First I would like to say this is some great harnischfechten! Thank you for posting. BUT the lack of gauntlets scares me for safety reasons; most of us need our hands professionally and my gauntlets have saved me so many times. I realize some people say they are "good enough" not to need them, but there are motorcyclists that make that argument too-- The 2nd reason is accuracy, gauntlets are an integral part of the harness and their lack detracts from harnischfechten's realism.
was this staged? it seems to go a little to smoothly and a bit slow. plus its seems very dangerous to fight with hand protection and having the face guard up
I don't know but my guess would be that it's not staged. But I don't think it's at full speed either. For me it looks like free play at half speed. The half speed gives you the controll so that you can stop strikes if necessary. Because it's free play they can still do w/e they want so you are not prepared for what's coming your way.
@nimmivids Yup. It's very easy with gloves, and perfectly OK bare-handed if you know what you're doing. Basically, don't let it slip if you grab it. It's well-documented in historical swordsmanship manuals from the middle ages and Renaissance. Also, check out "sword tug of war" here on youtube, in which you'll find me dragging my instructor around with a sharp sword (my Albion Earl) while he grips the blade. Just don't grab a moving sword!
Thanks for the reply :) appreciate it. Didn't mention this before but I like watching videos like yours and have a glimpse of how ancient and medieval warriors would have fought.
@7uos: But it's historically accurate dude. Since no sword in the world could pierce a steel plate armor, knights went like this in most fights. But believe me, that requires a lot of skill.
That was really good, I think these guys really captured what would actually have been going on in a full armoured sword fight - no cutting or stabbing as it wouldn't do much, just percussive blows with the weighty end of the sword and then grapples and throws. Bravo!
this type of stuff is only a small fraction of what a real knight's did in armor, and i would say you wouldn't use a sword backwards like that either. a european sword isnt just for cutting, its for crushing, like a mace, as well. and the few joints and open spots are where you swing at. also not to mention they are lacking a valuable piece to their gear, a shield.
@dnothing23 You wouldn't say they'd use the sword backwards? Not heard of the mortschlag? It's a German fencing technique with which you use the crossguard as basically a hammer/pickaxe with the weight of the pommel, as well as using it to hook over the opponent's sword. I'm not sure why you made a comment about the sword being for "crushing" after you rejected the idea that they turn the sword around and use the heavy blunt bit as a massive hammer.
the main point is you would not need to turn the sword around to use it as a mace, it has plenty of weight on the end of the blade and can be swung with a much greater deal of force than holding it by the blade which you would then also run the risk of injuring yourself. just wouldn't make any sense to do it. also after further research on "mortschlag" its generally only done in unarmored fighting.
@dnothing23 Yeah there is plenty of force in that swing but it wouldn't do that much damage to many areas except obviously head and joints. Reversing it would decrease surface are I would imagine, but I've not quite had experience of fighting like this - I don't (yet) have full plate and I haven't practised proper fencing techniques, only read about them. As you can see in the video, the crossguard could also be used to hook and disarm, which you cannot do without turning the sword around.
@dnothing23 Plate armour is basically impervious to cuts from edged weapons. That's the reason the Mortschlag was done... using the sword in a standard grip simply had no effect on a fully armoured opponent. In one manual (Might be in VonDanzig) says that if someone attacks you with his blade in a standard grip when you're wearing full plate, it meas he "knows nothing of True Art". Longswords like those shown are not particularly blade-heavy, thus the Mortschlag.
also, hitting with the hilt and/or the pommel can be done also while holding the grip, much like pistol whipping someone. i believe it would still fall into the "mortschlag" category if used in that manor.
also, i guarenty both of those guys could come at my(for the lack of the correct european word for it)"sensei" with their grapples, and using their sword backwards and neither one of them would walk away. the art of Hoplomachia, is to kill.
Does anbody have idea how well an eastern type scimitar compares to a katana in cutting power? Both have curved profile. Katana's blade is very hard whereas a scimitars blade is flexible, right?
@xtcarnage15586 Armouerd combat very often comes to wrestling and dagger work. Since swords can't cut armour, you have to "half-sword" which reduces the range. When you're that close, wrestling often becomes the best choice. :)
one comment i have regarding armour, is the question of
"why dont most people, games and movies, note the simple fact that hitting someone with an armourd cauntlet, or metal greaves, or 'shoes' will have alot more impact than a punch with a unarmoured fist. or a headbut with an unarmoured helmet.
obviously punching an armoured guy while in armour cancels this out. but im surprised why people dont take this into account.
@godofimagination Mordstreich = Murderstroke. You attack with the Grip and use the sword as a hammer to get more impact. The Longsword is just like a Tacticool gun it has at least 5 ways of wounding your enemy: Strike, Slice (like with a knife), Thrust (like a spear), Hammer (with the Grip) and smash (with the Pommel). To that you need to add your own body's attacks: Punch, Kick, Grip and throw/choke etc.
You need to fight with the whole body and all the tools you got.
I love how people with no clue what they're talking about insist documented and practiced techniques aren't possible because they say so, and only because they say so, without any evidence to support themselves and video proving contrary to what they say running as they type.
Shall I laugh or cry now? Full plate, but visors open and no gloves at all. ... This is just like a football match with the worlds best teams, but without goalkeepers.
@IsenbergerHerold Visors were usually only closed for the initial charge, and opened for melee. This is because while protection for the face is nice, vision and respiration is nicer still. Breathing with the visor down can quickly feel heavy as you warm up, and vision is also hampered. They really ought to be wearing gauntlets, though, or at the very least gloves.
@godofimagination That's not even remotely true. Do you have any idea as to how hard it would be for a peasant armed with a spear (which was 70-90% of army compositions back then) to kill a fully plated knight with years of training and a superior weapon?
@IXB34RXI Yes I do. It would be easy. Even if they were better trained and better armed, it doesn't matter if you are surrounded and aren't trained/armed for the right thing. Historians have my back on this one. Attacking a knight on foot would be like attacking a phalanx from behind. They would take his armor in mid combat (possibly while he's still alive).
@godofimagination You make it sound as if it's a single knight against an entire army of peasants. Knights have friends (indentured servants) too you know. ;)
@IXB34RXI Knights were expected to charge a column of infantry. It would probably take a while before his infantry would cross the field. Regardless, Up-Close Melee combat was, to some extent, an 'every man for himself' endeavor.
@godofimagination yeah right, simply put a knights plate was often FITTED, to his body, by fitted i mean it was tailored like an expensive 3 piece suit, these, along with often daily training, meant that a knight was surprisingly mobile even on foot,
sword are for cutting, arent they? Get clubs next time u decide to drink and fight , and who the fuck let u roll over and break the nice shiny armors :S It's a shame
@immortaliserwow Swords are not ONLY for cutting. Thrusting, and half-swording and the mortschlag (striking with the pommel while gripping the blade) are detailed in the historical manuals. You can't cut plate armour with any sword, so you must use other methods.
