Striking Single handed

 Striking single or double is cutting or thrusting with either one hand or two respectively.

Single handed striking extends the range of Time of the Hand by more reach and in essence by not stepping makes it much faster.

Striking single and double is besides the Times and the Governors one of the most English ways to fence with the longsword, not in it's own worth but bc it encapsulates and strengthens the principles aforementioned. 

 It gives you time to strike and retreat, fly in fly out, it keeps measure at a comfortable distance, and with proper judgment can defeat an opponent with little risk to your torso.

1. At these weapons ever lie so you may be able to thrust single & double, & to ward, strike, or thrust in due time, so shall your enemy, if he strikes only upon double hand be driven of necessity, seeking to win the place, to gain you the place whereby you may safely hurt him, & go free yourself by reason of your distance, & where you shall seek to win the place upon him he shall not be able to gain the place upon you, nor keep the place from you whereby he shall either be hurt, or in great danger of hurt, by reason of your large reach, true place & distance, your fight being truly handled keeping itself from close & grip.

 (G.Silver.Brief Instructions.Cap 10.1.Of the two hand sword)

 Silver talks often in his section on the two handed sword and quarterstaff of being prepared to thrust single and double, to extend your reach when judgment calls.

 Ledall speaks of a few one handed motions with the sword.

 "A Proffer, a Rake, with a Quarter, another void lightly smite a Full-Spring, setting in the right leg with a Quarter and another void, be at your stop."

(Ledall.enCounter 2.Full Spring) 

"A Proffer, a Rake, with a Quarter, another void. Standing still a Short-Spring with a Falling-stroke, then set in the right leg with a Quarter, another void, and be at your stop."

(Ledall.enCounter 3.Short Spring) 

"A Proffer, a Rake, with a Quarter full. Voiding back the right leg with the left hand smite a Snatch, then void back your left leg and be at your stop."

(Ledall.enCounter 10.Snatch) 

"A Proffer, a Rake, with a Quarter full, and another, a void. Standing still, lightly with the left hand, to his head cast a Fool. Then set in your right leg and smite a Quarter full, with another void be at your stop."

(Ledall.enCounter 12.Fool)  

  These four are the main one handed techniques discussed in English Longsword and achieve various tasks;

 The Full Spring is a thrust with the back hand grasping the pommel and pushed forwards as lithely and fast as possibly while still being accurate. In my opinion it is better to be accurate than fast.

The Short spring is the same idea but with the fore hand grasping just beneath the crossguard. It does in fact increase your reach with only one hand.

 The Snatch is a one handed cut with the back hand grasping the pommel. This one is particularly disliked in tournaments and agreeably so because unless done correctly it won't cut, and is hard to judge. When done correctly IT VERY MUCH can cut, and well. 

 A Fool is a one handed cast cut to the face with the back hand grasping the pommel, best done from open fight or a high guard and casting downwards or straight. J.Bright interestingly claims "fool" is a mistranslation, and is actually "seal" a falconry term to blind a bird. 

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 Each of these mechanics work in a slightly differently and aren't fully described in the treatises. My practical experience using them over the past few years has taught me ways to optimize their use.

 There are SOME NOTABLE points to be wary of when you consider these. Dropping one hand inherently diminishes leverage and control which an opponent can capitalize on, they can be easily warded compared to other attacks which may give the opponent the Place.

 When sparring the lack of control can cause excessive force and harm to your friend, especially thrusts that are well structured. 

 You can not defend yourself with back hand uses of these strikes, fore hand use can have a chance if structured well.

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The Spring:

The most practical technique is the Spring, because it's a thrust it doesn't have a large profile moving through the air like a cut, it doesn't need as much force to penetrate as a cut bc of the focus point of the tip not losing any force from single handed use.

 The same way a smallswordist or rapierists holds their torso, when you extend your back hand forward, twist your torso thinner(clockwise) towards your opponent to extend reach further.

 Ensure the back hand's linked foot is leading and pointing forward to further optimize reach but it isn't recommended to change the usual stance of longsword footwork as recovering could be difficult. 

 Usually my standard is to void the right/dominant foot back after an action and cast the one handed action as part of the rotation setting up the proper form.

The final step which is not required but circumstantially helpful is to pull back the dominant elbow as far back as possibly comfortable, arm parallel to the ground and hand near the face palm open to the ground, fingers pointing to the enemy, almost like a dab.   This emphasizes the correct torso placement and also activates different muscles to help with the throw.

 This step requires judgment, if you want as much reach as possible pull back the hand, however this by nature extends the recovery to grab the hilt again, giving more time to your opponent to react dangerously.

 I usually aim for opportunity targets, like the hands, exposed arm and shoulder and specifically the knees, bc legs are rarely targeted in two handed use and you can create an open by busying the opponent up above. The knees due to many folks stances is the most forward besides the hands and arms and unless they void the foot swiftly you can snatch a win.

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The Short Spring:

The principle is the same as the above, simply using the dominant hand near the crossguard to enact the thrust instead.

 In Ledall's 3rd Encounter he has this thrust still having the Left/non-dominant foot forward, most likely  twisting the torso the other direction(counterclockwise) from the Spring.

Otherwise it's applicable to have the dominant foot forward for more reach.

