[Bill Conner]

Something I have been mulling over for the past few months since starting working longsword( I am new to the field) is the differences in fighting methods and even tactics when it comes to truly close quarters stuff. While I am sure everybody would prefer to have their Frankish charges and nice, wide fields to zornhau away at each other, the reality of, say, taking a fortification is that there is sure to be some nasty room clearing going on. With modern small arms, its a lethal, brutal, terrifying thing-the only way I can think of to make it worse is to have to do it with hand weapons that don't work that well in tight confines. How was it done? Did they all just drop their war swords or polearms and go to their backups ( daggers and so forth)? I remember reading somewhere that a mainstay of internal defensive architechture was as many right hand turns on the way into a keep , the idea being that taking the corner on a right turn exposes the right side where a shield doesn't cover. How do you work that? Is anybody aware of any period references that talk about this sort of thing?