@Kunstdesfechtens I am absolutely positive that punching with armored glove will have more devastating effect than striking with pommel while gripping the blade.
I honestly think that hollywood club-like usage of swords is more realistic than this as it looks simple and natural (complicated moves in combat = fail). Someone saw some ridiculous illustrations in medieval books so he thought they actually used that stuff, jeez...
@Del249 You are grossly mistaken. The manuals take pains to say that is someone is swinging his blade at you and you're fully armoured, he "does not understand true art" and may be dealt with more easily. The techniques depicted are really quite simple and easy to perform.
@Del249 With regards to the illustrations, they are very useful, though the text is more useful. They are far from ridiculous. I once did a demonstration of techniques from those "ridiculous" pictures for a high-ranking member of a koryu japanese sword art. Interestingly enough he said "That looks a lot like our advanced stuff". They did use that stuff. I also study Japanese swordsmanship, and it's very similar to the European manuals.
@Kunstdesfechtens japanese longswords aka katana and european longswords have different designs but theyre still both longswords i think thats what most people forget
@Kunstdesfechtens An example of historical "accuracy" of medieval books can be seen on disarm moves. There are many illustrations of unarmed persons disarming a person armed with a long sword. In reality, such a move would be an act of utter desperation and with minimal chance of success.
If you don't believe me, try grabbing and disarming a guy swinging around wildly with a baseball bat, you will see it is nearly impossible.
@Del249 The mortschlag that Kunstdefechtens refers to is holding the sword with both hands on the blade, swinging the pommel like a baseball bat, as seen as 0:08 in the video. It makes the weapon effectively a two-handed mace, which is certainly a bit more of a pain than an armored glove. Also, it is actually quite easy to take down a guy swinging wildly with a baseball bat: modern self-defense classes teach very similar techniques that do work.
@tenspeedscarab Swinging a pommel is nowhere near a two-handed mace swing. Kinetic energy delivered = speed x weight. Sword pommel weights like 300 grams max, 2-handed mace would be like 3kg, that means the mace would have roughly 10 times higher crushing power.
Also no matter what martial arts you can do, you will have to get through like half a meter a distance the baseball bat guy can freely swing at you and you cant block it in any way with bare hands - thats a big problem.
@Del249 Pommels are used to counterbalance a 3-4 pound mace. The pommel itself is probably around a pound or two, which is similar to the weight of the head of a mace. Maces weighed more around 2 kg for the entire affair - any heavier makes the weapon impractical. It would feel heavier because the center of balance is much farther away because of the ball.
Just try it. Hold your sword, both hands on the blade, and hit something with the pommel. It certainly has an effect.
@Del249 Disarming a swordsman is very hard. Manuals that show it (like Leckuchner's) mention that it is a desperation move. Knife disarms are equally hard. However, when you train in combat from the age of 8 like knights did, your capabilities are that much greater... much like people who take up violin at age 6 tend to reach higher levels than those who start at age 16. Speaking of baseball bats, I know a practicioner who DID disarm an attacker who tried to brain him with one. This stuff works.
Oh, it can be done. Its all in the timing. Which is something the books won't teach you. ;)
The standard Talhoffer and Fiore disarms are done armed and follow immediately from a hanging guard. If you're unarmed, you have to get someone to misjudge their distance and intercept their hands either before or after a swing to pull it off.
@Talosuga Ah, so it depends on how you hold it. If you hold it wrongly you could cut yourself it seems, but it didn't happen much. Thanks very much! I guess I was a bit too much in that somewhat Hollywood mentality of sword = sharp.
About plate and penetrating -as I don't practice any European martial arts, I may not be the right one to comment, but think about this:
My teacher once told me about tactics of medieval mercenaries: they worked in teams of 3 to 5 people, for example one has a polearm, sweeping the knights feet, next one with a hammer buckling the armour or ripping it open like a can with the pointy part, next one would have opportunity for final blow -next knight! I can imagine it went like this throughout.
@defaultpseudonym That was towards the end of the medieval period (War of the Roses time) and the numbers varied depending on how rich their leader was. Typically, lead by a knight, most of his followers would be armed with poll axes, poll hammers (Yes it is spelt 'poll', bill hooks and halberds. There would also be a man with a handgun who's job it would be to take out the other knight at range. Knights in plate rarely fought each other as they would fight to a stalemate,
@defaultpseudonym Also, when a knight was on the floor, it was rare for him to be killed, as most knights and their families were rich so more often than not, they would be captured and ransomed. Hope that info is of use to you =)
Though I may not be professional on the subject, armored body parts can be potential weapons, plus he was aiming at the groin/hips, not the torso (It looks like he was trying to make his opponent lose his balance, rather than damage). Also, there is thing called... you know what? Too many people have already answered these same questions; go search for half-swording or something.
Wouldn´t you prefere to protect youre hands? I would! I like my fingers! They are in some kind... handy.^^
And why for gods sake do you try to break his breastplate with youre knee? This tings stop spears and arrows... at least it should be stand up against knees!
AND swords are sharp and when you use them like axes.... it really sucks.
@furrysega7 - it's been shown that someone used to wearing plate armour can swim and a trained man can easily catch up with an unarmoured man on foot.
@furrysega7: That should depend on how thick the armor plates are I guess, AND where excactly they are positioned and how much of the body is covered in steel. Too much steel will make it hard to move flexible. That will probably give the opponent time to look for a weak spot on/in the armor :/. I'm quite ignorant on the medieval armor strenghts and weaknesses but I think that which I just said is quite right.
he wouldnt be able to catch the swordof his opponent like that in a real fight would he? (the knight on right catches the downward chop from knight on left) He blocks the incoming overhand blow by catching it with his hand... if this were a real fight his hand would be injured from doing that! he ends up winning the fight this way! Thats how it appears to me anyway, correct me if im mistaken please
@emilshere Yes he would. He catches the lower half of the blade, which is fairly blunt. On the medieval longsword only the outmost third of the blade is really sharp.
The reason for this is to make it possible to do the half-sword technigues, which are nescessary against an opponent in platemail. You cannot cut through a platemail, you need to thrust, and you have to thrust really damn hard,
I really appreciate that you explained each move in the information sidebar. I watched the whole thing through again, pausing between each move to read your description, which really helped me understand and appreciate it more. Please do more free play videos this way.
Why would they be hindered? It's a complete myth, albeit a common one, that the knight in a full harness has troubles moving. Any well made armour should be both light, and well fitting to the wearer's body, so shouldn't hinder at all. There are some accounts, in fact, of fully armoured knights outrunning light infantry.
why use sword against full plate ? just scratches it :)) then the knight need to polish his precious armor. might be that ure lucky enough to leave a dent or two. get some sturdy gauntlets with proeminent knucles, and go land some punches (and kicks :D). or get yourself a mace/axe. no offence i love the sword..but against full plate u have to tickle your opponent in the back of the knees/thighs, or under his shoulder . sry for my bad english. just my opinion
They handle swords like short spears, it's a historically accurate technique for armored fighting. Thrust, hit with the pommel, wrestle him to the ground and get your daga out, all of those are possible with a sword.
