Backhand Forehand

[Valthalion]

This is a question for you real sword fighters out there.  

If you are right handed is it more difficult to slash to the offhand side. (where the shield isn't).  This may seem over detailed but I know that my forehand (in tennis) is far more powerful than my backhand.  It seems to me that slasing it is more natural to slash at right side or overhand.

Valthalion
Knight Against Chaos
Incredibly Brave ... Incredibly Stupid

[Tash]

From my expirience with practice you cut fine to either side, there is no anatomical difference between your arms, most people just favor one or the other and hence that "off" hand gets under developed.  If you train to correct this it isn't a problem.

The same is true for forehand and backhand strikes and cuts.

[Overdrive]

What about the spiral stairs in the medieval castles? I've heard from multiple sources that they always rose clockwise, so that swordsmen defending the castle (from the top side) could strike without the walls impeding much, and the attackers would be in disadvantage. Assumes right-handed combatants. Is this backhand/forehand thing or is it the walls? Or am I completely off?

[Ashren Va'Hale]

You rarely make any sort of cut that would resemble a tennis backhand so comparing that to sword fighting is not really worth trying. My girlfriend who used to play tennis and now practices with arma tried to go back to tennis and found that she was not able to do back hand swings anymore as the motion for it was so alien to her sword work. You still cut from that side, very easily in fact, you just dont use your body in the same way.

[Caz]

It's the walls.  If you'e left handed it'll only leave you at a height disadvantage.

[Jake Norwood]

Master Sigmund Ringeck, early 15th C., states that you should always begin fighting from your strong side, which is the right side for most fighters, but the left for some. It is a common sentiment historically that you should fight from your strong side most of the time. Also, despite whatever stigmas may have existed for left handers, we know that lefties fenced left handed during the late medieval and early ren periods, at least.

Jake

[Tash]

Master Sigmund Ringeck, early 15th C., states that you should always begin fighting from your strong side, which is the right side for most fighters, but the left for some. It is a common sentiment historically that you should fight from your strong side most of the time. Also, despite whatever stigmas may have existed for left handers, we know that lefties fenced left handed during the late medieval and early ren periods, at least.

Jake

Two questions: by begin do you mean begin training and then move to your off hand side as you grow more skilled or do you mean begin as in open a bout from that side?  Also is it easier to fight someone with the same dominant side as you (I'm thinking of the classic "I am not right handed" scene in The Princess Bride)?  Also what about people like myself who have no real dominant side?

Ok that was 3 questions, sorry :)

[Valthalion]

Master Sigmund Ringeck, early 15th C., states that you should always begin fighting from your strong side, which is the right side for most fighters, but the left for some. It is a common sentiment historically that you should fight from your strong side most of the time.

How does this work out in your experience Jake?

Valthalion

[Jake Norwood]

Fighting left-handers is harder when I'm getting fancy, or when fighting with a one-handed weapon. It's not a huge difference, but it's definitely tougher in some ways. The biggest issue is that you get used to the range of a strike to your right being larger than it is when a lefty is coming for you. This is less of an issue the longer the weapon is and the more hands it uses.

Two questions: by begin do you mean begin training and then move to your off hand side as you grow more skilled or do you mean begin as in open a bout from that side? Also is it easier to fight someone with the same dominant side as you (I'm thinking of the classic "I am not right handed" scene in The Princess Bride)? Also what about people like myself who have no real dominant side?

1) He means the beginning of the fight, or for that matter, any strike in the "vor" phase of combat, initiating from "zufechten." Huh? That means following a "pause" in TROS terms, or at the beginning of a bout.

2) Yes, it is. See above. People with "no" dominant side always end up choosing one after fighting serioiusly for a few weeks. If they don't, they don't learn as fast because they're busy training both sides at the same time. It was known historically, however, to train with both sides in many cases.

How does this work out in your experience Jake?

This is absolutely true, although I find that most of my "killing" shots come from my left--perhaps because I overwhelm on the right first, then go for a left opening?

Jake

[Andrew Mure]

What about the spiral stairs in the medieval castles? I've heard from multiple sources that they always rose clockwise, so that swordsmen defending the castle (from the top side) could strike without the walls impeding much, and the attackers would be in disadvantage. Assumes right-handed combatants. Is this backhand/forehand thing or is it the walls? Or am I completely off?

Is correct. Medieval besiegers were generally aware of this common castle feature and were keen to recruit left-handed swordsmen for assault party. Funnily enough they didn't get many volunteers...

With the attrition rates of direct attacks on castles, your survival rate as an attacker was pretty low regardless of what hand you fought with!

[aaronharmon]

I fyou were right handed and fighting up a stair case hich put you very close to a wall at your right, you would be very restricted on forehand strikes, and you would not be able to draw to weapon back to your right, and the defender, whose right hand is unimpeded, would also be able ot beat your weapon into the wall and trap it easily, I think.