9:42 am

In case anyone is interested, I found this:

http://freifechter.com/training.cfm

Specifically, the part regarding longswords. It has guards, cuts, thrusts, etc.

The reason why I wanted to look for historical sword fighting is that, often in fantasy novels, sword fighting as a martial art tends to become almost mystical/zen-like in quality, and if the main protagonist is using it, its likely some sort of hidden art with "unbeatable" qualities or over-the-top names for stances and strikes ("crescent moon hanging over waterfall" or some such). Looking at fantasy novels as a source of sword fighting is like looking at Ranma for martial arts. Either that, or the novel simply forgoes any discussion of styles and just go into the hack and slash bits. There's very little sword fighting from a NPC/mook perspective.
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Re: Learning how to use a long/broad sword

Postby PCHeintz72 » Mon Jun 27, 2011 1:01 am

mondu_the_fat wrote:What are the steps in learning to use a broad sword, long swords, or two-handed swords? How does one learn how to do so?

There are resources on fencing on the web, but they're largely foils and rapiers (pointy and stabby, as opposed to slashy like a broad sword). There's also stuff for curved swords like katanas, but I'd like to research on the the correct way of holding and weilding a broadsword.


Here is a link that might help a bit...
Sword Buyers Guide - Helpful Articles - SBG.com
- http://forum.sword-buyers-guide.com/vie ... ?f=21&t=27

EDIT: Sorry, did not realize this was a thread necroed by someone.
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