Fighting styles weigh nothing. Half-swording was used to pick and pry at the full plate until an opening was found. If you're in the middle of a battle I think you'll find it rather hard to find a different weapon to use.
It sounds like a beer truck turning over, but damn is it cool. Well, I guess an overturned beer truck would be cool, too, if you got there fast enough, but this is better :D
Cool video. Really shows the reality of fighting. You can drill and dril and train and train. But when the REAL fighting begins, it is totally different.
Plate armour also became quite common in Europe. As they were able to more easily harvest ore, and had some of the best smiths in the world to quickly and cheaply turn out armour.peasants also tended NOT to be put on the battlefield. The peasants were supposed to stay back and farm the fields to feed the army. The freemen were often recruited.
In those days most of the fighting was done by folks in clothes or light armor. The knights were like officers, not the entire front line. LOTR is a myth and those sounds would be dulled by clanking swords and the screams of men. Mostly just rich men and nobles had armor like they wear.
255Knights, you are not entirely correct. The combatants in the first crusade were primarily criminals, seeking salvation and forgiveness for their sins. After Jerusalem was captured, most of them just packed up and went home. Where you are correct is that once the military orders (Templars, Hospitallers, Teutonics, etc) got started, the armies were primarily knights. However, once they gained more power, influence, and land, the auxiliary became a prominent force on the battlefield.
Well the knight was used primarily on the battlefield in cavalry charges that consisted of dozens of fully armored men on armored horses. This is where the knight really excelled; in numbers, on horse.
The prowess of european knights is really played down in popular culture and the media. So frustrating that so many people just think that knights were big blundering oafs covered in steel
@CrimsonEmpire I agree. It seems that only the "Asian" martial arts are noticed because they have been preserved in some ritualistic form divorced from their design. It is near impossible to have a discussion about actual historical martial arts with some people. It was almost blasphemy when I pointed out that katana and similar weapons would be completely ineffective against someone using Medieval equipment of men-at-arms and that European weapons would easily penetrate or crush Asian equipment
It seems the extremes of the debate are the most popular. On the one hand you have those who say katana are best and can cut through anything, on the other you have those who say it would be completely ineffective. It seems no one is willing to touch the middle ground. No weapon could "easily" penetrate/crush heavy armour, whether this was of European or Japanese origin. Nor would any preferred weapon be "completely ineffective". People counter exaggerations with opposite exaggerations.
@Gilmaris It isn't extreme...European blades were ineffective as well unless they were really skinny and pointy (and were hard to use for actual combat).
Period weapons and armour of Europe and Japan were very different from each other. Obviously, if the Japanese were exposed to the Europeans, they would quickly adapt (and they did, when they were), but as it was, the Japanese armour and weapons of the knights and samurai were mismatched.
@LaRoza77 Actually, European blades were just as effective as Japanese blades. They were very efficient weapons for both plate and non plate combat. Further more, the Japaneses forging techniques were born of necessity, and the end result was not superior steel. Janpanese iron is very impure and the Weaponsmiths needed to fold it many times to make useable, whereas European iron is relatively pure from the very beginning, resulting in quite durable steel that holds a razor edge just as well.
@Canaustrians Swords usually are not efficient weapons against armour which they cannot penetrate or bypass in some form. However, for this, I did not say Japanese blades were superior in any way.
@LaRoza77 A one handed sword was not very useful when used in stroke against plate armor, but it was effective when stabbing. One handed swords where more common before plate armor was and usually used together with a shield.
Thats the main reason the shield virtually vanished in word fight later and double handed swords replaced single handed swords for as long as plate armor was common, because you can cut through plate armor with a double handed sword with a powerful stroke.
@alizta Actually, it had more to do with metal work. This is why all the swords of antiquity are short. Long blades with the same metal would not be effective.
You cannot cut through plate armour with a sword of the same material. Assuming the armour is not deficient, it is going to be as strong as the blade and later types of armour with flutes made hitting them directly with a blade even more risky. The main weapon was the war-hammer, mace, spear or lance against such armours.
@LaRoza77 You are right of course. I repeated what i got from a tour on Keep Rosenberg. Thinking about it, it was obviously false. The idea might stem from the invasion of the Turks which reached up to Rosenberg and spawned the saying "left and right, halve a turk" in that Region, but of course the common turk footsoldier wouldn't have worn plate.
I could imagine though a long sword to be somewhat effective when used to stab.
@alizta Long swords are very effective for stabbing. As you can see, half-swording results in greater control, especially of the point. Also, as an owner of a long sword, I can say that the weight of the sword behind the point in linear motion would be quite deadly.
@Canaustrians Well that is completely wrong because the iron for the steel was an iron sand, a lot purer than the european iron. The steel that was made from it, nicknamed tamahagane, or jewel steel, it was a superior steel to others, in Japan atleast. The folding process was to fold out any impuritities that are found in ALL steels, and to make the steel more durable.
I've never seen any evidence that iron sand is purer than actual iron ore. Could you provide me with a link to this information?
There is also no evidence that tamahagane is any better than other steels made in a similar manner. This is why they required the folding process, because Japanese steel in particular was very inconsistent in its distribution of elements.
Folding doesn't make steel any more durable than simply evening out the chemical distribution.
@deadlywithguitar You realize that the Japanese sword doesn't really become important until the Edo period, right? That was when the wars were over and the primary weapon of the samurai, the spear, simply became impractical. It was easier to carry around a sword than a spear and thus the sword became the new primary weapon. Ironically, it didn't see a lot of warfare. It's also then, when what we today call the "real" katana start to pup up. Visit the sword museum in Tokyo for further info.
@higuma75 and as history proves, in formation fighting the spear far supercedes any sword in most situations. In closed spaces a sword might be more practical tho.
@deadlywithguitar As for the tamahagane, that is an icredibly rare steel. Today it's made once per year and the big smiths come to get a share of it. It's never a lot. It wasn't any different back in the feudal days. Tamahagane was reserved for the "important" people. A rank and file samurai would never carry a sword made of that. Tamahagane is just too expensive to produce. The vast majority of katana, today and back then, aren't made of it.
@Canaustrians I think that the legend of katanas being superior comes from their relative ease of use for cutting. Because the blade profile is curved you only need to slide the blade against connected surface and it will cut quite well. With european longsword you need get some impact power from the blow and angle the strike more precisely to gain as much cutting power. Just my view on this matter, I claim not to be the perfect expert.
@Gilmaris It is an extreme though. Head to toe plate armour with heavy weapons against lamellar armour with slicing (katana) or stabbing (yari) is no contest. The samurai though were first mounted archers (so this adds a whole new element), but their bows (yumi) were less powerful than long bows and cross bows, so they would likely be ineffective against knights and the samurai too sparse to be effective, but they would have been hard to fight at all.
