Spear vs Sword and Shield, Nick vs Jake Sparring

[TallSilhouette]

A significant weakness I think the spearman could have exploited is that shield's lack of reach to protect the leg. All but the largest shields have this drawback and a spear would be well suited to attacking that lead leg and making his opponent a much easier target. If he brings a tower shield, then at least he's slow and easy to run away from. :)

Good job by the sword and boarder regardless.

[Nikos3000]

@TallSilhouette The leg is certainly a major target zone as we have found from battlefield injuries. The spear user in his video was using the spear for the first time and been condirtioned to the dangers of striking at legs in longsword. Saying that it can still be a risk here as it makes it easiest for the swordsman to beat down. Still well worth striking against the legs in such a situation though.

[GeneralAdvance]

this making me understand a little why the bill/billhook was so popular in england so long, a short polearm is so crazy flexible in a duel like this!

[Knightstruth]

Shield guy needs to keep a cool head and a steady shield. His shield wildly jumps out at every little feint leaving many openings. What was that at 2:30 when the spear guy seems to be trying to hit him with the shaft? lol. Keep your spear infront of you where it can be of use. If I was fencing against a spearman who raised his spear like that I'd cut him to peces before he had a chance to bring it down for any competent defense.

[Nikos3000]

@Knightstruth A spear when used in two hands re-directs so fast that you have to respond quickly to movements. In those feints is the spears advantage though this is true. As for using the shaft, completely legit when spear is used in two hands, a strike like that will crush the skull, beat a weapon down or incapacitate with a strike to the arm or shoulder.

[ssviator]

@Knightstruth

It's an invitation, the spearman want's you to attack.

[KNIGHT12]

awesome video man ive always been a fan of the sword and from what i just saw i know the spear has a huge advantage so i was wondering how bout combing a range weapon along with your sword and sheild such as a throwing axe then throwing it and using the distraction to close the gap that is if it dont kill him

could that work?

[Antioxidantt]

@KNIGHT12 o/c that works its what the french where famous for their throwing axes they would always lead charges with a throwing axe that would disrupt the other sides spear wall

[demomanchaos]

How much better would the spearman do if he had a dagger as well?

Also, his slashes would have been better if he held the spear with his left arm forward and attacked the swordsman's right. Blocking attacks from the shield side is much easier than sword side blocks, especially with a shield strapped to your arm.

[moOswe]

I think it would be even more interesting adding the element of armor parts into these sessions! Im not talking about full plate armor, just parts. A harness for Jake the spearman for instance?

And yes Im fully aware that it could restrain some movement etc. It would just be so interesting to see how Nick would have to adapt to the fact that hes not being able to either trust or slash to the abdomen.

Just a crazy idea I got out of nowhere I guess. Last but not least thx for another good vid!

[Nikos3000]

@moOswe Its ot that crazy an idea. We can't use metal armour in the leisure centre due to the damage it would do during falls/grapples. However, we do sometimes use police riot armour suits when doing things like poleaxe, it gives a similar effect.

[TheRoeliskoel]

A bigger shield does gives you a better chance

[Nikos3000]

@TheRoeliskoel Its always a trade off between size/protection and speed/agiiity. This is representing a typical renaissance era rotella, and that is about as big as they got.

[TheRoeliskoel]

@Nikos3000 I saw the guy with the sword and shield getting more hits in then with the sword and buckler

[fishpawsable]

wow this sucks

[Ranciddistortion121]

How can I get into this? I've always wanted to do something like this.

[Nikos3000]

@Ranciddistortion121 You might want to contact Academia della Spada & Salle Saint-George in Seattle, they study a variety of Western martial arts and am sure will be happy to help, as we are a little far from you :-)

[runhorun]

@Nikos3000 I live In houston tx. Do they do this here? How would I find out.... This would be perfect if a persons handgun would run out of ammo and a sword of any kind would be picked up. This will keep you in the fight. This art is deadly as a bullet if not even more.

