2H European Longsword

[MingTheMerciles]

Anyone practice European Swordmanship ? I am wondering what do they teach compared to their Japanese Counterpart

[Langenschwert]

I do. Those are the only arts I study. What you learn depends on what weapon you're using. What you should be learning in a HES school would be IMO, a lot of core techniques, presented as part of an overall system. In German longsword (my specialty), the optimal training would concentrate on the four guards, the five Master Cuts, both as defense and offense, the bind, fuhlen (literally, feeling), the windings, and wrestling at the sword. That is the core of the art. Everything else is gravy. It never hurts to do some unarmed and dagger work as well.

European swordmanship should be based on solid interpretations of the surviving manuals, and after that, obvious extrapolations. An instructor should be able to tell you where he got any technique he shows you.

Contact free-play (sparring) should be a core part of the training once technique is instilled to a certain degree. HES is not formalized in this regard, No "paired kata", though there should be a lot of drilling of techniques. You will eventually be expected to be able to defend yourself with the weapon against whatever a resisting opponent throws at you.

There are no "secret techniques". The manuals are all public domain, and some are easily accessible. Those manuals, in their day were the secret techniques. The nice thing is, you can push yourself, and learn at whatever pace you like. Once you've learned the basics really well, you can assimilate new techniques very quickly, straight out of the manuals, or modern interpretations of them. Your instructor can keep nothing secret from you, if you are willing to do the research. The best he could do is keep is interpretations secret from you.

The nice thing about HES is that there has been no watering down of techniques over the centuries. They were preserved, in amber, so to speak, at the height of their effectiveness, by those who used them in life and death encounters, by way of their manuals.

I don't study JSA, but as an aside, the guards of German Longsword are virtually identical to those of Kenjutsu, and they were developed separately. Pretty cool.

Keep in mind there are lots of European sword arts: Armizare (Italian), Sword & Buckler (usually German or Italian), Rapier (usually Italian or Spanish), English baskethilt, smallsword, highland broadsword, and there are a lot of stickfighting arts: La Canne, Grande Bastone, Jogo do Pau, Irish Stickfighting, etc. WMA is a big field, and also includes Savate and a variety of grappling styles for unarmed stuff. You can also learn staff and a variety of polearms. I think you'd be pleasantly surprised at what you'd learn if you found the right school.

Best regards,

-Mark

[MingTheMerciles]

I practice Kendo , so I suppose that learning 2h sword should not be much of a poblem to me compare to sword and buckler and rapier .

Where do you learn european sword art in Canada ?

I just arrive from hong kong to vancouver .

European Martial Art ( especially Greco Roman Wrestling and 2 H sword ) somehow got me intetrested in it .

[Langenschwert]

Originally Posted by MingTheMerciles

I practice Kendo , so I suppose that learning 2h sword should not be much of a poblem to me compare to sword and buckler and rapier .

Where do you learn european sword art in Canada ?

I just arrive from hong kong to vancouver .

European Martial Art ( especially Greco Roman Wrestling and 2 H sword ) somehow got me intetrested in it .

Yeah, having some experience in physically similar arts will help. However, in most longsword strikes you step diagonally, rather than straight at your opponent like in kendo (or so I've heard, I don't know jack about Kendo, so forgive my ignorance).

Most Canadian cities have a decent WMA community these days. Since you're in Vancouver, you're in luck. The well-regarded Academie Duello is right there in the city with you. They focus on Rapier, rather than longsword or sword & buckler. However, I have heard nothing but good things about them. Besides, learning rapier will improve your longsword, and vice-versa. You should definitely check them out. There may be other groups in Vancouver that the Adacemie could connect you with. I study rapier myself, in addition to longsword, and I quite enjoy it.

Good luck in your search,

-Mark

[MingTheMerciles]

Could you give me the website of the place where you learnt your longsword from ?

[Langenschwert]

Originally Posted by MingTheMerciles

Could you give me the website of the place where you learnt your longsword from ?

www.swordacademy.com

-Mark