@CrimsonEmpire True, as well as to being professional soldiers, they were taught in art such as music and poetry, in science (of that time) etc. But the knights themselves were handpicked, and under the command of the king himself, working as his enforcement and bodyguard. Where the king went, the knights followed, unless ordered otherwise. Anyone who was picked to become a knight, had a bright future, unless he got killed of course. =) Correct me if I'm wrong, though.
@CrimsonEmpire - Indeed, thanks to Hollywood and some roleplayers mostly. If European knights were so ineffective why did they overall win most of their battles against a myriad of enemies over terrains ranging from wintery Scandinavia to the deserts of the middle east? Medieval fighting prowess was actually quite shockingly brutal, skilled and tactical.
First I would like to say this is some great harnischfechten! Thank you for posting. BUT the lack of gauntlets scares me for safety reasons; most of us need our hands professionally and my gauntlets have saved me so many times. I realize some people say they are "good enough" not to need them, but there are motorcyclists that make that argument too-- The 2nd reason is accuracy, gauntlets are an integral part of the harness and their lack detracts from harnischfechten's realism.
voidlogic 1 month ago 2
The best way to describe this combat is free-play done at full speed with dangerous blows telegraphed for safety. Very impressive stuff.
Mistwraith99 2 months ago
nice murder throw you swung early on.
geekyvince 3 months ago in playlist Kunst des Fechten
Ohne Handschuhe sehr riskant oder nicht ? Da hilft dann nicht mal die Erfahrung wenn es schief geht.
BlackAnman 3 months ago
ειλικρινα εχετε προβλημα στον εγκεφαλο!!!!
lemm0R 3 months ago in playlist Armoured Combat
was this staged? it seems to go a little to smoothly and a bit slow. plus its seems very dangerous to fight with hand protection and having the face guard up
100dakine 4 months ago
@100dakine
I don't know but my guess would be that it's not staged. But I don't think it's at full speed either. For me it looks like free play at half speed. The half speed gives you the controll so that you can stop strikes if necessary. Because it's free play they can still do w/e they want so you are not prepared for what's coming your way.
gurkfisk89 3 months ago
lol. at first i wasl ike this is stupid. but the truth is i would love to do this. it looks awesome!!!!
neothedarc 4 months ago
loud
l3054 4 months ago
Did the medieval folks really grabbed the opponents' blades with bare hands? I mean, isn't that a pretty bad idea?
Coz I'm seeing a lot of re-enactment sparrings that do that and I wonder how accurate that is? Just curious.
nimmivids 6 months ago
@nimmivids Yup. It's very easy with gloves, and perfectly OK bare-handed if you know what you're doing. Basically, don't let it slip if you grab it. It's well-documented in historical swordsmanship manuals from the middle ages and Renaissance. Also, check out "sword tug of war" here on youtube, in which you'll find me dragging my instructor around with a sharp sword (my Albion Earl) while he grips the blade. Just don't grab a moving sword!
Kunstdesfechtens 6 months ago
@Kunstdesfechtens
Thanks for the reply :) appreciate it. Didn't mention this before but I like watching videos like yours and have a glimpse of how ancient and medieval warriors would have fought.
Good job.
nimmivids 6 months ago
@nimmivids No worries. :) Glad you liked it.
Kunstdesfechtens 6 months ago
0:12 swords are so f*cking handy!!!
romopijo 7 months ago
Also, gotta admit if this is freeplay that was a pretty impressive disarm at 0:11
harvmiester1 7 months ago 3
I love how quickly that degenerated from swordplay into wrestling xD
Then again, that'd probably be the more sensible tactic to take, as I doubt a sword to that armor would do much.
harvmiester1 7 months ago
wow. sword fights in the past look like they must have been a lot more brutal than we've been shown. hell of a lot shorter too, id expect
ultrafly100 8 months ago
@7uos: read some of the comments before yours and you'll find out more about knight fights. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.
MrAlepedroza 8 months ago
looks very nasty figth.
7uos 8 months ago
@7uos: But it's historically accurate dude. Since no sword in the world could pierce a steel plate armor, knights went like this in most fights. But believe me, that requires a lot of skill.
MrAlepedroza 8 months ago
@MrAlepedroza yes but i never wear a armor i am an ignorant.
7uos 6 months ago
Too bad the fellow running ARMA has gone batty...
EvilxMerlin 8 months ago
That was really good, I think these guys really captured what would actually have been going on in a full armoured sword fight - no cutting or stabbing as it wouldn't do much, just percussive blows with the weighty end of the sword and then grapples and throws. Bravo!
666satanification666 9 months ago
@666satanification666
this type of stuff is only a small fraction of what a real knight's did in armor, and i would say you wouldn't use a sword backwards like that either. a european sword isnt just for cutting, its for crushing, like a mace, as well. and the few joints and open spots are where you swing at. also not to mention they are lacking a valuable piece to their gear, a shield.
dnothing23 8 months ago
@dnothing23 You wouldn't say they'd use the sword backwards? Not heard of the mortschlag? It's a German fencing technique with which you use the crossguard as basically a hammer/pickaxe with the weight of the pommel, as well as using it to hook over the opponent's sword. I'm not sure why you made a comment about the sword being for "crushing" after you rejected the idea that they turn the sword around and use the heavy blunt bit as a massive hammer.
666satanification666 8 months ago
@666satanification666
the main point is you would not need to turn the sword around to use it as a mace, it has plenty of weight on the end of the blade and can be swung with a much greater deal of force than holding it by the blade which you would then also run the risk of injuring yourself. just wouldn't make any sense to do it. also after further research on "mortschlag" its generally only done in unarmored fighting.
dnothing23 8 months ago
@dnothing23 Yeah there is plenty of force in that swing but it wouldn't do that much damage to many areas except obviously head and joints. Reversing it would decrease surface are I would imagine, but I've not quite had experience of fighting like this - I don't (yet) have full plate and I haven't practised proper fencing techniques, only read about them. As you can see in the video, the crossguard could also be used to hook and disarm, which you cannot do without turning the sword around.
666satanification666 8 months ago
@dnothing23 Plate armour is basically impervious to cuts from edged weapons. That's the reason the Mortschlag was done... using the sword in a standard grip simply had no effect on a fully armoured opponent. In one manual (Might be in VonDanzig) says that if someone attacks you with his blade in a standard grip when you're wearing full plate, it meas he "knows nothing of True Art". Longswords like those shown are not particularly blade-heavy, thus the Mortschlag.
Kunstdesfechtens 8 months ago
also, hitting with the hilt and/or the pommel can be done also while holding the grip, much like pistol whipping someone. i believe it would still fall into the "mortschlag" category if used in that manor.
dnothing23 8 months ago
@666satanification666
also, i guarenty both of those guys could come at my(for the lack of the correct european word for it)"sensei" with their grapples, and using their sword backwards and neither one of them would walk away. the art of Hoplomachia, is to kill.
dnothing23 8 months ago
@dnothing23 ... That's nice.
