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From period illustrations, written descriptions and the few weapons that remain today, we can see that the pollaxe came in a variety of forms, some with heavy halberd-like axe blades, and some with hammer-heads, often backed up with a curved spike. 'These features do not constitute an axe in the modern sense of the word,' writes Dr. Sydney Anglo, 'but rather form what is often termed a "pole-hammer" or "bec de faucon." All pollaxes seem to have been equipped with a spike atop the weapon, and many also had a buttspike. The weapon was also frequently supplied with metal bands called languettes which ran from the head of the weapon down the sides of the haft to protect it from blows, and a few pollaxes also had rondels to protect the hands. The length of the weapon varied; most museum specimens have been re-mounted in comparatively recent times, and cannot be trusted in that respect, but from period illustrations, it would seem that the pollaxe varied from about 5 to 8 feet in length. Anglo writes that '...Pietro Monte, in 1509, specifically states that the axe, up to its hammer's head, should be 'one hand' longer than the height of the man using it,' which would seem a comfortable length for such a weapon.
'At the Pas de la Pelerine, held near St. Omer, 1446, by John Bastard of St. Pol and Lord of Haubourdin, he with six others for a term of six weeks met many famous fighters, and amongst others Jaques Lalain and an English squire named Thomas. On this occasion, Lalain had a long axe with a spike at the top, and on one side a bec de faucon, a solid sort of pick, and on the other a hammer head with three diamond-shaped points, and below the axe a good strong spike. Thomas's axe had a large blade, pointed at the top, with cutting edge on one side and a long hammer head on the other, the staff had a roundel for protection of the forward hand, and a short spike at the lower end.' Much information about the technique of knightly pollaxe combat has been preserved in late-medieval fight manuals such as Talhoffer's Fechtbuch and the anonymous 15th c. manual Le Jeu de la Hache, and from descriptions of late medieval Pas d'Armes. From accounts of its use in the lists, it seems to have been a very vigorous weapons style to fight as another account by Dillon shows; 'Lalain began his eight fight in this month, with Gaspart de Dourtain (Chastelain calls him Courtain), who asked for 75 axe strokes, Chastelain says 64. Lalain this time dispensed with the right greave but otherwise was armed as usual. Dourtain had a bascinet with the visor closed. When they engaged Lalain showered many blows on the visor of his adversary, but at last got the spike broken off his axe, seeing which Dourtain redoubled his assaults. So they fought for a long time all over the lists, each keeping his position and the advantage of the sun. At last Lalain caught hold of Dourtain's axe between his left hand and the lower end, when the judge stopped the fight.' In another combat, this time with a Castillian knight by the name of Diego de Guzman, the chroniclers recounted the following bout; 'When the two closed they gave each other such stout blows that they made the sparks fly from their well-steeled armour. Lalain with his face bare as usual, struck at Guzman's visor which was closed, and with such effect as to wound him three times in the face with la point de sa hache d'en bas. The resemblance between chivalric axe combat and quarter-staff play is important,' writes Anglo, 'Long-handled swinging strokes with the axe head...were easily countered, and not greatly admired by experts such as the unknown author of Le Jeu de la Hache.' Indeed, as those familiar with SCA combat with slashing poles and halberds know, the thrust is the most dangerous stroke with such a weapon, a fact that is borne out by many passages in Le Jeu, although interestingly enough, the majority of the work seems to have been done with the butt-spike, or queue, rather than with what intuitively seems to be the 'business end' of the weapon. An example of such a thrust attack from Talhoffer is shown below:
The superiority of the queue led attack is stressed in Le Jeu; 'If he is an expert axe-fighter, and he advances with the queue of his axe foreword...' begins one of the passages. The use of this attack by an expert axe-fighter is illustrated in another account of the exploits of Jaques de Lalain, the greatest tourney fighter of his day; 'At the Pas de la Fontane de Pleurs at Châlons-sur-Saône held by Lalain on 18th September 1449, Pierre Chandois demanded a combat of seventeen axe strokes, which was accorded. Weapons used were long and heavy with becs de faucon, long and stout spikes above and below and with hammer heads flat with three large diamond-shaped nail heads.' During this fight, Lalain '...turned about so as to use the lower spike and struck Chandois' visor so hard that he broke the point on Chandios' visor.' The following are the four main en guarde stances, based on Talhoffers' Fechtbuch and on Brown's English Martial Arts sections on the quarterstaff and the bill. The stance terminology is from English Martial Arts wherever possible, and the pollaxe terminology is from Le Jeu de la Hache. The parts of the weapon are the dague (thrusting tip at the top), the maillet (hammer head), the bec de faucon (curved spike), la croix (intersection of haft and head) and queue (butt-spike). Demy-hache seems to refer to the middle of the haft, which is often used for blocking or for shoving one's opponent.
The five basic guards for pollaxe, based upon the bill stances in English Martial Arts, are as follows:
The basic techniques used for pollaxe translate readily to any slashing pole used in SCA combat, particularly to those with larger blades and shield hooks such as the bill and the halberd. Pollaxe fighting is quite energetic and flashy, appropriate for chivalric display in the lists, and it is a very effective weapon on the battlefield as well; the maillet and the bec de faucon can reach over shields to deliver powerful head blows or shield hooks, and the queue spike can save you in a tight spot. Although many of the period techniques are not useable in an SCA context (tripping, hooking behind the leg and other neat 'dirty tricks'), the pollaxe is an effective and challenging weapon for fighters to master.
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The pollaxe was one of the most popular weapons for foot
combat during the golden age of the Pas d'Armes. Throughout the
fifteenth century, great tourney champions such as Jacques de Lalain
were to hold the field with this impressive weapon. The name of the
weapon is derived from the contemporary English word for head, poll (as
in poll tax), and not from reference to the shaft of the weapon, which
could sometimes reach eight feet in length. 
Medium guardant
Reverse gardant
Lower reverse guardant
Hanging guardant
The basic stances tend to keep the weapon centred in front of
the fighter, allowing for quick attacks and movement to blocking
positions, or guards. The five basic guard which Mr. Brown speaks of in
his English Martial Arts are based upon the part of the body which is
being aimed at by the attacker. The five zones are 1) upper, 2) outside,
3) inside, 4) lower outside and 5) lower inside, as shown on the diagram
of a fighter in the medium guardant stance. 
