Most of the relics of the past, such as the sword and the art of sword fighting remain fascinating and inspiring. However, this article is not about fantastic swordsmanship. The main thing that is explained here is how to win the fight, or at least be able to survive to fight another day.
Step
Step 1. Pay attention to the battle scenario
Being aware of the situation is the key to winning the fight. The mind not only focuses on realizing that you need to be ready to fight, but also on quickly paying attention to your surroundings and thinking of ways to turn the location of the battle into an advantageous one. If you're not prepared, you can be attacked before you can draw your sword.
- Trust your gut. Are you feeling bad? Do you feel watched? Is the situation too quiet, or is something out of place, or do you hear something unclear? Pay attention to your intuition because it might save your life.
- Beware of threats. If you don't pay attention to the attacker, you are at a disadvantage. Some things to watch for include strange or suspicious behavior, the situation around you, and even your own "hunches."
- Pay attention to the fighting situation. Fighting thugs in dark alleys is very different from fighting in tournaments. Fighting in tournaments is controlled and conducted according to rules or codes of conduct. When you are attacked in the streets (for some reason), you may be fighting for your life. You can break the rules by employing "dishonorable" tactics, such as kicking, throwing sand in your opponent's eye, or tricking.
Step 2. Observe the combat environment
Every sword fight must take place somewhere. Observe the battle area so you can guess what weaknesses you might have, and what things you can turn into something advantageous. If you can strategize to attack and/or protect yourself more effectively (eg by preparing a surprise attack, cornering your opponent into a stalemate, taking cover behind a boulder), you may be able to win. Some environmental elements that can be utilized include:
- Bright sunlight can blind the eyes if it is at the right angle with a strong level of sharpness. Force your opponent into a position that exposes his eyes to the sun so that you are difficult to see.
- A dark environment can make the body invisible to both you and your opponent.
- The forest has plenty of room to hide. Trees can make it difficult for fighters to form mass defenses such as "walls of shields", or launch attacks in formation like on a battlefield.
- Natural obstacles such as cliffs, sea, or walls can hinder movement and hinder attempts to escape.
- Sword fighters (especially those in armor or armor) usually don't perform at their best in areas of mud, swamp, ice, or in heavy, soft snow.
- Fighting on the battlefield should be done as a team, not highlighting individual skills. You will depend on the people around you to survive. Acting rashly alone can have fatal consequences for yourself and your friends.
- The environment in urban areas is usually a closed place, such as a room or a street.
Step 3. Draw your sword before you start fighting
The sword swing of a trained person only takes a fraction of a second. So, if you've drawn your sword, your time won't be wasted. In addition, the sword will also be useless if it only hangs in the scabbard.
- On the other hand, if your sword is designed to be easily removed from its scabbard quickly (and you've trained it), this can be a great surprise attack. This action can also intimidate your opponent by showing that you are a highly trained fighter.
- This is perfect for Japanese swords that can be used to attack while being pulled from the scabbard. This style is called iaido and batto-jutsu.
Step 4. Take it easy
Panic is a natural reaction when someone fights with a sword. However, if you are tense, your mind will be so weak that you cannot act quickly, with control, or with a clear mentality. This can be fatal. With practice, you can learn to concentrate in dangerous situations. Your mind will learn to focus on what is at hand.
Step 5. Keep your body balanced so you can attack and parry without getting hit
Always keep your feet shoulder-width apart, and when moving, keep your feet outstretched. Never place both feet close together. Use a sword grip that makes it easy for you to move it. Watch your opponent's moves and learn how to move when attacking and launch an opening attack. You have to be fast. When parrying, keep your sword close to your body so you don't have to spread your arms to parry the attack. Try to always counterattack. Foot movement and placement are key to balance. The more times your feet touch the ground, the better your balance will be, so the more power you channel in your attacks. To maintain balance, try to move by sliding your feet, not lifting and stepping. Leaning forward raises your heels, reducing your balance on the ground. Be careful with the placement and use of your feet in each attack as this can give your opponent an opportunity to hit you. Keep your body straight with your chest and body pointing forward so you will maintain balance when you swing your sword. It also makes it easier for you to dodge your opponent's attacks with simple body movements. If your body is facing to the side, you will be locked out as you can only dodge attacks in one direction.
Step 6. Start the fight carefully
If you're too rash when it comes to attacking, especially against a trained fighter, he may just be waiting for you to swing his sword. By doing battles carefully, you can maintain control and focus at all times. It also allows you to form the best possible defense by simply dodging your opponent's attacks sideways (or shifting your legs to the side). This can save lives and allow you to win the fight. Dodging (dodging by moving your body backwards) is perfect for both outdoors and indoors (if you can do it quickly).
