By Christopher Scott Thompson

Heavy sabers and broadswords suitable for fencing bouts are once more being manufactured by equipment suppliers. At the same time, there is a growing movement to revive competitive fencing with the singlestick, a weapon that was historically used to represent the broadsword, cutlass or saber.

For these reasons, it is quite likely that historical broadsword fencers will have the opportunity to test their skills against representatives of other styles of swordplay, including the classical saber schools. This happened historically from time to time. MacGregor’s Lecture of 1791 mentions that, "Charles Stewart of the 56th regiment, son to the said Duncan Stewart, was the best swordsman I ever saw; he beat one of the first masters of Italy at Gibraltar. But in short ‘tis needless to mention one more than another, for he served all alike that ever tried him".

In the course of my training with the Highland broadsword, I have been fortunate enough to be able to cross blades with swordsmen from a number of different styles, including Italian rapier, cavalry saber and smallsword, koryu kenjutsu, Hung Gar and Praying Mantis Kung Fu, Silat, kendo, Tai Chi straight sword, 19^th century American cavalry saber, Renaissance English short sword a la Silver, modern Hungarian saber, and German messer. I have also bouted extensively with my fellow students of the broadsword.

From my experiences in loose play against a wide variety of combatants, I am convinced that a good system of fencing is flexible and allows the swordsman to respond fluidly to any number of possible combative problems. The idea is not to be locked into the particular problem an opponent from your own system would present, but to be ready and willing to adapt to anything. If you can do this, you will never be surprised by another style, and you’ll be able to apply the principles of your own system to any new situation at a moment’s notice. Determining what sort of problem a particular opponent presents you with is not always easy. Based on my own experience, and more importantly on the words of the Highland broadsword masters, I offer the following suggestions.

At the beginning of a bout, come on guard immediately and retreat a little to avoid being caught off-guard by a sudden attack. Having established this margin of safety, you must now begin to ask yourself some questions. Is your opponent an artist or an ignorant, in other words is he a truly skilled fencer and a formidable opponent, or just a novice or brawler with a sword in his hand? You should be able to make a broad assessment just by the way he comes on guard. It’s not easy to describe this, but an experienced fighter will have a certain look about him when he takes up his weapon. His stance will look alive to you in a way that a weaker opponent’s stance will not. There is also a more complex approach devised by Sir William Hope. Hope says that you will face four types of opponents in the assault:

1. Those who attack in an irregular, precipitant and violent way. These fencers should be opposed by defending yourself as needed and striking them on the riposte.
2. Those who remain in one place without advancing or retreating. Against these fencers you should go on the offensive, taking care to avoid a time thrust or riposte.
3. Those who retreat constantly. You should catch up with these opponents by advancing, then take the offensive. Redouble if he breaks measure a little as you attack, taking care to avoid a time thrust or riposte.
4. A mix of all three. This is probably an "artist," or expert fencer. To defeat this opponent, use your judgment and calmly choose the best tactics.

Is your opponent taller than you, the same height, or shorter? If he’s shorter, you should keep him at a distance, and attack him with lunges from outside his distance so that you can reach him but he cannot reach you. If he’s taller, the usual advice is to close distance with him and force him to fight from a distance where his height is a disadvantage. However, Mathewson advises you to not get too close to a taller opponent, and instead to rely on the parry and riposte direct. A gathering step can be useful against a taller opponent. As described by Hope, this is performed by bringing your left foot up to your right foot and then immediately lunging from there.

Does he intend to be on the offensive or the defensive? If he intends to be on the offensive, he’ll advance on you when you give ground at the start of the bout. Is this a controlled and careful attack, or a wild and violent barrage? If it’s the latter, continue to retreat or shift, and touch him on the parry-riposte or with a shift and counterattack. Once his energy wears out you can easily dispose of him, but as long as you make certain to control the distance and to cover yourself with your own blade, it is almost always possible to successfully counterattack against an overly aggressive opponent. If his attack is controlled and disciplined, it could be a probing action designed to gauge your approach, so respond circumspectly.

