The longsword, an impressive two-handed weapon, became famous in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance. Originally the domain of knights and nobles, it later found its way to mercenaries. This beautiful weapon consists of a crossguard, a pommel, a handle, and a long, double-edged blade ending in a point.

​

Despite popular media often portraying it as heavy and unwieldy weapon, the longsword is actually a refined and balanced weapon. In the right hands it can be incredibly fast and agile!

​

At HSGL we mainly focus on practising Blossfechten - fencing without (plate) armour. This type of sword fighting, often used for self-defence outside of the battlefield, differs from Harnischfechten where one fought in full armour. However, many techniques could be used in both situations.

​

Our club follows the teachings of Johannes Liechtenauer, a German swordsmith from the 14th century. His knowledge is recorded in "Die Zettel" (The Recital), a rhyming poem that was further explained and illustrated by his pupils. Well-known masters such as Sigmund ain Ringeck, Peter von Danzig, and Jude Lew further developed this tradition.