The basket-hilted backsword was a weapon commonly used in the British Isles from the 16-18th centuries. A single-edged version of the famous Scottish Highland Broadsword, it was used in gladiatorial fights all over the isles. It could be paired with a dagger, buckler, or gauntlet, and was used in the same time period as the rapier and later the smallsword. This class will give an overview on the basics of its use to give attendants a stepping stone to further study, including the following:
– A brief overview of the weapon and the surviving sources for its use
– An overview of the guard positions and the three main stances (narrow, wide, and full body)
– Stepping between the stances using the principle of Thomas Page’s Equilibrio for power generation
– Basic cuts and defenses
– If time permits, a small sampling of techniques and advice for fighting other weapons such as the Rapier
Seth Robinson