666satanification666 8 months ago
ARMA = larpers with money
corrosivetrip 9 months ago
Does anbody have idea how well an eastern type scimitar compares to a katana in cutting power? Both have curved profile. Katana's blade is very hard whereas a scimitars blade is flexible, right?
ksym 9 months ago
I like spears.
GeoVII 10 months ago
Dude we don't want to see you guys wrestle we want to see you beat eachother up with swords.
xtcarnage15586 10 months ago
@xtcarnage15586 Armouerd combat very often comes to wrestling and dagger work. Since swords can't cut armour, you have to "half-sword" which reduces the range. When you're that close, wrestling often becomes the best choice. :)
Kunstdesfechtens 10 months ago
one comment i have regarding armour, is the question of
"why dont most people, games and movies, note the simple fact that hitting someone with an armourd cauntlet, or metal greaves, or 'shoes' will have alot more impact than a punch with a unarmoured fist. or a headbut with an unarmoured helmet.
obviously punching an armoured guy while in armour cancels this out. but im surprised why people dont take this into account.
elgostine 10 months ago
A sword made of tamahagane, made by a master smith... very expensive. Only worth for real collectors with the right sized wallet.
higuma75 10 months ago
very nice free play the armor look well fit
cvbpo 10 months ago
Nice armor bill &ted!!!
beretta83 11 months ago 6
im sure you guys got your share of bruises xD
AndyCarnage 11 months ago
Sounds like a bunch of soda cans in a sack being kicked around
Piemasta9000 11 months ago
@SethMan91 the better the armor is fitted the less loud it gets
lockbreak12 11 months ago
Sloppy.
gravesw7 1 year ago
These guys need to learn to hold their swords on the right end
godofimagination 1 year ago
@godofimagination they hold them correct, one hand on grip/near grip, one in the middle of the blade
darkfiete 1 year ago
@darkfiete 00:8 He swung it like an axe.
godofimagination 1 year ago
@godofimagination Mordstreich = Murderstroke. You attack with the Grip and use the sword as a hammer to get more impact. The Longsword is just like a Tacticool gun it has at least 5 ways of wounding your enemy: Strike, Slice (like with a knife), Thrust (like a spear), Hammer (with the Grip) and smash (with the Pommel). To that you need to add your own body's attacks: Punch, Kick, Grip and throw/choke etc.
You need to fight with the whole body and all the tools you got.
darkfiete 1 year ago
@darkfiete Yeah, I guess your right. It would seem unusual to see someone holding the blade at first glance, though =P
godofimagination 1 year ago
With that camera guy in the foreground, I'm pretty sure this is gonna turn into a porno later on in the shoot....
jcweiss87 1 year ago
I love how people with no clue what they're talking about insist documented and practiced techniques aren't possible because they say so, and only because they say so, without any evidence to support themselves and video proving contrary to what they say running as they type.
NikovK 1 year ago
Shall I laugh or cry now? Full plate, but visors open and no gloves at all. ... This is just like a football match with the worlds best teams, but without goalkeepers.
IsenbergerHerold 1 year ago
@IsenbergerHerold Visors were usually only closed for the initial charge, and opened for melee. This is because while protection for the face is nice, vision and respiration is nicer still. Breathing with the visor down can quickly feel heavy as you warm up, and vision is also hampered. They really ought to be wearing gauntlets, though, or at the very least gloves.
Gilmaris 8 months ago
They didn't wear that type of stuff on the ground. Knights were cavalry, plain and simple.
godofimagination 1 year ago
@godofimagination till they are knocked off the horse..then they become infantry.
HalfLifeAMD 1 year ago
@HalfLifeAMD No, then they become pushovers.
godofimagination 1 year ago
@godofimagination That's not even remotely true. Do you have any idea as to how hard it would be for a peasant armed with a spear (which was 70-90% of army compositions back then) to kill a fully plated knight with years of training and a superior weapon?
IXB34RXI 1 year ago
@IXB34RXI Yes I do. It would be easy. Even if they were better trained and better armed, it doesn't matter if you are surrounded and aren't trained/armed for the right thing. Historians have my back on this one. Attacking a knight on foot would be like attacking a phalanx from behind. They would take his armor in mid combat (possibly while he's still alive).
godofimagination 1 year ago
@godofimagination You make it sound as if it's a single knight against an entire army of peasants. Knights have friends (indentured servants) too you know. ;)
IXB34RXI 1 year ago
@IXB34RXI Knights were expected to charge a column of infantry. It would probably take a while before his infantry would cross the field. Regardless, Up-Close Melee combat was, to some extent, an 'every man for himself' endeavor.
godofimagination 1 year ago
@godofimagination yeah right, simply put a knights plate was often FITTED, to his body, by fitted i mean it was tailored like an expensive 3 piece suit, these, along with often daily training, meant that a knight was surprisingly mobile even on foot,
elgostine 10 months ago
ach du scheiße .... probierts mal lieber mit kung fu scheiße !
Quetzalgoatl 1 year ago
hahaha brilliant, so crude, gets up and lays in holding only the blade
sundaydriverfromhell 1 year ago
sword are for cutting, arent they? Get clubs next time u decide to drink and fight , and who the fuck let u roll over and break the nice shiny armors :S It's a shame
immortaliserwow 1 year ago
@immortaliserwow Swords are not ONLY for cutting. Thrusting, and half-swording and the mortschlag (striking with the pommel while gripping the blade) are detailed in the historical manuals. You can't cut plate armour with any sword, so you must use other methods.
Kunstdesfechtens 1 year ago
@Kunstdesfechtens I am absolutely positive that punching with armored glove will have more devastating effect than striking with pommel while gripping the blade.
I honestly think that hollywood club-like usage of swords is more realistic than this as it looks simple and natural (complicated moves in combat = fail). Someone saw some ridiculous illustrations in medieval books so he thought they actually used that stuff, jeez...
Del249 1 year ago
@Del249 You are grossly mistaken. The manuals take pains to say that is someone is swinging his blade at you and you're fully armoured, he "does not understand true art" and may be dealt with more easily. The techniques depicted are really quite simple and easy to perform.
Kunstdesfechtens 1 year ago
@Del249 With regards to the illustrations, they are very useful, though the text is more useful. They are far from ridiculous. I once did a demonstration of techniques from those "ridiculous" pictures for a high-ranking member of a koryu japanese sword art. Interestingly enough he said "That looks a lot like our advanced stuff". They did use that stuff. I also study Japanese swordsmanship, and it's very similar to the European manuals.
Kunstdesfechtens 1 year ago 10
@Kunstdesfechtens japanese longswords aka katana and european longswords have different designs but theyre still both longswords i think thats what most people forget
l3054 6 months ago
@Kunstdesfechtens An example of historical "accuracy" of medieval books can be seen on disarm moves. There are many illustrations of unarmed persons disarming a person armed with a long sword. In reality, such a move would be an act of utter desperation and with minimal chance of success.
If you don't believe me, try grabbing and disarming a guy swinging around wildly with a baseball bat, you will see it is nearly impossible.
