Batons were used in medieval times as training weapons, used mainly by medieval footsoldiers to learn fighting techniques in close ground combat fighting.
Batons were also used in medieval times for fighting in tournaments to entertain medieval people. The reason why batons were used was because they were made out of wood (favorite baton wood was Lime) and whalebone and this stopped footsoldiers and knights from being badly injured.
Knights also used batons from an early age to train them for battle without causing injury in various sword-training exercises. Foot soldiers and warriors in ground combat mainly used batons in the medieval times in training techniques.
Batons were classed as mêlée weapons which are weapons for hand-to-hand combat, they can be bladed weapons or blunt weapons such as the baton and were originally club or cudgel weapons that were very basic.
“Medieval Batons were swords that were made out of wood or whalebone that were used to learn fighting skills in training drills and were used at medieval tournaments.”
Medieval Baton Weapons Training
The number of blows one fighter inflicted on other fighter was counted during baton contests with the winning baton fighter scoring the most points or hits, alternatively a baton contest could be ended with one fighter being exhausted and surrendering as they could no longer fight.
Example of medieval Baton Sword
Military Training using baton weapons
Baton served a great purpose to train armies to fight for King’s and nobleman in the Feudal system without them being injured during aggressive training fights; the use of the Batons made of wood or whalebone enabled them to have realistic fights that improved their fighting techniques and also their strength and stamina. Training using these wooden batons usually took place on a daily basis.
Baton weapons Techniques
Techniques could be practiced using wooden batons that imitated real life close contact fighting which would lead to the introduction of new moves and improved defenses and attack techniques for the foot soldiers of medieval armies.
Points allocated in Baton training fights were as follows:
Three point were given for a blow to the body face and shoulders
Disarming opponents was worth three points
Immobilizing an opponent was worth three points
One point given for hitting opponents with the pommel (part of the hilt of the sword)
One point given for hitting opponents with the Quillon (cross-section other sword hilt)
Baton Weapon Facts:
Batons were the most basic of the melee weapons
Batons were made of wood or whalebone
The design of batons was the same as metal swords
A 15th century treaty standardized the allowed size of the medieval batons
Medieval batons we use in tournaments for entertainment
Medieval batons we used as training tools for foot soldiers
Medieval batons – used to train knights in close combat fighting
Batons – decorated to like real swords in special tournaments and behourds
Batons used at Behourds or special occasions such as coronations weddings at ceremonies
You could only strike above the belt using a medieval Baton
You could win a baton fight by gaining the most strikes (points) in combat
You could win a Baton fight if the other person gave up due to exhaustion etc
Batons were used in combat training
Batons – used in tournaments for entertainment
Baton stopped soldier’s and knights getting injured
Batons – used to train soldiers and knights fighting techniques
Batons – used to improve soldier/knights stamina
Batons were made of wood or whalebone
Batons were cheap to make and easily produced
The preferred material for making a baton was lime wood
Batons made from a single piece of hard wood
Batons improved fighting techniques
Batons improved muscle strength and agility
Batons trained soldiers it realistic combat situations
Foot soldiers in the middle ages mainly used batons
The baton was a short sword made from wood
Batons – used by feudal armies in medieval times
Fights using Batons were a part of daily life in medieval times
Batons – used to learn fighting techniques from an early age
You could only strike above the belt with a baton weapon