MS I.33 Fechtbuch Basic Wards Drill

This basic form drill can be practiced anywhere with or without a sword. This drill covers the underarm, right shoulder, vom tag and left shoulder wards as well as the half-shield counter-ward.

The counting of this form drill goes as so:

1. Cut ‘unterhau’ (up) from Underarm

2. Reset into Right Shoulder

3. Cut ‘oberhau’ (down) from Right Shoulder

4. Reset into Underarm

5. Cut a high ‘unterhau’ from Underarm

6. Reset into Vom Tag

7. Cut ‘oberhau’ from Vom Tag

8. Reset into Half Shield

9. Thrust

10. Reset to Left Shoulder

11. Cut from Left Shoulder, the sword travelling around the back of your head.

12. Reset into Under Arm

You’re ready to start over! Start again at 1, this time taking steps back instead of forward.

 

Here’s a quick video:

 

When practicing this drill make sure:

– Follow through with each strike and then reset into the next guard.

– The foot on the side your sword is on should always be back. Whenever you strike, take a passing step (pass in front of your front foot with your back foot and resume your stance with a new foot forward). This will move you slightly to one side or another with each step you take, moving you from the line of the opponent’s blade (yay!).

– Each strike should pass through or end in Longpoint (I’ll post a picture of this as soon as I have it).

– Hold your buckler directly in front of you with the face of the buckler pointed directly at your opponent. This will offer you the best protection when in your wards. When you cut, bring your sword to meet your buckler (the clang sounds great). Because your sword does not have a closed hilt the buckler will act as a hand guard whenever the sword is in front of you.