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!”

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”…

Deadly duel: How Count Rudolph Christian put his eye out!

One aspect of historical swordsmanship neglected by modern martialist is that probably the majority of fights involved drunk young men and were over quickly. On occasion, like here, a blade would be permanently bent inside of an opponent’s skull… perhaps a timely reminder for HEMA practitioners to supplement their halter tops and yoga pants with a decent mask, even for practice and posing…

Fechthaus, Nürnberg 1700

This vista of the Nürnberg Fechthaus, now part of the Amberger Collection, comes complete with a Fechtschule.

The Transitionals

Two dueling swords to kill with in style

Many years ago, I wrote a piece comparing 8 Dueling Epees from my collection.

One of the Elegant Eight, my “Transitional”, found especial favor among SHotS readers and the attendants of the American Smallsword Symposia I’ve attended since.

As luck would have it, I recently acquired its Sista from another Mista…

Sons of the Muses vs. “Poodles” — A Nocturnal Assault between City Guards and Students in 1627

Yes, we’re still flensing 17th-century Albums Amicorum for fencing-related information. Someone’s got to do it!

The Hidden Fabri—The State Church

The Kreussler Clan: Part 2…  Trinity

Having given Professor Göttling the heave-ho, what’s left of the Kreussler origin story? We straighten out the family tree… and ponder the reasons for speedy privilege.

The Hidden Fabri—The State Church: The Kreussler Clan

Part 1: Why we know more about Wilhelm Kreussler’s sex life than about his fencing method…

How a Jena philologist accidentally invented the Kreussler origin story.

Accidental Demise:

Why you should pay attention when straightening a blade!

The Hidden Fabri: The Acolyte—Christian Böhm

A dissertation on the finer points of the Fabri transmission.

Hidden in a 1672 thesis from Wittenberg: Some up-to-now unknown bits of information that increase our understanding of how and why the Fabri method managed to hang on and prosper in Germany for more than three centuries…