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Right? I loved it

​@@TravelWithLigilWhat is the name of Europes oldest sword fighting manual?

I would let you know

​@@fredfry5100hello there. The oldest known fencing manual from Europe is the so called "Royal Armoury MS I:33". So the manuscript (MS) with the catalogue nr. I:33 in the archives of the royal armoury. It was written between roughly 1320-1350 in a monastery in what is today southern Germany. Over this timeframe, several people worked on the manuscript. The text is written in Latin, but with early German syntax and a few technical terms strewn in, in early German. The book concerns itself with the systematic description of fencing with sword and buckler. It was probably created as a memory aid for the people teaching this fencing system in the monastery, or as a gift for a benefactor. On the last pages, a woman is shown fencing. It is unknown who she is, but the text gives her the name Walpurga. She might have been a daughter of a benefactor or maybe just the saint Walpurga. We unfortunately don't know. This specific source is notoriously difficult to interpret, as it only names its techniques, and says very little about HOW the techniques are performed. I teach HEMA based on the I:33 myself, so I have a few strong opinions on this interpretation. xD

It wasn't. Sword and buckler was a purely dueling setup.

@@faselfasel2864 That's B.S.

​@faselfasel2864 I'm curious about what leads you to think that? What are your sources? There are many references in history of sword & buckler being used outside of the context of dueling. There was a law passed in England in 1388 banning servants, Labourers, Artificers, and Victualler from carrying sword and buckler, except in time of war to defend the realm of England. An earlier law in London (1314) punished "those who delighted in bad behavior." With 15 days in jail if they held a school of fencing or learned fencing with the sword and bucker within the city limits. Those are only 2 of many such examples.

@@wilowhisp it was a sidearm setup at best in war. The cases where it was used as a primary setup in war was virtually non-existent apart from some very niche scenarios at the battle of baletta in 1503 or battle of ravenna in 1512.

@faselfasel2864 there's a great account of a longsword vs sword & buckler street fight in George Silver's, "Paradoxes of Defense." An Italian rapier master, Rocco Bonetti teaching in England, ends up in a street fight with an Austin Bagger. Bonetti grabs a longsword, and Bagger easily defeats him with a sword and buckler.

en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Armouries_Ms._I.33

The techniques they are using are specific techniques described and illustrated in a 1300s "how to teach sword fighting" manual. What you are seeing are these 2 gentlemen following the same instructions as to how to swordfight that people were using and teaching in that era. Thus their form when reconstructing them is about as "correct" a picture of historical fencing as we are going to get

@edl653 Hello there. Whether or not these techniques are "correct" will always be debated. Interpretations of the sources differ, and the I:33 is notoriously difficult to interpret. However... As I teach based on this very source myself I have my issues with at least part of the demonstration. In the play they show around 4:40, the younger fencer said he's going to perform the "thrust-strike" ("Stichsclach" in the source). Neither is what he's doing a "thrust-strike" (a cut coming out of a thrusting motion) nor does the source call for a "thrust-strike" in that situation. What they actually show, is a counterbind, and as the older guy is neglecting his defence by holding his weapons to low, the younger can thrust directly into his face. What he's doing is not that wrong, he's just using a very specific term wrong. This specific scenario is one sentence in the book. (Beware your face, lest the other one might thrust into it). The book says, that he should counterbind and either separate his opponents weapons (which is what they show later) or perform a "Schildslach" (shield strike) and strike a blow to the head. They also show this, (from 5:35 onwards) and here's where they divert pretty heavily from what's described in the source. Yes, the techniques are shown in the source, but they are entirely out of place. That being said, I overall really like what they do. "They a little confused, but they got the spirit". I'd really like to meet these guys and have a few bouts and discussions with them.