Shield Walls, Armour and Street Fighting!

[griffin]

In recent months I've spent some considerable time working with other groups, learning about their fighting styles and teaching techniques. It has been a very productive process and really enjoyable (apart from fighting against people with really big spears - I have too many bruises from them!)

I the mists of time, the Lion Rampant's fighting style originated from two groups - the British Plate Armour Society and the Valhalla Vikings. I know very little about the BPAS but I recall working with Ray Davis from Valhalla and being impressed with his fighting. By coincidence I met up with a group of Vikings from several different groups, who train together. Their fighting system is VERY different from that of the LR, in the following ways:

- They frequently fight in groups or teams
- They fight using spears, as well as swords & axes
- They use huge round shield
- Most of them don't wear helmets or much armour at all (a few wear mail shirts & conical helmets)
- They don't use head or lower leg blows
- They use a points based system for hits
- They do use trusts more than we do
- A hit can be just a gentle tap, rather than a full swing
Etc.

How this may seem very alien to us but I did manage to talk to their fight instructor - they have developed their system with regards to safety BUT I have already seen a serious injury during training and a number of near misses that makes me question what they are doing.

However, I think that there is merit in the team work that they display while fighting in groups, the members of the LR all fight as individuals and there is limited use of teamwork - if we were to practise this it would certainly help at Tewkesbury.

I am also working with two groups based around the 3rd Crusade (1200'ish) - this is closer to our period. One of these groups is new and has very little experience and the other is a break away from the Viking period. The Viking based group started out using the Viking system but this presented them with some issues and didn't reflect the fact that wearing armour was proof against slashing blows and short cutting motions - (I believe that mail was effective against these kinds of attacks but more vulnerable to crushing blows & arrows).

Working with both groups, it has been possible to get them to use bigger swings that would have been more effective against mail and to avoid issues like moving in too close because their shield covers all the target area and they don't feel vulnerable to an attack to the head or lower leg etc.

Results so far suggest that they find it much more fun and challenging and that the style looks more like a battle rather than a sabre fight, where the sword tend to used for shorter cuts etc.

For the Lion Rampant, I have learned a couple of valuable lessons - firstly, our training process helps us adapt to different styles, I have been able to pass the safety tests without any problems and, although it takes time to adapt, it is possible without going back to square one.

Also, it would not do us any harm to train with and against spears and other pole arms - you know how it is at Tewkesbury!!!

and, we should practise fighting in groups - we aren't the French at Agincourt... it's fine to fight in single combat but maybe we could add a new element in the melee???

[llawgoch]

Another really interesting article Griff.

I quite like the idea of fighting in groups, as you say it would be a boon at Tewks! Obviously any new stuff would have to be approved by the BC and we would need enough people in the melee to make it look good!

Cheers,

Llawgoch