ARMA Meyer's Halberd Techniques

[IaMaPh1991]

dude where did you get those!?!?!? :O

[hayleysfinest]

I like these :D medieval European combat should be more widespread.

[helmanmarek]

Soon there will be more videos with halberd , long sword, dussack and medieval wrestling techniques. Recently we start to record our trainings.

All techniques are our interpretation of the treaty of Joachim Meyer (Kunst des Fechtens - of 1570) and other treaties. Hence all are applicable only to duels.

I hope that You will be able to see them on my profile and on our website

[Exorcistkanda]

Seeing this weapon, I am reminded of "Can nobody provide me a decent challenge?"

[ENGLISHDOGSOLDIER]

Excellent speed and application.I like the non blade levers being applied and the whole of the weapon being used.

[TheDynastymedia]

I have a halberd there won of my fav weapons they are boss

[fluffsies1]

Alot of medieval movies and fiction make out polearms such as halberds to be massive glaives that can only be swung by giant men or something, but these guys show you can be strong and fast and still dexterously manipulate this very dangerous weapon.

[ENGLISHDOGSOLDIER]

@fluffsies1 I think the Pole arms are the most lethal weapons to train with and must obviously have been lethal in battle.

I also agree very much about the speed and dexterity that you point out.These would not have been heavy clumsy weapons used by heavy clumsy men and this shows that.

[kaindrg]

@ENGLISHDOGSOLDIER exactly not every medieval/renassaice soldier could afford swords. but pole arms are quintessential they are the assual rifle of the time sword vs pole arm= pole arm wins no mater how skilled the swords man is a sitting duck.

[ENGLISHDOGSOLDIER]

@kaindrg This month I get a Housecarl Dane Axe.It's being hammered out on a forge as we speak!

Many of these Pole arm moves are identical and would cross over very easily.

Many think the Axe is slow,clumsy and simple weapon but I am finding it fast adaptable and dangerous to both user and foe alike unlike any sword.

I'll post myself when I think I have done something both accurate and well provided I keep all my limbs !!

[kaindrg]

@ENGLISHDOGSOLDIER i remeber watching bbc show showing that that axe relies on consistent momentum is that right?

[ENGLISHDOGSOLDIER]

@kaindrg For the most part it is a figure of eight while moving.You also use it left handed because you have no shield.

If you look at the Bayuex tapestry the Saxon Housecarls are pictured using the Dane axe left handed.

The whole of the weapon is used from ash tip to blade.

I'm trying to learn something that a Saxon or Dane would have mastered by their early teens starting with Quarter staff and leading to the axe.

No matter how hard I train our hours I put in I will never be as good as them

[kaindrg]

@ENGLISHDOGSOLDIER i would assume so since it would be strange to say that you were a professional dark age/ mid age warrior LOL

[ENGLISHDOGSOLDIER]

@kaindrg I'm not even a Starwars warrior.We can only guess how good these people were at our ancient martial arts.

My guess is they would be as good as any modern day martial artist form the far east.

I have no gripe with far eastern martial arts in fact I envy them for holding on to the traditions we gave away so lightly

Some one once told me "Death is God's way of saying you are not good enough" so I guess if a man was no good at what he did he he either improved quickly or died.

[kaindrg]

@ENGLISHDOGSOLDIER i would say there were as good as any modern soldier at ther job

[kaindrg]

@ENGLISHDOGSOLDIER on the topic eastern MA i would like to write a message to u instead cuz it gonna be long and hopefully a interestling exchange of information.

[ENGLISHDOGSOLDIER]

@kaindrg Feel free I'm sure we can learn much from each other..The truth is Western Martial arts are really starting from the very beginning again.

Many moves I have seen used have no basis in any written evidence but with certain cultures would they have written martial skills or just learned them as soon as they could walk?

We could re learn much by studying eastern martial arts.

We humans are the same shape and how we move things and ourselves are going to be the same or very similar..

[kaindrg]

@ENGLISHDOGSOLDIER i need u to add me cuz u set the private messaging so that only friend can do so.

[hilebard]

halberd is hillebard in swedish, i am a swede and my youtube account is hilebard (one "l" short^^)

[vtkfae]

Hello zappbranigan, qoute "forming close ranks with spear points out in front" the reason is that the weapon is to long to wave a round like these do..(I don´t want to have these two around if I am next to them ;) And yes I am agreen to you reply that in times were they use the horses in the war they were very use full.

[gurkfisk89]

@vtkfae

Formation fighting and individual fighting is often very different. If these two where in a formation they probably wouldn't do these moves.

[ENGLISHDOGSOLDIER]

@gurkfisk89 If you look at how some English used the polearms during the war of the Roses it was more like a Phalanx.

One side would intimidate the other into backing off either as a group (preferable defence) or holes would appear in the opposition ranks that more free play could be used in.

