One Knight Stand
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Background Notes: Longsword Fighting Stances & Footwork
🕑 Added 2025-02-06 22:23:35 +0000 UTCLong sword fighting terminology... hmm... certainly no foreshadowing here at all.
High Guard
aka Hawke Guard/"Posta de falcone" (Italian),
aka Haukse Bill (English)
aka From the roof/"Vom Dach"/"Vom Tag" (German)
Sometimes called Upper Guard/"Oberhut"
Sword held at 45° above head or shoulder (usually right).
Shoulder version used if armor prevents above-head movement, quicker and more deceptive, less range and strength in strike
Low Guard
aka The Fool's Stance Alber/Iron Gate/"Eiserne Pforte"(German),
similar Iron Door (blade placed right or middle) or Boar's Tooth Guard (blade left)(Italian)
Sword held point downwards in front, most commonly between the legs similar to (Middle Iron Gate/Mezzana Porta di Ferro).
Close Guard
aka Boar's Tooth Guard (Italian)
transitional stance similar to Low and Middle Guards
Knees down and sword low to hip, used for delivering low thrusts and parrying attacks to waist/hip region or to the sword's grip
Middle Guard
aka Close Guard, The Plow/"Pflug" (German)
The foundation of many other stances as it covers the body and allows all attacks
blade held at 45° angle from hip, pointed at the opponent's chest, throat, or face.
Pulling hilt past the hip is the "long plow" for quick cuts from under and downward thrusts
Closest Italian analogue is Middle Iron Door/"Porta di ferro mezana"
Front Guard
aka Crown Guard "Posta di Corona"/Posta di Frontale"(Italian)
"Kron"(Germany)
Similar to Middle Guard, a high center position where the sword is held up with the cross-guard just below eye-level
Uused to catch an incoming downward strike across the sword hilt
Back Guard
aka Long Tail Guard"/"Posta di coda longa"/True/Complete Iron Gate "Tutta Porta di Ferro"/"Posta di coda longa"/Serpentino(Italian),
aka Near Guard/"Nebenhut"/"Schrankhut"/"Mittelhut" (German)
Blade slanting 45° downwards and to the side with the tip pointing backwards
Primarily a defensive guard that allows a strong rising cut with the long edge or a full upward cut with the short edge.
Blade can be pulled back further to hide it from opponent and generate more power in the Extended Long Tail stance (Code Lunga)
Short Guard
aka Posta Breve(Italian)
Close-range posture with knees bent, blade held vertical, and hilt pulled in close.
Used mostly while armored or looking for an opening in an opponent's stance
Can parry, slice, thrust, or bind but has limited cutting movement and is vulnerable to thrusts & low/side parries.
Long Guard
aka "Posta Longa"(Italian)
aka Long Point/ "Langortt"/"Langer Ort"(German)
Blade held horizontal with arms extended straight at opponent's face
Rrisky transitional defensive thrusting position meant for probing guards, warding, stabbing, or stop-thrusts.
Vulnerable to being trapped/deflected/getting caught in cross-blades + can't freely cut or recover/parry easily
Inside Guard
aka Window Guard, "Posta Finestra"(Italian)
aka Ox/"Ochs (German)
Blade held up and to the outside horizontal, hilt close to at the temple
Can strike, cover, or oppose all the guards from this position; the best offensive move from this stance is a thrust
Hanging Guard
aka Woman's Guard/Queen's Guard/"Posta di donna"(Italian)
aka Hanging Point/"Hangentorte"/Change/"Wechsel"/"Hengen" (German)
Transitional pose, used for meeting an oncoming downward stroke or breaking a defender's stance with a powerful strike.
Defensive sidestepping and lifting the sword, point down at a horizontal.
Offensive Woman's Guard has sword pulled back over shoulder and behind head to generate as much power as possible. Slow movements, but hard to block.
Back Step: (aka Backsteppe) Simple back step with the trailing leg. Can be followed by matching backward step with the leading leg
Cock Step : (aka Cockstep, koc stappis, kocstep) Forward skipping step by the leading leg. Similar to modern day balestro fencing move.
Great Step : (aka Grete Steppe) Large double step (any direction)
Double Step : Side step where the back foot ends up in the lead position
Cross Step : Two steps circling steps around your opponent. Trailing foot steps in front of leading leg, former leading foot passes behind (vulnerable during moment when legs are crossing over)
Sliding Step : (aka Adjustment Step) Extending either lead or rear foot backwards similar to boxer's shuffle. Adjustment step forward is the acresare, backwards is the decresare.
Lunge : Sudden long step either forward or backwards
Pass : Simple step, the back leg goes in front of the leading leg as if sliding along train track
Triangle Step: Back foot brought parallel to leading leg, former leading foot shifts back to former trailing leg's position (basically switching guards)
