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Latest News -The AOBC UK English Country Backswording Finals 2009
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Latest News -
What’s in a name?
Meet The Instructors
Why train in TE-
English Country Backswording -
Women in TE-
The English Quarterstaff
Weapons
Cudgels -
Re-
George Silver
Our aims
AOBC training
Code of Conduct
Bouting rules
Events
Booking the AOBC
Gallery
Contact us
Links
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Last updated
19-02-09
19-
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A brief over view of AOBC English Country Backswording bouting
Bouts are played in a ring no more than 30 feet in diameter. A bout is between two players wearing appropriate protective head gear, using backswording cudgels and is overseen by two sticklers (marshals) who are also in the ring. When bouting players must fight as if they are using sharp live blades. Players take their positions, salute each other and the sticklers and on the command ‘Bout’ begin. Rounds have no time limit unless previously arranged but can be stopped for time out by a call of ‘Halt’ from either a player or a stickler or when a ‘blood’ is won.
The object of the bout is to traditionally raise an inch of blood from the scalp of the opposing player anywhere above the eye line. This however has been adapted in order to comply with modern day health and safety requirements. Silver argues that the down right blow is the surest way to end an encounter and so we deem a blow given to the head should be received as if given from a sharp live blade. Therefore if a player receives a strike to the head this is called a ‘Blood’ and the stickler will halt the bout. All blows to any other part of the body, arms or legs do not count but are used to draw the opponents guard away from their head in order to gain the all important stroke to the head. Repeated hitting of an area that the opposing player is failing to cover is called a ‘Roasting’. By giving an opposing player a roasting you can draw their ward to that area when applying a false and so aid in winning the place.
The left arm/hand (or right if fighting a left handed player) is kept well back and not used to receive blows or parry. There is a simple reason for this. If players were using live blades, a players arm would be of no use to ward with, as it would be cut to ribbons in no time, therefore this equates to bad form. Blows should be warded with the backswording cudgel only as would be done in fight with sharps. If not the players will simply develop poor form and bad muscle memory. If this were then applied in an actual self-defence situation it would be no surprise that a student learning bad form such as this would run the risk of placing their arm/hand/fingers in great danger of hurt from an attack by a villain with a bladed weapon.
A bout is won when one of the players has successfully gained 3 bloods in total. It is then deemed that one of those blows would have raised the inch of blood as was required in traditional English country backswording. It stands to reason that if a player were to receive a blow to the head in fight from a live weapon that they would hardly continue to press on. The emphasis should be on defence of ones self at all times in order to prevent being indiscriminately struck.
“But if a man that have perfection of fight shall fight with one that have it not then must the unskillful man go to wrack and the other go free”
George Silver
What needs to be firmly understood at this point is that in bouting the emphasis is on perfection in fight not rustic hard hitting. Silver tells us that in order to have perfection in fight you need to train with full force and speed and we apply this in backswording. Students are encouraged to have a mind to what damage would be caused to them by every blow that they fail to ward with their backswording cudgel. Haphazard and random striking should be discouraged at all costs. Simply put if a player allows themselves to be hit it is a lesson to them that they have a weak area in their defence.
Therefore by striving to apply the perfection of the true fight in to bouting it not only encourages and enhances a player’s skill in defence but also provides a most excellent spectacle to behold.
To watch two players of English Country Backswording fighting with the perfection of true fight, warding blows, counter cutting, falsing, using indirection, drawing, applying correct footwork and at all times looking to break through their opponents defence to win the place without cause of hurt to come to them is a wonderful sight to behold indeed and is the essence of English Country Backswording.
Bouts are played in a ring no more than 30 feet in diameter. A bout is between two players wearing appropriate protective head gear, using backswording cudgels and is overseen by two sticklers (marshals) who are also in the ring. When bouting players must fight as if they are using sharp live blades. Players take their positions, salute each other and the sticklers and on the command ‘Bout’ begin. Rounds have no time limit unless previously arranged but can be stopped for time out by a call of ‘Halt’ from either a player or a stickler or when a ‘blood’ is won.
The object of the bout is to traditionally raise an inch of blood from the scalp of the opposing player anywhere above the eye line. This however has been adapted in order to comply with modern day health and safety requirements. Silver argues that the down right blow is the surest way to end an encounter and so we deem a blow given to the head should be received as if given from a sharp live blade. Therefore if a player receives a strike to the head this is called a ‘Blood’ and the stickler will halt the bout. All blows to any other part of the body, arms or legs do not count but are used to draw the opponents guard away from their head in order to gain the all important stroke to the head. Repeated hitting of an area that the opposing player is failing to cover is called a ‘Roasting’. By giving an opposing player a roasting you can draw their ward to that area when applying a false and so aid in winning the place.
The left arm/hand (or right if fighting a left handed player) is kept well back and not used to receive blows or parry. There is a simple reason for this. If players were using live blades, a players arm would be of no use to ward with, as it would be cut to ribbons in no time, therefore this equates to bad form. Blows should be warded with the backswording cudgel only as would be done in fight with sharps. If not the players will simply develop poor form and bad muscle memory. If this were then applied in an actual self-
A bout is won when one of the players has successfully gained 3 bloods in total. It is then deemed that one of those blows would have raised the inch of blood as was required in traditional English country backswording. It stands to reason that if a player were to receive a blow to the head in fight from a live weapon that they would hardly continue to press on. The emphasis should be on defence of ones self at all times in order to prevent being indiscriminately struck.
“But if a man that have perfection of fight shall fight with one that have it not then must the unskillful man go to wrack and the other go free”
George Silver
What needs to be firmly understood at this point is that in bouting the emphasis is on perfection in fight not rustic hard hitting. Silver tells us that in order to have perfection in fight you need to train with full force and speed and we apply this in backswording. Students are encouraged to have a mind to what damage would be caused to them by every blow that they fail to ward with their backswording cudgel. Haphazard and random striking should be discouraged at all costs. Simply put if a player allows themselves to be hit it is a lesson to them that they have a weak area in their defence.
Therefore by striving to apply the perfection of the true fight in to bouting it not only encourages and enhances a player’s skill in defence but also provides a most excellent spectacle to behold.
To watch two players of English Country Backswording fighting with the perfection of true fight, warding blows, counter cutting, falsing, using indirection, drawing, applying correct footwork and at all times looking to break through their opponents defence to win the place without cause of hurt to come to them is a wonderful sight to behold indeed and is the essence of English Country Backswording.