The Witcher Fan Art Group Fighting Step by Step

It took a while for Gregory Mele to get around to watching The Witcher on Netflix. That's because, as the founder of Chicago'south but full-fourth dimension European martial arts schoolhouse, he spends a lot of time hitting people with heavy metal objects.

Now that he'south finally made it to the end of flavour ane, Polygon asked the founder of the Chicago Swordplay Guild — an expert on medieval- and Renaissance-era close-quarters combat — to counterbalance in on Henry Cavill's skill with the blade. Turns out that Superman did a pretty good job.

"It's believable that he's a fighter," Mele told Polygon via email, before launching into a glorious dissection of some of The Witcher'south best fight scenes.

Netflix recently published a YouTube video in which Cavill discusses his time fighting equally Geralt of Rivia. In the video, which has been viewed nearly 900,000 times, he talks about the different swords he used while filming the show, and how he needed them to be modified to conform his needs. To Mele, the results are impressive.

"Geralt (in the show) is armed with a adequately short longsword, a fantasy equivalent to a form of the sword that might take existed effectually 1400 A.D.," Mele said, "two-handed hilt on a blade no longer, or non much longer, than a i-handed sword, creating a weapon that is suited to use in 1 or two hands, which means you tin can also use in on horseback, or, if you must, with a shield. I recall the blade is yet a touch on brusque, merely as fantasy swords go, information technology'southward reasonably realistic."

Besides realistic is Cavill's stagecraft — and, in fact, the work of the entire combat arts squad on the program, according to Mele.

"The fight scenes are fast-paced, dynamic and Henry Cavill has proven in Superman, Immortals, Justice League, etc, that he has a lot of physicality and can handle fight choreography," Mele said. "They accept designed a 'style' for Geralt: powerful slashes, usually made after he parries (what is called a hanging parry), direct thrusts and and so quick transitions to a opposite grip, often holding the sword past the forte (base of the bract), with his manus wrapped around the baby-sit. From hither, he uses thrusts and in close slashes. He usually moves from one grip to the other in conjunction with pirouettes."

What was particularly interesting to Mele was how Cavill positions his hands. Ii fight scenes in particular caught the attention of fans, and both happen in the very first episode. One sees Geralt go up confronting Renfri'southward soldiers in the streets, while the second pits the Witcher against Renfri herself, every bit played past Emma Appleton (Traitors). In both, you tin meet Cavill using a reverse grip — that is, belongings his hands with his thumbs pointing away from the blade.

From the Kunsthistorisches Museum manuscript KK5012. It was written by Peter Falkner, certified Master of the Long Sword and three-time Hauptmann of the Marxbrüder fencing guild, in 1495 and illustrated by an unknown artist.

Image: Kunsthistorisches Museum

It'southward that grip, in office, that gives Mele pause. Even though information technology looks good on screen, that's not necessarily how swords were used dorsum in the twenty-four hour period.

"There IS some documentation for using a longsword in a reverse grip," Mele said. "More often this was done on horseback, where the sword was drawn when the lance bankrupt and so just thrust into someone (and forgotten) like a giant dagger. But there are a few techniques where the longsword is actually used in a opposite grip — constitute primarily in 15th century German language sources."

Mele said that the historical opposite grip was used primarily equally a transition to a potent parry or a thrust, non necessarily for stabbing someone in the oral cavity and cutting their head in half downward the middle every bit if information technology were a ripe cantaloupe.

"Geralt periodically uses the sword in a reverse grip to slash rather than thrust, a technique that would exist largely useless against the fairly heavy habiliment of medieval Eastern Europe (or shown in the show)," Mele said. "Medieval swords are abrupt, but not razor sharp, nor does property the blade in such a way really use the leverage of a long blade properly to cut. Then, I'thousand afraid that a central part of Geralt's fighting style owes more to Ninja and Zatoichi movies from the 1980s than it does historical swordsmanship."

Of course, Mele admits that information technology'due south not a fight choreographer's task to be historically accurate. But Polygon asked, and so he was polite enough to weigh in. Personally, he said he actually enjoyed the program.

Gregory Mele during an introductory class on Italian longsword in 2015.

Photo: Charlie Hall/Polygon

"Overall the fights are fast and furious with some basic elements of solid fencing, some showy, less likely ones, a decided over-reliance and misuse of the reverse grip and some out and out stupidity," Mele concluded. "I suspect 15-twelvemonth-quondam Greg would accept loved it! xl-something Greg … I can capeesh what they are trying to do — make Geralt's fighting unusual and dynamic — and at least the fights are fast-paced and competent. Which is more than I can be said for Game of Thrones, which, for as slick as its battle scenes could exist, managed to produce some of the worst dueling scenes I recollect I take ever seen."

If yous're interested in a more historical take on a duel like the 1 betwixt Geralt and Renfri in The Witcher, bank check out Andorea Olomouc on YouTube. Mele says the Czech martial artists know a thing or two, and package it nicely for public consumption.

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Source: https://www.polygon.com/2020/2/10/21128386/the-witcher-sword-fighting-henry-cavill-historian

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