As a general rule, I have found it helpful to fight on the defensive against weaker opponents, and to take the offensive against a stronger opponent. A weaker opponent will only succeed in touching you if you make some kind of mistake, so it often makes sense to make him come to you instead. When he attacks, he must necessarily present some opening for you to take advantage of, whereas an alert fencer standing on guard should present no obvious openings. Against a stronger opponent, you must throw him off his balance and prevent him from ever applying his superior skills. A controlled campaign of harassment is often effective, pressing him constantly without exposing yourself more than you need to.

I have found this to be true in my own experience, but it is also described explicitly in Mathewson’s Highland broadsword manual:

A general rule of both Scottish and English swordplay is to "strike and fly out." Don’t keep on pressing a particular attack, but get back on guard immediately after your attack whether you have hit your opponent or not. There are many styles of swordsmanship that do not accept this rule. However, the British styles were always on the defensive and conservative side, emphasizing "do not be hit" over "hit the opponent." You’ll probably hear impassioned arguments against this view from certain people, insisting that relentless attack is the only way and that those who fight from the defensive must inevitably be defeated. When you cross blades with such an opponent, allow them to attack as much as they want to. Give ground while parrying until their constant attacks present you with an opening that you can exploit without the risk of a mutual hit. Strike into the opening without the slightest delay, while shifting back or stepping off line. If you feel like chuckling to yourself, do it quietly!

Most of the Highland broadsword manuals give a number of tactical tips. While these are mostly in the nature of a particular master’s favorite techniques rather than general principles for all situations, I will briefly summarize a few of them that seem to me to have a wide application. I will then move on to discuss a fencing problem that the old masters rarely talked about- applying the art of the Highland broadsword to bouts with other styles, including styles that none of the old Highland masters would ever have heard of.

The use of a hanging, outside, inside or medium guard indicates a background in a historical broadsword method of the 18th-19th century, probably Scottish, English or American, all of which are similar in most respects. While there are differences between any particular Highland, English or American broadsword manual of that time period, they are frequently no greater than the differences between any two Highland manuals or any two English manuals. Essentially, there is a single broadsword tradition with minor regional differences.

If your opponent takes the offensive, there are a number of tactics you can use, depending on the circumstances.

If the opponent advances on a hanging guard, then cut at his head. His parry will expose his arm. Make a diagonal cut at his arm from below, then traverse one step to the left and cut his arm again. The cut under his arm will bring you to a hanging guard, providing opposition against his riposte.

If he advances with his inside or outside guard held too high, or his hanging guard too low, make a diagonal cut under the wrist from below.

If he advances on a high inside guard with his right knee deeply bent, then look him straight in the face, cut the inside of his knee, and shift quickly on a hanging guard.

The Highland Officer says: "Should you perceive any irresolution on the part of your adversary, in making his attack, force him out of the line, and attack him with vivacity."

If your opponent takes the defensive, you will again need to assess what type of fighter he is. There are a number of probing actions designed for this purpose. First, you must advance on him to determine his response. Mathewson says: "If you find that your adversary keeps his ground and does not retreat or traverse, follow him up, and lay your blows in quick and strong, both by the straight line and likewise by traversing to your left, which will throw you on his flank and will give you decidedly the advantage."

The Highland Officer warns you to engage swords (with a firm inside or outside guard) when advancing from out of measure. If you advance into lunging distance without blade contact you are in danger of being struck.

If you find that the opponent attempts to parry a leg cut instead of shifting and counterattacking, then feint for the leg and cut for the head.

The Highland Officer says: "When you come to the guard, and have a mind to attack in your turn, change quickly from the in to the outside guard, and observe narrowly by the motion of his wrist, what parry he puts in practice, and then determine on your stroke."

The first question is- how do you know if you are facing a classical or Olympic saber fencer? First, if you know who your opponent’s instructor is, you may know whether that instructor teaches one of the classical schools, Olympic saber fencing, or a reconstructed style of historical fencing. If you don’t have that information, here are a few things to look for.

