Wylde's Unicorn or medium guard

[Guest]

Greetings. This is my first post here, so I think a short introduction might be in order... I've been practising historical swordsmanship for about half a year now, and recently found a system that I found to fit me particularly well - Zach Wylde. Before stumbling across Wylde I had done some Meyer and Silver (well, still do) and some I.33, which I quit after some time; seems sword and buckler play just isn't meant for me. If all goes well (that is, I manage to gather the downright enormous amount of money required...), I'll be sending the payment for ARMA Youth sometime soon.

Not having English as a native language has brought me some problems when combined with Wylde's sometimes slightly obscure style of writing. There is one quite major problem (well, propably not very major, but a problem nonetheless) I have ran into when interpreting his system: his medium guard, the Unicorn. Wylde describes it thus:

"The Medium Unicorn or Center Guard, is made thus, Extend your Arm straight out at length, and your Sword placed between your Opposer's Eyes, lying true half Body, your Sword - Hilt as high as your Chin, keeping it out at the Arms end stiff; then if he charge you with a Blow or Strike either to the in or outside, cross his Sword, which makes a perfect Guard: This Guard keeps your Opposer from encroaching upon you, if he does, he endangers himself."

What confounds me here is the actual alignment of the sword while lying in the Unicorn; I'm not quite sure whether Wylde means that the sword is supposed to be held horizontally, the point, well, pointing towards the space between the opponent's eyes, or vertically, so that it sort of forms a line across the opponent's face. Crossing the opponent's sword would seem to be easier from a vertical position, but I don't quite see how "this Guard keeps your Opposer from encroaching upon you" if it is held vertically. I believe he does tell you to carry your point erect in the inside and outside guards, but doesn't mention this with the medium. Any thoughts?

The manual can be found at the Exiles website: The English Master of Defence by Zach Wylde.

Thanks and best wishes,
Rabbe

[leam hall]

Welcome!

First, don't worry about your English. Even native speakers have difficulty with old texts. Words are different, or worse, are the same word with a different meaning.

I think the answer is point more vertical. The edge would give you the visual of the blade being "between your Opposer's eyes" and also appear more threatening than point straight out.

[Stuart McDermid]

Hi Rabbe,

Great choice of manual. Wyld is a favourite of mine, I believe that English manuals are the best of all nationalities and backsword is a good area of study as the manuals are well written compared to most and there are rather alot of them to compare and contrast.

I believe the medium guard in Wyld is held pointing at the face in a direct horizontal line from the shoulder. If you keep your arm stiff as Wyld instructs then it is impossible to keep your point aimed between your adversary's eyes as he also instructs. As to the rotational orientation of the hand, I believe that Wyld would have told us that the weapon was held in carte or tierce if he taught that way. I use a position with the blade in a vertical orientation so that a transition to inside or outside guard is equally as fast.

The medium guard hides the length of your sword well and is excellent for forcing an engagement from your adversary by simply walking at him. He can either cross you blade or be thrust in the face.

To "Cross his sword" is to simply make a parry and this passage in no way suggests that this is done with the sword held stationary in the medium guard. It is most likely that this crossing is nothing more than a simple transition into the inside or outside guard. Other backsword sources bear this out.
Cheers,
Stu.

[Guest]

Thanks for your input, both!

I don't have much time to write this, so please forgive the possible typos or overly dumb wordings.

I think the answer is point more vertical. The edge would give you the visual of the blade being "between your Opposer's eyes" and also appear more threatening than point straight out.

Yep, but I'm still not sure whether he means point or blade between the opponent's eyes. Holding the sword vertically would indeed be a better position for making a quick cut towards the head or the shoulders, but as Stuart pointed out, horizontal offers a continous threat of a thrust.

Great choice of manual. Wyld is a favourite of mine, I believe that English manuals are the best of all nationalities and backsword is a good area of study as the manuals are well written compared to most and there are rather alot of them to compare and contrast.

Yep, and being a rather "young" manual, Wylde's English is still (usually, the man seems to have a slight fixation for complex sentances) very understandable and can be read quickly if need be. The man's just plain hilarious sometimes, too. I haven't quite gotten over the hystery caused by the "catastraphoon" yet...

I believe the medium guard in Wyld is held pointing at the face in a direct horizontal line from the shoulder. If you keep your arm stiff as Wyld instructs then it is impossible to keep your point aimed between your adversary's eyes as he also instructs. As to the rotational orientation of the hand, I believe that Wyld would have told us that the weapon was held in carte or tierce if he taught that way. I use a position with the blade in a vertical orientation so that a transition to inside or outside guard is equally as fast.

I think I agree with you here... Still, Wylde doesn't actually tell you to keep the point between the opponent's eyes(unless I'm misunderstanding him, that is), he says: "your Sword placed between your Opposer's Eyes", which could mean either blade or point...

To "Cross his sword" is to simply make a parry and this passage in no way suggests that this is done with the sword held stationary in the medium guard. It is most likely that this crossing is nothing more than a simple transition into the inside or outside guard. Other backsword sources bear this out.

Yes. I think I was being a bit unclear, sorry for that; I meant that it would seem to be faster to move the sword to cross the opponent's sword from a vertical position, but, well, the more I think about it, the less difference I see between the two methrods in this respect. It wasn't a very good argument anyway, in any case. I think I'm starting to lean towards having the blade held horizontally, but I'm not sure, being as prone to sudden changes of mind as I am...


I hope I'm not coming across as overly argumentative, by the way. My apologies if I am.


Best wishes,
Rabbe

[Guest]

While reading Wylde's instrutions on throwing the guards I ran across this:

From your outside you may come to a Medium, by dropping your Point, and bring it by your left Ear, then place it between your Opposer's Eyes...

Never really noticed that part of the text before, but I'm quite sure now that he taught to have the sword horisontal.

Again, thanks, both.


Rabbe