Del249 1 year ago
@Del249 The mortschlag that Kunstdefechtens refers to is holding the sword with both hands on the blade, swinging the pommel like a baseball bat, as seen as 0:08 in the video. It makes the weapon effectively a two-handed mace, which is certainly a bit more of a pain than an armored glove. Also, it is actually quite easy to take down a guy swinging wildly with a baseball bat: modern self-defense classes teach very similar techniques that do work.
tenspeedscarab 1 year ago
@tenspeedscarab Swinging a pommel is nowhere near a two-handed mace swing. Kinetic energy delivered = speed x weight. Sword pommel weights like 300 grams max, 2-handed mace would be like 3kg, that means the mace would have roughly 10 times higher crushing power.
Also no matter what martial arts you can do, you will have to get through like half a meter a distance the baseball bat guy can freely swing at you and you cant block it in any way with bare hands - thats a big problem.
Del249 1 year ago
@Del249 Pommels are used to counterbalance a 3-4 pound mace. The pommel itself is probably around a pound or two, which is similar to the weight of the head of a mace. Maces weighed more around 2 kg for the entire affair - any heavier makes the weapon impractical. It would feel heavier because the center of balance is much farther away because of the ball.
Just try it. Hold your sword, both hands on the blade, and hit something with the pommel. It certainly has an effect.
tenspeedscarab 1 year ago
@Del249 Disarming a swordsman is very hard. Manuals that show it (like Leckuchner's) mention that it is a desperation move. Knife disarms are equally hard. However, when you train in combat from the age of 8 like knights did, your capabilities are that much greater... much like people who take up violin at age 6 tend to reach higher levels than those who start at age 16. Speaking of baseball bats, I know a practicioner who DID disarm an attacker who tried to brain him with one. This stuff works.
Kunstdesfechtens 1 year ago
@Del249
Oh, it can be done. Its all in the timing. Which is something the books won't teach you. ;)
The standard Talhoffer and Fiore disarms are done armed and follow immediately from a hanging guard. If you're unarmed, you have to get someone to misjudge their distance and intercept their hands either before or after a swing to pull it off.
grailchaser 1 year ago
Good and interesting, probably one of the most real armourfightvids i saw till now ;)
silksylvenstein 1 year ago
0:16 smeagol
desfa000 1 year ago
Alter Schwede, ohne Handschuhe, ist das nicht ein wenig unvorsichtig ;-)
Pyriander 1 year ago
hmm. Very cool, but I can't help wonder, wouldn't you cut yourself if you the blade in your bare hands?
FrisianDude 1 year ago
@FrisianDude Here is a video explaining why you will not get cut halfswording.
watch?v=7rqP1F36EMY
enjoy :)
Talosuga 1 year ago
@Talosuga Ah, so it depends on how you hold it. If you hold it wrongly you could cut yourself it seems, but it didn't happen much. Thanks very much! I guess I was a bit too much in that somewhat Hollywood mentality of sword = sharp.
FrisianDude 1 year ago
Is anyone else having flashbacks to the Black Knight scene against the green knight in Monty Python: Quest For the Holy Grail? lol
cipher619 1 year ago
without gloves?
kegepa 1 year ago
About plate and penetrating -as I don't practice any European martial arts, I may not be the right one to comment, but think about this:
My teacher once told me about tactics of medieval mercenaries: they worked in teams of 3 to 5 people, for example one has a polearm, sweeping the knights feet, next one with a hammer buckling the armour or ripping it open like a can with the pointy part, next one would have opportunity for final blow -next knight! I can imagine it went like this throughout.
defaultpseudonym 1 year ago
@defaultpseudonym That was towards the end of the medieval period (War of the Roses time) and the numbers varied depending on how rich their leader was. Typically, lead by a knight, most of his followers would be armed with poll axes, poll hammers (Yes it is spelt 'poll', bill hooks and halberds. There would also be a man with a handgun who's job it would be to take out the other knight at range. Knights in plate rarely fought each other as they would fight to a stalemate,
StormchaserKnight 1 year ago
@defaultpseudonym Also, when a knight was on the floor, it was rare for him to be killed, as most knights and their families were rich so more often than not, they would be captured and ransomed. Hope that info is of use to you =)
StormchaserKnight 1 year ago
@StormchaserKnight Very interesting! Thanks a lot for the rich information!
defaultpseudonym 1 year ago
This has been flagged as spam show
@defaultpseudonym No worries. If you wanna know more, just PM me ;)
StormchaserKnight 1 year ago
lmfao this is awesome! except they're like I CHALLENGE THEE NOBLE KNIGHT TO A FAIR SWORD-KNEE TO THE FACE FIIIGHT!
KissMyBlade 1 year ago
@Glaswalker1001
Though I may not be professional on the subject, armored body parts can be potential weapons, plus he was aiming at the groin/hips, not the torso (It looks like he was trying to make his opponent lose his balance, rather than damage). Also, there is thing called... you know what? Too many people have already answered these same questions; go search for half-swording or something.
wamken619 1 year ago
Wouldn´t you prefere to protect youre hands? I would! I like my fingers! They are in some kind... handy.^^
And why for gods sake do you try to break his breastplate with youre knee? This tings stop spears and arrows... at least it should be stand up against knees!
AND swords are sharp and when you use them like axes.... it really sucks.
Glaswalker1001 1 year ago
Good example why these guys carried daggers!
lebarosky 1 year ago
im surprise at the flexibility at the knight armor,i though it would be like hard to move but wow,moving in armor it like aluminum foil crunching
furrysega7 1 year ago
@furrysega7 - it's been shown that someone used to wearing plate armour can swim and a trained man can easily catch up with an unarmoured man on foot.
Optimusnorm 1 year ago
@furrysega7: That should depend on how thick the armor plates are I guess, AND where excactly they are positioned and how much of the body is covered in steel. Too much steel will make it hard to move flexible. That will probably give the opponent time to look for a weak spot on/in the armor :/. I'm quite ignorant on the medieval armor strenghts and weaknesses but I think that which I just said is quite right.
Khornedevotee 1 year ago
lol, Kicking it Old Skool!!
Cyphilus 1 year ago
Swords are for wussies, go fist fight in heavy armor!
RamboBlades 1 year ago
@RamboBlades: Nah, swords are cool.
Khornedevotee 1 year ago
he wouldnt be able to catch the swordof his opponent like that in a real fight would he? (the knight on right catches the downward chop from knight on left) He blocks the incoming overhand blow by catching it with his hand... if this were a real fight his hand would be injured from doing that! he ends up winning the fight this way! Thats how it appears to me anyway, correct me if im mistaken please
emilshere 1 year ago
@emilshere Yes he would. He catches the lower half of the blade, which is fairly blunt. On the medieval longsword only the outmost third of the blade is really sharp.
