THE HUSCARL FIGHTING STYLE

Here is an explanation about what Huscarl involves, followed by some basic training advice for those who would like to try it.

The Huscarl fighting style was first started in late 2000. It is a fighting system for re-enacting combat with Viking Age or Medieval weaponry. It is a way for the combatants to fight as realistically as possible, using copies of original arms and armour, WITHOUT injuring each other. A key phrase, then, is realism combined with safety. In practice, this means weapons are usually restricted to axe, knife and primarily sword. However, much basic work is also done with sticks and padded sticks.

Huscarl was initially intended for Viking re-enactors using the usual international fighting system. So it assumes that people practising Huscarl have already developed a sense of safety and weapon control. It also assumes that the fighters have blunt-edged, well-balanced weapons. Huscarl offers a more realistic alternative to the usual, light "sports" style. As was said from the outset, it is not meant to replace this style. It is an addition to it, for people who enjoy a more in-depth attention to fighting skills.

Many people do not realise that Huscarl is NOT about extending the target area and hitting harder. It is about understanding how to move effectively in a realistic, armed fight, and about understanding the use of the weapon. It is for people who want to learn more about fighting skills.

Since it first started, many people have tried Huscarl, and it is currently (at the end of 2003) being practised regularly around Europe, primarily in Norway and Germany, with some fighting groups in Denmark and Holland using it occasionally. It is no longer only used by re-enactors, but is also being trained by those simply interested in sword fighting. Interest in it is continuing to grow, and the Huscarl experiment itself has developed.

So, in order to define the style, - "realism combined with safety" - I will deal with realism first. The whole body is the target area, although face is usually excluded. When going for targets, we assume that the combatants are not wearing any armour - regardless of what protection they are actually wearing. To score a hit, blows must be delivered in such a way that, if force were used and, if the weapon were sharp, the hit would end the fight. How do we judge this? Since, so far, since we have been unable to find anyone willing to conduct lethal experiments with sharp weapons, we have to use common sense. Cutting tests, medieval manuscripts and expertise from experienced martial artists have also become important guidelines. The edge of the weapon must be used. It should cut across the target area, not only touch it. In short, the blade must be used like the weapon it is, rather than simply as a way of scoring a point. It should be possible to deliver the blow with force. That means that body mechanics become important. The blade must either move through an arc so that it could gather momentum. Or the body movement behind the strike should be able to give it power or cutting force.

Although, in Huscarl, we avoid using force. This brings me onto the subject of safety. We want to combine realism with safety. So, there must be limits to how and where we hit. Blows must be pulled. (At times, in fact, it is not even necessary to land a blow. Hence the possibility that even the face can be considered as a target). A free-swinging cut or thrust, that cannot be pulled, might be misjudged or badly blocked, and end up somewhere it shouldn't. Control of the weapon is necessary for safety. But, as soon becomes obvious, it is also the mark of the skilled warrior. A controlled weapon, as opposed to a free-swinging one, is always ready to strike and protect. However, since we are still striving to get to this level of control, when it actually comes to fighting, rather than just training, some protection must be worn. For some people, this is just helmet, lower armguards and gloves. I should emphasize that, until we reach a fairly high skill level, VERY good gloves are advisable. Many people prefer to add knee and elbow protection, and even some form of armour. There is a limit to how much speed and force can be used before the fight becomes uncontrolled. Uncontrolled means both poor fighting practice and lack of safety. So, in Huscarl, especially when we are wearing armoured protection, we keep the fight within controlled limits.

To return to the subject of realism once more. We assume that, in a real fight, adrenalin or fighting spirit runs high. This means that you must not only defeat your opponent, but your hit must exclude any counter strike from him. In other words, he must go down or be crippled before he can hit you back. We take this into account in Huscarl as well. It's easiest to explain this concept by giving examples of failure to avoid your opponent's counter strike:

- Your opponent cuts to your head. Just before his blow lands, you cut him across his wrist. But his blow still lands on your head. We assume that, in a real fight, his sword would still split your head, despite having his hand half-severed. With the Huscarl system, you can't claim first strike. You should block his blow or get out of the way. This is why body movement becomes so important, unlike in re-enactment fighting, where the quick kill instantly stops the competition.

