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airlocksandaviaries · 1 year

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So, You Want to Write a Sword Fight.

Welcome to Your Local Sword Girlboy’s crash course on how to write a sword fight! We’re going to cover all the basics, from understanding context, to pacing, even some good ways to research! So buckle up gays, and let’s learn How to Sword.

First, what kind of sword are you wielding? There are so many different swords and forms and they’re all very different. But not only in the way you might think. Obviously the way the swords are held and wielded and the weight they have makes a difference how you write the battles, but even more so than that is TYPE OF FIGHT. Sabers, Epées, and Foils all have specific ways their bouts are set up and executed, and it has to do with a highly important cultural system of honor. Is this an honorable bout? Or a fight for survival? Or a fight for revenge? How much do these characters respect each other and how desperate are they?

This will affect the setup of the fight more than you think. For example, the target area. Or other weapons involved. If it is an honorable fight between two parties that respect each other, they will only hit on the front area of each others’ target, and will only make contact with their blades on each other. If it is a fight for survival, however, all bets are off. Any area on each others’ bodies is valid target area, and they might be more inventive while fighting, like slamming each other with the hilt, or using another improvised weapon nearby to win. It’s important to consider.

Now let’s talk about types of swords specifically. Sabers, Epées, and Foils are all incredibly light and whippy, and are held with one hand. They can be maneuvered very fast and can perform some very fast actions, and are GREAT for feinting (more on this later). They can change direction quickly with a whip of the fingers, and are usually used in very honorable bouts. Foils and Epées are for stabbing, while Sabers are for slashing opponents. All of these swords, though, use VERY small and quick movements. The fighter wielding one of these even makes themself smaller with a squatting stance and only one side facing the opponent. Everything is quick and precise. Footwork is key.

Rapiers and cutlasses are heavier, but still operated with one hand. These are favored by pirate types, and are used for slashing and sometimes stabbing. Another detail is that these can also be accompanied by a parrying dagger, held in the opposite hand as the Rapier and used for blocking the opponent’s blade out of the way.

Now the one you’ve been waiting for, longswords and broadswords (and lightsabers as well). These are usually two handed weapons, but can be one-or-two handed. They are heavier, and take more strength to control, but believe me when I say they are NOT clunky or slow. You CAN perform a feint with a longsword. I HAVE done it before (not successfully, but that’s just a skill issue on my part, let’s not dwell on it). The way these swords are maneuvered are with wider swings, for cutting OR slashing, and to protect the whole body. Footwork is important as well, but it’s terrible on the knees if you run too much with these (because they’re so goddamn heavy) so it’s not like you can run a marathon with a longsword like you can with a foil or saber. (of course if it’s a lightsaber all bets are off bc that thing is made of light and it's wielded by a space wizard so whatever).

Alright next. Let’s get GRANULAR. Let’s talk about very specific types of attacks and blocks and how to phrase this. Now, don’t worry, you don’t have to be a fencing expert to talk about the specific moves, because the audience will understand what you’re saying. It’s just about being specific enough to where you can paint a picture in their heads but not too specific to where the fight loses its suspense.

So, first, let’s talk about attacks and blocks, and what to call them. For any sword, extending the blade is holding it out in front of you. Thrusting is when you make a jabbing attack with the blade. And finally, lunging is when you throw your body forward with the attack, specifically throwing out your front leg and leaning into it, while keeping your body level with the floor to keep balance and make it easy to recover into a guard position.

Now for blocks. Pushing the blade out to block the opponent’s blade is called a parry. When you attack your opponent back immediately after taking their blade in a parry, it’s called a riposte. You don’t need to use this word, though, because I’ve found that just saying something like “They parried her blade and then thrusted towards her chest,” works quite well.

SIDE NOTE: if both of your opponents have the same pronoun set, I’m so fucking sorry. It doesn’t get any easier. It’s the Gay Fanfiction Dilemma, I’m afraid. But if you’re already versed in that, use the same workarounds for pronouns and titles for fighting as you do for fucking, it works pretty much the same way ;). (But PLEASE don’t be afraid to use their names. I promise nobody is going to kill you if you say the characters' names twice in a single paragraph. It’s MUCH better than having to read “the blond” or “the tall one” or “the younger woman.”) Basically, just use their names a lot. It’s quicker and I promise you it works.

