ROMAN WOODEN PRCTICE SWORD (W011) by CHINA
Designed for light contact with other wooden swords. Safely practice your fighting stances, forms and motions with your comrades. Also makes a wonderful gift for a young fantasy and history lover who is not quite ready for a sharpened steel gladius. Nice clean detailing lines in pommel and guard, as well as notched handle for safe and solid hand grip. MEASURES: 27 1/2 inches Overall Length, 20 1/2 inch Blade Length, 7 inch Handel Length. Full Tang solid clear finished hardwood with rounded edges.

ROMAN PRACTICE SWORDS & WEAPONS
After correctly learning the march, the most important aspect of a Roman soldier's training was learning to handle the sword. Practice began with heavy wicker shields and wooden swords. Soldiers were at first drilled on how to use the weapons, often fighting large wooden poles set in the ground at first. Later the soldiers would move up to fighting each other with the practice swords. Roman sword training emphasized stabbing over slashing Roman army tactics emphasized discipline, uniformity and training. When in battle, the individual soldier used his training to stab at exposed body parts, slash at eyes or legs, or to block incoming strikes with shield or sword. The design of the gladius remained essentially the same throughout Rome's history, with some minor modifications, and was meant to be a stabbing and slashing weapon.