- You cut your opponent across the legs. At the same time you move within range of his weapon, which he then brings down on your head. You cannot claim first strike. We assume that, in a heightened state of adrenalin, he would have hit your head anyway. In Huscarl we train balance and footwork especially to avoid this.

- Your opponent starts a determined attack. You cut him across the arm, but the angle of the blade is glancing, rather than direct. We assume that that would not have been enough injury to stop him, and he should continue his attack. We don't count glancing cuts or thrusts. The attack must be true.

TRAINING HUSCARL.

As I said before, Huscarl is for people who enjoy a more in-depth attention to fighting skills. There is much to be trained and learned from Huscarl without the need to ever put on armour and fight.

Huscarl is a system of experiment. So there is no single, correct way of training. Just as there is no single way of training unarmed combat. The following is advice is for people who already have some basic skills, at least, in our normal viking re-enactment style, but have no partners who are experienced in Huscarl to train with. Hence it does not go into any description of technique or principles. You already have some understanding of that. (More can be gained at a Huscarl training weekend). There are only a few points written here, but they are all very important. Think them over carefully before you try anything.

You will notice a few main differences between Huscarl and the usual re-enactment style. When hands and arms are included, the distance changes. The targets become nearer so it is necessary to stand further apart. When the head is included as a target, you can no longer lean forward and look down on the fight. You can't hold your shield statically in front of your body. The basic guard position of the weapon becomes higher to cover the head as well. With these new target areas, the fight expands dramatically. Because light hits with the last centimetre of the blade no longer count, the "quick-flick, game-over" tactic will not work. You must not just make contact with your opponent's body and then pull your weapon back, like a whip. You must cut across as well. So the flow of movement in the fight comes much more into play.

It is this flow that makes Huscarl such a pleasure to practise.

So you must give special attention to your basic stance and movement. Now, more than ever, if your basic movement is weak, it will betray you. Without good posture, you cannot deliver a strong blow, (remember - this is not one that is heavy! - but one that could be heavy). Nor can you block or turn a strong blow. Most importantly of all, you cannot maintain a flow of movement, where you are always in readiness to attack, without losing your balance. Remember, the fight will not stop the instant when your weapon makes contact with your opponent. So a lot of basic footwork exercises are essential.

To understand what makes an effective blow - or a "good hit" - you need to practise delivering one. Put your weapons away and train in pairs with sticks. One partner strikes, the other offers his stick as a target. Strike with full force. Experiment with the feel of delivering a powerful blow. Remember that the stick represents a blade, so don't forget the cutting movement. Notice the difference between the power that comes from the wrist flick, so often used in re-enactment fighting, and a cut that comes from the arm, shoulder and body. (There are also ways of putting power into a cut or thrust without an excessive movement of the blade to gather momentum. These are difficult to explain on paper and should be studied at a Huscarl training session). Now comes the important bit. Practise delivering a series of powerful blows, not just single cuts. Your partner can hold up 2 sticks as targets, alternating their positions from side to side, but also backwards and forwards. You must learn to flow without hesitation from one devastating blow to another, using the power of your body and keeping your balance and controlling your distance. Now you need to use these same motions when training Huscarl, but with pulling the blow before the point of impact.

With many of the Huscarl training exercises, and with the sparring itself, it is enough to only deliver half-blows. That is, a blow that stops about 30cm away from the target. The power is there in the body movement, as you trained with the sticks. You do not need to strike.

As you see, you do not need protective equipment to start training Huscarl.

When you practise technique exercises, start slowly at first. Use the sticks and half-blows. No weapon contact, no armour. Then you focus attention on the movements, rather than the distracting last part of the attack. Build up to full speed and to wearing protection, but concentrate on keeping the movement right. Only then switch to steel weapons. When the attacker really tries to hit, does the technique still work?

