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A two-handed sword, used as a general term, is any large sword that requires two hands to use.
For lack of a better word, the designation "two-handed sword" (also great sword) is also used when referring to a weapon of the European renaissance. This kind of sword was often nearly of the same length as the person wielding it, and had a very long hilt for better balance and leverage. It was a typical weapon of the swashbuckling Landsknechts of 16th century Germany, although its actual military usefulness remains disputed, and many specimens now on display in museums were never used in battle.
Two-handed swords made for combat use are actually quite light, averaging around 2.5 to 3 kilograms, with the heaviest examples reaching 5 kilograms. Even so, with the mass distributed over a length of close to two metres, effective use would have required considerable strength.
The manner of fencing with a renaissance great sword differs radically from the earlier types of two-handed swords (such as the long-sword and the bastard-sword). Because of the inertia of the sword and its length, use of the weapon as a spear becomes feasible, while increased inertia due to blade length renders swings much slower. Indeed, some scholars have theorized that the weapon was primarily used to attack pike formations, even though such weapons have been depicted being used in juridical duels.
ja:ツーハンデッドソード
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