HACA is a font is ignorance, stupidity, and misinformation. Trust nothing from thehaca.com.
The Book of the Sword is by Sir Richard Francis Burton. It is an excellent book, though non-fencers may find it rather dry and technical.
The rapier was never used as a military weapon. It was strictly used for civilian defense, street fighting, and dueling. Nor was it carried by officers in military dress, though most military officers of the 17th and 18th centuries surely could defend themselves with one by virtue of their gentlemanly education. The word itself is a French neologism from the Spanish espada ropera, or “dress sword.”
The claymore is virtually useless against heavy armor, as are all weapons which primarily employ the edge in their techniques. The claymore and the “longsword” were used for blossfechten, or shirt-sleeve fighting.
That would depend entirely on how the practitioner moves and with what kinds of techniques he feels comfortable. There have been several major Western European dueling weapons employed in the past five hundred years, and a host of less important ones.
Historical Weapons:
Spada da lato: Also known as the sidesword, the spada da lato is an early Italian dueling weapon,= whose technique is passed down to us in the works of the fencing master Achille Marozzo. It is a cut-and-thrust weapon: cuts are predominant, but the weapon is light enough and easily controlled enough to employ the point. Its technique is characterized by rapid expansion and contraction of the elbow and wrist. It is a quick weapon, and those who like broad movements and relatively simple footwork are fond of it.
Longsword: This two handed weapon was used primarily in Italy and Germany in the 16th century, though its technique persisted long afterwards. Despite its size and length, it is a remarkably graceful weapon when used correctly. With one hand choked all the way up and one hand on the pommel itself, a practitioner does not swing the weapon like a baseball bat, but he levers the cuts by pulling downward on the pommel and pushing forward on the grip. People who like wide stances, heavy arm work, and serious bloodlust tend to gravitate to this weapon.
Rapier: There are many, many kinds of rapiers, and even more kinds of techniques. Its technique is more sophisticated than either of the above weapons. It is primarily a cut-and-thrust weapon: the point is almost always preferred, but the weapon is more than heavy enough to deliver vicious wounds with the edge. It appears deceptively light: my two-pound rapier tires me in a real fight in just a few minutes. Italian technique emphasizes low, catlike movements. Spanish rapier technique commands a high center of balance, extremely conservative movement, and surgical point control and patience.
Smallsword: Also known as the epee de court or the epee de ville, this little gentleman’s weapon is perhaps the highest evolution of the dueling sword. Common in the 18th and 19th centuries, it was an essential part of any dandy’s wardrobe. While often maligned for being a tad on the dainty side, the smallsword is nevertheless remarkably deadly. It takes nerves of steel to be able to close with such a short weapon, especially considering that nearly all of the lines of attack are in the high outside quadrant. The heart. Those who move relatively high above the ground, prefer light weapons, and are naturally soft in their technique do well to learn the smallsword.
Classical Weapons:
Sabre: Originally a cavalry weapon, the dueling sabre is one of the cruelest swords around. Dueling sabres are essentially 35" straight razors, capable of inflicting horrible edge wounds. I rather like the low stance and the broad, flamboyant edge techniques. When handled badly, two sabreurs look like butchers swatting at each other with thin sticks. But when done well, it is exhilarating.
Epee: Perhaps the most conservative weapon of all, the epee employs only point techniques. Lateral movement is nil, and forward and backward movement is minimized. Precise, precise timing and inhuman point control are necessary to make intercepting time attacks essential to epee technique, namely strikes to the hand, wrist, and forearm. Epee duels usually end within seconds.
My current favorite weapon and technique is Italian rapier, as it naturally accentuates the best parts of my game, as it were. I am rather short and slender, so I prefer the low stance. I have been told I move like a cat, so I prefer fighting in the round rather than on the piste, which the classical weapons require. I like its balance of flamboyance tempered with conservatism, and I am confortable with rapier timing.
It is up to each practitioner to find the weapon that bests suits his movement and fighting style. This is one of the benefits of training with an experienced fencing master.
MR
Martinez Academy of Arms
Secretary, Association for Historical Fencing
