The Heart of the Art of Sword & Buckler Combat

[Randall Pleasant]

Scholars

The author of the I.33 manual defined the heart of the art of Sword & Buckler combat in the following quote.

Note that the entire heart of the art of combat lies in this final guard, which is called Longpoint; and all actions of the guards or of the sword finish or have their conclusion in this one, and not in others. Therefore study it more than the aforementioned First Guard.

Jeffrey Forgeng, The Medieval Art of Swordsmanship, page 23.

Everyone who I have heard comment upon this quote has said that Longpoint so important because most over hand cuts end in that guard. True to a large degree, but I think the author of I.33 was acturall saying much more. I think this quote is actually very similar to what we see later on in the art of the longsword. The students of Johannes Liechtenauer wrote that the key to the art of longsword is in knowing how to wind and work from a binding of the blades. Likewise, I think the author of I.33 is also saying that the key to the art of Sword & Buckler is in knowing how to wind and work from a binding of the blades. In I.33 the majority of binds occur in longpoint (pages 26, 30, 34, 45, 46, 49, 54, 65, 70, 74, 78, 86, 89, 93, 97, 98, 101, 106, 113, 118, 121, 122, 125, 130, 138, 146) and some of the most important techniques, such as the Shield Strike, are performed from a bind in that guard.

Comments?

[Brian Hunt]

Hi Randall,

Interesting idea, but another one of the problems with that quote is the number of langorts or longpoints found in the I.33.

There is the normal longpoint (I like to refer to it as middle longpoint), there is the lower longpoint, the high or upper long point, and the special longpoint of the priest.

Also keep in mind that the author of the I.33 broke the binds down into four different binds. An overbind on the right or the left, or an underbind on the right or the left, though he further stated that an overbind is infinetly more useful than an underbind. Then you have to add in the phrase "Binders bound are contrary and enraged." Which essentially means that when you bind someone, they are binding you back so a bind is automatically countered by an opposing bind. So much of the I.33 is about binding and escaping being bound, so part of your point is valid, but which langort do we study? All of them or only one. Personally I study all four.

all the best.

Brian Hunt

[Randall Pleasant]

So much of the I.33 is about binding and escaping being bound, so part of your point is valid, but which langort do we study? All of them or only one. Personally I study all four.

Brian

To answer your question on which version of longpoint we should study I think we only have to return to the analogy with the longsword teachings of Master Johannes Liechtenauer. Liechtenauer said the art of longsword is found in winding and working from a bind, however, he did not specify any single guard. Rather it is implied that it is the general knowledge of binding and winding that is important, regardless of how or where the bind was formed. It does not matter if the bind is in an upper or lower hangen, Alber, or Schrankhut. Likewise I think the author of I.33 is saying that it is a general knowledge of winding that is important, regardless of which version of longpoint the bind is formed.

As you pointed out, a major part of the I.33 manual is binding and escaping a bind from several versions of longpoint. If I.33 has a major theme it is its teachings on winding and working from a bind. I think this fully validates the point I made in my first post.