Yet, despite being ill armed the common folk always had need to protect themselves and if called upon even to defend the kingdom from invasion. By the late Middle Ages there were sword-masters fighting experts both teaching and fighting for pay, yet they themselves were typically commoners. Today, students of historical fencing will often take too much of a technical approach to swordsmanship. They scour the historical manuals searching for clues and techniques while overlooking principles. They will theorize and theorize rather than examine the practical applications of physical actions with weapons.
Techniques are merely the execution of the mechanics of a move.
They are never done in a vacuum, but in reference to what the adversary himself is doing or not doing. Even at the highest level, when a technique is selflessly and reflexively executed, there is still the un-conscious recognition of the target's immediate action. Techniques must involve reference to understanding underlying principles. Though, this is not that easy to realize since its proper use is all but absent in most movie and theatrical combat presentations as well as Medieval fantasy societies. The conditions under which they must operate are not conducive to either the aggressive hitting techniques that are common or the subtle and tight movements it sometimes uses.