9 misconceptions about sword fighting imposed by TV series
News / / January 03, 2021
1. The swordmaster can hold the weapon as he pleases
There are several ways to hold the sword, and some of them differ from the usual "hit with a sharp end". Nevertheless, characters in films and TV series often use their weapons too freely.
For example, in The Witcher, Henry Cavill grabs the sword by the blade in front of the guard, striking. With this grip, you deprive your hand of protection and reduce the distance at which the strike is effective.
Of course, it looks unusual and spectacular, but a swordmaster would not do that.
Just take a look at the guy on the right holding a weapon in the video and you'll see what this is about.
Or Arya Stark, who holds her Needle incorrectly in many scenes. In theory, the ring on the “Needle” hilt should protect her fingers, but she constantly turns it in the wrong direction.
Sirio Trout should have paid attention to this while he was alive. The girl's hand will be mutilated as soon as she tries to parry the blow of an opponent who really knows how to fence.
2. The sword is very cool to carry behind your back
The authors of the fantasy stubbornly continue to hang two-handed swords to their heroes behind their backs. The problem is that a person is physically unable to remove the sword from its scabbard behind his shoulders: even a tall man simply does not have enough arms.
The blade was kept in a sheath at the hip, from where it is easy to reach. And long swords like the Zweichander were not sheathed at all. They were carried on the shoulder, and on long hikes they were taken by horse or in a van.
This 15th century engraving shows landsknechts wielding two-handed swords. Surely, if it would have been more convenient to carry the sword behind the back, they would have done so.
3. The sword makes a grinding noise when pulled.
In films and TV series, swords are removed from their scabbard with a characteristic sound that cannot be confused with anything: it is the grinding of steel on steel.
Making a steel sheath is not only expensive, but also harmful to the sword, because it will soon become unusable. The blade will rub against the scabbard whenever you take it out or put it back in, and quickly loses its sharpness.
In reality, the scabbard was most often made of wood covered with leather, cloth or fur. And if you take out a sword from such a scabbard, there will be no grinding.
4. Tough guys use two swords at once
Dual swords are common in movies and video games, but in real combat, two swords are very inconvenient to use. Even an experienced fighter will find it too difficult to control two long blades at once.
Therefore, in fights in the second hand they tookLa Scherma (Francesco Fernando Alfieri) daggers, bucklers (small round shields), cloaks (to confuse an opponent's blade), sticks, or even a scabbard. Anything but a second sword.
The sword is for attack, the auxiliary item is for defense.
Even if you are fighting several opponents, like Ser Arthur Dane at the Tower of Joy in "Game of Thrones", then it makes more sense for this use one two-handed sword, not two one-handed.
5. Armor is useless
Judging by The Lord of the Rings, Game of Thrones, and The Witcher, the most effective armor is story armor. The main characters are practically invincible, and the extras, even chained in armor, die from one poke into the steel plate on the chest.
In fact, the armored man is well protected from the sword. Therefore, against a warrior in armor, it is better to fight with a war hammer or a pick, and save the sword for another occasion.
Even a simple jacket, if it consists of several layers of fabric, is not easy to cut with a sword.
Those who did not have metal armor wore gambesons (quilts), and they already provided good protection. Try to cut your blanket with a knife and you will see what it is about. The same Russian overcoat completely stoppedCut And Thrust: European Swords and Swordsmanship blows of the British cavalry saber.
So the guy who couldn't stand on his feet in The Witcher after being slashed across the cuirass with a sword looks just ridiculous.
6. Blocking the blow of someone else's sword with your blade is a great idea.
Despite the fact that this is the only thing Hollywood does, taking blows from an enemy sword on your blade is a surefire way to spoil the blade and render it useless. And the sword is an expensive thing, and it should be protected.
The blade of the sword is divided into the strong side (wider, closer to the guard), the weak side (narrowing, located farther from the guard) and the tip (the end that should be poked at the enemy). And the blows of the enemy were parriedThe Myth of Edge-On-Edge Parrying in Medieval Swordplay only by the guard and the strength of the blade, which was often not even sharpened.
7. You can't hold the sword by the blade
On the Internet, you can often find pictures in which medieval warriors take their sword not by the hilt, but by the blade. They are usually accompanied by mocking comments like: "You should have read the instructions."
However, the sword can be taken by the blade! This technique is calledHalf-sword half-sword, "half-sword". If an enemy in armor is against you, instead of bending and blunting the blade against his armor, it is easier to grab the sword from the other end and hit the head with a guard. Even if he is wearing a steel helmet, such a blow will at least be unpleasant. And then it can lead to a concussion.
They also took the sword by the blade with their left hand, leaving the right hand on the handle to enhance the thrusting blow. Such a technique was suitable, however, only against a stunned and defenseless enemy.
8. Roundhouse kicks are great
Jon Snow and Geralt in battle rotate around their axis like ballerinas, but real fencers will never do that. You cannot turn your back on the person who intends to attack you.
A 360-degree turn in a sword fight is useless. First, this is how you are exposed. Second, you let the enemy out of sight for a moment. Thirdly, it makes no sense to try to hit the enemy with a sword from a turn: it is easy to dodge such a movement, and the blow is amplified slightly.
9. The swords were very heavy
Sometimes even seemingly educated people say this. For example, one academician on The History Channel statedWhat did Historical Swords Weigh?that swords of the XIV century weighed 40 pounds, that is, 18 kg. You probably need to be a real hero to swing such a barbell?
Not really. Most of the long or bastard swords in the Wallace Collection in London weighWhat did Historical Swords Weigh? less than 1.5 kg. The average weight of swords in the period from the 10th to the 15th century was 1.3 kg, in the 16th century it decreased to 0.9 kg. Even huge two-handed swords, such as human-sized Zweichenders, had a mass of no more than 3 kg.
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