Event info: https://www.chicagoswordplayguild.com/csg-presents-school-of-the-renaissance-soldier-sept-14-17-2023
Morning Drill – Wrestling
We focused on jumping, one of the primary exercises of a knight. It is really important to learn how to land softly. If you land on your heels, it hurts. Even on soft grass.
The jumps are straight up, powering with the ankles, knees, and hips. (Work on these individually if necessary.) And don’t forget your arms. Lower them while ascending, the raise them to help cushion your landing.
After that we did wrestling where you try to push your opponent across the line. Hands behind the back; you can only use your chest and shoulders.
Morning Drill – Pikes
Positions
- Order: Pike vertical on the ground.
- Advanced: Pike vertical, hand on butt. Use this for most maneuvers.
- Ported: Pike angled forward.
- Charged: Pike horizontal, palm of hand behind butt.
- Shouldered: Pike angled back.
- Shouldered Level: Pike horizontal, laying on the shoulder of people behind. Used for going under trees.
- Trailed: Place the butt on the ground, then walk forward until you reach the head. Then drag it behind you until you pass the obstacle.
- Charge for Horse: Instep of right foot behind the pike, point lowered to the head/chest of a horse or it’s rider.
Morning Drill – Command and Maneuver
Mercenary style maneuvers instead of solider style. Most focus on individuals being in the right place at the right time than the faceless formality of the pike drilling.
Meyer’s Polearms: A Battlefield Art
All of Meyer’s polearms are asymmetric. Which is to say, you always keep your left hand forward and the right back; never the other way around. The theory is that this makes them useful when fighting in formation, hence the name of the class.
Contrast this with Mair or Marozzo, where you frequently change the lead hand. (Or jo staff in Suiō-ryū.)
When the right foot is forward, a step to the left moves the left (rear) foot first, then the right. This matches what we see in Meyer’s Rapier. Likewise, if the left foot is forward and you are moving to the right, the right (rear) foot moves first.
When the left foot is forward and you want to move left, the right moves behind the left first. Essentially a gather or even cross step. Then to uncross the legs, the left moves.
I’m going to have to review Meyer because this feels awkward and I don’t recall any footwork like that.
There was a lot of emphasis on delaying the step, to the point where you would always cut or strike first, then step. Never cut so that your foot lands at the same time as your sword or staff.
While there are times when it’s better to not move your foot until after the strike, usually that’s when you are working in a very short tempo or want to reserve the foot for a subsequent thrust. So have my doubts about this instruction in Meyer staff, and do not believe it in general at this time.
Note: In Suiō-ryū we actually land the foot a moment before impact, so that the forward momentum that was moving our body is concentrated in the sword.
The Montante on Open Ground and in Close Quarters
Montante vs montante isn’t really a thing. There are a couple rules about it, but mostly they say “just stab the other person when they prepare for a cut”.
Montante vs sword and shield is a lot of fun. The montante user wants to cut the leg or upper-right opening. They have to maintain momentum the entire time. If they stop and bind, the shieldman will win. The shieldman wants to get under the montante, especially after a Mandritto, locking it out.
I forgot the Iberian names for the cuts, so Italian will have to do.
For the ascending Mandritto, keep the right foot back so you don’t accidentally cut it. Likewise, keep the left foot back for the rising Riverso.
For horizontal cuts, use either foot.
For the descending Mandritto, keep the left foot back so you don’t cut it. Likewise for the Riverso, you keep the right back.
When walking to the right, cut a series of Riverso. When you change direction and need to go to the left, use Mandritto.
If against a wall so you can’t cut, use a series of thrusts. If you are starting on the right, with the right foot back, pass the right foot forward and thrust into 4th. Then pass the left foot forward while thrusting into 2nd.
Use hanging parry at the end of series of cuts to change direction. Or drop into a thrusting posture, thrust, then turn the thrust into a cut on either side as desired.
When spinning, step first and then cut. Then step again while your prepare your next cut. Don’t cut while you step, as the weapon is too heavy and can drag you along. For a drill, spin clockwise 4 or 5 steps, then counter-clockwise the same amount. This is useful when you are surrounded.
Facing a pike, option 1: Cautiously approach and bind against the pike on either side. Then spin towards the pike so that you close in on the pikeman. So if you are on the right side of the pike, you will spin counter-clockwise and end with a Mandritto.
Facing a pike, option 1: Cautiously approach and bind against the pike on either side. Once you have a bind, rush forward as if you have a spear.
Entering a doorway: As you approach the door, stab to either side while keeping your body behind the door jam. Essentially it is a blind thrust. Then step into the room and cut to the other side of the doorway.
Games:
- Montante vs Sword and Buckler
- Montante protecting a person, others (without swords) try to sneak past and assassinate the person by touching them
- Montante entering a doorway. (Requires 2 to 5 people defending the room.
There are no feints in montante, but you can cut high and follow that with a low cut. If you try to feint you will get stabbed before you can get the sword moving again.
If your sword is too light, it will make the techniques harder because it doesn’t have the proper momentum.
Putting the thumb on the outside flat for Riverso seems to work, but my sword was too light. I’ll need to test this against a hard target and with a heavier sword.
Grauenwolf's Study of Western Martial Arts 