The coach himself acquired a taste for it through such a course. At that time, it was still a collaboration between the Berliner Rittergilde (Berlin Knights’ Guild) and the Academic Sports Center, from which the “Schildwache Potsdam e. V.” emerged in 2018. While the knights’ guild focuses on stage combats and authentic costumes, Eickelmann and co-founder Martin Höppner were ultimately more interested in the reconstruction of historical fighting techniques and the athletic aspect. Today he teaches and researches in the Department of Smart Soft Matter in Golm and sometimes incorporates sword fighting into his seminars. “Inertia and torque can be wonderfully explained and calculated using the example of a sword.”
About 20 people are attending the course “(Side) Sword and Companion” this Friday. Some, like Eickelmann, wear the club colors or wear “Schildwache” jerseys. Their training weapons are hardly distinguishable from real swords: Only when having a closer look can one see that the blade is blunt and the tip has been prepared with rubber. After the joint warm-up, there is movement in the hall. Shoes squeak and battle cries can be heard as the participants practice a kind of fencing fight with a flat hand in groups of two.
Historically founded fencing
Afterwards, attention will turn to the buckler, a historic shield with an eponymous hump in the middle, which is used for defense. But first, Eickelmann explains that the buckler was once extremely popular and even temporarily banned in London, because its bearers “were itching for a fight” – such a protective weapon was not a status symbol, as was customary among nobles and knights with the sword. “Anyone who carried a buckler wanted to fight,” the coach says. The expression “etwas im Schilde führen” (to be up to something) also comes from this, because a small weapon, such as a dagger, could easily be hidden behind the buckler. The coach demonstrates how to protect oneself with the buckler and attack with the sword, and the participants do the same. Now, for the first time this evening, you can hear metal clinking on metal, the sound you expect when thinking about sword duels.
The techniques that are taught here date back to the time of the Renaissance, and some textbooks even date back to the late Middle Ages. The “Schildwache Potsdam” draws above all on the Bolognese tradition from Italy in the 16th century. This is because the numerous surviving writings from this period often contain detailed illustrations and descriptions. They are also well documented and translated into several languages. “Earlier manuscripts were often not intended for the public and are therefore rather cryptic,” Eickelmann explains. Despite all the historical accuracy, however, they are anything but old-fashioned when it comes to values. "We are often portrayed as a medieval men’s club," complains coach Melissa Kleiß. Yet the members are actually very diverse. It is for good reason that the “Schildwache” has decided to include the rainbow flag in its logo.
Meanwhile, a small group of advanced athletes put on protective clothing in the back of the gym: helmet, body armor, heavy gloves. Eickelmann explains, “They are preparing for a tournament. The swords are blunt, but if a weapon should break, things can also go wrong.” Even the less experienced now all wear helmets and gloves and practice the duel with shield and sword. This shows the differences in sport fencing, as we know it from the Olympic Games. Although this has developed, with a few intermediate steps, from the historical art of sword fighting, it uses much lighter swords that make it possible to move in a way that would have been unthinkable on the battlefield.
Despite all the technique, however, the athletes always keep the real combat situation in mind. Assistant coach Eike Jamrath explains to a participant who has just scored a touch, “If you score, you should always take a step back. Remember, he wants to do you harm!” In certain aspects, on the other hand, they are oriented towards modern fencing. “Some know-how is not historically transmitted, for example distances during combat or other safety standards.” There is a long, unbroken tradition and established rules in sport fencing, but it was not until the late 20th century that historical European sword fighting began to be taught systematically again. And this has since become more and more popular. “We are growing faster than Olympic fencing is shrinking,” says Eickelmann happily.
Also athletically valuable
The last 15 minutes of the course are for free fighting. The swords are exchanged for shorter foam versions. At this point at the latest, it becomes clear that this course is also suitable as a workout because it now requires speed and attention. The fighters circle each other, strike, dodge, fend off. In addition, Eickelmann explains, the equipment is heavy and you get less air under the mask, “almost like during altitude training.” Then everyone gathers in a circle for the closing ritual: They perform a circular movement with the sword and bow slightly – something that fighters already did in the 16th century.
Dr. Stephan Eickelmann is a research associate at the Department of Smart Soft Matter of the University of Potsdam.
More information on “Schildwache Potsdam e. V.”: https://schildwache-potsdam.de/
This text was also published in the university magazine Portal - One 2025 “Children”.