Class Spotlight: Working with Messer

Hello HEMA friends!

While our club’s curriculum primarily works with the German Longsword, we decided that October would be the month to focus on other historical weapons within our manuscripts; Last week we got the chance to dabble in Pollaxe plays, and this week we are working with the messer.

The Messer, also known as a Falchion or “Long Knife” is a one-handed blade with a knob or nagel protruding from the cross guard as a means of protecting your hand in combat.

For more information on the messer and the plays we will be showing, we would recommend the following books;

• Lance, Spear, Sword & Messer: A German Medieval Martial Arts Miscellany By Christian Henry Tobler

• The Art of Swordsmanship By Hans Leckuchner, translated by Jeffrey L Forgeng

• Hans Talfhoffer : Medieval Combat in Colour Edited and Introduced by Dierk Hagedorn

  Our Class this evening was instructed by Richard Goode, Jonathan Kemper and Bruce Rawitch.

Richard and Jon describe the first Messer play for class

Bruce describes the second play in which Richard would respond to an attack by catching the blade on the nagel and controlling the sword arm.

Students are paired up to work on each play.

Bruce and Richard go over a play known as “The Fiddlebow”

Bruce and Richard finish class with a display on their last play, a variation of the fiddlebow play that is likely more finesse than function.

If you liked what you saw, please consider stopping by for a class with us! If you have any questions about joining a class and becoming a member, send us an email, and we would be happy to have you join us!