Sword guard

“ And if instead of pushing, he waits for your Thrust to take the Time upon it, you must press close upon him and push strait in Quarte, with the Point low, opposing with the Left hand, in order to throw off his Sword, or push at his Arm, of which you are in Reach, though he is not in Measure of your Body.
These Sorts of Guards are not so much practised, with Sword in Hand, as the middling Guard, People being more careful of parrying with the Sword, and a Man is in much better Condition to parry from the middling Guard than from any other. ”

“ George’s guard, which protects the head, and differs from the last-described only in raising the hand somewhat higher, and bringing the point nearer to yourself.
The swords worn by officers of the infantry being constructed either for cutting or thrusting, it is necessary for gentlemen to be acquainted both with the method of attacking and defending with the broad sword and with the rapier. Those who have not opportunity of regular lessons from a professed teacher, may obtain much useful information from a work entitled the Art of Defence on Foot, with the Broad Sword, &c. ”

“ The Recovery in Guard, should be in Quart within the Arm, though most Masters teach to recover on the Outside, which takes much more Time, and though the Seconde is independent on the Side, it is nearer to the Inside than to the Outside; because the Adversary carries his Wrist to the Outside, when he gives an Opportunity of making this Thrust; therefore you ought to return to his Sword in the shortest Time, in order to be sooner on your Guard. ”

“ In Joining, if you cannot seize the Guard, you must the Blade, helping with your Elbow, turning the Hand to break the Blade, or take away the sword, which may be done if you are cunning and nervous, especially if the Enemy's Wrist is in Quarte, in which there is no Danger of hurting yourself, because the Sword cannot slip thro', and consequently, can't cut your Fingers, as has happened to some by their Imprudence; by this Means, you have time not only to secure yourself, but also to hit your Enemy. ”

“ This is a Guard, that I find not any proper Name for, though it is sometimes used as very necessary, how ever, as to the holding your Sword in this Guard, keep your Body exactly in the Posture of the Quart-Guard with the strait Point; but joyn your Left-hand to your Sword, about eight or ten Inches from the Hilt, the Blade being held between your formost Finger and Thumb, secure your self within your Sword, as soon as you present it, viz. Present the Point towards your Adversaries Right-thigh, with your Point sloping towards the Ground a little ”

“ First, by raising up or gathering your Adversaries Sword.
Secondly, by striking at his Sword, and making half Thrusts at the Body, by which he will be doubtful when you intend to give in your Thrust, and finding an Opportunity give it home; and ever when you persue this Guard, let your Left-hand be in a readiness to Parie your Opponents Thrust, if he Thrust just as you are Thrusting, which is the main defence on this Guard.
Thirdly you may give a stroak at his Left-hand; after you give a beat at his sword, and see if by so doing, you can force him to betake himself to another Guard. ”

“ As your Body is too much abandoned forward to recover itself easily, you must rush on your Enemy, seize the Guard of his Sword, and present him your Point, which is done by advancing the right Foot to such a Distance as to be out of the reach of his Leg whilst you advance, which otherwise might give him an Opportunity, by Tripping to throw you down. As you advance the right Foot you must seize the Guard of his Sword, at the same time drawing back your Sword, keeping it high. ”

“ It is well to remember that one of the most effective returns which can be made from any guard is a point, and that a point can be made certainly from every hanging guard by merely straightening the arm from the guard, lunging, and coming in under your opponent’s weapon. ”

“ When parrying, the sword-arm must invariably be drawn for defence nearer the body, and the grip should be sensibly tightened to receive the cut. No strength is necessary when making the parries: I cannot accept the “Sforzi” or guard-forcings of the neo-Italian broadsword school, dry blows upon the blade, which, intended to disarm, are essentially dangerous.
The Guards or Parries will be practised like the Cuts, first in the “Second Position” (Guard) , and afterwards in the “Third Position” (Lunge) .
45
Section III.
THE MANCHETTE OR FORE-ARM PLAY. § 1. ”

