How to Write Sword Fights That Feel Real, Not Choreographed

Your characters duel for twenty minutes, spinning and doing backflips, their swords clashing constantly in shower of sparks. They banter wittily throughout. Neither gets tired. Armor doesn't slow them down. Every strike is blocked perfectly until hero finally wins with dramatic finishing move.

This is Hollywood choreography, not realistic combat. Real sword fights are brief, exhausting, tactical, and brutal. Armor matters. Stamina runs out in minutes. Most time is spent circling and feinting, not blade-on-blade contact. Understanding medieval combat realities makes fight scenes believable instead of movie choreography transcribed to page.

This guide covers authentic sword combat—weapon characteristics and uses, stamina limits that exhaust fighters in minutes not hours, armor's protective and restrictive effects, tactical positioning over flashy moves, injury consequences that end fights, skill level differences, psychological pressure under life-or-death stakes, and avoiding Hollywood tropes that signal amateur writing.

Basic Combat Realities

Fights Are Short

Combat is intensely exhausting. Full-intensity fighting lasts minutes, not the 20-minute Hollywood duel.

**2-3 minutes**: Extremely long fight. Both fighters exhausted, sloppy, desperate.

**30 seconds to 1 minute**: More typical for intense exchanges. Then break to circle, breathe, reset.

**Seconds**: Many fights end in single exchange. One mistake, one opening, fight over.

Exhaustion Hits Fast

**Heavy breathing**: Within a minute, fighters are breathing hard, sweating.

**Muscle fatigue**: Arms burn from holding weapon extended. Legs shake from footwork and stance.

**Mental exhaustion**: Constant vigilance, split-second decisions. Mentally draining.

**Armor weight**: If wearing armor (especially plate), exhaustion compounds. Hot, heavy, restrictive.

Most Action Is Positioning

Majority of fight time is circling, feinting, looking for opening. Not constant blade contact.

**Footwork**: Moving to better position, maintaining distance, controlling space.

**Feints**: Fake attacks to draw response and create opening.

**Waiting**: Patient fighters wait for opponent's mistake rather than rushing in.

First Blood Often Ends It

Not fight-to-death necessarily. First significant wound often causes yield or retreat.

Duels: first blood may be win condition.

Real combat: injured fighter at major disadvantage. Smart to disengage if possible.

Weapon Realities

Swords Are Heavy When Extended

**Weight**: Typical longsword 2-4 pounds. Not heavy to hold but extended in fighting stance, becomes heavy fast.

**Extended weight**: Weight is at end of lever (your arm + blade length). Creates torque. Tiring to maintain.

**Can't hold ready position indefinitely**: Arms burn. Must lower weapon periodically or tire.

Blade-on-Blade Contact Is Minimized

**Not constant clashing**: Hollywood shows swords hitting repeatedly. Real fighters avoid this - damages weapons, exhausting, gives opponent advantage.

**Deflection not blocking**: Redirect opponent's blade away rather than meeting force with force.

**Bind and grapple**: When blades do contact, often leads to grappling, wrestling, dagger work at close range.

Cutting Power Limits

**Can't cut through armor**: Swords don't slash through plate armor or even good chainmail. Must target gaps.

**Limb cuts are serious**: Deep cut to arm or leg is fight-ender. Muscle damage prevents fighting.

**Stabbing more lethal**: Thrusts penetrate better than cuts. Aim for gaps in armor, vulnerable points.

Weapons Get Damaged

**Notches and chips**: Blade-on-blade contact damages edges. Swords get notched, chipped.

**Stuck in body/shield**: Blade can stick in bone, shield wood. Pulling it free takes time and leaves fighter exposed.

**Breaking**: Swords can break, especially if already damaged or striking wrong.

Different Weapons, Different Tactics

Not all swords fight the same way. Weapon choice determines tactics and style.

Longsword (Versatile)

Characteristics: 3-4 feet long, used one or two-handed, versatile reach.

Tactics: Can thrust or cut. Two-handed grip gives power and control. Half-swording for armored opponents. Dominant medieval weapon for good reason.

Example: "He gripped blade with both hands, thrust aimed at visor gap. Armored opponent couldn't dodge fast enough. Point scraped helmet, found gap, penetrated."

Rapier (Thrust-Focused)

Characteristics: Longer, thinner blade optimized for thrusting. Complex handguard. Renaissance/early modern era.