Now where were we? Ah yes. Attacks and blocks. I already covered those, but surprise, there’s a secret third thing, and it’s my very favorite move. Feinting. It’s quite simple really, it’s an extension of the blade, a faked attack, to get your opponent to try to parry or block or move their blade, only to switch your movement to avoid their blade and attack them back. It’s fun and can be extremely effective, and it also can be used in many different types of ways. Any way you can get your opponent to try to parry your blade in one place, like a high or a low attack, expect where their blade is going to be, and then avoiding it works as a feint. Or you could engage the blade, and move it around with your own blade to get it away from your target area and slide in for a riposte. This is my specialty. And it makes a KILLER shiiiiiiing sound as well. It sounds confusing, but it can actually be written quite simply. Let’s give an example:

“A thrusted out their blade in a feint. But just as B’s blade leaped for it, A withdrew their arm and took B’s blade up in a quick engagement. They swung it around and metal scraped against metal as A pushed B’s blade away from pointing at their chest to a harmless position beside their thigh. Then, in the same flowing movement, blades still locked, A pushed their blade back up for a deadly thrust at B’s chest.”

Not bad, if I do say so myself. Although this comes from having executed that maneuver a hundred times personally. There’s still hope for you though, as a non-fencing sword writer, I promise! You just gotta research and read a bit. But more on that later.

Next let’s talk about footwork. It’s not the most important part of the fight, but it is worth mentioning every once in a while in your scene, just to give the audience a sense of space for where your characters are, especially if they’re in a precarious position like a mountain or a pirate ship. Remember that swordfighting requires a LOT of backwards and forwards movement on both parties’ parts, so give your characters lots of room!

That brings us to our next point. Pacing. Now, here’s something you NEED to know about real life sword fights. They are MUCH faster than you think they are. Most of the fight is pacing back and forth, trying to gain right of way (if you’re in foil), and testing your opponent to see where they’ll go. Just a few seconds of blade engagement, and then it’s back to pacing back and forth to see who’s going to jump first. Also some testing to see how trigger happy your opponent is but thrusting towards them and seeing if they’ll attack back or retreat. Basically, irl sword fights are just 70% foreplay and 20% actual stabby stab.

But this is not great for fun sword fight scenes! Remember it’s okay to stretch the truth, and focus on the swordplay actions, stretch them out as much as necessary. Especially if your characters are superhuman. Just consider throwing in a few moments of pacing and sussing each other out, I promise it’s worth it. Not just to break up the constant fighting, which can get tiresome, but also because characters get tired too! Superhuman or not, fighting is exhausting on all parties. It’s not unusual for two sword fighting individuals to suddenly break and have a moment of analysis, slowly circling each other. I promise it won’t break your tension, if anything it will just increase it.

Now let’s talk about how to ACTUALLY get better and writing these scenes. And no, I’m not going to say ‘practice.’ Because while practice is important, so is RESEARCH and OBSERVATION.

There’s many ways you can research and observe as a non-sword individual! First I recommend watching clips of actual sword fighting, specifically women’s olympic foil (because they have the most technique out of all the other swords and categories). Also, watching sword fighting scenes in movies is good. It’s a dramatized version, of course, but that’s exactly what we’re trying to achieve in writing. It’s good to watch the character’s perspectives as they fight, and how the action washes over us as an audience.

Finally, I recommend actually reading sword fights in stories. The best author for fantasy sword fights, hands down, is R.A. Salvatore. His books are super cool D&D fantasy quest stories centered around a badass but also cute and compelling Drow character who gets into sword fights ALL THE TIME. And nobody writes a sword fight like Salvatore. Reading his work has probably helped me more in writing sword fights than my actual knowledge of how to sword fight.

I hope this has helped somewhat! Or was just fun to read. Either way, I enjoyed writing it. I love writing sword fights and I love sword fighting and I love helping, so I was happy to make this. Also, I have lots more technical knowledge I would love to share on this subject, so if you have anything you want to know about how swords or sword fights work or how to write something, I’m open for asks! Even if I don’t know you! Feel free to reach out with a question or a comment, I’ll geek out about swords any day.

Anyway that’s it my writer friends and fellow sword enthusiasts, good luck and happy writing! <3

@veradragonjedi

#sword fights #writing tips #writers on tumblr #how to write a sword fight #fencing #foil #epee #saber #longsword #broadsword #airlocks writes #writing tutorial #long post

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mactiir · 1 year

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So you want to learn to swordfight.

The most common question I see in historical fencing forums and on social media is "how do you get into HEMA?"

