In response for the need to bring down mounted combatants and cavalry the halberd came into play somewhere between the 14th and 15th centuries. It is a two-handed axe with the head of the blade mounted on a wooden shaft usually about 4 to 6 feet long. It was a versatile weapon as it could compete with all sorts of aggression from weapons of all types and designs from sword to pike.
The long reach of the halberd allowed the wielder quick access to his opponent. It was particularly useful for catching mounted swordsmen off their horse. The pole-axe was actually designed with a sort of hook in it that could grip a horseman and wrestle him down to the ground and finished off with the sharp curved front axe blade.
Normally rising above the axe head sat a long pointed spear for using the halberd more like a pike or spear. A halberdier had many different options when charging an opponent because of the built in variety of his weaponry.
For defense purposes the wooden shaft of the halberd was usually reinforced with steel or iron, making it incredibly effective for defending against swords or other slashing implements. It was also possible to attach a sharp point at the end of the shaft so as to be able to use both ends of the halberd in battle and attack efficiently.
In the 14th century the Swiss army took up the Halberd as one of their primary weapons. It is still common for their soldiers to carry the halberd as decoration much like the United States soldiers will sometimes carry a small sword or rapier. In the Vatican it is the prized weaponry of the Swiss Guard and has been used as the weapon of choice for royal bodyguards for a long time.
The weapon was often carried by officers up until the late 18th century or so. A mixed squad of Swiss halberdiers and pike man was a nightmare for a group of knights on horseback and they were capable of tearing through most any other infantry divisions as well.
The halberd would be the main offensive weapon, used for all primary combat, but once the enemy was in close combat it was difficult to wield. The size of the pole-arm made it unmanageable in tight spaces and once an opponent got close enough to be out of the range of a downward strike from the axe it was difficult to defend them. The Swiss and the German armies solved this problem by carrying small side-arm daggers with them. They would use the halberd until it was no longer logical and then arm themselves with a short sword and finish the job.
Close combat was notoriously unnecessary with the halberd though. An expert halberdier could end a fight with a single blow from his weapon or decapitate his opponent with a sweeping strike.
As the halberd became more refined the blades and the pole-arm would often be ornamented with engravings or finished with works of art. As the weapon slowly made its way out of the battle field and into museums and weapons collector’s living rooms it became an exquisite piece of violent art.
The halberd was the answer to the knight riding horseback and sadly faded away as the technology of warfare went long range and away from brutal pole-arms. Even though it retains a noble respect as the signature of royal authority in some countries the halberd is often a forgotten relic of war.
If you’re interested in learning how to use a halberd it would be a good idea to first pick up a long bo. The techniques and maneuvers of the long bo are incredibly similar to that of the halberd and it wouldn’t be as dangerous because there is no axe head. Once you master the pole-arm, move on to the sharper things in life.
Our first article was about the small sword so we figured we should provide an adequate article about a complimentary weapon. The main-gauche, meaning left hand in French, is the perfect partner to the small sword. It is a light weight dagger used to parry attacks from opponent sword fighters. These parrying daggers are held in the off-hand and can attack just as well as they defend.
There are a few different types of parrying daggers and each of them has a unique quality that makes it useful in some situations. All of them, when paired with the skilled hand of an expert fencer, will give an aggressor some reason to pause.
The Trident Dagger
The trident dagger is similar to the Sai. The effectiveness of the parrying dagger is judged by how well it can block an attack and the trident dagger scores highly. The short dagger has a three prong design and sometimes even incorporates a spring technology to flip the blades out into a fan.
The center blade is the longest of the three and would be most useful for stabbing. The other two jut outward at thirty degree angles and are used to catch an opponents sword as it slides down the center blade. They can also be used for stabbing.
When you can easily trap an opponent’s weapon in the prongs of your trident dagger, he will be at your mercy. However, one of the trident daggers main features is also its drawback. If the wielder should fail to catch the opponent’s sword just right with the three prongs of his trident dagger, the blade could glance off in the wrong direction and slice fingers, wrist, or worse.
Sword Breakers
These are similar to the trident dagger in purpose only. The sword breaker is an incredibly strong dagger with multiple divots and deep sharp angled slots in the blade. Used to parry strikes the sword breaker will catch the opponent’s weapon between one of these sharpened teeth and stop the blow.
Unlike the trident, it was almost impossible to glance off the sword breaker. Its entire purpose was to catch and hold the opponent’s sword so that the fighter could strike with his primary weapon of choice. The only problem with these sturdy daggers was that they were kind of a one trick pony. If you weren’t using it to block an attack you could barely use it for anything else.
The name sword breaker is also a bit of a misrepresentation. Even though these swords were able to withstand much force and were designed to stop much larger weapons, it is doubtful that they were actually able to snap the blades off of opponent’s hilts. Perhaps with a nice twist of the wrist it would be possible to disarm your opponent using a sword breaker but for the most part they would just catch and hold.
The off-hand weapon today is a rarity. As sports fencing gained popularity and general sword play lost out on the battlefield to more ranged weapons it became unbecoming to wield a parrying dagger. In fiction and in video games however, the use of two-swords or dual wielding is one of the more popular fighting stances a hero can take.
They may be out of fashion because they aren’t exactly practical anymore but the parrying dagger and all of its manifestations is by far one of the most exciting sword play styles to watch.
The off hand weapon, particularly the parrying dagger, is a form of true martial arts weapons mastery. Rather than pick up a shield and protect yourself from oncoming blows with a blunt piece of wood or metal, go on the aggressive and do some damage doubly-so. The best defense is a good offense, after all.