Anyone with a saber background, whether classical or Olympic, will be most likely to stand on guard in third or "tierce." This will look similar to the broadsword’s outside guard, with the true edge facing to the outside, but the hand will be angled further out than in the outside guard, and the point will not cross the body as much. You may occasionally see a saber fencer come on-guard in second, which looks like a much lower version of the hanging guard. The use of third or second probably indicates a background in saber. A sport fencer is more likely to let his free arm dangle at his side, while a classical saber fencer will place it on his hip. (If you see someone holding their free arm at the ready, whether beside or in front of their body, that is a sign that they have studied a historical style including hand parries, grips and disarms. If these are allowed in the competition, be prepared for them. The hand-on-hip position, however, does not imply that the fencer is unfamiliar with grips and disarms.)

To distinguish whether an opponent’s saber method is classical or sport-oriented, you will have to feel him out and observe his technique during the bout. A sport fencer will be less likely to use the thrust than a classical fencer when using the saber. A sport fencer will be more likely to rely on straight cuts, and less likely to use composed attacks. A sport fencer will tend to be very aggressive, because the light weight of the sport saber favors a more aggressive approach. While this method can be overcome (especially with a well-timed shift and counterattack) it can be overwhelming if you are not prepared. A sport fencer, when thrusting, may lunge without a fully extended sword arm. In this case, the shift and counterattack is once again the best response, though you should thrust or cut in opposition to minimize the risk that he will simply charge through and force a double touch. One of the biggest differences between the older saber styles and modern sport saber is that modern saber fencers may refuse to engage blades at all, making use of nearly constant blade movement and changes of line. Sometimes this takes the form of flicking the weapon up into tierce and down again in order to probe for an opening while creating the constant impression of an impending attack. While I have observed this tactic being used by classical fencers as well, it was far more pronounced and constant from the modern Hungarian-style saber fencer I bouted with.

In general, however, the method of the classical schools has survived in a simplified form in sport fencing, and most saber fencers you will encounter in broadsword, heavy saber or singlestick competition will probably be trained in one of the classical styles, so the following notes should apply to most opponents with a saber background.

When on the hanging guard, don't let your point drift up too high, or your sword hand drift too low, or else your wrist will be vulnerable. This is exactly why few saber fencers rely on the guard of second, but it should not be a problem if you hold your hanging guard correctly, with the hand very high and the blade crossing your body.

Watch out for attacks to your outside low line, which are a little awkward to parry from the hanging guard.

Also, watch out for time hits as you begin to attack- you're especially vulnerable to being hit near the wrist just as you start to cut. This last danger can be minimized by cutting with opposition, but it can't be completely removed. If you face an opponent who's inclined to do this, you can use it against him by shifting and completing your cut as he launches his counterattack. The shift will remove you out of distance of the attack, but his lunge will bring him in distance of your cut. Of course, if you’re in the habit of lunging too soon, you won’t be able to do this.

The shift not only protects your legs, but also provides an extra defense against any attack by taking you out of distance. Even though you're out of distance to be touched, you're still in distance to riposte or counter. Why? Because the length of your lunge is determined by the position of your rear foot, not your front foot. So even though the shift pulls your front foot and body away from the attack, your rear foot remains in place and you can still lunge just as far as if you were in the on-guard position. Once you've practiced with the broadsword for a little while, the shift and counter will become instinctive, so that any opponent who attacks your legs will find himself struck on the head or arm almost before you realize what you're doing. You can also choose to shift and counter even when the opponent’s attack was not to your leg, but this will depend on a perfect understanding of distance- against a taller opponent, for example, the shift alone might not be sufficient to defend you.

The spadroon guard (the engaging guard version of half-circle, with the left arm supporting the elbow) is frequently effective, allowing you to counterattack against a cut to the head by thrusting. Your basket-hilt will provide opposition and prevent a mutual hit, but remember to have your left hand ready to deflect the opponent’s blade if this is allowed.

From the spadroon guard, you can also make very effective counterattacks to the forearm, especially if the opponent attempts to beat your weapon aside. Be on guard, however, against having your weapon seized or beaten out of your hand.

The use of the shift to control distance is the foundation of the Highland broadsword style. Remember to shift every time the opponent attacks, whether you’re parrying or counterattacking.

