FENCING

WITH THE MESSER

Here they fight with Messers, God help them

Introduction The German Messer (langes messer = long knife) was a type of weapon common in northern Europe during the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance Era (about 1300-1650). On the battlefield it was used as a secondary side weapon by footsoldiersarchers, pikemen, arquebusiersand was developed from the medieval Falchion used by English and Welsh archers at the battles of Crcy and Agincourt during the Hundred Years War. Measuring about 30-40, the messer was a bit shorter than most other single-handed swords of the time and was thus more suited to the close infighting of the general mele. The single-edged blade looks rather like a scimitar and has a sharp, curved back edge. It was designed as much for chopping and slashing as thrusting against lightly armoured opponents.

Fig. 1 Single-handed 30 Messer by Albion Swords.

At the longer end of the scale we also find some single handers but most of these are the two-handed version called the Grosse Messer or Kriegsmesser(Great Knife or War Knife).

Fig. 2 Two-handed 42 Grosse Messer by Baltimore Knife & Sword

Fig. 3 Rawlings flexible synthetic Messer by Knight Shop UK. These are what we use for training and sparring at Oakland Eskrima.

Fencing with the Messer The main source of historical information about fencing with the Messer comes from a treatise written in 1482 by the German priest and swordsman Johannes Leckchner. This publicationthe only one of its kind to be devoted to the Messer--contains 217 charts, each with a picture and accompanying text. The first part of the book shows long-range techniques only, where the left hand is held mostly behind the back in a manner similar to sabre fencing:

The technique illustrated above shows a concept familiar to most eskrimadors---that of defanging the snake by hitting or cutting your opponents hand/arm. In the second section of the book Leckchner moves directly into the realm of the live hand concept, and shows closer-range techniques. For these moves the left hand is initially held flat against the chest. In this position it is ready to reach out and hold/grab your opponents sword arm, neutralizing it momentarily whilst your own weapon is busy cutting and thrusting. This is, of course, one of the fundamentals of single stick fighting in eskrima, and many of the historical messer techniques utilize the same disarms, joint locks, compressions, etc. that can be found today in a living tradition in the Philippines.

Here teaches the master how one should hold himself in the Messer fencing and how one should prepare to it. And firstly, you should fence with one hand with the Messer and you should have the other one on the back. If you want to fight with the empty hand, as in Messer-taking, grasping, clenching the arms etc., you should turn the hand from the back to the chest when you want to perform something on him on the inside over the arm