i.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 1: Introduction and contents page

i.33, The Tower Fechtbuch, the Walpurgis Fechtbuch - whatever you want to call it - is a fascinating if misunderstood fencing book. Dating to around 1300 AD (+ or - 20 years), it predates other texts we use in HEMA by 100 years or more. For comparison, Fiore di Libre's Flower of Battle dates from around 1405(ish), and Joachim Meyer's works date to the 1560s and 1570s.

I.33 (one-thirty three, it's former library reference number in the Royal Armouries) is a beautiful book containing several dozen illustrations of a priest/cleric (a fight master) and his student training in the use of sword and buckler. The text that accompanies these images describes what is going on. However, the images (being from the early 14th Century) are not drawn in perspective or anatomically correct, and the text can be cryptic unless you know the system of fighting it is trying to describe. There seem to be as many interpretations of i.33 as there are practitioners of it. Contrast that to Joachim Meyer's Longsword, where there seems to be much more agreement among practitioners.

This, and the blog posts that follow, are based on my interpretation, which itself has been heavily influenced by the works of Andrew Kenner (I33 Fencing in the Style of the Walpurgis Manuscript 2nd edition: Amazon.co.uk: Kenner, Andrew: 9781326642044: Books), Guy Windsor (I33 Sword and Buckler - Swordschool) and Federico Malagutti (Andre Lignitzer - 1st Buckler Play - YouTube, Sword and Buckler playlist). I've also watched other i.33 videos on YouTube, including those from Roland Warzecha, Dave Rawlings and various older videos. My interpretation may vary from other practitioners, but I mean no disrespect, and at the end of the day we will never know whose interpretation is right or wrong - do what works for you.

My thanks to these, and many other, HEMA practitioners and scholars that worked to translate and interpret i.33.

Disclaimer:

This series of blog posts is not intended for absolute beginners to HEMA. I will try my best to make explanations simple, but you should be familiar with basic German longsword, footwork, concepts like strong and weak of the blade, terms like oberhau and unterhau, etc.

Contents

I wrote these blog posts in no strict order, therefore use the below contents list to help you navigate the material.

Introduction

• i.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 1: Introduction (hema101.com)

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 2 - The i.33 approach to the fight (hema101.com)

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 3: How to read i.33 (hema101.com)

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Summary (hema101.com)

Beginners

Introduction to strikes, wards and counter-wards

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 4: The basic wards and strikes (hema101.com)

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 5: An introduction to the counter-wards (hema101.com)

Half-shield vs shoulder-wards

• https://www.hema101.com/post/i-33-sword-and-buckler-101-part-6-the-counter-wards-half-shield

• I.33 Sword and Buckler - 101 - Part 9: Third ward vs. half-shield (hema101.com)

• I.33 Sword and Buckler - 101 - Part 16: Second ward vs. half-shield (hema101.com)

Reverse-half-shield vs. shoulder-wards

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 7: The counter-wards - Reverse half-shield (Shutzen) (hema101.com)

• i.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 10: Second ward vs. Reverse half-shield (Shutzen) (hema101.com)

Applying what you have learned to other wards

• I.33 Sword and Buckler - 101 - What is falling under the sword? (hema101.com)

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 14: First ward vs. half-shield (hema101.com)

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 17: The plays from fourth ward (hema101.com)

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 23: Walpurgis ward (hema101.com)

Intermediate

Defending against the thrust using half-shield

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 18: Fifth ward vs. half-shield (hema101.com)

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 19: Sixth ward vs. half-shield (hema101.com)

Introducing other counter-wards to give variety to your attacks

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 8: The counter-wards - Krucke and Hanging-Ward (hema101.com)

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 13: First ward vs. Krucke (Crutch) (hema101.com)

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 11: Third ward vs. Hanging-Ward (Schutzen) (hema101.com)

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 12: Second ward vs Hanging-Ward (hema101.com)

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 15: First ward vs. longpoint (seventh ward) (hema101.com)

Advanced

Getting good at binding

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 20: Seventh ward (longpoint) and the four binds (hema101.com)

Some of the weirder stuff...

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 22: Vidilpoge (Fiddle-bow) (hema101.com)

• I.33 Sword and buckler - 101 - Part 21: Priest's special longpoint (PSL) and its subtle lessons (hema101.com)