The Highland basket-hilted broadsword is a larger, heavier weapon than the dueling saber, and it cannot easily be used to perform double feints or other complex maneuvers, although double feints are included in the system for the purposes of training. It was not designed for the civilian duel of honor, but for the battlefield, where simple techniques prevail. One result of this is that the circular cuts in broadsword fencing are intended to kill or disable an opponent instantly if the weapon was sharp. Obviously, we cannot use our most powerful cuts in competition, as they would be dangerous with any type of weapon or protective gear. Therefore, you should not consider bouting until you have developed perfect control over your cuts. You should be able to use as much or as little force as you choose, and to stop any cut a fraction of an inch from its target. In the old Highlands, friendly matches were carried out with sharp broadswords, but such was the control of the fencers that serious injuries were rare. If you use too much force in competition, you will earn a bad reputation for yourself and your teacher, so make sure you can control your weapon.

The Highland broadsword style has neither the finesse of the classical French school nor the Italian school’s emphasis on the attack. Instead, the Highland method emphasizes defense through footwork and opposition, and a system of parries and ripostes that is deliberately kept as simple as possible. The goal of the broadsword fencer is first and foremost to avoid being hit, to frustrate the opponent by being out of distance and protected by a secure guard, and ultimately to prevail by striking him.

The use of a hanging guard with the point angled inwards toward your opponent indicates that he is probably using the methods of George Silver and other Renaissance-era English masters, although some variations of the Highland broadsword method also use that type of hanging guard. Silver also made frequent use of an open ward, where the sword is held up above the head with an almost fully extended arm, waiting to swoop down on the opponent. Silver’s "forehand ward" can take the form of an inside or outside guard. The most obvious observable characteristic of Silver’s style is to stand bolt upright while fighting, rather than flexing the knees and lowering the weight as a broadsword fencer would do.

Silver’s open ward is occasionally vulnerable to a stop hit on the sword arm, but your timing and control of distance have to be perfect if you want to attempt it.

Some swordsmen using Silver’s method specialize in changing the attack to a different line at the last moment. One effective response is to use a technique known as "timing." This means to cut with opposition as soon as the opponent changes anything whatsoever, whether he’s beginning a cut or just changing his stance. For example, if the opponent is standing in forehand ward and you are in the outside guard, you cut to his inside high line at the very moment he raises his sword. Whether he was beginning a cut or just changing to open ward, your sword will strike him while closing the line against a mutual hit. The key to using opposition is that the fort of your blade must be in position to block any counterattack as you are attacking. Again, this cannot be done effectively unless your reflexes and sense of time and distance are highly developed. Timing attacks are an advanced technique, and cannot be used reliably until you are an expert at the more secure method of the parry riposte.

Ironically enough, Silver himself provides the key to fighting the Silverian swordsman. In his Brief Instructions of 1599, Silver describes three possible ways to hit the opponent from your defensive:

3. The third is to slip a little back & to strike or thrust after him.

The first of these is timing, the second is parry-riposte, and the third is the shift and counterattack, all of which are staples of the Highland broadsword style. As this method is only a regional variation on the overall British Isles fencing tradition, this is not at all surprising. Silver’s method could well be considered an earlier version of our own.

The emphasis in the Renaissance German school was on control of the initiative, but this is frequently interpreted by modern students as relentless attack. I was told by one modern student of the German school that "If you try and fence in dui tempo, you'll get ‘killed’, whether it's in sparring or for real," yet in my personal experience parry riposte can be extremely effective against a German stylist. The use of "timing" can also be effective. The most important thing is not to be overwhelmed by the constant barrage. Either attack with opposition at the very moment that he begins to move forward, (thus stealing the initiative from him) or retreat and pick your moment carefully. Don’t necessarily parry riposte reflexively, because the German stylist is more likely to launch an immediate second attack than to recover on guard, so there is a high risk of mutual hits. But if you see the opportunity for an effective riposte that also leaves you covered against his next attack, take it immediately.

