Something which appears frequently in the comments is how much the disarmed sword wobbles in flight.
TL;DR - it wobbles because it’s a practice weapon, far more flexible than a real sword.
For safety reasons HEMA practice longswords are both blunt and flexible, while not being so flexible they can’t correctly beat, block or deflect.
This is a “Feder” (meaning “feather” or more correctly “quill / nib”), a training sword from the later Middle Ages into the Renaissance.
The wide section above the hilt adds realistic weight and balance while keeping the working part of the blade thin and bendable.
A sword with “realistic” flex, i.e. not much at all, would be much more dangerous than a flexy one in a move like this one:
Here’s a better example of why practice swords need to flex so much. The attack is another thrust to throat, but the attack blade bends much more on impact.
(Sorry the GIF isn’t clearer; its bright background washes things out, but the arc of the blade is visible against that distant tree.)
I have a feeling this was accidental.
Look at the attacker’s feet; they skid in the grass so he finishes the move about six inches closer than he meant to. That means there’s more body-weight behind the thrust and his point hits harder than it should, hence the impressive bend.
That same skid-augmented impact with a more rigid blunt wouldn’t have been much fun even through a padded gorget, while a live blade - sharp point, sharp edges, stiff blade - would probably go right through mere padding. The thrust, which in-period was meant to stop an enemy literally dead in his tracks, might well do exactly what it’s supposed to…
Modern sport weapons, though more lightweight and flexy than HEMA kit, can cause bruises despite protective jackets. Hits like the ones in this pic…
So - a wobbly sword may look funny in flight, but is safer to get hit with.
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