Terminology and the Longsword Guards

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Long sword Guards used by the Guild

Going along with this approach we have decided to make use of a generic set of guards that may be used with two-handed or hand-and-half swords. We also decided to simplify the names that they are given. All of those used can be found within the manuals of the historic masters although not all guards are common to all masters, some show or talk about only two or three guards while others show many more. Even when the guard positions themselves appear similar, the names they are given often vary from master to master and country to country.

For example the Guild Front high guard (right) is generally known as the ‘Ox’ in German manuals

while in the manual of Fiore dei Liberi, an Italian, it is called the Porta reale di vera finestra, royal or real window position (below).

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