[muresug]

@Nikos3000 Interesting work. Im a sport fencer who is currently doing some historical research on a particular type of medieval italian weapon called a 'virga sardesca', which is a kind of short spear/javelin that was primarily used as a throwing weapon, but had secondary uses in close combat (a bit like the norse or vikings used or a Roman Spiculum). Are there any old manuals that deal with short spear work or is there anyone in the UK with good knowledge of applications?

[Gvaz]

consider doing the title text AFTER, I kept thinking it was after, but it was actually before the event happened

[Nikos3000]

@Gvaz I will bear it in mind, but the idea is that people know what they are looking at as they watch it.

[themasteriswatching]

Both styles I want to learn but won't be able to in Portland, Oregon, haha

[Nikos3000]

@themasteriswatching European/Western martial arts are very popular in the US, I suggest you have a look around, there may well be a group near you.

[BigManInCanada]

Fuck that was a gruesome thrust at the beginning...

[bladestormviking]

@BigManInCanada do a search on Dagorhir. we may not have the purest technique, but it's full power, full contact with foam padded weapons. we blast the crap out of each other.

[darkarchon777]

do you still feel pain trough the protective clothing does thrust look gruesome.

[Nikos3000]

@darkarchon777 A little yes, but not to the level of injury. The tip is a flexible rubber training tip, so it looks worse than it is.

[Ieatbabyseals]

I play amtgard and spears are deffinitely my prefered weapon. Nothing can really compinsate for that reach accept maybe a tower shielf, but even then hitting in the face is pretty easy.

[lio88jian]

what are you using for shin and knee protection. Thanks for posting, this is great stuff!!

[gilbride100]

Very nice work.

[kolotiti]

hi... realy nice videos... i wanna ask if you tryed to fight with halberd... there are more oprions for you than with spear...like hooking from behind atc....btw you have one of best sword/spear/rapier fighting videos on youtube... :)

[Nikos3000]

Thanks, we haven't done any halberd yet as there aren't any decent heads available, have to make some up soon. One of the issues though is safety, as they should obviously be a good bit heavier than the spear, but doing so will make them unsafe for major sparring, still worth doing a lighter version for sparring though, will do within the next few months.

[truemonster1]

@Nikos3000 someone i saw had some heads made from really stiff very thick leather cut and stitched to shape. unsure where he got them, but i would assume online as i live in alaska.

[TempestDust]

The greatest use of the spear, or pike, was to thrust it into the chest of a charging horse, forcing the rider to the ground where he could be taken care of with the same weapon, or a mace, war hammer or long dagger if he was wearing plate armour. Sword and shield fighting was primarily used in infantry versus infantry combat, so the swordsman should definitely have the advantage if this scenario was real, or so I think.

[Nikos3000]

You are certainly right that the spear is primarily a weapon of war and that the sword is primarily a civilian weapon, but to assume then that in a civilian one on one fight ths sword would win would be very mistaken.

The spear will almost always beat pretty much any type of sword, hence why the use of swords was always very limited on battlefields. Likewise then, a swordsman in civilian life should not often have to fight a spear, but against town guards and militias he may have to.

[wmh829386]

@Nikos300 Question: On battlefield, short spear mostly use in conjunction with shield to protect them from slings and arrows. Doesn't that greatly reduce their fighting capability off formation? and I think spear man with shield use sword or other side arms after formation is broken, is that correct?

BTW shield works much better that buckler against spear. Thanks for the video.

[Nikos3000]

@wmh829386 It wholy depends on the period. The sword and shield I am using here is representative of very late 15th, but predpminately 16th century combat, whereby it was used in all uses, from town guards and personal protection/bodyguards, to full units as used by Cortez in S. America. However, no. the spear isn't mostly to protect against missle fire, it is vital to formation close quarter fighting. Sidearms were common to spear users yes, shield does work better, we did the two to compare

[Smurf209]

Nicely done.

The spear is a very interesting weapon. I like it.

Keep em coming!