at joints or unprotected areas. Penetration was extremely unlikely even with thrusting attacks. Percussion was realized with the Mordstreich ("murder strike"), an attack with the hilt when holding the sword at the blade, and then penetration into openings of the armour with the Halbschwert (short sword), which allowed stabbing with greater precision. From the evidence of the Fechtbücher, most armoured fights were concluded by wrestling moves, with one combatant falling to the ground. Lying on the ground, he could then be easily killed with a stab into his visor or another opening of the armour. See also Historical European Martial Arts Italian school of fencing English Longsword School Kampfringen Academic fencing or Mensur Arne Koets Notes References Literature Clements, John. Masters of Medieval and Renaissance Martial Arts: Rediscovering The Western Combat Heritage, Paladin Press, 2008. Heim, Hans & Alex Kiermayer, The Longsword of Johannes Liechtenauer, Part I -DVD-, Knight, David James and Brian Hunt, Polearms of Paulus Hector Mair , (2008) Lindholm, David & Peter Svard, Sigmund Ringeck's Knightly Art of the Longsword, (2003) Schulze, André (ed.), Mittelalterliche Kampfesweisen – Mainz am Rhein. : Zabern vol. 1: Das Lange Schwert, 2006. – vol. 2, Kriegshammer, Schild und Kolben, 2007. – vol. 3: Scheibendolch und Stechschild, 2007. – Thomas, Michael G., Fighting Man's Guide to German Longsword Combat, (2008) Tobler, Christian Henry, Fighting with the German Longsword, (2004) Tobler, Christian Henry, Secrets of German Medieval Swordsmanship (2001), Tobler, Christian Henry, In Saint George's Name: An Anthology of Medieval German Fighting Arts (2010), External links The Wiktenauer (wiktenauer.com), a wiki dedicated to historical European martial arts in general Bill Grandy, Call to Arms: The German Longsword (myarmoury.com) Combat treatises School School Of Fencing School Of Fencing Historical European martial arts History of the Holy Roman Empire Swordsmanship Trials by combat