Editing Longsword (section)

===German school of fencing===
{{Main|German school of fencing}}

===={{lang|de|Bloßfechten}}====
[[File:De Fechtbuch Talhoffer 025.jpg|thumb|200px|Unarmoured longsword fencers (plate 25 of the 1467 manual of [[Hans Talhoffer]])]]
''{{lang|de|Bloßfechten}}'' (''blosz fechten'') or "bare fighting" is the technique of fighting without significant protective armour such as [[plate armour|plate]] or [[mail (armour)|mail]].

The lack of significant torso and limb protection leads to the use of a large amount of cutting and slicing techniques in addition to thrusts. These techniques could be nearly instantly fatal or incapacitating, as a thrust to the skull, heart, or major blood vessel would cause massive trauma. Similarly, strong strikes could cut through skin and bone, effectively amputating limbs. The hands and forearms are a frequent target of some cuts and slices in a defensive or offensive manoeuvre, serving both to disable an opponent and align the swordsman and his weapon for the next attack.

====Harnischfechten====
[[File:Augsburg Cod.I.6.4º.2 (Codex Wallerstein) 107v.jpg|thumb|200px|Page of the Codex Wallerstein showing a half-sword thrust against a two-handed sword's [[Mordstreich]] (Plate 214)]]
''{{lang|de|Harnischfechten}}'', or "armoured fighting" (German ''{{lang|de|kampffechten}}'', or ''{{lang|de|Fechten in Harnisch zu Fuss}}'', literally "fighting in armour on foot"), depicts fighting in full [[plate armour]].<ref name=terms2>{{cite web |author=Clements, John |url=http://thearma.org/terms2.htm |title=Medieval and Renaissance Fencing Terminology |access-date=29 November 2006 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070101022936/http://www.thearma.org/terms2.htm |archive-date=1 January 2007 |url-status=live }}</ref>

The increased defensive capability of a man clad in full plate armour caused the use of the sword to be drastically changed. While slashing attacks were still moderately effective against [[infantry]] wearing half-plate armour, cutting and slicing attacks against an opponent wearing [[plate armour]] were almost entirely ineffective in providing any sort of slashing wound as the sword simply could not cut through the steel, although a combatant could aim for the chinks in a suit of armour, sometimes to great effect.<ref name=knightly>{{cite book | last1=Lindholm | first1=David | last2=Svärd | first2=Peter | title=Signmund Ringeck's Knightly Arts of Combat | location=Boulder, Colorado | date=2006 | publisher=Paladin Press | isbn=1581604998 | page=219}}</ref> Instead, the energy of the cut becomes essentially pure [[impact force|concussive energy]]. The later hardened plate armours, complete with ridges and roping, posed a threat against the careless attacker. It is considered possible for strong blows of the sword against plate armour to damage the blade of the sword, potentially rendering it much less effective at cutting and producing only a concussive effect against the armoured opponent.

To overcome this problem, swords began to be used primarily for thrusting. The weapon was used in the half-sword, with one or both hands on the blade. This increased the accuracy and strength of thrusts and provided more leverage for ''{{lang|de|Ringen am Schwert}}'' or "wrestling at/with the sword". Also, the hand on the blade increases its rigidity which is advantageous when thrusting. This technique combines the use of the sword with wrestling, providing opportunities to trip, disarm, break, or throw an opponent and place them in a less offensively and defensively capable position. During half-swording, the entirety of the sword works as a weapon, including the pommel and crossguard. One example how a sword can be used this way is to thrust the tip of the crossguard at the opponent's head right after parrying a stroke. Another technique would be the [[Mordhau (weaponry)|Mordstreich]] (lit. "murder stroke"), where the weapon is held by the blade (hilt, pommel and crossguard serving as an improvised hammer head) and swung, taking advantage of the balance being close to the hilt to increase the concussive effect (see the fighter on the right of the Codex Wallerstein picture).<ref name=knightly />