![]() ![]() The sword became differentiated from the dagger during the Bronze Age ( c. The sword developed from the knife or dagger. The swords found together with the Nebra sky disk, c. The Chinese jiàn 剑 is an example of a non-European double-edged sword, like the European models derived from the double-edged Iron Age sword. Non-European weapons classified as swords include single-edged weapons such as the Middle Eastern scimitar, the Chinese Dao and the related Japanese katana. The US Navy kept tens of thousands of sturdy cutlasses in their armory well into World War II and many were issued to Marines in the Pacific as jungle machetes. Sabres continued to see battlefield use until the early 20th century. Most sabres also had sharp points and double-edged blades, making them capable of piercing soldier after soldier in a cavalry charge. Built for slashing and chopping at multiple enemies, often from horseback, the sabre's long curved blade and slightly forward weight balance gave it a deadly character all its own on the battlefield. The sabre and similar blades such as the cutlass were built more heavily and were more typically used in warfare. A well aimed lunge and thrust could end a fight in seconds with just the sword's point, leading to the development of a fighting style which closely resembles modern fencing. Their long and straight yet light and well balanced design made them highly maneuverable and deadly in a duel but fairly ineffective when used in a slashing or chopping motion. Thrusting swords such as the rapier and eventually the smallsword were designed to impale their targets quickly and inflict deep stab wounds. In the early modern period, western sword design diverged into two forms, the thrusting swords and the sabres. The use of a sword is known as swordsmanship or, in a modern context, as fencing. The word sword continues the Old English, sweord. The spatha, as it developed in the Late Roman army, became the predecessor of the European sword of the Middle Ages, at first adopted as the Migration Period sword, and only in the High Middle Ages, developed into the classical arming sword with crossguard. The later Iron Age sword remained fairly short and without a crossguard. Historically, the sword developed in the Bronze Age, evolving from the dagger the earliest specimens date to about 1600 BC. The precise definition of a sword varies by historical epoch and geographic region. Many swords are designed for both thrusting and slashing. A slashing sword is more likely to be curved and to have a sharpened cutting edge on one or both sides of the blade. A thrusting sword tends to have a straighter blade with a pointed tip. Its blade, longer than a knife or dagger, is attached to a hilt and can be straight or curved. Classic films featuring sword fighting include "Gladiator," "The Princess Bride," movies from the "Star Wars" franchise and the "Kill Bill" movies.A sword is an edged, bladed weapon intended for manual cutting or thrusting. Fights are normally orchestrated by expert choreographers who specialize in theatrical sword fighting and stage combat. The resulting fight looks exciting and realistic but is generally safe for all involved. This type of martial combat is choreographed and practiced in advance so that both actors know exactly who is doing what and when. TV shows, movies and stage plays sometimes involve sword fighting. In addition to sword fighting, participants can also compete in duels using maces, bludgeons, pikes and poleaxes. While medieval sword fighting is not an Olympic sport, there are national and international competitions and a world championship held every four years. Medieval sword fighting is an emerging sword-wielding sport where participants dress in period-style armor and use the weapons of the Middle Ages - namely the broadsword. Kendo practitioners wear armor, padded gloves and helmets with a grilled face plate for protection, as strikes, even with a bamboo shinai, can be painful and could result in injury. In place of traditional samurai swords, kendo proponents use wooden staves known as bokken for performing practice routines called katas or they use leather-bound bamboo swords called shinai for full-contact sparring. Kendo means "the way of the sword" in Japanese. They tend to specialize in one weapon, as each is used differently and is governed by different rules. Fencers wear protective clothing and masks to make their swordplay as safe as possible. The saber, which resembles the sword used by cavalry soldiers, is both a stabbing and slashing weapon. The epee, stiffer than the foil, is a variation of a 19th century sword called a rapier. The foil is a lightweight, flexible weapon that is based on the practice sword used by French duelists. Fencing is an Olympic sport involving three different types of nonlethal sword - the foil, epee and saber. ![]()
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