Combined Sword and Buckler

[Guest]

In both Digrasse and Silver, they talk about combining the sword and buckler together in order to block. How practical is this and has anyone had success with this in actual sparring?

I can definitely see the virtue of it if one was facing a heavy weapon or simply wanted to cover a larger area when blocking. But I cannont understand why you would want to tie up both of your weapons in one block.

In an actual fight you dont know which attack will be launched at you until it happens. From an efficiency standpoint, it seems best to block with one and strike with the other. If placed properly, the buckler can handle all cuts down to about the waist line. I have found leaning forward or even stepping in to stifle the cut is also useful.

I've seen the video clips of the Ringneck sword and buckler blocks but they are done at about quarter speed. Anyone ever tried this at full speed with success?

[Casper Bradak]

Blocking with the sword and buckler together gives strength to the block, and creates more margin for error.
It effectively gives you about 3 feet or surface to defend with instead of about 1 foot from the buckler alone.
Whether you do that, or use the buckler to defend with alone is all a matter or your skill and judgement, and the counter you intend to react with. Every technique has its time and place. There are plenty of single time counters with sword and buckler in the manuals as well.

[Shane Smith]

Have a look at I.33 in our ARMA "online manuals" section. <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

[TimSheetz]

I think also that many techniques allow you to block and strike simultaneously and you can do so when you are 'blocking with buckler and sword".

There are also techniques where the sword may engage the opponents weapon first, thwarts the attack by deflection then shifts the protective action to the buckler which stifles the opponet's attempts at bringing his weapon back into play... or the buckler can catch the weapon and the sword stifles it while your buckler 'works him over'.

There are examples of this in the I.33 section.

Hope that helps,

Tim Sheetz

[Tony_Indurante]

Where do you find this in Di Grassi?

Di Grassi holds the buckler as far from the body as you can reach. This is done to cover more of the body. By holding the buckler in this manner you cannot hold your sword near the buckler and in one of the 3 guards. He also only mentions using the sword and the buckler together once, all the other times the sword is attacking as the buckler defends.

(edit) However he does say in the second section of the manual that the buckler is not as sure for resisting cuts, as it is for thrusts, and requires the aid of the sword.

Its interesting that he puts this in the section on Deciets and Falsing. I suppose that if you are using and advising that the thrust should be the primary attack, the buckler works fine as presented in the first section of the manual. Since the cuts Di Grassi recommends are from the wrist you can still use the buckler as advised, but against cuts from the shoulder you would require the aid of the sword to block it.

What do manuals that cover sword/rapier and buckler after Di Grassi say about using the buckler?

[Guest]

We had a seminar with Dave Rawlings on the I 33 in Dijon(interesting, fun, dinamic) he explained us that the sword forms a defensive line while the buckler covers tha hand in some guards (no combined block was used in the seminar), combined sword and buckler use was offensive: bind with the buckler, strike with the sword. Similar hand protection by the buckler is shown in Talhoffer.
With renaissance sidesword and buckler I used combined blocks against the longsword, but in such a way as to cover the largest possible area, such blocks must lead to a sword bind or they are futile. This is not used against sword and buckler I think.
In later swordmanship, the buckler is covered by the sword, Mc Bane staes that with broad sword and buckler you stand in the outside guard covering the sword with the buckler and use the latter to cover the area in which the blade is not present whan you attack (if you cut at the leg, cover your head with the buckler).
It would seem that in most cases sword and buckler contribute both to the formation of a defensive line but act separately.
Carlo
Ps: it is Di Grassi, the final i souds like an English final e

[Richard Strey]

If Dave Rawlings covered the same stuff as in Munich, last October, you probably did some of the "sword blocks, buckler beats and hits the enemy in the face, sword cuts" stuff, as well. Loads of fun. And Dave's energy is awesome.

[Guest]

Hi Folks

In I33 the reason you are blocking with the sword supported by the buckler is because the sword is the more sure block. You do not really tie up your buckler because you intend if the conditions are right to take over the bind with the buckler thereby freeing up your sword in a superior position. I33 is a system and it uses systematic moves and techniques to make sure your safe and the opponent is endangered. Of course there are counters and they do mean there are options but generally it is best to block with the sword and support with the buckler.

Dave Rawlings of England is just awesome when he shows how to do it. He has a video out from
www.boarstooth.com
or it could be .uk or .co.uk, I am not at my own computer at the moment.

If you have ever done sword and buckler free style sparring (blunt steel) you would see instantly how much safer it feels contacting their sword with yours and your buckler close by to take over the bind.

yours

Col

[Jamie Fellrath]

I found this link at http://www.boarstooth.org