The art of Backswording comes to Old Town Festival

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Swindon Travel Hub

When we hear the term “Martial Art, “ thanks largely to Hollywood’s assimilation of Hong Kong film traditions, we automatically think of combat skills that have developed in the Far East. But of course every country has its own military traditions and skills relating to combat and of course England, with its history of warfare, conquest and Empire is no exception.

As part of Old Town Festival, which begins this week, you can take in one of those longstanding martial skills in the form of English Country Backswording. The Wessex School of Arms teach and aim to raise the profile of English Martial Arts, of which backswording is just one discipline, but it is one with historic links with Swindon. An extremely well known champion hailed from the town in the form of “Blackford the Swindon Backsworder” as mentioned in ‘Tales of Old Wiltshire’ by Cecilia Millson.

The 5 times great granddaughter of this local backswording hero will be attending the festival and will be presenting the trophy to the contest winner.

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Backswording takes the form of a contest between two players who fight each other using wooden backswording cudgels, a training substitute for teaching sword skills, the goal being to break the others head. This sounds rather violent but the term ‘breaking a head’ refers to raising an inch of blood from your opponents scalp anywhere above the eye line. Of course with the modern version, full headgear and protection is utilised, meaning that you get all the fun and skill of the sport but none of the hospital bills.

 

If you find the notion of Backswording or English Martial Arts, which includes a whole range of weapon training and unarmed combat skills, then head up to The Old Town Festival on Sunday 9th and find them in action, get a taste of what it is all about and find out more about their organisation.

You can also check out their page at Wessex School of Arms.

 

 

Swindon Travel Hub

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