When it comes to fighting, don't just put on extra protection and start hitting harder. This is the worst enemy of Huscarl. You will get an adrenalin rush, but you will also get very tense, and then it is hard to improve your technique. YOU SHOULD FIGHT AT HALF SPEED. Concentrate on body movements and the form of your attacks, rather than the speed. Is your footwork effective? An unsuccessful attack should not leave you open. Both partners should concentrate on keeping the speed restricted and a relaxed flow to the movements. Acknowledge hits, but DON'T INTERRUPT THE FLOW BY STOPPING. The key is relaxation. Tension works against this flow and the learning process. The best way to do this exercise is without even landing the blow. This helps concentration on movement and stance, rather on the "success" of an attack. If you wear no protection at all and only make half-strikes, never even coming near to making contact, it also helps to take attention away from this "success-distraction", and to focus it on movement. It is much more important to do the exercise this way than with actually making contact with the weapon! So much can be learned from this way of sparring, that some people prefer to stay with this style, and don't bother with putting on armour and using full speed.

If you decide to fight full speed, avoid forceful blows, unless you have very good hand protection. Even though you will pull the blow before the point of impact, mistakes can happen. Also, avoid horizontal cuts - they are easy to misdirect and hard to control.
Never slap or flick from the wrist. This is an ineffective use of a blade. Cut across the target area. If you find that the fight develops too much concentration on small cuts to the hand, take hands out as targets for a while. Fighting at full speed, with full target area, is stressful - at least at first. This is part of the experiment with realism. You must learn to deal with this pressure. The greatest challenge is not to become tense and resort to force. An experienced warrior will remain calm and keep his movements as precise as they are in the training exercises. Hitting hard or wildly is part of a panic reaction. (A word of advice on safety: don't lean back to avoid blows to the head. You are more likely to catch the tip of the weapon on the chin as it misses your helmet and continues downwards. Don't worry, you will soon get used to hits to the helmet).

You may choose to start fighting without the head as a target zone. This helps to keep the tension down and to develop the vital movement skills, before moving on to a fully-extended target area. Many people do this already, independent of the Huscarl system, but using exactly the same principles. It is called Buckler style and was first developed in Norway and Sweden.

These are only a few points, but there is a lot in them. Give them special attention.

Since it's inception in the year 2000, Huscarl has been changing, as we who practise it learn more. More than anything else, Huscarl is an experiment. There is no unchanging definition of the Huscarl fighting style. Nor is there a central authority. Huscarl develops according to the experience of those who practise it. There is no one way of training, no "one truth". Instead, as we are learning, there are many different ways of reaching the same end. That is, realistic, effective and safe fighting with historical weapons.

Alban Depper.
(I am indebted to Roland Warzecha, Christoffer Cold and Anders Halseth for essential advice when writing this article. Moreover, without them, Huscarl would not have developed as it has).

There are many of us in the Viking scene who enjoy the speed and skill of our fighting style. I also think that there are some of us who are dissatisfied with some areas of our system. Huscarl Style is meant to answer this dissatisfaction.

This letter [has been sent out] to all fighting groups that I know of who regularly practice our current fighting style.

This outline of Huscarl Style is so only a theory - some of us have experimented with it but not yet made all the necessary gear. So this whole description is a suggested fighting style only. When we come to practice, doubtless we will modify this theoretical basis.

The reason that I [have sent] this letter out now, and not waiting until we meet next season, is twofold. Firstly, anyone waiting to take part has to make or buy a lot of protective equipment. This will take time and money. Secondly, if the interested people have this equipment ready when we next meet, then we can begin practicing together. That means, if you're interested in in the Huscarl system, you can help develop it.

Huscarl Style is only for people already competent in the style we use now (for the sake of convenience, I will call this current system Wapka Style). These people have already trained an instinct for safety.

Huscarl Style is basically a heavier, larger style of fighting, using the whole body as a target area except for the face and hands. But it is much more than simply extending the target are and a license to hit harder.

