Proper Parrying Technique

[Guest]

Greetings. I've been visiting this website a lot over the past several years, and I love the strict martial approach that you guys take to swordplay. This site has been an inspiration on the incredible feats one could achieve when mastering distance, timing, and footwork.

On to my question. I just finished reading the article on the two primary positions for parrying and have a question as to what is better as far as a grip on the sword. I am somewhat ambidextrous (I broke my arm when I was three) and I do tend to favor my left hand at times when I should not (I'm right handed). So my question is when using a long sword and doing the hanging guard, which hand should be on top? It feels like it should be my right hand, as I can counter with a quick slash from that position, but I also feel comfortable doing it the other way. My observations have been right hand on the bottom of the grip is better for defense. If need be, I have a stronger block, but if I switch my hands up, I can have a stronger counter. Which is preferable, or are both acceptable? Some goes for the low guard. Which is the proper grip for a right handed fighter?

[Guest]

Just for the record, I tried using my full name, but kept getting an error message. Is there a limit on characters?

[Joachim Nilsson]

Hi Jeffrey.

I hope I've understood your post correctly now. <img src="/forum/images/icons/tongue.gif" alt="" /> So here goes:
In the premise of gripping the hilt with the right hand near the cross and the left hand close to the pommel , your left hand should always be on top. (If you by your post meant that "on top" equals the hand that is closest to the pommel as it rises in the air when executing a hanging guard...) You can still execute a good strong countercut from that position. No switching of hands is nessecary. I would advice against doing so since that will only serve to slow you down.

The main thing to remember for execution of a strong hanging guard is to keep the right hand palm up. If kept nuckles up, palm down you end up in a weak position and a blow might force your wrist to twitch and thus set aside your guard or even strike your hilt out of your grip.

And the correct grip for a right handed fighter is right hand close to the cross, left hand about half a hand/one hand-length further down the hilt close to the pommel.

Hope I've answered your question.

Regards,

[Guest]

Thanks for the reply. Okay. That did get really confusing. Let's do it this way. For terminolgy sake, the top hand will always be the one closest to the crossguard. This is a very bad analogy, but for a proper right handed fighter you should hold the sword like a baseball bat (i.e. right hand on top), correct? So keeping with the established terminolgy, the top hand (the one closest to the crossguard) remains closed, while the lower hand remains palm up correct? I was looking at the picture from that one manual at: http://www.thearma.org/essays/parrying3.htm and I'm having a hard time understanding how his arms and hands are in postion. This might seem like a really basic question, but even in baseball I tended to switch the position of my hands. I guess its something that stuck in me since I had to use my left hand for so long those many years ago. Thanks again!

[Joachim Nilsson]

Hm.. Okay, that clears things up a bit. Seems I got somewhat confused myself after all. <img src="/forum/images/icons/blush.gif" alt="" /> But that's the downside of trying to explain a technique over the internet I guess.

I we keep to the terminology just established, it depends on wheter you are doing a right or a left hanging. The bearded fellow on the picture in the link is doing a right hanging guard. That is; right leg forward, sword slightly angeled towards the same side in a 45 degree angle. That way you would end up the "top hand" palm up and the "lower hand" palm down. Now if you were to do a left hanging guard according to the same principle both hands would end up palms up. Mainly due to the way you twist your arms.

Man, it would be a helluva lot easier if I could show this to you in person. <img src="/forum/images/icons/crazy.gif" alt="" /> The perhaps easiest way to do a hanging and in the same time achieve some understanding of what I'm trying to explain is: stand in Pflug (either leg leading) then just raise the hilt, together with your arms, so that you have it slightly above your head. Between whichever arm that is closest to the opponant and your sword you now should have created a triangular "window" to look through. Just remember to tilt the hilt away from the leading leg as you want your tip (or sword) angling outwards on the same side as your leading leg. From there you can either make a passing step backwards or forwards while simultaneusly cutting around with the sword. Very powerful, very nice.

Did I make more sense this time? <img src="/forum/images/icons/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Regards,

[Guest]

Yep, that clears it up thanks. I have two other friends of mine that are really interested in ARMA, and we'll be joining as a study group this summer. I guess we'll be ARMA NE Pennsylvania. I can't wait to start seriously training. Thanks for all the help!

[Joachim Nilsson]

I'm glad I could be of assistance! <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

And I think it's great that you have a couple of interested friends and thus are able to join ARMA. I can guarantee you won't regret it. I made one of the best choices in my life when I joined.

Well met and regards,