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Battle Weapons of the Landsknechte
Ringen - Wrestling
The core principals of combat are best taught through unarmed confrontation. Grappling instructs the student on proper footwork, mindset, and principals of defense. Most of the grappling techniques taught in any given Fechtbuch involve throwing or binding an opponent while you remain standing. When fighting against multiple opponents, the fight will likely end once on the ground because of a high likelihood of being trampled. Kampfringen is a term used to describe wrestling in full armor.
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Degen - Dagger
Daggers are predominantly a thrusting weapon and are among the most frighteningly lethal weapons used. For this reason Fechtbuch author Hans Talhoffer writes "Here the dagger begins. God save us all." Daggers are quick and deadly, often resulting in two dead opponents. Many daggers, such as the Rondel dagger, were shaped like ice-picks and could easily pierce through maille and gaps in plate armor.
The wrestling plays come in handy when fighting with a dagger. It is often advised that the opponent's weapon is disabled by breaking an elbow or dislocating a shoulder before attempting to stab with your own dagger. Many of the core principles and techniques of dagger combat can easily be applied to different weapons.
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Katzbalger - Sword
A Katzbalger is a single-handed sword defined by its "S" shaped quillons. Other aspects of the Katzbalger vary. The tip can be either square, round, or pointed and the length is similarly inconsistant. Being a weapon used in cramped pike formations, it was probably most commonly a short sword. Katzbalger-style hilts can be seen on longswords; however, since longwords use a drastically different fighting style, they are not considered to be a Katzbalger.
Training with the Katzbalger is difficult because most of the Fechtbucher were geared towards a civillian audience and thus do not cover it. We train for Katzbalger combat using a combination of Messer and dagger techniques.
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Bidenhänder - Two-Handed War Sword
Litarally translated as a sword used with both hands, the Bidenänder is a devastating double handed sword wielded by the courageous Dopplesoldneren. They were positioned at the flanks of the pike square where they could protect the square whilst also harrying the defenses of opposing pike formations. In the early quarter of the 16th century, the Bidenänder had two designs: one featured straight quillons while the other design maintained 'S' shaped quillons, resembling an oversized katzbalger.
The famous double ported Zwiehänder, with it's characteristic hooked blade for parrying, was not used by Landsknechte until after the middle 16th century. Weapons such as the Bidenhänder and Zweihänder are well suited for defending an area against multiple assailants, such as guarding the Fähndrich or officers.
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Spieß - Spear, Pike
Spieß is a term used for a pike, the 16 - 20 foot-long backbone of the Landsknechte fighting units. Squares of 50 - 100 pikemen could effectively hold cavalry units at bay, as long as their vunerable flanks were protected by groups of Dopplesoldneren with Halbert, Bidenänder, and Harquebus.
The Landsknechte (along with their hated rivals the Swiss) were at the fore front of what is now called the Era of Pike and Shot that helped end the medieval battlefield domination of heavy cavalry. From the late 15th century to the end of the 17th century, the battle fields of Europe were dominated by the pike--with the support of the newly emerging wings of firelocks in support.
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Halbert - Halberd
Another weapon of the Dopplesoldner, this axe head mounted on a 6-8 foot shaft featured a crow's beak on the back and a spear tip on the top. Groups of Dopplesoldneren wielding Halberts would stand in the ranks to help deflect oncoming attacks from other pike squares and create openings for the Spießträger to exploit. A close cousin to the shorter, knightly poleaxe, the fighting style of the Halbert is very simillar to that of a poleaxe--though changes had to be made to incorporate the longer shaft of the Halbert. Generally the first rank of a pike square consisted of men with Halberts as well as the center surrounding the Fähndrich.
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Harquebus - Musket
The Harquebus is a very simple form of musket. Harquebuses are matchlock guns with a piece of burning cord ingniting the priming powder in the pan, which in turn ignites the main charge in the barrel. The Harquebusiers are a vital part of the Fähnlein. Organized into small units on the wings of the main pike formations, they fire their firelocks and then fall back between files of their comrades to reload. A well train unit of harquebusiers can fire row after row at an astonishingly quick and deadly rate.
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Cannon
As technology developed, larger cannons were created that would bring ruin to its targets. It was becoming quickly evident that high castle walls provided no defense against artillery. Cannons were best served in sieges because their enormous heft required large crews and time to transport and position. The effort was well worth it, as each shot was devastating. Smaller canons were used on the battlefield.
Cannons were highly dangerous to the firing crew as well. So that the gun powder would not explode when reloading, the canon had to be cooled down with water after firing. The rapid temperature change would cause little fissures in the metal that would eventually cause the canon to explode, possibly taking out the entire line.
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Other Weapons of the German School
Messer - Knife
The Messer is the length of a single-handed sword, but constructed similarly to many utility knives of the era. For this reason, it is also known as a big knife, or Großmesser. With a sharp single edge, this weapon is frequently portrayed dismembering limbs. The messer is not a weapon used by Landsknechte; rather, it is more commonly seen worn by civilians or by soldiers of the preceding era.
Dusack
Known by many names (Dussack, Dusägge, and Tuseckn to name a few), the Dusack was created as a training tool for students of the Messer. In the late 16th century, Dusack fencing became a sport and evolved into a form of its own. Being training tools and sporting equipment, not weapons, they were made out of wood or hardened leather. Combat with the dusack quickly taught the fencing student deception, since the first attack would seldom successfully land.
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Langeschwert - Longsword
The Langeschwert is a sword that was most commonly used with two hands but could be wielded with only one if the need arose. The Langeschwert is the basis of the German Fechtbücher, with more coverage than any other other weapon. Fechtbuch author Joachim Meyer felt that the understanding of the principles of Langeschwert was the best way to teach all other fighting styles and forms. Thus it forms the foundation of all his teachings, and is the primary focus of our studies as well. A Langeschwert was not generally used by Landsknechte on the field of battle, though some officers are depicted wearing one.
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