History, Principles, and Practice of Royal Armouries MS I.33
(“One Thirty-Three”, “Tower Fechtbuch”)
By Wistric Oftun, Atlantian Rapier Academie, 09 May 2009
History of MS I.33
· Earliest extant fechtbuch, late 13th/early 14th centuries
· German, written in poetic stanzas with prose commentary
· Unarmored sword-and-buckler combat between “Priest” and “Scholar” (and then a woman, named “Walpurgis”)
· Origin in priestly instruction or cathedral schools
Equipment
Sword of Oakeshott type XII and XIII
From Bjorn Hellqvist:
Type XII characteristics: The blade is broad, flat and evenly tapering. Oakeshott’s criteria for this type (in order to differentiate from other, similar, types) are: 1) a noticeable taper and an acute point, and that the grip should be short (never of hand-and-a-half length), and 2) that the fuller should not extend further than 2/3’s of the length of the blade. The type XII swords are easily confused with other types, and this is further complicated by the fact that type XII’s were in use during much of the High Medieval period.
XIII characteristics: This type has blades with almost parallel edges running to a rounded point, and where the tang is longer than those of the usual single-handed variety. Generally, the fuller runs about halfway along the blade. The fuller is usually single, but it can be multiple. The type was in use from the middle of the 13th century to the latter half of the 14th. The same goes for the sub-types.
Buckler Shape: A nippled boss with swept-back brim.
Windrose 14” bossed buckler is best approximation
Principles of the System
Each ward has at least one counterward
Attack the close target, i.e. the hand, and always defend your own hand
Bind before entering, pursue through the bind (“Contrary and Irate”)
He who acts correctly first wins
The obvious attack is too obvious
Fundamental Actions
“Falling under the sword” – An underbind and offline step to the left which initiates most contact
“Shield-knock” – Use of the buckler to bind opponent’s buckler and sword
“Thrust-strike” – A thrust delivered while holding the buckler in place to serve the same role as the forte of the sword
Stance
Closer to Liechtenauer stance: more upright, more planted, slight forward lean
Weight kept on toes. Fought in turnshoes or other smooth-soled shoes with no traction.
Blows
Sheitelhau – Vertical center-line cut
Oberhau left/right – Diagonal downward cut
Mittelhau left/right – Horizontal cut
Unterhau left/right/center – Rising diagonal cut
Thrust in quarte – Primary thrust-strike delivered in form
“Nucken” – A rising false-edge cut to the head delivered after over-binding the opponent’s blade
Ward | Counterwards |
Underarm | Half-shield, Crutch, Underarm, Longpoint |
Right Shoulder | Half-shield, Right Cover, Longpoint |
Left Shoulder | Left Cover, Half-shield, Longpoint |
Head (“Vom Tag”) | Half-shield, Longpoint, High Cover |
Nebenhut (“Tail”) | Half-shield, Tail, Longpoint, “Rare Opposition to Fifth Guard” |
Breast (“Plow”) | Half-shield, Longpoint |
Longpoint (High, Middle, Low, Priest’s Special Longpoint) | Any other ward, Fiddlebow, Half-shield, Longpoint, “Priest’s Special Counter” |
Walpurgis (aka Special Second) | Same counters as Right Shoulder |
References
http://www.oakeshott.org/Typo.html
http://www.myarmoury.com/features.html
http://www.algonet.se/~enda/oakeshott_eng.htm
http://www.thearma.org/Manuals/i33/i33.html
http://freywild.ch/i33/i33en.html
Medieval Sword and Shield, Wagner and Hand, 2003
The Medieval Art of Swordsmanship, ed./trans. Forgeng, 2003
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