Postby Jay Vail » Tue Nov 25, 2003 4:41 am
Style perhaps is not the proper word, at least with regard to the wards. The German and Italian “schools” use the same wards because they are the most efficient way to stand ready with the two handed sword. (Sorry, Bart, but to my eyes the wards are essentially the same.) You will find the same basic wards used in any system using a two handed weapon; kenjutsu for instance uses the same wards, even pflug (although in kenjutsu pflug appears to be a minor ward rather than a major one as in European practice). Hence in Japanese fencing systems you will see alber, pflug, von tach (above the head and at the shoulder), ochs and tail. (In at least one iaido ryu, there is a kata which solely involves moving from one ward to another, through all the wards used in that system.) Variations of these same major wards are found in pole weapons systems, such as the pole axe, the Asian staff (bo and jo), and the naginata. Japanese spear systems also appear to use at least some of these wards; oddly, however, European spear wards seem to be somewhat different. Because of the widespread use of these wards across the world, across cultures, and across weapons systems, it is clear the ancients discovered they were the most efficient method of standing ready to attack or defend with these two handed weapons. It is likely that these wards are very ancient -- thousands upon thousands of years old.
However, in your research you should concentrate not on the use of the two handed sword, for that weapon was popular in Europe for only a short period. Rather, the major European weapon throughout most of our history was the one-hand sword, with shield. I would look first, then, at the effects of the one-hand sword and to how it is used.
