Sword and Shield Training 101

[HotaruZoku]

I didn't know what to expect, and I'm impressed. That was ten informative minuets, no doubt.

Thank you sir. You are to the point, without being brusque. Count me in for any other pieces like this.

/sub

[tsafa1]

@HotaruZoku Thanks for the feedback. I am glad that the video was useful to you.

[tsafa1]

It is definitively the technique. The wrap is just a continuation of the onside shot. Watch the video again. The wrap is not a shot you force, it more of a whipping action or a rock spinning on a string. If you can spin a rock on a string without any pain, you can do a wrap without any pain.

[KnightlyNerd]

Every time I perform a wrap shot (or any blow with the short edge), I get a pain in my elbow. Is this natural, or am I performing the technique wrong?

[wolfdragga]

I just began heavy fighting in my SCA, are they're any exercises I can do to get my neck strong enough so the helm isn't pushing down so hard on my it?

[tsafa1]

@wolfdragga First, make sure your helm fits you right and is padded correctly. One of the knights at your practice can help you with that.

You can do wrestlers neck bridges to strengthen you neck. You can also put a towel around your head and apply resistance with your arms. You can also buy a neck harness that you attach weights to and do exercises. It fits like a hat and has a chain attached where you hang weights. My gym has aa 4-way neck machine so I can train my neck.

[wolfdragga]

@tsafa1 thanks for the advice, got the helm fitted properly now just have build up strength someway to generate more power in my strikes.

[tsafa1]

@wolfdragga Power is just a mater of getting your hips into the shot and driving with your legs. Watch a baseball play swing a bat and you will see all the power of the swing comes from the legs.

[elgostine]

i can vouch that those techniquesbecome difficult/ painfulif your sword has a tea cozy style pommel.

[Biggarou]

found this invaluable info, thanx for posting this and the others!

[tsafa1]

@Biggarou Glad I could help.

[tsafa1]

@Indi139115 Yes, I am a member of the SCA. I have also studied WMA and Fencing. You don't actually have to be a member of the SCA to participate in their tournaments and battles. All you need is to have to minimum armor and pass an authorization test. The authorization test demonstrates that you understand the rules and are not a danger to yourself or others.

[bearkat014]

if the poles are so long dont you think after they have stricken it would be hard for them to redirect i mean thier basically commiting the pole to one straight direction i dont use a shield and i use a japanese katana and i feel that that pole weapon is completly insuffient and could be dispachted rather quickly

[tsafa1]

@bearkat014 The way for a shieldman to fight any two handed weapon in to close in fast and press the shield on the hands of the opponent. That will prevent the two-hander for making effective strike. The shieldman is still free to attack with his free hand.

[WolfRunner80]

I am strongly interested with trying to learn how to use a sword. I have very little experience so what is the best way for a total beginner to start learning?

[Zaleux]

thx alot mate very useful for my weapons training

[tsafa1]

@Zaleux I am happy the video was useful. Be sure to check out the Sword and Shield 102 video for Thrusts.

[TheUsrper1]

Is that the Paul Chen Practical Knightly sword? And the Practical Hand-and-aHalf?

[tsafa1]

@TheUsrper1 They are Hanwei's. Very decent training blunts. Cheap at about $100 to $120 if you shop around.

[1BlueMonk]

It's kind of like watching The Sopranos with the scene cutting mid scentence and what not lol. Seriously though awsome video man, I knew someone couldnt just pick up a sword and fare well but I had no idea just how much science goes into it.

[tsafa1]

@1BlueMonk You Tub limits the videos to 10 minutes and I want to fit as much useful information in as I could. So I cut up as much as I though was not necessary.

Yeah, there is a lot of body mechanics and also necessary muscle memory. It takes about two years of training to get to just a minimum level of competency. It is not hard to learn the techniques, that a person can learn in a few hours. The difficulty is in doing those techniques while someone is actively trying to break your form.

