

The sword-and-buckler fighting dates to the time when arming swords or knightly swords were most popular. Sword and Buckler Fighting ( Source)ĭuring the early Middle Ages, foot soldiers used single-handed swords with a small buckler shield buckled to their arms and shoulders. The martial artists use weapons like sword-and-buckler, longsword, rapier, British military sabers, and others.

The HEMA recreates the fighting styles of swordsmen based on treatises from the Late Middle Ages, Renaissance, and the early modern period.

Different traditions also focus on different sword types. The HEMA, Japanese martial arts, and Olympic Fencing are all forms of sword fighting. There are many different types of martial arts that teach how one can fight with a sword. Let’s explore the different types of sword fighting, from the Historical European Martial Arts (HEMA) to the modern Olympic fencing, Japanese swordsmanship, and the swords martial artists use. The medieval and Renaissance sword fighting styles were violent and deadly and have little resemblance to the modern-era fencing styles we know today. Today only a few martial artists and modern fencers are familiar with the lethally effective fighting arts practiced since antiquity. What Makes a Sword Fight Historically Accurate?įor centuries, the sword was the weapon of choice in settling personal disputes, dueling, and war.