“ The solitary artilleryman, who was attached to my guard, appeared in an instant with his sword by his side, and a lintstock in his hand.
"Get ready a gun," said I; "for there is a Spanish guarda costa in pursuit of a smuggler, and we must protect our friend." ”

“ By Guard, is meant such a Situation of all the Parts of the Body as enables them to give their mutual Assistance to defend or attack. A Guard cannot be perfect without a good and graceful Disposition, proceeding from a natural Proportion of the Parts of the Body, and an easy and vigorous Motion, which is to be acquired by Practice, and the Instruction of a good Master. ”

“ Some Men hold their Swords strait or flat, [3] whether 'tis because they are more used to Disengagements than Parades, or to take Advantage of the Superiority of their Stature, or of the Length of their Sword, to avoid the Attacks and Engagements to which the other Guards are more exposed; for you can hardly engage or feint on this Guard, the Point being too low ”

“ II. Seconde (4th Guard) , so termed because following Prime: the arm is extended, the edge is carried to the outside or to the right; in practice the hilt is lowered, and the point, threatening the opponent’s loins, is depressed to the half of a right angle. This position must be learned for the sake of feinting: as a parade it is not much used, because it defends only the hip and leg, and a good swordsman will never expose himself to exceeding danger by making low cuts. Modern practice prefers “low Tierce.” ”

“ The head ignobly cowers, and the eyes look up, in a forced and wearying position, when the former should be held upright, and the glance should be naturally fixed upon the opponent’s eye and blade-point; the body is bent so as to lose our national advantage of height and strength, and the right fore-arm in such a position is, and ever must be, clean uncovered. Let the recruit, however strong may be his haunches, stand a few minutes in this “Hanging guard,” and he will soon feel by his fatigue how strange, awkward, and strained it is. ”

“ It is a short and small, though formidable weapon, and is not only designed for thrusting rather than striking with,—as a heavy, blunt-pointed sword could alone be used,—but was evidently adapted for a warfare in which the chief tactics of the swordsman consisted in the bold thrust; since no example of a bronze sword has ever been found with a guard, that simple and most natural contrivance for defending the hand from the downward stroke of the foe. ”

“ If on a Pass or Lunge the Enemy shou'd attempt to join or seize your Sword, you must, in order to prevent him, change it from the Right-hand to the Left, four Inches from the Guard, as I have already observed, seizing his with the Right-hand, and presenting him the Point, holding it at such a Length as to hit him whilst he is unable to come near you. ”

“ Don't put yourself in Guard within the Reach of the Enemy. Make no wry Faces, or Motions that are disagreeable to the Sight. Be not affected, negligent, nor stiff. Don't flatter yourself in your Lessons, and still less in Assaults. Be not angry at receiving a Thrust, but take care to avoid it. Be not vain at the Thrusts you give, nor shew Contempt when you receive them. Do not endeavour to give many Thrusts, running the Risque of receiving one. Don't think yourself expert, but that you may become so. When you present the Foils, give the Choice without pressing. ”

“ A few hours’ practice and a few pressings upon the different parts of the blade under the surveillance of the instructor will teach the recruit the high importance of this lesson. He will learn that in opposing the adversary’s sword the strength of the defence decreases from the hilt upwards in proportion as the Cut is received towards the point; and that, vice versâ, it increases from the point downwards to the hand. The strongest man cannot “force in” the opponent’s Guard if the Cut or Thrust be received upon the part near the handle. ”

“ The robust iron-worker advanced upon his adversary, describing with his weapon a figure-of-eight so lusty, so rapid, and to which the vigor of his wrist lent such force that, encountering the sword at the moment when the ex-colonel was about to lunge, the iron bar broke down the latter's guard, and descended heavily upon his skull. ”

“ Guard, in the cavalry sword exercise, is used to denote one particular position, which consists in homing the sabre nearly horizontal across the face, the point rather higher than the hilt, the sword-hand directed towards the left ear of the antagonist. ”

