A Brief (But Very Cool) History of Sword Fighting

The action! The muscles! The steel! Is there anything in the history of ancient warfare or sports thats cooler than sword fighting? The correct answer is no, of course. When people think about sword fighting, they often picture valiant knights with steel armor or brave gladiators fighting for their lives. The history and fun facts, however, might surprise most.

We know of swords that were able to date back to 3000 BC

The earliest bronze swords found in ancient Egypt can be dated back almost 4000 years. There are 4 different known types of swords that we know about during this time period in North Africa: khopesh, kat, ma, and a long sword.

Greece provided the spark that started the widespread use of the sword as a popular weapon in the West

We know that gladiators, which comes from the Latin word gladius, meaning sword, trained with wooden swords weighed down with lead for practice before finally moving on to real swords for sword fighting.

In medieval times, swords were considered a luxury or privilege for those who could afford them

Its believed that the prominent weapons used during this time were spears, axes, and shields. Wealthy individuals used an evolved version on the Germanic double-edged sword known as a spatha. Throughout much of this time period, swords remained a symbol of high status. As the years went on and the creation of swords and the techniques for production became much more efficient, the sword was able to be afforded by more people; however, it was still the higher classes that could afford them.

Sword fighting and swordsmanship saw a lapse in popularity with the growing use of firearms

Historians believe that the last major battle that saw sword fighting used the backsword, a type of European sword that has a straight single-edged blade, a hilt, and a hand strap. As firearms began to win popularity in warfare, swords pretty much became useless on the battlefield often carried only for ceremonial purposes. Even dueling dropped the use of the sword, and pistols became standard for use in civilian duels.

Sword fighting for sport, also known as fencing, was developed in the 18th century and is still practiced today

Contrary to common misconception, sword fighting was created also as a sport early on in history. A man named Domenico Angelo opened Angelos School of Arms in London during the mid-18th century. Historians believe that this man published an instruction book in England that established many of the footwork and posture rules that still govern modern day sport fencing. However, not all of his techniques are the same as used today. His parrying and attaching methods, for example, differ greatly from what modern day sport fencing uses. Although Domenico Angelo seems to have laid much of the ground work for the beautiful and historical sport, its evolution can only be natural.

If youd like to learn more cool facts about the history of sword fighting (and really, who wouldnt?), go over to MedievalTimes.com for more awesome information.