Mike vs Paul Martial Challenge Longsword Sparring

A martial challenge made by Michael Thomas of the Academy of Historical Fencing to Paul Bennett of Schola Gladiatoria. Two bouts were fought, first to five good hits. First bout was done with Steel longswords, the second with modified shinai.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• Longsword
• Swordfighting
• Sword fight

[GhostOfHarrenhal]

It looks like you both lost your rubber tips by the end of bout 1... isn't it kinda dangerous?

[Nikos3000]

@GhostOfHarrenhal Actually back then, over two years ago, few people ever tipped longswords. They are quite broad tipped, the only risk is penetrating gloves. Mike's tip stays on during the fight as it is leather covered in silver gaffer tape, making it almost invisible. The norm these days in most groups is to tape the tips on as they can become easily caught and snagged.

Years ago nobody really saw the risk of longsword tips, fortunately most have now realised it and made changes.

[YongyoonKim]

Aren't modified shinai worse than wooden swords because they bend and flex too much? I know that shinai make for poor representations of katanas.

[Nikos3000]

@YongyoonKim Well the reason they have been used by many is safety, wooden swords break bones, shinai and much safer. As a club we don't like them and therefore don't use them, but it was Paul's standard training weapon, Mike's normal being steel, hence they did a round with each training tool to make it fair.

[TSOAS2008]

who is who?

[Nikos3000]

Good point, forgot to add that on the description, Paul is in the red jacket, Mike in the black.

[fartsam08]

what an awesome place for a duel

[eddiedaskull]

 keep it up guys

great location for a sword fight

[Akmon87]

@Akmon87

this is the first rule in every manuscript about swordfighting with a longsword no matter if it is german or italian.

I am sure you practiced a lot of stuff mentioned in this books, so try to use the things you have learned

[Akmon87]

do some some stuff on your basic footwork, its bad.

Peter von Dazig cod. 44 A 8 (10 r):

"wiltu kunst schauen Sich linck gen vnd recht mit hauen vnd linck mit rechten Ist das du starck gerest vechten."

If you want to reach mastery, look left and step right and go with your strikes, and after a left step comes a right step, that means you have to fight with power.

[th7dude]

Thanks, can see a few things such as my priority given to left pflug and vom tag though this is in part to cross-dominance with my handwork. Hand and army cuts I can also see are less exciting though are obviously very important to the martial art.

Always things to learn.

[BigDummy23]

Congrats Mike, good fight

[th7dude]

Also, this challenge was fought at British Camp, in the Malvern Hills at the highest point we could find.