Sword and Buckler dates from the mid medieval period and represents the oldest form of European swordsmanship practiced at the Ann Arbor Sword Club. Most of what is known about Sword and Buckler comes from the anonymous German manuscript entitled I.33 which dates from approximately 1300 and is the oldest surviving fechtbuch, or combat manual. I.33 uses text and illustration to describe a detailed system of offensive and defensive techniques that are based in a series of 7 wards, with each ward serving as both a defensive posture and a strong foundation from which to launch an attack.

The sword used is a typical single handed arming sword with a blade roughly 30” in length. This is the same type of sword that most people would picture a knight holding in his hand. A buckler is a small shield, usually 9-14” in diameter, held in the hand rather than strapped to the arm and which can be used offensively as well as defensively.

We typically use synthetic swords with synthetic bucklers. For sparring, we also wear heavy gloves and fencing masks but the lack of serious protective equipment keeps us careful.

Those interested in pursuing a more competitive path or higher speed sparring, additional protective equipment is required including gorget, elbow and knee guards, purpose made gauntlets, etc.

While the entire person is a legitimate target, the best strikes are those that would prove lethal or debilitating in a real engagement. In practice, safety requires that strikes are controlled, pulling short of full contact, with the point being awarded to the person who got through his opponent’s defenses.

People new to Sword and Buckler might assume that the sword is for attacking while the buckler is for defending but in actuality the two are used together in tandem for most techniques. While the buckler certainly does serve as a shield, it can also be utilized to obfuscate the attack, deflect an opponent’s attempts at defense, trap the opponent’s sword leaving him vulnerable, and to facilitate various grappling and disarming techniques as well as serving as a weapon itself.

Ms. I.33

C+T W