American Explorer and U.S. Financier:

What this 1844 Schläger has to do with the Met’s Arms and Armor Collection!

Crime and Punishment: When surviving a sword fight could mean death

A rare find—first-hand analysis of a deadly bar fight, supported by expert testimony!

Fencing Fatality, c. 1936

Did a recent find bring SHotS to the limits of our research ability? Who can help match the picture with its story?

Rassemblement and Counter: Favorite Épée drills at Joinville-le-Pont

Taking the proper starting distance: Heels together, arms extended, tips touching.

While foils and sabers dominate the pictorial treasure trove contained in the souvenir postcards sent from the French military collector at Joinville-le-Pont, épées start to appear in the first years of the 20th century….

Tales from the Knight with the Iron Fist—A ride in the country in 1502

This is part of the SHotS Wayback Machine:

Götz von Berlichingen owes his lasting fame to Johann Wolfgang von Goethe’s eponymous 1743 drama, and specifically a line when he calls out to the commander of the superior Imperial troops:

„Vor Ihro Kaiserliche Majestät hab ich, wie immer, schuldigen Respekt. Er aber, sag’s ihm, er kann mich im Arsch lecken.“

“I pay my due respect to His Imperial Majesty. You, however, tell him, you can kiss my ass!”

Lines in the Sand: The ins and outs of 19th-century fencing spaces

—by J. Christoph Amberger (republished from a 2019 piece over at Duelingswords.wordpress.com)

What follows is a veritable smorgasbord of late 19th- and early 20th-century fencing images illustrating the development of early modern fencing’s combative spaces. You better pour yourself a stiff one.

Drills and bouts require an even surface for fencers to move on. Wooden floors covered with fine sand or saw dust were ideal. Less so, but still acceptable, were sanded or graveled walkways that would provide fencers and duelists with reasonably firm attachment to the ground. Footwork quickly created the danger of rolling an ankle—but when used as the background for a new-fangled photograph, sandy surfaces preserved an impression of actual movement for eternity…

Pistol and Sword: Tactical Advantage and Disadvantage in 17th-Century Cavalry Combat

Since the invention of gunpowder and the handgun, mounted combat emphasized the pistol over the sword. Of course, to cop a phrase from current events, everything was “contextual”…

Ancient Modern Épée Skills

Setting up a distance trap for fun and profit.

Der Renommist—The Show-Off

Bootleg Kreusslerian instruction backfires

The Hidden Fabri—The State Church: Gottfried Kreussler

Part 4: Miles Christianus

Now Lost: Does this image, once in the library of the University of Jena, show the true founder of Kreusslerian thrust fencing?