Tactics: Point control critical. Keep point threatening opponent. Quick thrusts to body. Less effective against armor (typically used when armor becoming obsolete).

Limitations: Light blade means poor cutting power. Designed for unarmored civilian duels.

Arming Sword (One-Handed)

Characteristics: One-handed sword, typically 2-3 feet. Used with shield.

Tactics: Shield is primary defense. Sword for quick strikes when openings appear. Cut or thrust over/around shield.

Greatsword/Two-Hander (Power)

Characteristics: 5-6 feet long, requires both hands, significant reach and power.

Tactics: Defensive reach advantage keeps opponents at bay. Powerful swings hard to block. Slower recovery between strikes.

Limitations: Heavy, tiring, no shield, slow in tight quarters. Battlefield weapon more than duel weapon.

Saber/Curved Blade (Cutting)

Characteristics: Curved blade optimized for slashing, often cavalry weapon.

Tactics: Powerful cuts, especially from horseback. Less effective for thrusting. Works best against unarmored or lightly armored opponents.

Dagger (Backup Weapon)

Characteristics: Short blade, 6-12 inches. Backup weapon, close-quarters.

Tactics: Grappling range. Finish move after wrestling armored opponent to ground. Attack gaps in armor. Parrying dagger in off-hand while using rapier.

Armor Changes Everything

Types of Armor

**No armor**: Fast, mobile, but vulnerable. Every hit potentially lethal.

**Leather/padded**: Some protection, still mobile. Reduces cuts but not stabs.

**Chainmail**: Good protection against cuts, less against piercing. Still allows movement but adds weight.

**Plate armor**: Excellent protection but heavy, hot, restricts movement. Nearly invulnerable except at gaps.

Armor's Effects

**Weight and heat**: Plate armor 40-60 pounds. Exhausting to wear and move in. Fighter overheats quickly in exertion.

**Mobility reduction**: Can move in plate armor but slower, less agile. No backflips. Limited flexibility.

**Vulnerability at gaps**: Armpits, groin, back of knee, visor, between plates. Skilled fighters target these.

**Blunt force still hurts**: Armor prevents cuts but impact force transmits. Heavy blow with mace or hammer causes broken bones, concussion through armor.

Fighting Armored Opponent

**Half-swording**: Gripping own blade midpoint for better control and power in thrusts at gaps.

**Murder stroke**: Flipping sword to use pommel and crossguard as hammer against helmet.

**Grappling**: Closing distance, wrestling to ground, dagger through gaps.

**Specialized weapons**: Warhammers, maces, pollaxes designed to defeat plate armor through blunt force.

Shields Are Primary Defense

If fighter has shield, it's main defensive tool, not sword.

Shield Use

**Blocking**: Intercept incoming strikes. More reliable than parrying with sword.

**Cover**: Shield covers body, reducing exposed targets.

**Weapon**: Shield bash, punch with shield edge. Offensive tool.

**Tiring**: Holding shield extended is exhausting. Arm burns, shoulder aches.

Without Shield

Fighter must rely on:

**Distance**: Stay out of range.

**Footwork**: Move to avoid rather than block.

**Parry**: Redirect with blade (risky, exhausting).

**Two-handed weapon**: Longsword, greatsword used with both hands for power and better control.

Tactics Over Flashiness

Real Tactics

**Control distance**: Maintain optimal range for your weapon. Close distance for shorter weapon, keep distance with longer.

**High guard**: Weapon overhead. Dominant position, harder to defend against.

**Feint high, strike low**: Draw defense up, attack unprotected area.

**Circle to weak side**: If opponent is right-handed, circle left to their off-hand side where they're less defended.

**Provoke mistakes**: Make opponent commit, create opening.

Not Real (Hollywood)

**Spinning**: Turns back to opponent. Suicide move.

**Backflips**: Takes time, loses position, leaves vulnerable. Pointless.

**Unnecessary flourishes**: Twirling sword, dramatic poses. Wastes energy, creates openings.

**Weapon throwing**: Now unarmed. Bad idea unless desperate.

**Dual wielding**: Two swords is movie fantasy. Historically rare. Shield or two-handing single weapon more effective.

Skill Level Differences

Fighter skill level dramatically affects tactics, confidence, and outcome.

Novice vs. Novice

Characteristics: Tentative, sloppy technique, poor footwork, panic easily.

Fight dynamic: Both hesitant. Wild swings, poor defense, exhaustion from bad form. Winner often whoever gets lucky or less afraid.

