View source for I.33

'''Royal Armouries MS. I.33''' (also ''Tower Fechtbuch'' or just ''I.33'') is a [[Germany|German]] [[fechtbuch]] from the late [[13th century]] or early [[14th century]]. It is the earliest such manual to survive and is the most complete treatise on [[sword]] and [[buckler]]. 

==Physical description==
Consisting of 32 leaves of [[parchment]], written in [[Latin]] with some German terms and depicts two men (entitled the [[Scholar]] and the [[Priest]]) engaged in unarmoured combat. Later a woman (''Walpurgis'') appears in the manuscript.

At some stage a [[child]] has doodled on the manuscript and added moustaches and beards to some of the figures.

==Aspects==
I.33 lists seven basic [[guard|ward]]s:
*[[underarm|1st Ward]]: Underarm
*[[right shoulder|2nd Ward]]: Right shoulder
*[[left shoulder|3rd Ward]]: Left shoulder
*[[vom Tag|4th Ward]]: From the roof/vom Tag
*[[Nebenhut|5th Ward]]: Near point/Nebenhut
*[[Pflug|6th Ward]]: Plow/Pflug
*[[Langort|7th Ward]]: Longpoint/Langort (of which there are three variations).

For these there are nine [[counter]]s:
* [[Half shield]]
* [[Crutch]]
* [[Langort]]
* [[Walpurgis]]
* [[Underarm]]
* [[Priest's Special Langort]]
* [[Right Cover]]
* [[Langort|High Langort]]
* [[Rare and Special Counter]]

==Modern Reproductions==
*''The Medieval Art of Swordsmanship: A Facsimile and Translation of Europe's Oldest Personal Combat Treatise, Royal Armouries MS. I.33'' is a reproduction by Jeffrey L. Forgeng and jointly published by The Royal Armouries and Chivalry Bookshelf.
*''Medieval Sword and Shield: The Combat System of Royal Armouries MS. I.33'' is an interpretation and companion book to the above, written by Paul Wagner and Stephen Hand, and is also published by Chivalry Bookshelf.

[[category:western martial arts]]
[[category:books]]
[[category:fechtbucher]]
[[category:13th century]][[category:13th century]]