British Military Sabre Instruction - Combining the 6 cuts

This one is often considered a fairly simple yet useful drill that is used across most british military sabre systems. Combining the six cuts into one single "flow" drill if you will, helps you gain some dexterity and wrist mobility to easily switch from one cut to another and get some forearm muscle to be able to control the sword throughout. May not be anything ground breaking, but definitely worth while and something we always do for warm up in class.

[@thecount5558]

Thanks for the video! It feels even more satisfying to see all the cuts in one flow (and really helps with the "shadow" fencing.
As a side question, I know you focus mostly on British sabre but would you happen to know if the Portuguese also followed the British style during that era? I know there was a treaty by Osorio and Gomez in 1842 which included sabre (though I confess ignorance as to it's usage by the Portuguese military) but before that, did the Portuguese perhaps use Roworth as well? Or maybe they followed the Spanish in using de Frias?
My thanks!

[@EspadaNegra]

Thanks, happy you enjoyed the video.
Funnily enough, british fencing had very little prevalence in Portuguese systems, most of what you see that's named as Portuguese is actually french. There's a foil/smallsword treatise of 1804 by Teotónio Rodrigues de Carvalho which hailed from what is now Brasil, and his system is based on french fencing. Same thing happens with Osorio e Gomez, it carries some, very few british references but the over complicated nature makes it clearly french inspired. I believe this may have happened due to all the french influences of the time which may have been stronger than the british ones, which to me is odd since we have the oldest military alliance so it would make sense to adopt a more british approach.
The only british source being used comes much much later (1878) in the form of an adapted re-wrtiten copy of William Tuohy's Instructions for the exercise of small arms, field pieces, etc., for the use of her majesty's ships (1859)

[@EspadaNegra]

On an added note, keep in mind that Osorio and Gomez was a smallsword treatise with sabre being exclusive to horseback which is a trend of the time in portugal. Even Teotónio Rodrigues de Carvalho was about the same thing but that was an exclusive foil/smallsword treatise.

[@thecount5558]

@@EspadaNegra that is interesting. I know that smallsword treatises were used early on in the 1800s (and back) by the military, as you mentioned, but was the smallsword still seriously considered by officers as a primary weapon by officers even well into the 1840s? I would have thought the sabre (or at least the spadroon) had thoroughly overtaken it by then. Granted, there would have been some swords designed along smallsword lines (mostly the Belgian and the later US M1860 field and staff officer swords come to mind, if I'm not incorrect), but I believe they would have played a more ceremonial role?

[@EspadaNegra]

Yeah early 1800s and even before there was a prevalence of smallswords being used by officers true, so while Teoteonio's treatise does make sense, the latter one from 1842 would be a bit of a stretch. But since both are actually and technically meant for foil, one could argue as the foil being the preparatory sword for smallsword, and then the smallsword being the basis for everything else. And when we consider feints to other body parts that are not just the torse it does open some possibilities. But yeah by 1840s smallswords were not nearly as used as sabres but it also does vary and there's always some overlap. Smallswords could still be used to settle disputes, and as a dress sword, but details are a little hazy as I haven't researched much that late.