Once these things get space it's like dealing with scythe on the end of a six foot pole.

A expert in the use of these things would be a nightmare to defend against as the options are endless

[KitsuneWarrior17]

It really is a clumsy weapon in the wrong hands due to the awkward weight and length of the weapon, but taking the time to master your techniques can throw just about any opponent off balance as well as give you the obvious advantage of range over swords and the like.

[vtkfae]

imagen you are fighting in a battle field with you fellow soldiers..or there are more people around you.. you get stuck with such big movements.. ;-)

[zappbrannigan420]

@vtkfae Except that the halberd was the preferred military weapon for multiple nations across Europe and Asia. Even Musashi mentions its place in his art of war. In tight formations halberd men were deadly, forming close ranks with spear points out in front like an advancing wall of death. Additionally the spikes and hammer reduced the effectiveness of enemy armor.

[helmanmarek]

hello, this film was shot in 2004.

Halberds have a powerful angular momentum, they break down almost every defense, so techniques were performed at slower rate.

We made them (halberds) ourselves, and measurements were taken from halberds from the Polish Army Museum in Poznan.

[wjdsoccerdude]

How long should a halberd be in relation to the wielder? I've seen many explanations of halberds, many of which claim a six-foot length. Some say eight feet. Some say an overall length that is two feet taller than the soldier. Some say a haft length equal to the soldier's height. I'd just like a historically accurate description that would make the halberd most effective in fighting. Why shorter than eight if so? Why longer than six if so?

[39Chevy]

Awesome.

[Pumpkinmancer]

Wow that certainly is a rather effective weapon

[elgostine]

im curious as to why the piercing tips are so massively long

[CruelSculpture]

@elgostine plate got in the way. The more mass the point has the higher probability it'll survive meeting plate and winning.

[elgostine]

@CruelSculpture but these tips were like as long as swords, it feels like something a clown would have

[marty13612]

where can you get these?

[BayouSnipera]

I consider these to be a better choice than a Naganata...

[Treifla]

@BayouSnipera almost every single European equivilent was better then eastern eapons. they knew their war, they were just too busy fighting themselves to take the rest of the world over.

[Feitan44]

i want that kind of training :<

[Yusuf1187]

These guys make me imagine what a real medieval European battle would've looked like. They always appear highly trained and professional.

[VikingWannaBe51887]

awesome!

[eth92]

Not to bad, better than what I can do

... because I don't use the Halberd sadly...

[300warrior300]

this is awesome, I've never seen modieval halberd like this. There's hardly any pole-arm fighting at the re-enactments I go for some reason.

[berzerkerbg]

To all the people asking how a halberd would fare against a sword.

Answer : As well as any other weapon as long as the wielder is capable enough.

The halberd is by far the most versatile weapon of the early Renaissance, it was used against swordsmen, pikemen and cavalry. It had enough weight to be very effective against armor and enough length to fend of faster lighter armored foes.

[GuamKomudo]

I always thought it was better than all the other weapons in a hallway or something. Like a whole crap load of guys with thoughs in a hallway is crazy lol But the Halberd is very underestimated by lots of fighters, because they feel if they get in on the Pikeman, they win, but it's not always true.

[Okaruwazashi]

@berzerkerbg Halberd against sword would be an absolute walkover I expect.

[nasurdan]

I know this is not a good question to ask, but I wonder this. Why train in this kinda weapon if you can never use it in real life?

[gurkfisk89]

@nasurdan

Why play football or tennis? You will never use it in "real life" either.

I would say, because it is fun and gives a great workout.

[GuamKomudo]

Dude... I ALWAYS have my Halberd ready... Walking through Wal-Mart, you better know damn straight I have my Halberd in my hands... Fits right between the seats of my car, bussiness meetings, lunch dates. And you better know damn well that I always got my chainmail in the trunk if it get real crazy... Fought this dragon one time... Shit, chainmail works better than you think...

[jmcfar8947]

@GuamKomudo lmao

[elgostine]

@GuamKomudo im gonna agree if i got stuck with zombies if i could have ONE weapons, itd be a halberd

it is the swiss army knife of medieval weapons.

well maybe the military billhook is that but the halberd is damn close.

[Punishthefalse]

@elgostine I take halberd any day. It's a mix of an axe, a spear and a staff all in one neat package. Very versatile. I can keep zombies away, stab them, hack them to bits, trip them, push them away, all with a simple halberd. What more can I ask from a melee weapon?

[elgostine]

@Punishthefalse im curious how the military billhook fares though its also quite nasty, especially with that large hook like blade.

and theres the poleHAMMER, and the poleaxe,

[notmack]

Amen to that brother, I need my glaive wherever I go, since there's always the chance some Mongols or Moore's show up looking to pillage my town. God bless the Second Amendment

[TheDynastymedia]

@GuamKomudo oh I know you you must be that dude at wal-mart with that halberd oh and just so you know that dud that you cut i half he is ok

[Halofreakanoid]

@GuamKomudo : Are you actually bashing HEMA or did you just want to be funny. Because if it was the latter than it was funny, but if not...