If you're like "what's HEMA?" -- that's Historical European Martial Arts -- it's the study and recreation of historical martial arts through weapons manuals written at the time! Many people take a scholarly approach to it -- focused on reading and recreating martial systems -- but many take a sport approach, because martial techniques are designed to be used martially! This means we're fencing -- swordfighting! Think Olympic fencing with bigger swords and slightly different rules, and more colorful gear. In this post, I will be more focused on how to get into the sporty, competition-focused side of the hobby.

Historical Fencing is a martial art! This is a really common confusion from folks who are more familiar with more well-known sword-loving communities. It's not LARPING (though I love a good LARP) -- we aren't playing characters or scenarios, and we don't dress up (usually-- rapier fencers love poofy pants, lol). It's not stage combat or SCA (although there's some community overlap)-- most of us are less interested in recreating periods or aesthetics from history than we are in learning to fence, and compete, with our weapons of choice. Although LARPing, SCA, and stage combat are all cousin hobbies to WMA, the closest analogue to Historical Fencing as a hobby is... Modern Fencing! Kendo and blade-focused Eastern Martial arts, like Kenjutsu, are also much more like historical fencing than SCA is.

Whether you're considering starting longsword fencing because your favorite author uses it as a reference, rapier fencing because it's the coolest weapon in your favorite video game, or just because you think it'd be sick as hell (it is), here's a (noncomprehensive) FAQ for becoming your very own sword lesbian/broadsword bisexual/greatsword gay/spear queer.

I don't know if there are any classes near me, where do I look?

The best place to start is the Hema Alliance Club Finder. You can use it to look up classes and sparring groups in your immediate geographic area.

2. The Club closest to me doesn't offer the weapon I'm interested in. Should I still go?

Yes. Most clubs are "longsword" clubs, but it’s really rare to find a historical fencer that exclusively fences a single system or weapon. Even if nobody at the club fences the system you're interested in, you can 1) probably talk them into it and 2)fencing not-your-weapon will still make you better at your-weapon. My club is a "longsword" club, but we have fencers who regularly do saber, rapier, rapier and dagger, messer, messer and buckler, side sword and buckler, katana, broadsword, spear, and even montante (greatsword). Just ask!

3) The nearest club is too far away. Can I learn just by studying manuals online?

Yes and no. I don’t recommend doing lots of solo practice without having attended a class. It's a good way to engrain bad habits, as well as avoid fencing altogether ("i cant spar yet, my form isn't perfect/ive learned bad habits" or worse, "i don’t need to spar, i know all the manuals inside and out"). This is a really important point: LEARNING TO MOVE A SPECIFIC WEAPON IS LESS THAN 30% OF FENCING, and you will be moving through guards and forms like a pro with only a few months of intentional practice. Your cut form can be picture-perfect and you will still get wrecked in a bout if you don't have experience. Most of fencing is understanding timing, distance, your psychology and your opponent's, and knowing from experience which positions you can get to from what other positions. You can only learn to fence by... fencing. Now, if your thing is studying arms manuals and replicating them picture-perfect, which some people are into, more power to you! But it won't be winning you any tournaments, and I am writing this assuming you want to do the sporty/swordfighty side of things.

4) wait, there are books on swordfighting?

Yes. Check Wiktenauer. Most of them are free. My club does Joachim Meyer; Fiore and Lichtenauer are also fairly common for longsword.

5) I really can't get to classes, though. Am I just out of luck?

Is there an Olympic fencing group nearby? How about lightsaber fencing? No, seriously. Kendo? Boxing? All of these things train the exact skills that are difficult to learn in HEMA fencing -- distance, timing, reaction speed, fight psychology. Some of the best beginners I've ever sparred came from lightsaber, or kendo. If there is no group nearby at all, pick up a copy of Meyer's art of combat and a 12-inch length of steel pipe (it's the same weight as a longsword) to learn how to move the sword (do NOT hit people with this, oh my god), go to kendo for a few months, and you'll be in decent shape for WMA sparring when you can get to a group.

The reason HEMA is fun is because of the community! Even if it's a really intense commute, try to make it to class at least once or twice. You will enjoy it more, you will learn more, and you will fence better. Don't just do it all on your own! Most of the people in these groups have fallen into the common mistakes so YOU don't have to. Utilize them!

6) What do I do if there are no people to spar with nearby?

Why don't you start a group? Purpleheart armory sells foam swords for like $50 each. Get some friends, get everybody a mask and a boffer and get to it! This is how HEMA as a hobby started -- people messing around with foam trainers and a copy of a 16th century arms manual.

6.5) I'm sparring outside of a club -- should we use synthetics, wood, or steel?

