The hand and a half sword, commonly called a longsword or a bastard sword, was used by knights and men-at-arms from the end of the thirteenth century to the end of the fifteenth. All students begin with this weapon.

The core treatise for this weapon is Fiore dei Liberi's Fior Battaglia (1409). The training includes some of the unarmed and dagger techniques, as they are essential for understanding the fundamental concepts of Fiore's method. Some additional material comes from Vadi's De Arte Gladiatoria Dimicandi (c.a 1485).

The Lichtenauer-tradition German style is occasionally taught as a comparative study, usually by visiting instructors.

# posted by chanlee @ 1:38 PM