Sword fighting was a highly technical skill, which was why medieval warriors started training young. In practice the purpose was not to clang one's sword against the other's but rather to kill him, disarm him, or at least force him to yield. There were a great many different ways of doing so.
We have multiple manuals of sword-fighting from the late Middle Ages. These were not "sword fighting for beginners" but rather books with brief descriptions of different approaches, stances, and techniques. One would learn sword fighting from a master, then acquire (or create) a manual with brief descriptions of key points, to help one practice or recall how things were supposed to go.
These manuals are being extensively studied at The Armouries in Leeds, England, a museum that holds the armor once stored at the Tower of London. People with fencing experience work out what the manuals are suggesting, then try them out to see if they work. With practice, so that the movements come very quickly and smoothly, they work very well.
One thing the manuals indicate, which might not have been self-evident, is that one can grab the blade of either one's own or the opponent's sword without getting cut, if one holds on rather than sliding one's hand (try it with a steak knife, just not a serrated one.) Most fights are over very quickly, as one person or the other gains a very brief advantage in the fast-paced fighting.
The image below is of two of the fighters at the Armouries demonstrating their technique.
They are using steel medieval-style two-handed swords, light enough to swing around, sturdy enough for use in heavy whacking (a single long piece of steel from pommel to sword-point, so they won't crack off at the handle as "medieval-look" swords often do).
© C. Dale Brittain 2019
For more on medieval fighting, see my ebook, Positively Medieval: Life and Society in the Middle Ages.
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