• Welcome to the Fantasy Writing Forums. Register Now to join us!

Cheers!

Obligatory Greetings!!

Long time writer, but I am finally getting "serious" about making writing my career and not just my hobby. I am interested in most genres, but my primary interest is in writing fantasy.

I have also been studying historical European martial arts for the last 18 months. Specifically German Longsword, but also have some training in sword and buckler, rapier, and Dussak, as well as medieval wrestling. The downside to this is it pretty much ruined 99% of movie sword fights for me forever. Curse you KNOWLEDGE!!
 
Welcome the boards. I fear your pain on the 'knowledge' front. I'm a lifelong wrestler (real not TV crap) and every time I watched AC Slater go at it on Saved by the Bell, I wanted to punch him, the show producers, and the general lack of realism.
 

Shadoe

Sage
I get you on the knowledge thing. I am completely unable to watch a movie or tv show with a nuclear power plant in it. Or anything that has any military people in dress uniforms.

It helps to look at movie sword fights as a type of ballet. Admire the artistry and gymnastics, and ignore that the two-legs in tutus aren't really swans. ;)
 

Black Dragon

Staff
Administrator
I have also been studying historical European martial arts for the last 18 months. Specifically German Longsword, but also have some training in sword and buckler, rapier, and Dussak, as well as medieval wrestling.

Very cool. I've been studying historical sword fighting for the last four years, and have been practicing with the Society for Creative Anachronism. I've done some work with the German Longsword, although I mostly concentrate on Italian Rapier.

Have you seen this DVD:

The Longsword of Johannes Liechtenauer

It's worth studying.
 
I'm new here as well. And you have no idea how frustrating it gets to have a religious history major in a group of people that read the Davinci Code/Played Assassin's Creed II.

The Templars died 900 years ago, they aren't still alive, they never resurfaced in Italy, they didn't change their name, THERE'S NO MAGIC APPLE IN THE COLISEUM, AND THE HOLY GRAIL ISNT MARY MAGDALENE! I hate Dan Brown... But I wuv Ubisoft. They might have messed with the Templars, but atleast Splinter Cell pwns!
 
It helps to look at movie sword fights as a type of ballet. Admire the artistry and gymnastics, and ignore that the two-legs in tutus aren't really swans. ;)
It's hard to enjoy, when it's done so badly. Guys two handing single handed swords, or more commonly, single handing two handed blades. Striking edge on edge. I can totally suspend belief that the blacksmith, or farm boy can become a master after about 5 minutes of instruction from Liam Neeson....but then to watch the actors that are supposed to be master swordsmen do stuff that would ruin their sword about every couple of battles. It's just too much

Very cool. I've been studying historical sword fighting for the last four years, and have been practicing with the Society for Creative Anachronism. I've done some work with the German Longsword, although I mostly concentrate on Italian Rapier.
That is awesome. I have some buddies in the SCA in my area, and surprisingly they have yet to show interest in what I do. We fight with blunt steel swords, commonly referred to as Feder's. I plan on making some armor this winter and going to some SCA events next year. Maybe after I thump on them a bit, they'll be more receptive. I recently took a phenomenal rapier class from a guy known in the SCA circuit as Tora Taka.

Have you seen this DVD:

The Longsword of Johannes Liechtenauer

It's worth studying.
I actually JUST got that a week or so ago!! I haven't had time to watch it yet, but I'll be watching it this weekend.

I'm new here as well. And you have no idea how frustrating it gets to have a religious history major in a group of people that read the Davinci Code/Played Assassin's Creed II.

The Templars died 900 years ago, they aren't still alive, they never resurfaced in Italy, they didn't change their name, THERE'S NO MAGIC APPLE IN THE COLISEUM, AND THE HOLY GRAIL ISNT MARY MAGDALENE! I hate Dan Brown... But I wuv Ubisoft. They might have messed with the Templars, but atleast Splinter Cell pwns!
I feel your pain and I think Splinter Cell is one the best games ever created!!
 
I'm new here, too. I envy you for your knowledge, btw. Fight scenes were probably the toughest material I had to research and rewrite in my novel. I eventually settled on a Roman legion vs. Greek phalanx type of scenario, but I still have a lot to learn in this area.
 
I'm new here, too. I envy you for your knowledge, btw. Fight scenes were probably the toughest material I had to research and rewrite in my novel. I eventually settled on a Roman legion vs. Greek phalanx type of scenario, but I still have a lot to learn in this area.
I am not sure how much this knowledge has helped me thus far. Reading fight scenes in books, they tend to be pretty vague. I have to fight the urge not to get super specific. It helps me to choreograph in my head, but describing it is still pretty hard, since I can't convey the true intracacies of the fight. Unless you get super lucky and kill a guy with the first blow, much of a real fight happens in the bind (swords crossed, this is where you hurl insults at your opponent if you are in a movie) - depending on how hard or soft they are in that bind will determine what you do, such as thrusting into them, or letting their sword run off and striking around to the other side of their sword.
 
I've often heard that real fights are often quick. I use that as my justification whenever I want to write a fight that isn't incredibly long and drawn out. LOL
 
I've often heard that real fights are often quick. I use that as my justification whenever I want to write a fight that isn't incredibly long and drawn out. LOL

A "real" to the death fight most likely was. What I study relates back to field combat, but most of what survived in books relates to sword skills for Dueling. Depending on what the Duel was about, it could be to first blood, or to the death and various others. I think of the final fight scene in Kill Bill - the whole movie has been building up to this one fight and it's a few seconds from start to finish. That is pretty accurate. In a "war" situation, then it's one quick exchange after another though - and I think that's why most writers shy away from describing these in detail. It's just too much. I really like Bernard Cornwell's fight scenes. He'll spend pages and pages leading up to the battle, the men, the smell of leather and sweat and all that. Then the fight starts and he might describe a snippet of the fight, but glosses over most of the rest, and it's over. Very well done in my book. His Saxon Stories is a particular favorite of mine.
 
Top