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Sword and Buckler of the I33 MS

Overview

The Royal Armouries MS I.33 as translated in _The Medieval Art of Swordsmanship_¹ is my reference for the following information.

The original author of the I.33 introduces first how the untrained swordsman will attack. He does this by showing seven attack stances. He then states these various blows are the art of combat (bold italics are mine).

'Dimicatio est diversarum plagarum ordinatio, & diuiditur in septem partes vt hic.'

He stresses again that these seven blows are used by the ordinary combatant. His combat-waging cleric holds the opposite (defence) and the means (to win).

'Hec septem partes ducuntur per generales:

Oppositum clerus mediumque tenet lutegerus.'

So he is saying that when attacked by the ordinary combatant (who would be using the first illustrated seven attacks) here are the oppositions (defences) you should be adopting to win. Then he begins teaching as if to the ordinary combatant, on how to defeat the defensive oppositions. He does this by illustrating 40 'plays' with up to six panels of paired figures.

Teaching Method

I teach beginning with attacks from Secundus Custodia (right shoulder attack). My theory here is that most attacks will be by right handed warriors and very probably swinging from their right side, therefore defences against this should be the first learned. The Oppositions (defences) are Schutzen and Halpschilt. This is then followed by attacks from Tertia Custodia (left shoulder) and defended against by Schutzen, Halpschilt, Langort and Specificata Langort.

Bindings

The author of the I.33 states which binds are best against which oppositions. There is Bind, Counter-Bind and then Change of Sword.

Obsessione (opposition)	Binding against it
Halpschilt	below
Krucke	above
Schutzen	none given
Langort	above and below, with above being the best
Superior Langort	below
Vidilpoge	above
Specificatam Langort	none given
Quadam Rara	none given
Specificatam Secundus	none given

Plate Chart

This chart shows the Plate in the book that the Opposition is found upon. It also shows the popularity or usefulness of the opposition by the number of times it is shown in the I.33.

Plate	Opposition	Play	Special
3, 5, 16, 20, 22, 25, 28, 54, 55	Halpschilt	001, 002, 008, 011, 012, 015, 017, 035, 036	Shield bind in play 003
7, 9, 10, 23, 24	Krucke	003, 004, 005, 013, 014	Shield bind in play 003
12, 14, 27, 31, 33, 34, 37, 39, 40, 45	Langort	006, 007, 016, 019, 021, 022, 023, 024, 028	Disarm using right hand in play 019 Sword bind in play 021
41, 49	Superior Langort	025, 031
43, 44	Vidilpoge	026, 027	Disarm using left hand in play 026
46, 48, 49, 51, 52, 53, 59, 61	Specificatam Langort	029, 030, 031, 032, 033, 034, 038, 039
57	Quadam Rara	037
63	Specificatam Secundus	040

Terminology

Medieval Latin/German	English
Halpschilt	Half-Shield
Krucke	Crutch
Schutzen	Covering
Langort	Long-point
Superior Langort	High Long-point
Vidilpoge	Fiddlebow
Specificatam Langort	Special Longpoint
Quadam Rara	Rare opposition
Specificata Secundus	Second Special opposition
Stichslach	Thrust-strike
Schiltslach	Shield-strike

Custodia	Attack
Prima	Under-arm
Secunda	Right shoulder
Tertia	Left shoulder
Quarta	Head
Quinta	Right side
Sextam	Thrusting
Septima	Longpoint