Most of those who believe they are practicing rapier fencing are familiar only with the Society for Creative Anachronism’s version of the weapon, which is far too short and light to be anything like an actual rapier. SCA rapier fencing is actually a modified version of modern foil or epee fencing, the primary differences being in the scoring method and the lack of a fencing strip. As only a few SCA rapier fencers have an extensive experience with sport fencing, and hardly any of them have any experience with historical rapier fencing, the result is much like fighting a novice foil or epee fencer. However, there are exceptions, and you can never afford to assume that a particular SCA rapier fencer has not had some type of formal training. As my interest is in fencing styles that were designed for actual combat, I will not be discussing SCA rapier fencing in detail. A few SCA rapier instructors are also historical fencing researchers with extensive knowledge of period rapier systems. The following comments will apply to them as well as to any other type of historical rapier fencer.

The true rapier is an extremely long, narrow and stiff weapon, optimized for the thrust but also capable of making cuts. It is not possible to make frequent or rapid changes of line with a rapier, as the weapon is not actually very maneuverable- historically, the typical broadsword was often lighter than a rapier. The chief advantage of the rapier is in its length, which allows the swordsman to make extensive use of simultaneous counterattacks, defending and attacking in the same motion. A skillful rapier fencer can keep his opponent at a distance while remaining covered by the angle of his own blade. When attacked, he will step offline and respond with an attack of his own, at such an angle that his weapon will provide opposition against the original attack. This is not at all easy to do in practice, but in the hands of an expert the result is both effective and elegant. While George Silver derided the Italian rapier school with convincing arguments, I have personally found rapier fencers of the Italian school to be very difficult opponents.

The sheer length of the opponent’s weapon is a daunting problem to solve, but it is folly to attempt to advance on a rapier fencer without first finding his blade and engaging it. If you fail to do so, the rapier fencer will consistently succeed in thrusting up into your stomach from below your weapon, though it is sometimes possible to slip this attack and counter to his forearm. Having succeeded in engaging his weapon, it may be possible to apply one of the disarms used in broadsword fencing. These include engaging in the inside guard and sweeping over his blade into the hanging guard, or engaging from the outside and forcibly pushing down into half-circle, or running up hilt to hilt, gripping the guard of his weapon, and kicking up his right foot with your left heel. However, if your weapons are bound fort to fort and you attempt to disengage without throwing him, then one or both of you will probably be hit as you leave the bind.

It can be effective to take the spadroon guard, countering to his forearm when he attacks. It can also be effective to cut at the head, slip his counterattack, and cut his forearm.

The period of the smallsword and that of the broadsword overlapped, so the historical masters of each weapon sometimes devoted space in their manuals to discussing the best ways to defeat the other weapon:

…when a man with a broadsword, draws against a man with a smallsword, let him stand upon a high hanging guard, at great length, and then he can parry by way of quart or tierce by moving his hand, and as he parries let him make a small stroke constantly to his sword hand, or making a back stroke or under stroke to keep him off, and in constant motion, for he will be soon tired, because his sword is heavier, and have his left hand always before the breast to defend, and if he understands to parry he may change to a medium, and slip and throw…

The art of the smallsword is the direct ancestor of modern foil fencing. It is characterized by point control, frequent changes of engagement using tiny circles controlled by the fingers, and by a baroque elegance and grace that is quite aesthetic compared to the directness and brutality of the broadsword. The smallsword is exclusively a civilian dueling weapon, and almost exclusively a thrusting weapon. (There are actually a few accounts of unskilled duelists hacking away at each other with the edges of these weapons, but that is emphatically not what they were designed for.)

It was customary during the 18^th century for fencing masters to deride the broadsword as being far less deadly than the smallsword, and these accounts have been taken rather literally. It should be born in mind that the broadsword was a weapon of prizefighters and soldiers, while the smallsword was a weapon of the aristocracy. The fencing masters are simply showing favor to the higher status weapon. British officers who wore their smallswords as a mark of status found them somewhat less effective than advertised when facing the fury of a Highland broadsword charge:

In any case, the smallsword is a light and maneuverable weapon, capable of rapid changes of engagement and multiple feints, and its needle-like blade could penetrate deep into an opponent’s body with ease. Despite its aesthetic qualities it is certainly not a weapon to be taken lightly.

A smallsword fencer will often fight with an extended arm, in which case it may be possible to apply the disarms described above. However, it is also possible that he would simply disengage and make a thrust to another line, so this must be attempted only with caution.