Example: "He swung wildly, no technique, just fear and desperation. Blade hit shoulder instead of neck. Both stumbling, gasping, neither knowing what they were doing."

Expert vs. Novice

Mismatch: Fight over quickly. Expert reads novice easily, creates opening, finishes efficiently.

Expert perspective: "Amateur. Terrible footwork. He feinted high. Kid bought it completely, raised guard, exposed entire left side. Almost too easy."

Novice perspective: "Too fast. Couldn't follow his blade. Thought he was striking high, suddenly pain in my ribs. On ground. How?"

Expert vs. Expert

Characteristics: Cautious, patient, reading each other, minimal wasted motion.

Fight dynamic: Long periods of circling and feinting. Testing each other. First real exchange may be last. Both know how fast fight can end.

Psychological: Mind games. Provoke mistake. Stay patient. Whoever breaks discipline first likely loses.

Example: "They circled, weapons ready but not committed. Minutes passed. No wild swings, no openings given. Both knew one mistake meant death. Waiting. Testing."

Desperation vs. Confidence

Desperate fighter: Wild attacks, taking risks, making mistakes from panic or exhaustion.

Confident fighter: Patient, waiting for opening desperate opponent will create.

Desperation can be unpredictable—sometimes dangerous, sometimes just sloppy.

Writing Combat From POV

Fighter's Perspective

**Tactical thinking**: "He's favoring his right. If I circle left... there, opening at his ribs."

**Physical sensations**: "Arms burning. Sweat in eyes. Breathing hard. Ignore it. Focus."

**Time distortion**: Adrenaline makes some moments feel slow, others a blur.

**Tunnel vision**: Under stress, peripheral vision narrows. Easy to miss things.

**Split-second decisions**: "Block or dodge? Dodge. Too slow - pain exploded across his forearm."

Observer's Perspective

Can see full picture fighter can't. Choreography more visible. Both fighters' positions, crowd reactions, broader context.

"They circled, weapons raised, each waiting for opening. The crowd held its breath."

Balance Description and Pacing

**Don't describe every micro-movement**: "He raised his sword twelve degrees, shifted weight to left foot, rotated hips..." Too slow.

**Hit key moments**: Strike, block, movement, result. Let reader fill in details.

"He swung high. She dropped low, blade whistling over her head, drove her sword up under his guard. He grunted, stumbled back, blood spreading across his side."

Psychological Elements

Combat is mentally intense, not just physical. Fear, adrenaline, and focus affect everything.

Pre-Fight Fear

Before combat starts, fear is rational and overwhelming:

"His hands shook. Tried to stop them. Couldn't. Heart pounding so hard he thought it would burst. This was real. He could die. He was going to die. No. Focus. Breathe. Grip sword. Don't think, just fight."

Even experienced fighters feel fear. They just manage it better.

Adrenaline Dump

During fight: Adrenaline causes tunnel vision, auditory exclusion (sounds distorted or muffled), time distortion (things feel slow-motion or too fast), fine motor skill loss (hands shake, harder to do precise movements).

Example: "Everything narrowed to his opponent's blade. Crowd noise faded to nothing. Time stretched. He saw strike coming, seemed slow, but body wouldn't move fast enough. Impact jarred his arm."

Combat Focus

Trained fighters enter focused state—not thinking, reacting. Technique becomes automatic:

"No thoughts, just motion. Blade met blade. Footwork automatic. Years of training taking over. Body knew what to do even if mind was screaming."

First Kill

Killing someone is psychologically massive, even in combat:

"He pulled blade free. Man collapsed, blood spreading. Dead. He'd killed someone. Nausea hit. Hands shaking worse now than before fight. What had he done?"

Not everyone reacts this way, but many do. Even trained soldiers struggle with first kill.

Post-Fight Reaction

After adrenaline fades:

Shaking: Hands, legs trembling uncontrollably.

Nausea: From adrenaline crash, fear, possibly violence witnessed.

Delayed pain: Injuries masked by adrenaline now hurt fully.

Emotional crash: Relief, guilt, shock, or emotional numbness.

Injury Consequences

Immediate Effects

**Pain**: Wounds hurt. Adrenaline delays pain briefly but not indefinitely.

**Bleeding**: Cuts bleed. Amount depends on location and depth. Face/scalp bleeds profusely (looks worse than it is). Arterial bleeding is spraying and fatal quickly.