The reason for this is to make it possible to do the half-sword technigues, which are nescessary against an opponent in platemail. You cannot cut through a platemail, you need to thrust, and you have to thrust really damn hard,
LarS1963 1 year ago
"im aragorn"
"No IM aragorn'
Emanusmell 1 year ago
What?! This doesn't look like what I see in the movies at all! I'm so disillusioned. *end sarcasm*
It's cool to see people keeping this alive.
abstractthreat 1 year ago
i neeed this armor for mah airsoft matches heh now no 500 fps can make me sting XD
maine1600 1 year ago
Imagine the noise of a whole battle!
Isalys555 1 year ago
Did he just fucking do a major outer reap on him? Fucking A!!!
Hakoshen 1 year ago
where did u guys get those suits!?
TheSkaterguy668 1 year ago
once some pots fall and made the same sound
Zeliek 1 year ago
I really appreciate that you explained each move in the information sidebar. I watched the whole thing through again, pausing between each move to read your description, which really helped me understand and appreciate it more. Please do more free play videos this way.
TheFantasticFA 2 years ago
movement is surprisingly less hindered than i would have expected...
Evassassin 2 years ago 2
Why would they be hindered? It's a complete myth, albeit a common one, that the knight in a full harness has troubles moving. Any well made armour should be both light, and well fitting to the wearer's body, so shouldn't hinder at all. There are some accounts, in fact, of fully armoured knights outrunning light infantry.
Alex231291 1 year ago
I realy loved this fight =] awsome~!
AYust22 2 years ago
Surprisingly noisy, isn't it?
TheFantasticFA 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
beating eachother senseless with a metal stick, the real way to fight :D
zamrok73 2 years ago
If i had to use a sword against full plate id go for two handed broad sword. not like hand and a half or one handed
shvetyman 2 years ago
why use sword against full plate ? just scratches it :)) then the knight need to polish his precious armor. might be that ure lucky enough to leave a dent or two. get some sturdy gauntlets with proeminent knucles, and go land some punches (and kicks :D). or get yourself a mace/axe. no offence i love the sword..but against full plate u have to tickle your opponent in the back of the knees/thighs, or under his shoulder . sry for my bad english. just my opinion
11kman1 2 years ago
Axes don't do too well too, and a mace is less useful than you'd expect.
halfassedfart 2 years ago
well...a two handed war hammer then ? or a big steel bat . :D
11kman1 2 years ago
Axes and maces were very useful. They could crush armor easier than a sword.
OberleutnantFalke 2 years ago
Easier, but still not easily.
halfassedfart 2 years ago 2
They handle swords like short spears, it's a historically accurate technique for armored fighting. Thrust, hit with the pommel, wrestle him to the ground and get your daga out, all of those are possible with a sword.
Ranziel1 2 years ago 2
Fighting styles weigh nothing. Half-swording was used to pick and pry at the full plate until an opening was found. If you're in the middle of a battle I think you'll find it rather hard to find a different weapon to use.
kranaz 2 years ago
@11kman1 - That's why you use half-sword techniques when your opponent is armoured.
frostek 1 year ago
can you catch a sword swing like that without it cutting your palm in half?
raedenjay 2 years ago
haha when he falls it sounds like a bunch of frying pans fall off of a shelf
raedenjay 2 years ago
the sword almost seems useless at this point....ALMOST
artiepoore 2 years ago
This is honorable combat at its finest.
kingkoschei 2 years ago 5
It sounds like a beer truck turning over, but damn is it cool. Well, I guess an overturned beer truck would be cool, too, if you got there fast enough, but this is better :D
Thjoth 2 years ago 28
@Thjoth lol i'd take the over turn beer truck lol. sure I OD off of beer but It will be a good OD
nasurdan 1 year ago
@Thjoth Nah if the truck turned over the beer would be ruined :.(
masterdimsen 1 year ago
nice osoto gari
greenbrad182 2 years ago
Cool video. Really shows the reality of fighting. You can drill and dril and train and train. But when the REAL fighting begins, it is totally different.
Plate armour also became quite common in Europe. As they were able to more easily harvest ore, and had some of the best smiths in the world to quickly and cheaply turn out armour.peasants also tended NOT to be put on the battlefield. The peasants were supposed to stay back and farm the fields to feed the army. The freemen were often recruited.
animematt 2 years ago 2
This comment has received too many negative votes show
looks like 2 queer robots fighting/
TRiiiGER26 2 years ago
In those days most of the fighting was done by folks in clothes or light armor. The knights were like officers, not the entire front line. LOTR is a myth and those sounds would be dulled by clanking swords and the screams of men. Mostly just rich men and nobles had armor like they wear.
LeonRFpoa 2 years ago
No, by the late 1300s, plate armor became very, very common in the battlefields of Europe Infantrymen started to look like knights
Also in the early Crusades, the Knight was the main force...
255Knights 2 years ago 2
255Knights, you are not entirely correct. The combatants in the first crusade were primarily criminals, seeking salvation and forgiveness for their sins. After Jerusalem was captured, most of them just packed up and went home. Where you are correct is that once the military orders (Templars, Hospitallers, Teutonics, etc) got started, the armies were primarily knights. However, once they gained more power, influence, and land, the auxiliary became a prominent force on the battlefield.
Sweyn78 2 years ago
Well the knight was used primarily on the battlefield in cavalry charges that consisted of dozens of fully armored men on armored horses. This is where the knight really excelled; in numbers, on horse.
CrimsonEmpire 2 years ago
The noise they make, that metallic clicking, clacking and sliding.
It's like the medieval equivalent of the sound a moving tank makes.
HARKENSCYLD 2 years ago
in europe it looks like the battlefield would be really noisy not with screams but with clink clanking of armor
1Soahc 2 years ago
Those guys in plate armour are fucking hot! Super video
dainesecowboy 2 years ago
Cool video! Its interesting to see how much grappling figures in armoured combat.
mrbeast85 2 years ago
The prowess of european knights is really played down in popular culture and the media. So frustrating that so many people just think that knights were big blundering oafs covered in steel
CrimsonEmpire 2 years ago 57
@CrimsonEmpire I agree. It seems that only the "Asian" martial arts are noticed because they have been preserved in some ritualistic form divorced from their design. It is near impossible to have a discussion about actual historical martial arts with some people. It was almost blasphemy when I pointed out that katana and similar weapons would be completely ineffective against someone using Medieval equipment of men-at-arms and that European weapons would easily penetrate or crush Asian equipment
LaRoza77 1 year ago
It seems the extremes of the debate are the most popular. On the one hand you have those who say katana are best and can cut through anything, on the other you have those who say it would be completely ineffective. It seems no one is willing to touch the middle ground. No weapon could "easily" penetrate/crush heavy armour, whether this was of European or Japanese origin. Nor would any preferred weapon be "completely ineffective". People counter exaggerations with opposite exaggerations.
Gilmaris 1 year ago
@Gilmaris It isn't extreme...European blades were ineffective as well unless they were really skinny and pointy (and were hard to use for actual combat).
Period weapons and armour of Europe and Japan were very different from each other. Obviously, if the Japanese were exposed to the Europeans, they would quickly adapt (and they did, when they were), but as it was, the Japanese armour and weapons of the knights and samurai were mismatched.