Step 7. Have a strong defense
If you can't parry or dodge just once, it can be fatal. So you have to protect yourself well. Keep the sword in a position that allows you to swing it from the bottom of the body towards the top of the head. This is the middle position, which is suitable for any skill level. This allows you to respond to your opponent's attacks at a reasonable pace, as well as giving you plenty of opportunities to launch your own attacks.
Step 8. Keep your weapons ready
In general, the sword should be stretched away from your body a comfortable distance aimed at your opponent's throat or possibly the eye. This is a movement to aim at the target. This serves as a counter to the opponent's attack (which must pass through your sword first). This position can be very intimidating, especially for an inexperienced opponent.
Step 9. Bend your elbows and position them close to your body
Inexperienced fighters tend to stretch their arms to keep their opponent from getting close, but this can reduce their ability to stab and parry attacks quickly. Extend your sword at your opponent, but not by extending your arms.
Step 10. Perform the first attack
While a skilled fighter can fight continuously for long periods of time, the actual sword fight is often determined by the first strike (usually completed in less than 30 seconds). Have confidence in your attacks. If your first attack misses, your opponent will take advantage and end the fight with a deadly attack.
Step 11. Find and maintain the ideal distance based on the balance between your reach and your opponent's
The "range" is the weapon itself plus the length of the sword swing. The long arm wielding a short sword has the same range as the short arm wielding a long sword. The comfort you feel can depend on several factors: height, sword length, sword style, and fighting style. All of these things affect the right distance for you.
- If your "range" is shorter, move closer and keep your position within reach of the opponent's defensive area. Don't let him push you away. If you keep getting closer, opponents with longer ranges won't be able to swing their swords as well, and you'll usually be able to swing your swords more quickly than people with longer ranges.
- Keep your distance from your opponent if you use a longer sword. Longer blades can keep opponents away, reducing the chances of making contact.
- If you have nearly the same range, put yourself in a position that can charge forward with just one move.
Step 12. Try to stay calm and confident
A calm demeanor can determine the outcome of a battle, just like a sword, and this is an effective tactic. If you feel nervous or scared, your opponent may take advantage of your lack of confidence and provoke you to make a fatal mistake. A good fighter tends to make his opponent wary, restless, and frightened.
- It's important to stay calm, but try to display aggressiveness that will intimidate your opponent. In fact, you can even pretend to be scared, making your opponent laugh at you so that he becomes complacent and makes a fatal mistake.
- Every strength must have a weakness. For example, a tall fighter may have a longer range, but he may need a long time to swing a sword. A tall body is also not advantageous in areas with low ceilings.
- Every weakness also has a strength. An inexperienced fighter is a difficult opponent to predict.
Step 13. Find the plot of the battle and try to control it when the fight starts
This is the conclusion of this article summed up in one sentence, which is a very important point. If you manage to find the flow of the fight and control it, you have a good chance to end the fight immediately with a deadly move. This concept is hard to understand, but you can try it next time you spar with friends.
Find the pattern and flow of the fight from one move to the next, and try to control your opponent. A fighter usually attacks, defends, and applies the tactics that are most mastered and comfortable for him. It takes years and a lot of practice to acquire this kind of ability. If you have mastered it, half the battle will be yours
Step 14. Don't expect the fight to be dramatic
Most sword fights are completed with simple, well-timed, well-targeted attacks and parries. Complicated and dazzling sword moves usually only occur in action movies. Indeed, there are certain goals that make someone need to show off maneuvers in the right situation and opportunity. However, this action can cost you an embarrassing loss, unless you are an expert. For example, don't rotate your body in a circle. It might look beautiful in the movies, but it leaves your defenses open to attack.
- One goal that may be useful is: intimidation. Showing off your swordsmanship skills to an inexperienced opponent can damage that person's self-confidence. Making an opponent doubt his own ability to fight is a great psychological victory.
- Another good goal is: distract your opponent. When your opponent is impressed by your sword dancing skills, you can prepare to launch an attack on his defensive area.
Tips
- Exercise is very important. If you train really hard, maybe 10% of the knowledge you learn will show up in combat. You have to be able to act on instinct, without wasting time thinking. The basic techniques will work automatically, and this is why they are called 'basics'. Practice basic techniques constantly most of the time as this will probably be the only thing you have as a helper. It usually takes you about 2 months to fully learn a technique, but this technique can disappear in as little as 1 month.
- Accuracy is more important than strength.
- Remember that every part of a sword is a weapon, including the tip, sharp edge, hand guard, and hilt. Your body and whatever is around you can also be used as weapons. Sword fighting will not be limited to using the sword only. Use any object so you can win.
- If possible, find out in advance the weapon your opponent will use. If you're fighting an opponent who uses a fast small sword, don't let his appearance fool you. This weapon may have moderate flexibility and is excellent for breaking through open defenses. On the other hand, if the opponent uses a heavy heavy sword, he may want to end the fight with one or two strikes. As much as possible you should keep your body away from your opponent and wait until he is exhausted.