**Function loss**: Cut to arm muscle means can't grip weapon properly. Leg wound means can't stand/move well.

**Shock**: Blood loss causes lightheadedness, weakness, confusion, collapse.

Fighting Through Injury

**Adrenaline**: Can fight through minor wounds temporarily. Adrenaline masks pain.

**Degrading performance**: Even fighting through it, injury affects capability. Slower, weaker, less accurate.

**Crash after**: When adrenaline fades, full pain and weakness hits.

Head Injuries

**Concussion**: Blow to head causes unconsciousness, confusion, vision problems. Can't fight effectively after.

**Helmet protects**: But impact force still transmits. Ringing in ears, dazed, disoriented.

Environmental Factors

Terrain

**Mud, snow, ice**: Footing matters. Slipping at wrong moment is fatal.

**Obstacles**: Furniture, rocks, bodies on ground. Must navigate while fighting.

**High ground**: Advantage. Fighting uphill is exhausting, gives opponent reach advantage.

Weather

**Rain**: Slippery, reduces visibility, makes everything harder.

**Heat**: Exhaustion compounds. Especially in armor.

**Cold**: Muscles don't work as well. Fingers numb, hard to grip.

Lighting

**Dark**: Can't see attacks clearly. Huge disadvantage.

**Sun**: Fighting with sun in eyes creates blind spots.

Multiple Combatants

Outnumbered Is Nearly Hopeless

One fighter against multiple opponents usually loses. Can't watch all directions.

**Tactics when outnumbered**:

- Keep moving, don't let them surround

- Use terrain to funnel opponents

- Try to engage one at a time

- Look for escape route

But realistically, being outnumbered is massive disadvantage. Show this.

Battlefield vs. Duel

**Duel**: One-on-one, more tactical, can focus entirely on opponent.

**Battlefield**: Chaos, multiple threats, allies and enemies mixed, situational awareness critical, easier to die from unseen attack.

Common Mistakes

**Marathon fights**: 20-minute duel. Realistic fights are minutes or less.

**Unlimited stamina**: Fighting without getting tired. Show exhaustion.

**Talking during fight**: Witty banter while fighting. No. Out of breath, focused.

**Ignoring armor**: Cutting through plate armor. Armor matters hugely.

**Constant blade contact**: Swords clashing repeatedly. Real fighters minimize this.

**No consequences**: Fighting at full capacity despite wounds. Injuries matter immediately.

**Hollywood moves**: Spinning, backflips, unnecessary flourishes. Tactical fighters don't do this.

Making It Work

Keep fights short (minutes maximum). Show exhaustion quickly - heavy breathing, burning muscles, sweat. Include breaks for circling and positioning, not constant blade contact. Make armor matter - protection but also weight and mobility cost.

Show tactical thinking over flashy moves. Footwork and positioning, feints and openings, defensive priority over offense. Include environmental factors (terrain, weather, lighting) affecting combat.

Make injuries have immediate consequences. Pain, bleeding, function loss. Fighting through injury is possible briefly but degrades performance. Show physical toll of violence.

Realistic combat is brief, brutal, and exhausting. Strategic more than spectacular. This creates fight scenes that feel authentic rather than choreographed for cinema. Readers who know combat will appreciate accuracy; those who don't will feel grounded realism.

Consider skill level matchups when choreographing fights. Novice versus novice is sloppy and desperate. Expert versus novice ends quickly and efficiently. Expert versus expert is cautious, patient, psychological. Show how skill difference affects tactics and outcome.

Include psychological elements beyond physical action. Pre-fight fear (even experienced fighters feel it), adrenaline effects (tunnel vision, time distortion, fine motor loss), combat focus state, first kill impact, post-fight crash. Mental aspect makes combat feel real and human rather than mechanical choreography.

Remember weapon choice determines tactics. Longsword is versatile, rapier prioritizes thrusts, greatsword has reach and power but is slow, dagger is close-quarters finisher. Match weapon to character, setting, and situation. Don't treat all swords as interchangeable.

Balance technical accuracy with readable prose. Don't get bogged in describing every micro-movement or technical term. Hit key moments—strike, defense, position change, result—and let reader fill in details. Combat writing should flow at appropriate pace for action while including enough tactical and physical detail to feel authentic.

Most importantly, show consequences. Injuries hurt and impair immediately. Exhaustion degrades performance within minutes. Armor protects but limits. Environment affects footing and visibility. Death is real possibility characters fear. Making stakes and consequences tangible creates tension and makes victory feel earned rather than inevitable.