The London Longsword Academy and Boar’s Tooth Fightshools are schools of historical swordsmanship , with classes throughout Greater London area and the south east.
For information on any of our classes and courses call 0770 9639881 or email here.
We are involved in the translation, study, and practice of the historical European martial arts, based on original combat treatises and our martial arts experience.
Classes are led by David Rawlings, a full time instructor and author of two dvds on historical swordsmanship, and Peter Samworth, a long term student of Dave and a highly respected instructor in his own right.
Both David and Peter have taught extensively across Europe, and are held in high regard for their ever evolving and very martial, understanding of the early sword arts.
We train five nights a week (you can find the locations by going to the class finder page). we also offer private tuition.
However before you join, you should know…
IMPORTANT INFORMATION:
Fight-Medieval is a martial arts school. The techniques we study were designed to be fatal, or at the least incapacitating. They have, even with carefully designed safety equipment, the capacity to injure.
With this in mind, we train hard, BUT, treat the art, each other, and the community with respect.
We are not a re-enactment society.
We are not a theatrical or ‘stage-fighting’ group.
We are not a haven for psychos or a home for the faery folk.
As a school we have several areas of study and training:
Longsword:
Based on the teachings of Johann Liechtenauer, The longsword focuses on attack:
- Initiated attack
- counter attack
- simultaneous attack.
These attacks come in the form of five main or master strikes.
Each strike intersects the path of the potential (fastest) attack of the opponent, without the necessity of direct (hard) opposition, combining this with off line footwork to weaken their structure.
If the strike is prevented tactile sensitivity is used to gauge correct way to press the attack, to crush or flow around.
This is of course an oversimplified explanation of the martial art, as you progress through the system new levels of complexity will be revealed, these complexities are always the simplest (most correct) answer to the problem presented.
This is the beauty of the Liechtenauer system, brutal and direct, but tactical and mechanically sound.
Sword and buckler:
The oldest of our systems is the combination of sword and buckler as shown in I.33 (the Lutegerus manuscript), which can be fairly called the earliest rapier manual. This may be surprising as the manuscript itself dates from the late thirteenth to early fourteenth century.
All the possible ways for an attacker to hold a sword are separated into seven divisions, and a counter position adopted to attack to the opponent’s greatest disadvantage.
As single time attacks against an adversary with a shield are dangerous and foolish in the extreme, distance and structure are manipulated to force the opponent to engage with your weapon. Once you have found (made contact with) the sword, it is bound (trapped) with the buckler, removing the threat for long enough to strike the adversary with a high degree of safety.
The concepts of subjecting the blade, finding the sword, counter posture, and binding the blade to grapple or trap with the off hand, are concepts that should be familiar to exponents of most high level blade based martial arts. I.33 offers these principles in a simple practical form, valuing safety before foolish assault.
Rapier:
Based on the work of Gérard Thibault, the rapier system taught at the LLA values safety and surety above impulsive assault.
Thibault’s rapier uses an upright and natural posture, using distance, pressure, pauses and judgement to manipulate the opponent.
Upright and natural:
Is used as it is the most natural way to stand, it offers the greatest potential to react in any direction.
This allows you to feel the movement of the fight not only with the sword but also through your balance.
Distance: the main posture of the system is arm extended, sword tip to opponent’s hilt (if their arm is held in the same extension). If the arm is not held in this posture, the same awareness of distance and potential threat is shown.
The safest way to proceed towards the opponent is then learnt, either through subjection (blade on blade manipulation) and/or placement of the body within the angle (safely past the point). An attack then being delivered either with the assurance that the adversary’s blade is controlled, or with an intersecting attack that will cover a counter should it arrive.
Pressure:
When in contact with the opposing blade, attention is paid to the best way to dominate the fight without making yourself vulnerable.
Pauses and judgement:
These are vital to the system, minute gaps for reading the response to the pressure given before advancing, a walk rather than a run. Thibault’s Rapier is the calm quiet dissection of the opponent, a beautiful system.
In addition to these, we teach dagger, messer, short staff (5′), unarmed fighting,and many other disciplines.