- Pay attention to the area around you and use it to your advantage. Cornering an opponent into a barrier behind him is a useful action. In addition, the position of the body with its back to the sun can make the opponent glare so that his defense will be open to attack.
- Take good care of fighting equipment. Swords and armor will not let you down and can be of great use if properly cared for.
- You can't become an expert swordsman just by reading this article. While this article attempts to cover the basics of swordsmanship, the complex sword moves cannot be explained on paper, videos, computer screens, or WikiHow articles. If you're really interested in learning it, look for a martial arts school, fencing school, or college that specializes in the use of the sword. Overseas there are SCA (Society for Creative Anachronism) who train to fight using swords and armor. Choose a college you like and practice with an expert teacher. Keep in mind that every school and type of sword has a different style so some parts of this article may not be right for you.
- Don't dodge and dodge like a maniac. Pay attention to where your opponent is moving when swinging your sword, and don't move too much. When an opponent lunges and you dodge to the side, the opponent's defense will be open to attack. Take this opportunity. If necessary, you can carry a shorter companion sword (offhand sword) in the other hand. This is not cheating, but acting practically.
- Positioning of the body is important. Keep your body straight with your sword drawn toward your opponent (like a fencer's position). This makes you difficult to target so your vital organs will be protected.
- If possible, don't fight more than one person. If you have to fight a lot of people, try making moves that put their positions against each other. This allows you to deal with opponents one by one.
- Save energy. Veteran fighters have learned that a life-and-death battle requires a lot of effort. So, don't waste time doing unnecessary moves and maneuvers. Your life may depend on this.
- Use the weapons and techniques that are most mastered and according to your strength. Trying something new in a fight could get you killed.
Warning
- Keep in mind that there is no prize for 2nd place in a sword fight. First place is the one who is still standing when the fight is over, and second place is dead. This means that when you engage in a sword fight (or any weapon) against someone, your main goal is to defend your life, not to hunt for bounties.
- When fencing (for fun, like a child wielding a stick), the main mistake that many people make is striking the sword, not the opponent. So, keep this in mind when fighting. Hit the opponent (hand, body, or head), not the sword. You can defeat your opponent easily if he attacks your sword (stick). In addition, your posture and self-confidence will also change. This action can usually frighten an amateur opponent.
- It's a cliché, but you should always be prepared for the unexpected. Sword fighting has no fixed rules other than the quest for survival. Opponents can kick, slap the ground in the face, or anything else that can annoy you. Keep in mind that you can also apply this tactic.
- When using two swords, don't let your arms cross. This can cost you a lot of maneuverability, which can be fatal. Use the "lever" handle as described above.
- Never turn around. While it's fleeting and looks cool, it's ineffective and useless. Turning around with your back to your opponent (even if it's only for a second) can be fatal. So don't ever do it!
- Spinning a sword is usually only done by a drumben major. In battle, turning your sword can loosen your grip, leaving your defenses open to attack. However, spinning the sword like a "windmill" or forming a figure eight with two swords can be intimidating to a less experienced fighter (albeit tiring). However, don't do it in the presence of an experienced opponent. Even Darth Maul (one of the characters in Star Wars) can't escape just by turning a sword.
- All the rules in the competition will not apply in actual combat. There are no points, break times, and a code of ethics. You can gain an advantage over your opponent if you know the person's character and ignore the code of ethics or personal ego.
- The most important thing to note is that swordplay is not a "game". This is a serious matter related to how to draw a sword. Swords are designed to kill, there is no other purpose than that. Treat the sword with respect as you would a firearm. In this way, others will also treat you with respect.
- Staying on the defensive is only effective for a short time. In historic German fencing, keeping the opponent on the defensive was the best way to keep the person from attacking. Use with care.
- Don't let your sword slip. A single blow to the sword still in the air can knock it loose, rendering you defenseless. Keep the sword from falling off, unless you have more than one sword.
- There is a possibility that your body will be cut or something worse. Fighters who are afraid of getting their skin scratched tend to stay silent in the middle of the battlefield.
- The greatest fighter is the one who never draws his sword. This meant that a swordsman could only be compared to himself, and did not need to be tested to fight against others. More practically, if you're really getting into a sword fight, you're better off running away. A sword fight could get you killed, and you'll definitely be in trouble with the law (because it's illegal). Puncture or incision along the 8 cm in the neck / face area can be fatal or make a person's strength reduced by up to 80%. This means that the ultimate outcome of a sword fight is: the "loser" will die quickly, and the "winner" will die slowly. You're lucky to survive a sword fight unscathed, and don't do it again in the future. If you are unlucky and injured, seek medical help immediately.