LaRoza77 1 year ago
@LaRoza77 Actually, European blades were just as effective as Japanese blades. They were very efficient weapons for both plate and non plate combat. Further more, the Japaneses forging techniques were born of necessity, and the end result was not superior steel. Janpanese iron is very impure and the Weaponsmiths needed to fold it many times to make useable, whereas European iron is relatively pure from the very beginning, resulting in quite durable steel that holds a razor edge just as well.
Canaustrians 1 year ago 16
@Canaustrians Swords usually are not efficient weapons against armour which they cannot penetrate or bypass in some form. However, for this, I did not say Japanese blades were superior in any way.
LaRoza77 1 year ago
@LaRoza77 A one handed sword was not very useful when used in stroke against plate armor, but it was effective when stabbing. One handed swords where more common before plate armor was and usually used together with a shield.
Thats the main reason the shield virtually vanished in word fight later and double handed swords replaced single handed swords for as long as plate armor was common, because you can cut through plate armor with a double handed sword with a powerful stroke.
alizta 1 year ago
@alizta Actually, it had more to do with metal work. This is why all the swords of antiquity are short. Long blades with the same metal would not be effective.
You cannot cut through plate armour with a sword of the same material. Assuming the armour is not deficient, it is going to be as strong as the blade and later types of armour with flutes made hitting them directly with a blade even more risky. The main weapon was the war-hammer, mace, spear or lance against such armours.
LaRoza77 1 year ago
@LaRoza77 You are right of course. I repeated what i got from a tour on Keep Rosenberg. Thinking about it, it was obviously false. The idea might stem from the invasion of the Turks which reached up to Rosenberg and spawned the saying "left and right, halve a turk" in that Region, but of course the common turk footsoldier wouldn't have worn plate.
I could imagine though a long sword to be somewhat effective when used to stab.
alizta 1 year ago
@alizta Long swords are very effective for stabbing. As you can see, half-swording results in greater control, especially of the point. Also, as an owner of a long sword, I can say that the weight of the sword behind the point in linear motion would be quite deadly.
LaRoza77 1 year ago
@Canaustrians Well that is completely wrong because the iron for the steel was an iron sand, a lot purer than the european iron. The steel that was made from it, nicknamed tamahagane, or jewel steel, it was a superior steel to others, in Japan atleast. The folding process was to fold out any impuritities that are found in ALL steels, and to make the steel more durable.
deadlywithguitar 11 months ago
@deadlywithguitar
I've never seen any evidence that iron sand is purer than actual iron ore. Could you provide me with a link to this information?
There is also no evidence that tamahagane is any better than other steels made in a similar manner. This is why they required the folding process, because Japanese steel in particular was very inconsistent in its distribution of elements.
Folding doesn't make steel any more durable than simply evening out the chemical distribution.
Caliburnis 11 months ago
@deadlywithguitar You realize that the Japanese sword doesn't really become important until the Edo period, right? That was when the wars were over and the primary weapon of the samurai, the spear, simply became impractical. It was easier to carry around a sword than a spear and thus the sword became the new primary weapon. Ironically, it didn't see a lot of warfare. It's also then, when what we today call the "real" katana start to pup up. Visit the sword museum in Tokyo for further info.
higuma75 10 months ago
@higuma75 the primary weapon of the samurai is the yumi bow, not the Yari or the katana
kyleisreallycool 10 months ago
@kyleisreallycool ah, nice to see someone who has done their homework :)
ksym 9 months ago
@higuma75 and as history proves, in formation fighting the spear far supercedes any sword in most situations. In closed spaces a sword might be more practical tho.
ksym 9 months ago
@deadlywithguitar As for the tamahagane, that is an icredibly rare steel. Today it's made once per year and the big smiths come to get a share of it. It's never a lot. It wasn't any different back in the feudal days. Tamahagane was reserved for the "important" people. A rank and file samurai would never carry a sword made of that. Tamahagane is just too expensive to produce. The vast majority of katana, today and back then, aren't made of it.
higuma75 10 months ago
@Canaustrians I think that the legend of katanas being superior comes from their relative ease of use for cutting. Because the blade profile is curved you only need to slide the blade against connected surface and it will cut quite well. With european longsword you need get some impact power from the blow and angle the strike more precisely to gain as much cutting power. Just my view on this matter, I claim not to be the perfect expert.
ksym 9 months ago
@ksym A leaf shaped blade on a straight sword takes care of that quite nicely, but most long swords and used a tapered profile for thrusting.
Canaustrians 9 months ago
@Canaustrians
and may i ask how do you know all these details?
Alex1tmacthebestnba 9 months ago
@Alex1tmacthebestnba National Geographic.
Canaustrians 9 months ago
@Alex1tmacthebestnba
extensive research? he is right for the most part.
dnothing23 8 months ago
@Gilmaris It is an extreme though. Head to toe plate armour with heavy weapons against lamellar armour with slicing (katana) or stabbing (yari) is no contest. The samurai though were first mounted archers (so this adds a whole new element), but their bows (yumi) were less powerful than long bows and cross bows, so they would likely be ineffective against knights and the samurai too sparse to be effective, but they would have been hard to fight at all.
LaRoza77 1 year ago
@CrimsonEmpire True, as well as to being professional soldiers, they were taught in art such as music and poetry, in science (of that time) etc. But the knights themselves were handpicked, and under the command of the king himself, working as his enforcement and bodyguard. Where the king went, the knights followed, unless ordered otherwise. Anyone who was picked to become a knight, had a bright future, unless he got killed of course. =) Correct me if I'm wrong, though.
DiabolusIgnis 1 year ago
@CrimsonEmpire With a performance like this I can blame them.
Back7sword 1 year ago
@CrimsonEmpire - Indeed, thanks to Hollywood and some roleplayers mostly. If European knights were so ineffective why did they overall win most of their battles against a myriad of enemies over terrains ranging from wintery Scandinavia to the deserts of the middle east? Medieval fighting prowess was actually quite shockingly brutal, skilled and tactical.
Optimusnorm 1 year ago
@CrimsonEmpire yeah. arma makes some great videos
xtcarnage15586 1 year ago
i dont thing longr is better
fast tempo for hafl a minute thats good
slavuBOG 2 years ago
Impressive clinch work by one of the combatants.
GnPdemon 2 years ago
Im impressed that they didn't feel the need to wear gauntlets...
kriegschwert 2 years ago 3
Why aren't you using the point end?
tarzan99 3 years ago
The pommel does double duty as a mace. The point is used as well, and is how the match ends.
Kunstdesfechtens 2 years ago 3
Thats called a mortschlag....does a lot more damage to a guy in plate armor than the pointy end in most cases
kriegschwert 2 years ago
This comment has received too many negative votes show
Das sind nie im Leben richtige Rüstungen, mit einer richtigen Rüstung steht man nicht sehr schnell auf oder bewegt sich so....
trotzdem cooles video.
Scrat96 3 years ago