Research and Discussion Forums

Well, skepticism about traditional European martial arts is an example of where all-pervading politics intrudes even into the hobby of training with antique weapons.

The pop over-culture is definitely not in favor of the creations, or indeed, individuals, of European extraction. The historical ...

Someones got to ask eventually, may as well be me...

Did any of the people sparring train under the "no free-sparring traditions" attributed to Koryu, if so did this effect their performance, and if so, is this why said videos are not being displayed?

--Matt

FYI: I started out heavily prejudiced in FAVOR of parries with the flat, not against them. I'm not "against" parries with the flat, as the historical masters spoke of them and they have obvious technical usefullness. However, the historical masters speak of deflecting and/or stifling with the edges ...

George, sarcasm is the last gambit of the out-argued.

Since myself, everyone else in this discussion, and every serious WMA researcher I know of repudiates the "Hollywood" style of blocking, to whom are you referring to with your comment about Victorians toying with antiquities?

For the very ...

"Von Danzig also fails to warn you not to stick your dagger in your eye, but that doesn't exactly argue for the habit."

This bit of cleverness proves nothing. The historical German masters, including Von Danzig, tell you to "displace", "set aside", "parry", however you wish to translate it, his ...

Randall:
90 degree block? Once again you choose to assume I think you should parry just like they do in the movies...if you deflect, your sword is undamaged. If you step in and choke up the blow, even with edges that are fairly thin at the forte, any damage is insignifigant and indeed, often ...

Jeff Hull: I am aware of the messer technique where one parries with flat/turned around hand. Have I ever denied flat parries are a useful concept? Talhoffer shows much the same thing. Yet Talhoffer shows another messer technique where one cuts directly upward at the opposition's hand when he ...

Rabbe:

"I'm not really very familiar with the earlier texts, aside from my short Liechtenauer-with--really-cruddy-boffers period, but I believe many leading researchers, who do not practise any of the later systems, have interpreted some defences as being edge-to-edge. I wouldn't really know ...

I doubt it was common. In boxing, you're going to get hit in the head alot, even if you are Ali. In battle or training with a sword, there is certainly the potential for all sorts of greivous injuries, but the sort of numerous cumulative non-deadly head blows boxers take? Sounds improbable. It seems ...

http://digital.lib.msu.edu/collections/index.cfm?action=view&TitleID=28&Format=gif&PageNum=147

Anyone else notice something odd about this picture? The left fencers nails are clearly facing the viewer, yet his true edge seems to be facing downwards, instead of upwards, as one would ...

John, you said:

"If you are already familiar and experienced with sport fencing you will quickly see the advantages of a more well-rounded martial approach compared to their restricted ritualized one. (e.g., free-hand use, closing-in, strong beats, full-arm cuts, kicks, disarms, throws, half ...

Particulularly with longsword, sword and buckler, or arming sword? What strengths and weaknesses did you find? And etc.?

Where is the textual evidence for a short-edge krumphau from the right? Ringeck doesn't say (he doesn't say alot of things), Danzig calls for the long edge, as well as Meyer.. The only evidence I've heard for the short edge in the matter is Talhoffer's picture, but the caption doesn't specify an ...

Jeffrey, et. al.
There is really no point in gnashing our teeth and pulling our hair over what's happening in the former British commonwealth-it's not sudden, but has been building for years. Remember, England had to borrow firearms to arm the citizenry against possible German invasion in WWII ...

Chris et al.
Leaving the specific issue of edge vrs. flat aside, I think the difference is probably in facing an opponent throwing smaller wrist or elbow cuts from a right-foot-forward stance and wishing to riposte with that same. Less force to the cuts=less damage to the sword from rigid edge-to ...