It is for fighters who would enjoy the feel of a more epic, sword-swinging, disembowel-and-step-through way of fighting. (It is tempting to use the description more realistic, but that is not appropriate. Realistic fighting must be something quite different to a sport practiced between friends.)

The way of Wapka tends to be (not always, of course) a very static, tappy style, more appropriate to a rapier than a broadsword. There are two good reasons for this. Firstly, we are concerned for safety (rightly so) and secondly, we consider a hit to be any contact between the blade and the target area [truncated].

I must at this point say something very important: Huscarl Style is not meant to replace Wapka Style. What we do at the moment involves a high level of skill and I don't think any system can beat it for fast and furious fun. One style is not meant to exclude another [truncated].

Remember, Huscarl Style is only for people already competent in the way of Wapka. In our local training (Jarviða - Drengja), for instance, we will practice both styles at the same session.

So, these are the basic tenets of the style, to be followed by further explanation. And remember, so far this is theory only.

1. The whole body is the target area, except for the face and hands.

2. Huscarl Style is, so far, only intended for single combat.

3. Protective clothing and armour must be worn.

4. A hit is scored when both combatants think it was a good hit.

5. Weapons used should conform to Wapka safety standards of bluntness and controllability. No spears allowed.

6. We should look authentic. Extra [modern] protection should be hidden underneath Viking equipment.

Let's deal with the most difficult of these definitions first. What is a good hit? There is of course a great potential for confusion in this term.

Bear one thing in mind: Huscarl Style is to be practiced between friends. We know each other. We can work out between us what makes a hit count [truncated].

Here are a few examples:
If your opponent slaps you on the arm at the beginning of your attack, ignore him and continue in your intent to sever his leg. However, if he delivers an accurate cut, without flicking, to your arm, then the point is his.
You attack your opponent with a good cut under his shield, but he parries your hand. Your cut still gets through, but it doesn't count, since his blade is on you, but nor does his. It was a luck parry, not an intended attack.

Sounds like an invitation to a lot of arguments? Not so. Huscarl Style is for friends who enjoy the feel of the style, not dedicated point-scorers. If you think fighting in this way will lead to endless discussion, then Huscarl Style is not for you. Discuss a bit, by all means, but then get on with the fight, rather than worry about who won the point.

Part of the skill of Huscarl Style is to kill your opponent with your blade, not your tongue. If you've attacked successfully, there will be no confusion to discuss.

Some further examples of what is, or is not, a good hit:
You cut cleanly to your opponent's shoulder, but he blocks. Your blade makes contact with the target area, but he or she has actually blocked most of the blow. No hit.
Both combatants attack simultaneously. You cut his leg, at the same time missing the block against his weapon. His blow hits you half a second later. This means both dead - no point. You hit first, but his blow was coming anyway, and you failed to avoid it.

I could waffle on for pages with examples like this, but I won't. I'm trying to communicate the spirit of the new style, not lay down a rule system. The main point is, it should feel good. Both opponents should know that it was a successful attack, without confusion. That is a good hit.

We can work out rules if necessary when we start putting the theory into practice.

All this is no doubt giving the impression that that Huscarl Style is about whacking the shit out of each other in a good, manly way.

This is not true. Safety is important.

Firstly, the weapon should be blunt and you should be able to control it. A full hit with a heavy sword or axe, or with a Dane-axe, will be too hard. We do not want to start wearing plate armour. Moreover, control of the weapon is a fighting skill, not just a safety necessity.

If you don't want to tell your opponent that he is using his weapon too heavily, because you think it will make you look weak, then Huscarl Style is not for you. Huscarl is to be practiced between friends, who enjoy the way the fighting style feels. It's not for people who lack respect for weapon control.

Why then do we have to wear all the protective gear? It is legitimate to use force as part of your technique. A strong attack will cut through a weak block - or the weak block could redirect the cut into the side of the face. This is the responsibility of the defender.