[kradrol]

@Halofreakanoid I don't think he was bashing HEMA as much as he was bushing the idiot that said "why train with these? you can't use them in real life"

[Halofreakanoid]

@kradrol : But his post sounds so sarcastic. It sounds like he was agreeing with him.

[Mistwraith99]

I'm left a little puzzled after watching this video. Your footwork seems to work, but everything I can see in Meyer's book suggests that his cuts were performed with gathering steps, and that whenever a passing step is used, a hand change was also used. Example - at the very beginning, both fighters are in High Guard with right hand uppermost and left foot forwards. Compare this with Plate G of Meyer's halberd section, illustrating High Guard - left leg forwards again, but left hand uppermost.

[gcoffman06]

Where did you get those halberds from?

[Sutemi]

Thanks, this was excellent! I was thinking how to trip using a halberd and now I see it clearly.

[Folhasful]

Is the halberd useful in close combat? I mean, it has the advantage of range. But let's say that in a fight involving a halberd and a longsword, if the man wielding the longsword manages to get too close is there much hope for the halberdier?

[lastmalkavian]

@Folhasful

Polaxes can be used effectively even on short range, although it isn't their optimum distance, and in half-swording distance, I could see that sword would have upper hand, but it is really hard to get that close. Weapons with poles can be used in same way as staffs in close range.

Halbert is quite heavy reneissance weapon, and mainly used on formations as I recall, so it is little harder to use at closer quarters, but getting close quarters with halbert formation is quite unlikely.

[goldsaint89]

@Folhasful if he knows how to use the halberd right he will try to go back a litlle bit so the range fact counts again... it's the same problem that the spear has...

[goldsaint89]

@goldsaint89 I wanted to say factor... sorry

[lozza925]

@Folhasful No iId imagine in a 1v1 duel a halberdier would be at a significant disadvantage against a swordsman. Halberds were used most effective when bunched together in close formation.

[Swidhelm]

@lozza925 That and great if your opponent is mounted. Great for pulling riders off horses.

[JTelli786]

nice,but whats the difference betweena Halberd and a regualr Sphear

[SeaGhost144]

A halberd is like an axe head. A spear has a modified arrow head.

[goldsaint89]

@SeaGhost144 a quick and perfect, short answer

[RudeboyX22]

@JTelli786 the added axe and the hook on the halberd is the difference

[thehairflipkid]

that thing where he took him down was beast.

[sirtristan01]

it's my DAD, man!

[Ditch2012]

I'm attempting to create a collapsible halberd for self-defense.

It's amazing seeing those things in use on video, after seeing this it's incredible to thing of what medieval warfare was really like.

[Templari0n]

That was not as good as the longsword techniques. Good anyway...

[ddefor33]

awesome seeing full speed halberd

[thefaceoftom]

wow

[janchodkiewicz]

This is Fechtschule Poznan - old ARMA section in Poland. (2004) Patryk Skupniewicz on the left and Marek Helman on the right.

[ARMAHellas]

I think Wooden Wasters (Purpleheart) have these ones ...they are made of leather

Here in Greece we are thinking to try the REVIVAL US polaxe rubber tips and simulators and adapt them to the Halberd techniques. They look safer and more durable

[JonnyAMax]

Ah the halberd, arguably my favorite melee weapon of the 15th-16th centuries. Cool tech demos! :)

[Zwerchhau]

I'm in ARMA, ARMA itself doesn't produce its own training tools (some of the membership produce their own though) I was trying to find out where you can get a Halberd training tool like these.

[CyberSoldierGerm]

if you find out where you can get them from could you please let me know?

[Zwerchhau]

By the way, where do you guys get your Halberd training weapons?

[255Knights]

I think ARMA

[Zwerchhau]

I don't believe the Swiss Guard actually trains in historic armed fighting techniques, I believe they just adapt military drill to carrying around the historical weapons. They have more important skills to learn, (like modern military tactis etc.) I'm fairly certain they all carry firearms underneath their awesome looking Renaissance outfits.

[marozzo]

Actually I was told by a Slovenian HEMA instructor at the recent Dijon event that he trains with a guy that is also in the guard and teaches HEMA there. Pretty cool!

[Zwerchhau]

That's pretty cool, I guess with the modern HEMA/RMA movement getting into swing, you could expect it to eventually reach guys who's job is to look like renaissance bad-asses (and protect his Holiness the Pope in Rome of course)

[averit]

Very interesting. I wonder that the vatican guards know thos techniques.

[hopper990]

Great!!!!! 0:17!!!!!!!!!

[Kunstdesfechtens]

Sweet. Keep up the good work guys!

[globastien]

Great!!!