Obviously shoulder muscles are important, but you don't need to be Mr. Universe to have shoulders strong enough to wield a sword. Most of the power in a sword stroke is generated by triceps and forearms, with only the initial movement started by the deltoids. In some blows the hips and back play a role, but only in massive cuts where there is no necessity of being prepared to recover and guard.
Arm wielding a sword, with musculature shown.
Still, the basis of all individual power lies in the back and abdomen. This is the center of the human body, and both arms and legs depend on this section for support. No matter how strong the legs and arms, without a strong back and stomach, they are essentially weak. Before Man developed the luxuries of modern civilization, normal everyday activities, such as walking, running, and lifting, kept these parts of the body strong. Now we have to make a conscious effort in order to attain this.
Basic reflexes cannot be changed. While it is not possible to change slow twitch fibers into fast twitch, the actual movement can be improved in speed and accuracy. This is achieved by practice. Practice of individual movements can be noticeably improved with repetitive practice of each movement. This helps not only in the individual movement, but in the body's overall reaction time. If, as an example, you learn to throw and pull back a straight punch, and you practice so that you become faster than when you started, you will find that the ability to throw the arm up to block a punch will also be improved.
Footwork is also quite important. It is surprising how many people can manage to fall over their own feet. Kendo has a definite style of footwork. This consists of lifting the feet only slightly from the floor and almost gliding. It is surprisingly fast and effective in closing with your opponent. Fencing, on the other hand, advances with strong forward steps, almost kicking the front leg forward. This is also quite effective in quick closing. Although it may seem strange at first glance to have two different methods of advancing, it is due to the weapons. With the rapier the body is turned sideways, and with the katana the body is full face.
Sparring is a necessity for learning to use the sword. Free-form sparring is probably best, specific practice moves being second, with katas[1] being third. While katas are an important training device, too heavy a reliance on them can be detrimental. The problem with doing only katas is that it is all too easy to train the body to move in a specific way. If the opponent realizes this, then he can take advantage of it.
Care must also be taken in the use of the practice weapon. As of this writing there are no satisfactory sparring weapons on the market other than fencing blades such as the double wide epee blade. Wooden wasters are dangerous, and so are blunted steel or aluminum swords. Each can be quite harmful and even deadly if improperly used. Although there are a couple of practice swords being worked on, so far they have not been released to the public.
I would very strongly suggest that anyone reading this (whether interested in actually sparring or not) who smokes, to quit. I smoked, and had convinced myself that I was one of the lucky ones who was not affected by smoking. I was running two miles a night wearing a 28-pound mail shirt, and could be on the field all day with no problem. So we delude ourselves. I came down with emphysema in my early fifties. Had I quit before, I could still go out and spar most of the day. I move pretty well for an older guy, but I have one problem, I just can't breathe. So quit.
Alright, I'm done with preaching, on your own head be it. Now let us get back to the use of the sword.
MENTAL ASPECTS OF SWORDPLAY
The mental aspects of swordplay must not be overlooked. While it may be of supreme importance to the competitors to win a backyard match, a national title, or even an Olympic gold metal, it is not the same as using real weapons where people are going to die. I do not think it is possible to define the type of outlook one should have when involved in a real life or death struggle. The feelings are personal and they will be dictated by the circumstances of the encounter, and the culture in which the individual was raised. Certainly a life and death struggle was not that unusual to a Viking or a samurai. It is also certain that there were both cowards and heroes in all lands and times. It is also a fact that many went out deliberately seeking violent encounters for the sheer adrenaline thrill, for money or for reputation.
There are certain abilities that I feel were necessary for these individuals to succeed, and they are also abilities that will win bloodless contests as well.
Awareness. This covers not only the area and landscape of the contest, but the intentions of your opponent as well. With practice anyone can learn to observe his surroundings in a quick glance. If you can quickly place in your mind the location of obstacles you can avoid being forced into them, and you may be able to force your opponent into one. You must also be aware of your opponent's intentions. Obviously his primary goal is to win, but you must be aware of the methods he will try to use in order to achieve that goal. You see the blow aimed at your head, but is he going to suddenly drop his arm and hit for the leg? The thrust is coming straight at you, but when you parry will he let his blade drop and rise on the other side of your blade and complete the thrust? These are things that must be learned, but cannot really be taught. This is instinct and experience. It is possible to develop a feel for this sort of thing. It never works one hundred percent of the time; nothing does. But if it happens frequently, then you will be a winner.
Modern Hank-type sword.
From the collection of Whit Williams.
Photo by Adam Lyon.
Calmness and Serenity. I have never read a treatise on any of the martial arts that did not emphasize calmness of mind. If it didn't, it wasn't worth the paper it was printed on. The Japanese, in their delightful way, might refer to this as "The Still Waters of the Mind" or "The Serenity of Acceptance," while the West, in a more direct approach, will call it coolness under fire.