“ When the pupil is acquainted with both cuts and guards, he should learn the hanging guard, a most useful position, as it keeps the body well hidden under the sword, and at the same time leaves the sword in a good position to strike or thrust. ”

“ But as they cannot keep this Situation without exposing their Body very much, which is often dangerous, as also a very unseemly Posture, this Guard is therefore, with good Reason, condemned by most, if not all, experience'd Masters. ”

“ Some, in Opposition to these, say that if they know how to keep themselves in Guard 'tis sufficient. They are in the right if the Guard be perfect, which is not to be acquired but by a Practice as long as is necessary to make them perfectly dexterous, which is not their Meaning; they thinking that it is only the placing of the Parts, which is useless, without Freedom and Vigour to manage them. These are Qualities which when accompanied with a certain regular Air, and a good Grace, shew, as soon as a Man takes a Sword or Foil in his Hand, to what Pitch of Dexterity he is arrived. ”

“ MEDIUM GUARD, a preparatory guard of the broad sword or sabre, which consists in presenting the sword in a perpendicular line with the centre of the opposed object, having the point upwards, the ward iron, and the cutting edge next the object. ”

“ A short man should form this guard a little higher than the right temple.
Feint a Straight Thrust at the Breast, and Cut at the Head. Feint a straight thrust at your adversary’s breast under his blade, by suddenly straightening the arm, with the hand as high as the shoulder, and hilt turned upwards to protect the arm from a time cut; then, without lowering the hand or drawing back the point, longe and deliver the diagonal cut on the left temple. ”

“ It is enough to give first principles: the minutiae could not even be noticed without stretching description to a wearisome length.
There is no objection, I have said, to teaching squads of recruits all the simpler preparatory matter: the Three Positions; the Moulinet; the Engaging Guard, and the Guards or Parries. ”

“ Up the road rose a cloud of dust and the sound of determined feet, and presently a martial figure came in sight, clad in bronze and leather helmet and cuirass, and carrying an oblong shield and a short, broad-bladed sword of double edge. Short yet agile, a soldier every inch, he looked neither to the right nor to the left, but marched steadily and purposefully upon his business. ”

“ At their order the great armourers, and subsequently the chisellers of sword-mounts, worked with ever-increasing rivalry to produce fine guards which, while presenting an appearance of lightness and delicacy, nevertheless possessed all the elements of strength and durability necessary in a soldier's weapons. Many of these guards are interesting and valuable for the sake of the decorative ability and extraordinary technical skill that they display; but they belong, of course, to a class of artistic workmanship distinct from that of the surface-chiselled sword-mounts of later times. ”

“ Every horse-soldier carries a spear and two strongly tempered pistols, narrow at the mouth, hanging from his saddle. And to get the barrels of their pistols narrow they pierce the metal which they intend to convert into arms. Further, every cavalry soldier has a sword and a dagger. But the rest, who form the light-armed troops, carry a metal cudgel. For if the foe cannot pierce their metal for pistols and cannot make swords, they attack him with clubs, shatter and overthrow him. ”

“ The swords drawn on the target represent the guards. The seventh guard ought, however, not to be made directly across, but must have the point directly rather forwards and downwards, as a cut 7 glides off the blade, and can be instantly answered either by a thrust or by cut 1. ”

“ Their whole attention should consequently be paid to their men, and not the slightest idea must interfere with respect to themselves. We are therefore convinced, with due deference to the superior judgment of others, that the swords of infantry officers, and of the staff in general, should be for service, sufficiently long to dress the leading files, &c. and extremely portable. Every officer ought to know the use of his sword, and there should be a fencing-master, or drill swordsman, for every company in the service, who should be armed with sabres or good cut and thrusts. ”

“ Most of them are expert swordsmen, no valueless accomplishment even to the man whose usual weapons are musket and bayonet, but one that in our infantry regiments is frequently neglected even by those whose only arm is the sword, namely, the officers. Surely the man who carries a sword should know how to use it in the most effectual manner. ”