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The Snatch:

 The Snatch works similarly but is an opportunistic cut. It objectively has less control when trying to do damage than the snatch but is useful in circumstances. You cast it out by pushing with the dominant hand and swinging the blade in an arc. You can twist the body clockwise like the Spring but I usually don't for faster recovery unless I really need that reach. 

 You can cut as a Quarter, as Round and as a Down Right stroke, however cutting upwards rarely has any application or success due to gravity working against you. 

I usually aim Snatches to open extremities depending on availability, whether unguarded hands, an exposed shoulder or fore arm, and the legs. Use your best judgment on when there's an opening. The same with the Spring, aiming for opportunity targets or busy up the opponent to make them worried about something else.

 Specifically with impact force, a quarterstaff edge alignment doesn't really matter and aiming for joints like knees or fingers is a great way to break and cripple them, so Snatches even with a sword can be used for blunt force damage on weak targets, regardless if it cuts well or not.

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The Fool/Seal:

The Fool is essentially a snatch but expressly meant for hitting the head in a down right stroke. High line attacks expressly have more reach bc of the height of the shoulders, additionally if you're used to being in Open fight or a high guard you can cast it out swiftly once opportunity arises. 

 

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 Silver's Advice:

Silver gives some advice on using a single handed attack, expressly when to use the strike.

4. But if you find him too strong for you upon his blows from aloft, so that you can hardly bear them upon your ward, then when he strikes in aloft at your head, & by his main strength would beat down your staff, & so give you a hurt before you shall be able to come again into your ward. Against such a one give a slip in the sort, suddenly draw back the higher part of your body a little & your foremost foot withal, & slip in the point of your staff under his staff, & thrust single at him, & fly out with all, so shall you be sure to hit him & go out free

(G.Silver.Brief Instructions.Cap 10.4.Of the two hand sword)

8. If your adversary strikes aloft at any side of your head or body, ward it with your point up & making your space so narrow that you may cross his staff before it comes in full force bearing or beating down his blow strongly, back again towards that side that he strikes in at you........

.......lift up your staff again, & so strike him on the head or body, or thrust at his body double or single, as you may find your best advantage ever in holding your staff, let there be such convenient space between your hands, wherein you shall find yourself most apt to ward, strike or thrust to your best liking. 

(G.Silver.Brief Instructions.Cap 10.8.Of the two hand sword)

12. But if he thrust at you continually then ever have a special care to consider, whether he lies aloft or below, & do continually thrust at you there from, then look that you ever lie so that you make your space so narrow upon him, that you be sure to cross his staff with yours, & put it before it be in full force, and from that ward, thrust at him single or double as you find it best, & if he remember not to fly back at that instant when he thrusts it will be too late for him to avoid any thrust that you shall make at him.

(G.Silver.Brief Instructions.Cap 10.12.Of the two hand sword)

There's two main ways Silver recommends a single handed strike, very much favoring the thrust.

1. As shown in ground 4. you either void and slip back when the opponent gives a strong dedicated strike and drop the point before thrusting it forth one handed and retreating instantly . Explicitly this is after an opponent is Spent/Lying Spent, after a hard strike bc if it is light or non-committed they can recover fast and beat away your blade before striking again.

2. As in Ground's 8. and 12. you beat away the opponent's blade whether after a strike or thrust and you have the option to thrust single handed if applicable.

Not every situation needs a single handed technique, use proper judgment to utilize it correctly which I will speak on in the next section.

 Both of these methods work for both cuts and thrusts, use whichever one works in the moment. Which moment really depends on the bout, though there are common threads.

 The best moment in any fight to strike is when you have the Space, where you can hit your opponent and not be hit yourself, which usually comes about when their sword is Spent, Lying Spent, or Drawing Back, where their blade is either expended of energy and not a threat or is pulling back to enact another option.  

 The opponent loses their Space whenever they're in one of these 3 states, and you can capitalize on this if you see an opportunity while keeping yourself at distance, by casting a single's strike either on retreat or from just outside distance where you'd otherwise have to take a step. 

 Additionally the opponent might not realize the severity of the situation and be lax or slacking in returning to a guard when they believe they are solely in time of the foot, giving you an opening. 

 Another option is to throw singles to either "snipe" or antagonize targets. If there's a cagey or reactive opponent that possibly is planning something, throwing "pot shots" or small non dedicated singles for extra reach works to mess up their plans and make them even more on the defensive. It's very important you keep yourself safe first, keeping at distance and ensuring you can swiftly recover incase of an enemy action.

 

......11. If you fight with one standing only upon his guardant fight or if he seeks to come in to you by the same fight, then do you strike & thrust continually at all manner of open places that shall come nearest unto you, still remembering your governors, so shall he continually be in danger, & often wounded, & wearied in that kind of fight, & you shall be safe, the reason is, he is a certain mark to you, & you are an uncertain mark to him..............

(G.Silver.Brief Instructions.Cap 4.11.Of the one hand short sword)

 Although this passage is talking about a single handed backsword specifically in the gardant/hanging ward, the principle can be applied to the longsword. You can antagonize the opponent while waiting for the right moment to dedicate a strike or wear them down. 

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                                                             Sources:

Ledall Roll - https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Ledall_Roll_(Additional_MS_39564)

Harley - https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Man_yt_Wol_(MS_Harley_3542)

Silver - https://wiktenauer.com/wiki/George_Silver

Jason Bright's English Longsword Curriculum (Can't link, hopefully will publish eventually)