There have been a number of tests where adrenaline was injected into people who were then asked to perform certain neuro-muscular functions. When the adrenaline level was high, they did not do them well. It did adversely affect fine dexterity while giving greater speed and force to larger actions.
This may appear to contradict the idea of calmness, but in reality it doesn't. If you can keep your calm and relax mentally, then you may take full advantage of what the additional adrenaline can give you. You will also be able to make your actions more efficient by recognizing the threats you face and countering them.
Awareness and calmness are actually linked together. The calm allows you to be aware of what is happening. If your mind is filled with rage or fear, then it becomes cloudy and you cannot see things clearly.
You will read of warriors filled with rage striking about at every side. On the other hand, take Thorolf, Egil's brother in Egil's Saga and Skarp-Hedin in Njal's Saga: each is described as filled with a burning rage. But this does not mean that they lost contact with what was happening around them. Instead, it is my opinion that this was a cold rage that gave their actions more strength and speed, and that their minds were calm and each blow was done deliberately. Indeed, anyone who gives way to rage often ends up striking wildly, and doing very little damage in the process.
A favorite modern sword. HRC400.
You can win on emotion, but in order to be really good at something you have to learn to control those emotions. Often I have watched a football game and have seen the underdog in the contest come out blazing with fire and emotion. They dominate for a while, but then the fires burn low, the energy is used up, and if the other team continues to play a sound solid game, they eventually win. I have seen the same thing happen in both play and real fights (the real occasion was a brutal street fight). Emotion is fine, and it provides a lot of stimulus, but it must be controlled. Once it gains the upper hand it becomes a very dangerous friend, one that controls you, and that can be costly.
The combination of awareness and calmness allows you to see what your opponent is doing, but this is coupled with the art o
f seeing and not seeing. I hate to get into some of the Japanese mysticism, but in essence this is what you do. Some have called it the thousand yard stare. In short, your eyes are not focused on any one thing. They are not focused on the sword, the feet, or the eyes of your opponent. To focus on any one thing is to allow yourself to be deceived. If there is a sudden movement of the sword, and your eyes inadvertently follow it, you can be hit with a shield, or a dagger. Unfocused eyes allow you to pick up all movement and because your eyes are not focused on one thing, they can see other movement.
DECEPTION
One extremely important aspect of sword fighting, real or play, is deception. Actually deception is the key to most any contest or endeavor. You never want to advertise your moves or your intentions. It does not matter whether you are in a sparring match in your backyard, trying for a hostile takeover of a large company, playing a poker hand, or engaged in a major armed conflict. You never, ever advertise your moves, you always deceive.
At first this seems to be basically unfair. We Americans have all grown up with the concept of sportsmanship and fair play. And while this may not be true in actual combat, we still feel that it should apply in contest of skill and in sports. But consider this: a quarterback fades back, looks right and throws left. A running back jukes to the left, cuts right. A chess player offers a pawn in what appears to be a mistake, it is taken, and then the trap is sprung. You create a diversion on one flank to make the enemy think that is where the attack will fall, while your army masses on the other side to overwhelm the fewer number. You plant fake messages and even a corpse to convince the Germans that the invasion is going to be at Calais instead of Normandy. War is filled with deception, and so is personal combat and swordplay and sword fighting.
There are many tricks and moves that can be used, and fighting with sword and shield gives opportunity for all of them. A look at the leg, the sword flashes down, only to curl up at the right moment and strike the helmet. A downward slash that is designed to miss brings up your opponent's shield and this allows you to use your shield to lift up his even farther and stab upward, your sword, having traveled downward, being in a perfect position for an upward thrust.
There are so many deceptions inherent in the field of swords that it is impossible to list them all. This book is not intended to teach swordplay, but to give the basics. For in-depth study you need a good instructor. Let me recount a couple of things that the reader might find interesting.
Close to twenty years ago a good friend and superb martial artist brought a young fellow by my house. The boy was on his way to take part in a large tournament, and if my memory serves me, it was a ken-jitsu tournament. We talked and sparred a little bit. The guy was very athletic, very quick and aggressive and showed a lot of promise. But it was also obvious that there was a lot he didn't know. He asked if I had any advice.
I told him that in many matches, there is a quiet moment when one of the combatants will step back, slightly lower his sword and take a deep breath. When this happens the other will invariably do the same, and then they will renew the action. I suggested that should he observe his opponent take a deep breath he should attack rather than mirror his movement. A few days later I got a call that he had won, and the match point had been achieved doing what I had suggested. (I never claimed to be a nice person.)
A few years ago there was a series of science fiction novels written by E.C. Tubb that I enjoyed a great deal. There were several duels with knives, and our hero moved exceedingly fast. There was one duel where the guy he was facing in the arena is handed his knife by his manager, who drops the knife. The duelist reaches down and grabs the knife before it hits the ground. This is staged, and was designed to impress the opponent with how fast he is. The books were good, but he had that sequence all wrong.