[tsafa1]

@tsafa1 The various techniques need to be practiced so that you can do them without thinking. Because when you are fighting you have to be thinking about what your opponent is doing. Your own body must be almost on auto pilot, instantly reacting to your opponent to defend and attack openings.

[tsafa1]

@1BlueMonk A sword requires more training then any other weapon. That is why it is historically the weapon of the nobility. Nobles being a fighting class who spent their entire lives training to fight. Peasants used axes and clubs. A sword in the hands of an untrained person is almost useless. The sword has very little mass and will not do any damage unless it has great speed. Because it must work at high speed, it has the advantage.

[tsafa1]

@1BlueMonk Because swords require a high degree of training, a small minority "the nobility" was able to dominate the peasants who were 90% of the population. The single shot muskets were not superior weapons to swords... but their advantage was that you can train any man to be effective with one within a week. At that point small minorities can not dominate majorities.

Going back to your original comment, swords were effective weapons precisely because they were difficult to master.

[FullmoonFang]

once more, thnks

[FullmoonFang]

thanks for the information. =) what I meant was from where did SCA learn the techniques? by taking them from antoher type of shield like the buckler?

[tsafa1]

SCA fighting has been under continuous development for more then 40 years. The manuals were only translated and printed in the last 15 years or so. People came into the SCA from all sorts or martial art backgrounds. Lots of people contributed. They kept the stuff the works. Sort of Mixed Martial Sword Arts. When the Manuals were translated in the 1990's, some things from there were absorbed into the SCA too. The manuals certainly have become a big reference point.

[tsafa1]

Many of the SCA strikes I show in the video bare a resemblance to strikes shown in manuals. The on-side and off-side resemble Zwerchhue in the German manuals. I do a variation of Schielhau and Schietelhau. The wrap resembles the Sturzhau or Winckerhau. The buckler does not make a very good shield, it serve more to cover your line of attack. Fighting buckler is more like fighting sidesword then with a heater shield. The openings and available lines of attack are vastly different.

[FullmoonFang]

sorry, do you know any historicalmanual where they fought with a heraldic shield?

[tsafa1]

@FullmoonFang The historical manuals are mostly 15th century and later because in that time literacy had spread. The manuals were mostly intended for rich nobles to use in honer duels and sport. Shields are primarily a military weapon and that would have been passed down orally by the sergeants to the lower ranks. Rich people fought primarily from horseback in war. Tallhoffer does show some shieldwork but again those are dueling shields,

[tsafa1]

@tsafa1 The Italians also show some late period Rotella shield fencing, but that is a different animal. They use light rapiers and are unarmored. The type of sword used and the style of fighting is different when opposing armor, which is what I am demonstrating in the video. The cuts have to have enough power to break bone and bruise muscle beyond use. In an unarmored situation at 3 inch thrust with 10 lbs of force is enough to beat someone.

[tsafa1]

There are hints in 13 th century art as to how large shields are used. First and foremost, keep it in front of you body and fight around it. The rest of the details have been rediscovered through practical fighting in the SCA over the last 40 years. The human body has not changed in the last 600 years, so what works now worked then.

[tsafa1]

I have studied the Longsword Manuals, something to consider is that the 15th century manuals are not entirely complete in every necessary detail. They give no details of footwork, how to cut, power generation, what to focus or not focus on... a lot of that is left to practice and experience. The manuals are a good guide but ones study should not consist only of manuals. The one thing all manuals and practical fighting have in common, is defend while attacking... and attack while defending.

[SolarboyRockman]

Thank you for very great tutorial. Now I can finaly start training on my own

[tsafa1]

My pleasure. Don't feel shy about dropping into an SCA practice and getting some live instruction too. All the training and practice is free.

[fokyeah99]

very helpful, thank you!

[tsafa1]

Happy to help :)

[Littlejon126]

Great video! One of the best SCA shots tutorials yet!

[tsafa1]

Thank you. :)