Following the advice of McBane, I fought some of my bouts against the smallsword from a very high hanging guard, concentrating on sniping attacks to the forearm. I also found that I could frequently cut directly through a closed line to strike the head, coming in over my opponent’s smallsword even if he had his weapon in the way. This would often occur at the end of an exchange of parries and ripostes.

It should be born in mind that every ryu or tradition of Japanese swordsmanship represents a completely distinct combative theory, despite any superficial similarities. An Itto Ryu swordsman will not fight the same way as a Shinkage Ryu swordsman, and neither of them will fight at all the same as a Jigen Ryu swordsman. Furthermore, it is somewhat rare to have an opportunity to bout with a classical Japanese swordsman at all, as free fencing is not normally part of their training method and they are not always eager to display their arts in public in the first place. For this reason, it is not really possible to give general advice on how to go about fighting someone from one of the classical Japanese styles, although if you have the opportunity it is a fascinating experience.

If you come across someone who claims to have been trained in "samurai swordsmanship," it is most likely that they have had no legitimate training at all. They probably don’t even realize this themselves. There are a lot of strip mall schools out there that teach spurious pseudo-Japanese weapons arts with no basis in reality. While it can be a useful training experience to cross blades with almost anyone (after all, it’s important to know how to handle an enthusiastic "ignorant" as well as an artist), don’t delude yourself into thinking you’re testing your skills against a genuine classical Japanese style. The same holds true of anyone who claims to be trained in Kendo (modern Japanese fencing) yet seems to habitually practice in a T-shirt and sweat pants. Some role-playing and fantasy groups hold sparring practices with bamboo swords and refer to this loosely as being Kendo. It is nothing of the sort.

In any case, I have had the opportunity to bout with two swordsmen from the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu. It was a very educational and thrilling experience for all of us to see how a western style and an authentic koryu style match up one-on-one. My opponents were experienced and skilled but did not hold menkyo (formal authorization to teach the ryu).

Perhaps the most important thing to understand about classical kenjutsu- and this is a sweeping generalization- is that the samurai did not necessarily adhere to the "touch and do not be touched" dictum that is said to be the essence of Western fencing. While any particular samurai was probably not exactly eager to be cut down by a razor sharp sword, the traditions of their class placed a much higher priority on the fulfillment of their orders than on their own survival. The rule for the Japanese swordsman could perhaps be described as "make sure you kill your opponent, and if you survive as well then that is acceptable."

This mentality leads to a different tactical approach to swordsmanship. There is a Japanese fencing proverb that says "the difference between life and death is no thicker than a sheet of paper." One example should illustrate the application of this. In the Yagyu Shinkage Ryu, there is a kata where one swordsman cuts straight down at the head. The other swordsman waits a fraction of a second, and then responds by doing exactly the same thing. The attacker’s sword is deflected off to the side and the attacker is struck in the head. By contrast, the response to the same attack in Highland broadsword fencing is to shift so far back with the lead foot that the attack will probably miss, and also to cover the head with the sword so that the attack will be blocked just in case. Only then does the broadsword fencer make his own attack.

"Touch and do not be touched," versus "kill the opponent at all costs, but try to make him just barely miss you." The two approaches are so different that a match between a Western broadsword fencer and a Japanese-style swordsman can be a little peculiar for both sides. As a broadsword fencer, just remember to fight conservatively- even if you can get a touch, your opponent would be happy to take you down with him. Strike when he cannot hit you, and you should be fine.

Most of this article has been based on videotapes of the bouts in question, which I have been able to review and analyze extensively. Although I have also fenced against other styles, I was not able to do the same with those bouts so I have not discussed them here. The only other comment I will make is that any style using very deep stances will be vulnerable to leg attacks unless the student has been trained in how to deal with them. This is not frequently the case if the student has trained primarily in solo forms.

One of the most fascinating experiences in swordsmanship is the opportunity to fence an opponent from another style, not out of competition or disrespect but solely from a love of these arts. Every new style you face will present a different fencing problem, and solving that problem will improve your understanding of your own system. Boasting or denigrating other styles can only lead to closed doors and hostility. Anyone who crosses blades with you has done you a great honor. If you remember that and treat them accordingly, then all styles from around the world will be able to fence with each other in a spirit of friendship.