It was okay to drop the knife, but the duelist should have reached for the knife, missed it, and maybe even added a stumble or so. This to show the other how slow and clumsy he was. Nothing better than to have your opponent underestimate you.
It is with vast modesty that I recall a time many years ago when I was accused of having low animal cunning. One of my friends quickly spoke up in defense of me, and stated that "Hank's cunning is much lower than any animal, and we refer to it as low Hankish cunning." I blushed becomingly as I gracefully accepted the accolade.
In any swordplay contest I would suggest that you deceive, deceive and deceive. But never cheat. That is merely contemptible. This is one of the major differences between swordplay and sword fighting.
CONFIDENCE & TOUGHNESS OF SPIRIT
One of the most important components of a tough mind is confidence. True confidence comes from achievement. I don't mean merely winning. I have known people who won various things, but had no confidence at all. They would convince themselves that it was merely luck. I have known some guys who lost a lot, but had a lot of confidence in themselves. They were confident that they had given it their best shot, and that they would again and again. They would continue to learn, and they would never quit. Practice with a good teacher, good self-discipline and a willingness to try; these are the things that can instill confidence.
When a man begins a task, whether it is swordplay or sword fighting, or even a business deal, he must approach it with the knowledge that he is very capable, strong, tough and determined enough to overcome the obstacles that will be placed in his path.
I do feel that it is better to have your opponent think you are frightened, as this builds his confidence, and sets him up for a shocking realization. But no matter what demeanor you display on the outside, inside you must have two feelings that appear to be opposites. You must feel that you are the toughest and the best (at whatever the contest is) that the world has ever seen. But you also realize that your opponent is the most dangerous you have ever faced, and is quite capable of winning unless you give full attention to the work at hand. Now it really doesn't matter who you are facing, it can be a 10-year-old-child, or a 90-year-old-woman. If you don't pay very close attention, you can be looking up at an elderly grandmotherly type who is shaking her head at you and saying, "Sonny boy, you just don't get it."
In 991 AD, the year the battle of Maldon took place between some raiding Vikings and Byrhtnoth, leader of the Saxons, a poem was written regarding the battle. It seems to imply that Byrhtnoth was a heroic fool for letting the Vikings cross a stream and then square off. Although chivalrous, it also subjected his subjects to the murderous frenzy of the Vikings who were victorious. Ewart Oakeshott, in his wonderful book The Archeology of Weapons, quotes the ending couplet of the poem. I would like to do the same here.
"
Thought the harder, Heart the Bolder,
Mood the more, as our might lessens."
If there was ever a poem or line that exemplifies the warrior spirit, it is that couplet. The Saxons chose to continue fighting until they died rather than surrender. But the couplet is not just about fighting. Rather, it can be used to govern one's whole approach to life, not just fighting, whether play or real. The stronger the opponent, the stronger you must be, the tougher the task at hand, the tougher you must be. These are not just physical attributes, they are mental! Toughness of mind is what allows a man to do and to endure.
Now, this is not to say that all of our ancestors had this ability, this strength of mind. No, there were cowards then, there were weaklings, and this will always be true. But in a less coddled society, this mental toughness existed in people in greater numbers.
But it can be developed. It takes more effort today than it did in the past. In the past physical hardships were part of life and that made it easier to be tough simply because if you were not tough, it is likely you wouldn't survive.
RHYTHM
Rhythm is very important but not in the way you might think. To use football again: how many times do you hear about a quarterback, "He can't get into rhythm"? Or that the other team won't let him establish a rhythm? The same is true with boxers and fencers; the
y engage their opponent at their rhythm and this allows them to gain a slight advantage, and be able to judge the proper time to land a hit or blow.
But what is true is that in physical contests involving direct confrontation, when you fall into a rhythm you are simply asking to get beat. Rhythm is easy to pick up, and just as easy to disrupt and then attack into the opening. You are essentially telling your opponent what you are about to do.
Incongruent rhythm coupled with deception in your movements can be devastating in the attack. In short, your opponent simply cannot tell what you are about to do, or when you are going to do it. In my humble opinion, establishing a rhythm is a sure road to disaster. A lot of this is from my own experience. I have no rhythm at all. I can't keep a beat going more than two or three beats before I lose it. My wife has despaired of ever making me a ballroom dancer, and at a showing of the musical Stomp during the part where the audience participates, she made me sit on my hands!
But what I have been able to do is foul up someone else's rhythm. It was always easy for me to see someone getting into a rhythm, as it allowed an opening, and using some speed, let me be able to take advantage of it. Frankly, I never realized that I was so devoid of rhythm, I only knew that I was able to take advantage of others, and was rather proud of my discovery. Then I read a couple of Chinese and Japanese texts where this was discussed, and the student was advised not to develop a rhythm. Or at least to develop one, then quickly change it. So much for discovering something new under the sun.
Hank Reinhardt's The Book of the Sword Page 22