Dude, just use foam until you can get a complete steel kit. Keep in mind: synthetics can be as dangerous as steel, wood is MORE dangerous than steel, and steel requires full safety kit for full speed sparring. Don't break your fingers because you wanted to look cool. These things HURT, and can cause serious injury unless used with intention.

7) should I buy a sword?

If you're with a HEMA school, they will have their own cadence for buying gear, and the sword is usually the last thing you get. You should only buy a federschwert (training sword) once you know your style and sword preference. If you're not following a club cadence or planning to attend a tournament, Do Not buy a steel weapon. A full steel spar kit costs like $800 dollars, and without a full safety kit all you have is a $300 wall ornament nobody can use.

And don't buy a blunt, please. Beginners love blunts because they look like "real swords". They also break bones. Federschwerts are standard in the community and nobody is going to think you’re cool for showing up with a weapon designed to snap someone's humerus in half. If you're that twisted about it, Sigi forge sells schiltless feders that look like "real" swords (a feder is a real sword, but I digress).

8) what safety gear should I buy?

Every club and tournament has its own recommendations. Look at the Mid-Continental HEMA Open rules for a very standard list of gear reqs for a reputable tournament. Generally, in this order, it's:

-mask (don't point a sword at anyone without one of these on)

-chest plastron (for preventing unfortunate accidents that might send shards through the lungs)

-gorget (rigid or semi-rigid)

-hardshell gloves (don't do lacrosse gloves or other soft gloves for longsword, you'll break your fingers)

-puncture-resistant jacket

-forearms/elbows

-shins/knees

-back of head protector (concussions bad)

-pants/skirt

-sword

I probably missed something but these are the most common questions-- fellow HEMAists or interested parties, lmk if I missed anything! Happy fencing!

#Historical Fencing #Hema #Historical European martial arts #Longsword #Two hander #Western martial arts #Longsword fencing #Fencing #Rapier #Rapier fencing #Sword and buckler #Swordfighting #Real swordfighting #messer

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scalpelandrose · 6 months

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I couldn’t make anything “official” for Halloween this year, but here are the full-bodies from my “Deeper than Blood” vampire AU reference sheet I’ve been working on! 🥀🖤

Notes below the cut:

Law has 2 designs: Wallachian & Victorian (that I have yet to illustrate).

- As a nod to Kikoku, his longsword is forged out of Hungarian black steel, which was an innovation aimed to make blades stronger & better resist wear. The mace-like bottom is a nod to how Vlad Tepes’ choice weapon was a mace.

- His garbs are inspired by 15th century Wallachian noble clothing.

- Wallachian men tended to wear their hair long compared to their Hungarian or Ottoman counterparts, hence his long hair (I swear, it wasn’t my penchant for long-haired men that made me draw his hair long XD)

Michelle’s (my OC’s) vampire gown is loosely based off Victorian off-shoulder dresses (that I’ve been drawing since elementary school. It had always been a ‘dream dress,’ growing up).

- The pendant she wears bears the Order of the Dragon’s signum draconum made from Law’s own blood, that was gifted to her when she was a human child.

- She prefers wearing the tall riding boots compared to the usual walking boots both as human & vampire, because vampire-human conflicts make everyday life unpredictable.

- Her saber is a hybrid of a rapier & calvary sword.

#scalpelandrose #vampires #vampire design #vampire au #wip #gothic #law x michelle #trafalgar law x s/i #trafalgar law x oc #michellaw #oc #self shipping #self ship #my art #digital illustration

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empress-hancock · 7 months

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You know how to use a longsword???

Yes I do German longsword fencing. And I’ve learned rapier (Italian and Spanish, although Spanish is much more complicated so I prefer Italian) and saber and broadsword in the style used in Ireland between 1300-1700 (this one I’m teaching myself through a book because the guild doesn’t have any locations near me). I got into HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts) over the pandemic

#it has been a while since I’ve done it just bc I moved twice in a year but I found a gym near me at this new location

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runeswordproductions · 2 months

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Swords Explained (Badly)

Arming sword: it’s the swordest sword to ever sword, nothing to explain, no complexity whatsoever, no sir.

Backsword: the extra-ancient, extra-special secret saber that you need to slay your coach to attain. Alas, for this sin you are cursed to forever wander, alone no matter the density of the crowd, that weirdo at the saber event whose weapon the gear inspectors puzzle over for fifteen minutes before finally shrugging and saying, “guess we’ll allow it.”

Basket-hilted broadsword: a single-handed sword with a unique, all-covering guard design, developed by the Scots to counter the British, who spread their tyranny to all corners of the globe through widespread use of their honorless hand-taps-only style of swordsmanship.

