Timing in Combat Arts

Hello sword enthusiasts and experimental archaeology aficionados,

Today, I would like to point out to you what I consider a treasure trove of fencing knowledge. Delve into the intricacies of the art of swordplay with my fellow researcher and swordsman Cornelius Berthold, who provides the final part of his free video mini-series on timing. This is gold – but see for yourself!

Timing Is Everything

Hone your fencing skills with Cornelius berthold, my partner in our celebrated sword & buckler online course. As part of his tireless study of historical sword fighting techniques, Cornelius Berthold particularly focuses on the complex subject of correct timing. His conversation on this topic with Guy Windsor is one of the most popular episodes of the Sword Guy Podcast.

For my part, I am far from implementing these concepts in fencing. Fortunately, an exercise called the longpoint lesson was developed to deal with exactly these shortcomings (watch a wrap-up of this exercise in this free video).

But everything begins with an understanding of the underlying principles and their consequent outcomes. True mastery requires their relentless application. Thanks to Cornelius, you can start by watching video.

His four-part introduction to the art of prevailing by superior timing is undoubtedly one of the hidden gems in the vast YouTube noise. This is gold and applies to any hand weapon you might train with. In fact, demos and explanations consider and involve all sorts of bladed weapons, and the numerous students of the various longsword traditions (tournament fighters in particular) absolutely have to see Cornelius’ take on the "zufechten," the crucial approach.

Here are the links to all episodes, in chronological order. Be prepared to watch repeatedly and pause to digest. This is what I do. A lot of highly relevant material right there. First class teachings for free:

​Video 1, basic level, duration: 25 minutes.

​Video 2, intermediate level, 39 minutes.

​Video 2.5, intermediate level, 36 minutes.

And finally, with no less than an hour's running time, here is the final video:

So, that's it for today. Take care, train hard and don't give up.

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Yours,

Roland

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