That's a historically accurate technique using an authentic guard and strike. For example, in one part of the video I see a swordsman starting in a forward weighted eisenport (a low guard), from which he then transitions naturally to an unterhau (a diagonal upwards strike starting low and ending high). In the video you can even see them studying German longsword techniques from a modern text drawing on the medieval longsword treatises of the Liechtenauer tradition.
And there are a few scenes in that video in which obviously experienced fighters are transitioning smoothly, and it's a lot less clunky.īut the best part is seeing clearly identifiable historical combat which is authentic to the medieval swordsmanship treatises.
Leaving aside the fact that this is Alpha footage, the fact is that until you're really good, genuine historical swordfighting is clunky, with a lot of stops and starts, and plenty of false actions until you learn how to transition smoothly and purposely from one movement to the next. The computer isn't doing it all for you, and transitioning seamlessly from one move to the next you have to do it yourself.įor me, the slight clunkiness of the combat is exactly what I expect to see from a historically realistic system.
Click to expand.Compared to the fluid motions of something like Batman, or Assassin's Creed, or Dark Souls, it does look a little clunky.
