Fighting with one arm.

[Abbas-Al-Morim]

One of my characters can only use his right arm. His left is paralysed (the nerves in his shoulder were cut) and so he cannot use it. The character in question is a knight and a member of the secret police in my early renaissance setting. What kind of weapon would be most efficient for a one-armed man? He doesn't fight big battles, so its more for fighting off brigands. On a side-note, what kind of stealth weapon would be most efficient for him?

I'm aiming for semi-realism in my novels. That means "he's an insanely good fencer" doesn't cut it. Fencing is useless against a small group of people with large heather shields. But I want this character to be able to defend himself. So he'd be a good fighter and fast on his feet. What weapon would you recommend? He's a knight so he wears plate armor - that restricts his movement a little (but not too much, research has shown you can do cartwheels in a suit of armor). Is there any way I can compensate for his lack of a shield? Not having a shield is a huge disadvantage in (realistic) medieval fights.

Also what stealth weapon would be most efficient (I'm thinking dagger but that is pretty messy and up-close). A bow is impossible to use with one hand. Crossbows and pistols would be one-shot weapons (and pistols are loud) since he cannot reload them on his own.

 

[Guy]

A one-armed fighter, no matter how skilled, is at a severe disadvantage. As the Renaissance progressed, shields fell out of use more and more as plate armor became more developed, so if you're using a period of mid-fifteenth century or later, plate armor was developed well enough that shields weren't needed. For one handed use, you're basically restricted to knives and some swords. Daggers and knives are messy, but so are all sharp weapons. An impact weapon like a mace, hammer or axe would likely be too awkward for one-handed use. Recovery time from a missed swing would be a bit too slow to stop a counterattack. There was a type of sword called a riding sword (reitschwert) or a side sword you could look into. Also, don't underestimate short swords and knives just because they're small. They'll do a lot of damage. One sweep can disembowel someone. And I'm convinced short swords are the underrated players among swords - they combine the maneuverability of a knife with the striking power of a sword. Perhaps he could use a poisoned blade to stop his enemies quickly and avoid a prolonged fight. That could also work as a stealth weapon.

Remember that there was also unarmed fighting techniques. Wrestling works just as well on an armored man as an unarmored one, though, once again, this would be very difficult for a one armed man.

 

[Spider]

There's also the arming sword, a one-handed sword that knights typically used before the rise of the longsword. According to my source, this sword could effectively be used without the companion of the shield. It was light, versatile, claimed to have excellent balance, and capable of both cut and thrust combat. Axes and maces are deadly in that they're powerful, but they're also slow and don't have great balance during combat. Falchions are one-handed swords that, along with having the power of an axe, are versatile. As for ranged weapons, there are always javelins that only require one hand to be thrown.

 

[Jastius]

some knights had mini shields on their knees because they were on horse back. the biggest problem would be of balance. as soon as someone starts hitting at him he would be more likely to go down because of overbalancing. when you are moving most of your balance is in your shoulders. when you are stationary, most of the balance is in the hips. he would have to overcompensate with the remaining arm and that would throw off his hits.

 

[ndmellen]

This is actually a really interesting topic. In the event that you've never heard of him, look into a guy by the name of Nick Newell; he's an undefeated MMA fighter that is also a world champion kickboxer...and he did it having been born with one arm.

As far as weaponry is concerned...maybe consider looking into Asian cultures. Chinese butterfly/ tai chi swords are incredibly light and fast, and are intended for one handed usage...but also might not be an appropriate match for someone wearing full plate. Japanese tantos might be an alternative, since they are a bit heavier, but can still be used with a single hand.

Maybe something else to consider...take his armor away. Your MC could compensate for his shortcoming by breaking the norm and using a lighter form of armor that would allow him to be faster and more maneuverable than his opponents. Just a thought.

 

[Lawfire]

What about a sabre, or cavalryman's style sword? Relatively light and fast, sharpened on one edge only?

As far as a pistol, he could probably learn to tuck it under is hanging arm to reload with his good hand. Or tuck it between his legs. He'd have one good shot, but so would most people if the confrontation turned to a melee. Modern gunfighters are taught to reload with one hand, and it is possible even with a revolver and cycling a semi-auto.

Throwing knives or axes would be a possibility too.

 

[Abbas-Al-Morim]

I don't really want to give him a tanto or a katana or any other Oriental weapon since that wouldn't fit the setting. It just wouldn't be right and it would break consistency. That being said, the character in question was wounded during a Holy War in the South so scimitars, falchions and other curved swords are an option.

Thanks for the tip about Nick Newell. It definitely sounds worth looking into.

For now, I think I'll go with an arming sword. Maybe a Katzbalger like the Landsknechte had.

He could have taught himself to reload his pistol with one hand. I expect he'd have adapted to his disability over the years. But reloading would take very long -- even longer than it already is.

Thanks for the input everyone!

 

[Bruce McKnight]

Remember that there was also unarmed fighting techniques. Wrestling works just as well on an armored man as an unarmored one, though, once again, this would be very difficult for a one armed man.

In some martial arts, you have one-on-one knife defense techniques that involve neutralizing someone's weapon-hand using only one hand of your own, freeing up your other hand for a counter. Your character may not have the second hand available for a counter, but if he has two good legs, he may be able to compensate. Traditional Eastern martial arts may not fit your world, but some other form of grappling or brawling (punches with gauntlets?) may fit.