The danger will be reduced in two ways. One, the safety instinct of the attacker, already trained in Wapka. Two, the protective clothing. In this case the aventail that covers the side of the face and neck.

There is also a third way of reducing the apparent danger in the Huscarl Style - and this is the reason why such forceful attacks should be legitimate. The defender will make sure that he blocks or parries correctly. In Huscarl [...] you will have to block properly.

This, in turn, leads to a whole different style of fighting. A powerful block gives more opportunity to cut around the weapon or shield. Also, a good strong attack with body movement, rather than a blinding flick of the blade, gives opportunity to counter-attack by using body movement, stepping through the attack. In Wapka, a cut is often very light. The defender can put in a flashing parry and a counter-tap. In Huscarl, a flashing parry may not be strong enough to block, and a counter-tap would, of course, not count.

If this makes sense to you, the Huscarl Style is for you. If not, then wait and see others practice it and you'll see what I mean.

Protection must be worn. We should be able to practice a vigorous fighting style without sacrificing safety. This means that all boney areas should be covered; head, collar bone, elbows, forearms, hands, hips, knees and lower legs. Also, other vulnerable areas - side of face and neck and groin.

Again, this is giving the impression that a good hit in Huscarl Style is a hard one. This is not true. A good hit is a correctly executed one, delivered with intent and body coordination. But if we want to use boney areas as targets, and we want to cut with full movement, we must protect those areas [truncated].

Once again, Huscarl is for the people who already practice Wapka. The best hits in Wapka involve a full strike with the weapon, but with the force controlled or pulled. The same goes for Huscarl Style. The power of the blow comes from the whole movement, the coordination between weapon, spirit and body, not from a bone crunching smack [truncated].

If we legitimise bone crunching, we're missing the whole point. Huscarl Style should not be about uncontrolled force, but applied force. It is a balance between controlled aggression and using it.

If you don't think it's possible to get this balance, then Huscarl Style is not for you. Remember, it is a fighting sport for friends. It is also for people who care about the art of the fighting, not just the force (many of us get this control-aggression balance already in the best of our Wapka fights).

Nevertheless, safety equipment is a must, not an option. If you think that it's your choice if you disregard injury - it's not. If you get hurt, who has to drive you to hospital?

If you're interested, start making the equipment now. If you live close enough to someone else who wants to train Huscarl, then make a date for the equipment to be ready (Jarviða - Drengja [started] training mid January 2001).

Consider authenticity. A helmet with padded aventail and gambeson can be added to knee and elbow pads, hard leather plates over the collar bone and hips, plus arm guards, shin guards, groin protector and good gloves. All these non-authentic extras, except the gloves, can be hidden beneath the clothing and armour. Chainmail or lamellar are only an optional extra. I should add that a certain person who lost a tooth last summer recommends teeth protectors.

Get the stuff ready now. Then, when we meet next season, we can swap opinions and have a lot of fun!

We will also no doubt develop a few safety rules, such as, perhaps, no thrusting above belly height, control of head shots, and whatever else seems sensible.

Just to add a few extra points:
Huscarl Style is not the start of a new group. It is simply another fighting system to be used by those who qualify, just the way the Wapka System is used now.
It is not intended to be used for shows or lines, although we may find a way to do this later, if it seems appropriate.

There is an element of archeological experiment in this style and no doubt it will give us food for thought about Viking age weapons and techniques.

I hope that you will want to join in this new style and help shape it. Perhaps you are interested but would rather wait and see how it works out before you spend time and money on equipment. Or maybe you think it's totally unnecessary, or dangerous.

Whatever your reaction, please circulate this letter amongst your group or anyone else who may be interested.

Give them the chance to decide for themselves.

Otherwise they will miss out on the chance to be in on this at the beginning and to contribute in the shaping of the new style.

Because new style it is. I've had a lot of positive response before sending this letter out and I know that Huscarl Style will be up and running in the 2001 season.

If you have any suggestions, questions, criticisms or encouragements, get in touch.