Quarterstaff Fencing

Jack (on the left) and I fencing with quarterstaffs. I'm using Phillips-Wolleys quarterstaff style, and she's using something more like McCarthy. Stuart adds occasional commentary.

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• Quarterstaff
• WMA
• Fencing
• Martial
• Arts
• Staff

[jimban86]

I wonder are you not using your staffs lika a spear. You only using one end.

and i think you to long out whit you staff easy disarming. But its just me:)

[taj83]

You're not necessarily wrong, but this is legitimate way of using a staff, usually referred to as an 'end-grip'. You're also right about the possibility of being disarmed on the lunge if you're not careful, but this way makes more use of the staff's length than a middle-grip.

[8dahar1]

I thought quarterstaffs were shorter.

[taj83]

Nope. These are 8 feet long which is about mid-range. Quarterstaffs were anything from about 6 feet to about 9 feet long.

[DiabolusIgnis]

@taj83 Wrong, they're more like five to seven feet long... A long quarterstaff is but hard to use, thanks to it's weight and the ease for your opponent to lock it away.

Also, some commentary of the video itself =) You should try to counter as you block your opponent. For example, if he thrusts, you can push it to the side, take a step in and with the same movement, hit him hard. He will of course try to dodge or block, so keep your eyes out ;)

[taj83]

@DiabolusIgnis As regards the technique, you are no doubt right and I freely admit that neither of us in the video are particularly good.

As to the length of the staffs though, I must disagree. McCarthy and Phillips-Wolley (19th century) both recommend 8' staffs, MacBane and Wylde (18th century) recommend 7-8' and George Silver (early 17th) recommends about seven and a half to nine feet depending on the height of the user.

[KnightlySirJames1]

@jimban86 At least one school of thought says that the term 1/4 staff referred to the 1/4 mark is between the hands which makes this perfect. What is typically thought of as 1/4 staff fighting s actually 1/2 staffing. The confusion in the names comes from the fact that theatrcal plays that included scenes with "1/4 staff" fighting didn't have stages big enough for actual 1/4 staff work, so they shortened to a 1/2 staff position and called it 1/4 staff anyways. It has carried on since.

[Schildschmied]

Cute and sleepy.

Recommended for Nikelodeon channel.

[dariod2007]

here's a tip! Dip one end of your stick in shit, and I guarantee you will win.

[SwordOwar]

Quarter Staff is a misconception, its a term for holding your staff at the quarter as mid staff is holding your staff at the mid, but by doing this [mid staff] you shorten your reach and face death to your fingers, seems most masters recomended quarter-staff holds..short staffs were said to be from 6-9ft long and long staffs well, much longer! Its the basis for all pole weapons....

[mandowarrior123]

@taj83 a "quarter" staff would be surely a quarter of the large 22'-25' pikes/greatstaves? so 5.5-6 foot. but sure they are staffs they certainly aren't much taller than the user.

[AidanWelsh215]

@taj83 Length is all very good and fine... But personally the middle grip gives you and advantage- you've got two ends to parry with and to attack with. It basically doubles the rapidness of your strikes. Of course the way your doing it is fine... But I certainly prefer the middle grip- higher intensity and (in my opinion) strategy.

[DiabolusIgnis]

@taj83 Ah, but those aren't quarterstaves anymore, they're staffs. =) At least not medieval quarterstaves, they were those 5-7 feet long. It might be that later ones were longer, but I'm more into the medieval stuff, so I might of course be wrong.

[DiabolusIgnis]

@taj83 Ah, but those aren't quarterstaves anymore =) They're staffs.