Cutlass: a saber too short to be useful outside its native environment of cramped sailing ships, the cutlass is now primarily used not as a weapon, but as steel plumage in the mating displays of that tropical bird of the sword nerd community, the ren faire pirate.

Dagger: a triangle-bladed spike of steel, the rondel dagger has been proven, by recent archaeological evidence, to be the only weapon that ever killed anybody in a medieval duel.

Dussack: a primitive boffer made from leather and wood. The term “dussack” is also occasionally used to describe a cutlass that happens to be owned by a German.

Gladius: it’s Greek or something.

Katana: A Japanese sword characterized by a curved, single-edged blade with a circular or squared guard and long grip to accommodate two hands.

Katzbalger: the preferred close combat weapon of the Landsknects, the most dangerous polycule of gay furries since the Sacred Band of Thebes.

Kriegsmesser: a curved longsword sometimes mistaken for the world’s biggest steak knife, the kriegsmesser is today wielded by fencers too self-conscious to admit that what they really want is a katana.

Longsword (German): the last of the Third Reich’s technologically impressive but strategically useless wunderwaffen, the German longsword was invented in the waning days of World War II. At first glance a simple two-handed sword, its hidden power can be activated with a 90-degree twist of the handle, which bodily transforms the wielder into an attack helicopter, careening uncontrollably toward its opponent to cleave their skull with its rotor blades.

Longsword (Italian): the apex of edged weapon fighting technology, capable of beat-thrusting its way through the armor of a main battle tank, this sublime weapon was single-handedly invented by the one true Daddy of swordsmanship, Fiore dei Liberi.

Messer: a small single-handed sword, the messer is possessed of a strange psychic property which makes every person you ask give you a different explanation for why it looks like a big knife.

Montante: a sword as lonely as it is horny. Though famous for its ability to take many men at once, this mighty greatsword has lived past its brief glory days. Now, in this degenerate age when large groups of men no longer thrust themselves into tight holes in castle walls, the tragically sexy montante has been largely abandoned by fencers who fear it is too mighty to fight with, even blunt.

Rapier: this extremely fashionable sword was meticulously optimized to defeat other people with the same taste in fashionable swords, exceeded in this niche role only by any other weapon capable of binding with its slender blade, as is related by history’s foremost expert in rapier fencing, George Silver.

Saber (dueling): known from a single extant specimen of an Absolute Fencing-brand electric saber inexplicably dating back to 18th Century France, the dueling saber is among the best evidence we have for the existence of time travel.

Saber (military): a blanket term for dozens of different single-handed curved swords from around the world, military saber as we know it today is a multitude of different martial traditions stitched together into a shambling undead abomination that stalks from club to club, eagerly devouring any fencer too unga bunga to be taken in by the wibbly allure of dueling saber.

Sickle: it’s not a farming implement, not any longer. Not even symbol of communism, no. This weapon has entered its final form as a dagger for people who think they are the main character.

Sidesword: too sexy to be an arming sword, too thicc to be a rapier, this evolutionary link between the two was simply too hot and had to be expunged from history to keep all the other swords from looking bad. It was only rediscovered in the modern day by reconstructive archaeological investigations into the philosophical absolute of “sexy sword.”

Shashka: a primitive saber without any kind of guard to protect the wielder’s precious fingers, the shashka is a weapon wielded exclusively by what is perhaps the most perplexing breed of sword nerd: the Cossack weaboo.

Smallsword: with its feather-light, sewing needle-like blade, the smallsword was invented so that waifish, noodle-armed rich boys would have a more traditionally masculine way to express their desire to kiss each other.

Spadroon: a likely-mythical weapon of extremely dubious historicity. Not only are there no extant examples of this sword, but experts agree there never were any to begin with. Its continued presence in modern HEMA culture is likely due to the deranged ramblings of fencers whose minds have been destroyed by their insatiable fetish for hybrid weaponry.

Swiss saber: a curved longsword with shockingly good hand protection, the ornate Swiss saber also demonstrates why basket-hilted two-handed swords never became popular: they look fucking stupid.

Viking sword: an arming sword that dropped out of school before it could develop even a rudimentary cross guard, the viking sword is the weapon of choice for those whose faith in the Aesir is as unshakable as their love for their only source in reconstructing their religion: the band Heilung.

#hema #historical fencing #fencing #swords #longsword #rapier #saber #viking #sword fighting #shitpost #fuck yeah there's a sequel

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