Arming Sword



The arming sword, alongside axes, maces and polearms, was the go-to close combat weapon for the Medieval fighter, hence the name. An arming sword is characterized by a cruciform cross, a handle optimized for a single-hand grip, and on average a 30-inch double-edged blade that tapers to a fine thrusting point.

Due to its prevalence as a common soldier's weapon, the arming sword is given relatively little mention in the aristocratic sword treatises of the day, with the I.33 Arming Sword and Buckler discipline as a rare exception to this. Other than that, it was generally used with techniques not dissimilar to that of the longsword, but with the difference of a buckler in the left hand, and as expected, a few differing maneuvers as well that incorporated the buckler into the art.