Attacking around the Blade - Learn Sidesword!

In this video, Melissa and I delve into the intriguing realm of sword fighting techniques, specifically focusing on attacking around the opponent's sword. Throughout our discussion, we emphasize the critical role of timing, angle, and footwork in ensuring our safety during attacks. While our usual approach involves using the true edge of the blade to close off the opponent's weapon, we introduce an alternative method: attacking with the false edge & around their blade.
By maintaining contact between the false edge of our sword and the opponent's blade, we can effectively execute attacks that circle around their defense while remaining secure. This approach offers distinct advantages, particularly when aiming to strike from different angles. By employing the false edge, I can extend the alignment of my blade, keeping my point directed towards the opponent for a longer duration compared to relying solely on the true edge, which requires significant rotation and can compromise accuracy.
Our discussion highlights the value of this technique when confronted with a normally closed position (their sword points toward you). For instance, by executing a "punta riversa", we thrust around the opponent's blade & can either successfully strike them or compel them to move, thereby creating an opportunity for further attacks. This tactic exposes the opponent to potential strikes on the opposite side as well. It's important to note that proper body positioning and skillful footwork play crucial roles in both defending oneself and effectively executing these attacks.
In historical fencing or HEMA (for Historical European Martial Arts) we reconstruct sword fighting systems from historical sources. Our club focuses on Italian medieval and renaissance sources, fencing with the Spadone (Two-Handed Sword), Spear, Sidesword (One-Handed Sword) together with Shield, Cape, Dagger, you name it!
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[@SchildwachePotsdam]

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[@corrugatedcavalier5266]

Good stuff as usual. I always love it when you can bring out the general concepts in Dall'Agocchie's large repertoire of actions.

[@SchildwachePotsdam]

Thank you, I always hope this way the lessons are a bit easier to digest instead of giving "just" a set of choreography :)

[@MartinGreywolf]

One important caveat to these thrusts - the wider your opponent parries, the worse an idea they are. The video parries were incredibly narrow, so the thrusts were petty much a straight line and just as long as the standard ones. But if your opponent parries wider, you need to either increase the angle between your wrist and the blade or make a bigger step to the side. The former looses reach, the latter looses time, and there comes a point (usually sooner than you'd think) at which these thrusts become too dangerous to use.

[@logansites]

But if they make a bigger parry, the thrusts are easier to abandon and either sfalsata or cut around

[@SchildwachePotsdam]

Fair point, but as @logansites said. This opens them up for a compound attack or feints. So of course it's not a be-all-end-all solution to fencing, yet a useful technique against certain kind of opponents who parry really narrowly :)

[@Arcuzool]

Excellent video!

[@SchildwachePotsdam]

Thank you! :)

[@Davlavi]

Beautiful

[@SchildwachePotsdam]

Thank you 😊

[@MyYTchannel.thenationalrazor]

A lot of theory but never show it put into practice.