OUR SMALLSWORD CLASSES
Fridays at 5:30PM-6:30PM
Often known as a “court sword”, the small sword is a light, one-handed dueling sword that evolved out of the heavier and longer Rapier. The small sword reached the apex of its popularity during the 18th century to where it was worn by gentlemen as a status symbol and sometimes used to handle matters of honor.
Many had unsharpened edges but very acute points, lending to them being more point-driven swords. The blades were often very stuff to aid in parrying but with a point of balance back towards the guard, small swords were renown for being nimble and quick. Made famous in France as it the predecessor to the Epee De Combat (dueling sword), many manuals for small sword were written in French due to their prevalent dueling culture that persisted throughout the 18th century.
GALLERY
THE SMALLSWORD
Almost every culture that has developed swordplay has utilized some kind of shield in combat. From small bucklers for self-defense on the street to the towering scutum used in large formations, the combination of a sharp sword and a protective shield has consistently appeared throughout history.
A MORE CONVINIENT DUELING SIDEARM
One of, if not THE oldest sword manual we know if is the I.33 treaties. This manual describes and illustrates the use of dueling with an arming sword and buckler. Bucklers are smaller, metallic shields that are held in a fencer’s off-hand by a center-mounted bar. While difficult to extrapolate what is being done by studying the drawings, many have replicated the techniques in the real world. This kind of fighting is fast, technical, and very nuanced which is almost surely unlike how modern cinema would portray shield-and-sword combat. Historically, bucklers were carried both on the battlefield and for self-defense, mostly the latter. Its smaller size made it easier to carry on your person and quick to deploy, especially if it included a belt-clip.
AS DEADLY AS THEY WERE FASHIONABLE
Larger shields such as the heater, rotella, and kite styles found most of their use on open battlefields where multiple enemies and weapons would be used. These shields were often a part of a larger system of equipment and specific to the unit they were used in. Battlefields presented more dangers to a soldier than just sharp swords and spears. A warrior could find themselves needing their shield to protect against flying projectiles from any direction.
Most of these shields were used with a strap-system as opposed to the center-gripped position. This allowed the user to brace the shield and distribute its weight more evenly on the arm while also still covering a good portion of their body. This would also decrease the fatigue that comes with holding a shield out from the body by one point of contact for too long.
Shields like the Roman scutum and Viking shield were designed to be used within highly coordinate unit maneuvers that could utilize other shields to defeat larger groups of enemies. Swords were sometimes specialized (see the gladius) to work within the framework of these tactics.
