Research and Discussion Forums

I have the hard leather ones on a halberd and a polleaxe. You can buy them separately and put them on any length stick/pole you want. They are quite sturdy.

I took some side-by-side pictures of the blades we use at our school. The older blades are made by Valentine Armory and the newer blades are by Swordcrafts.com. You can see how well the Swordcrafts blade stands up to constant use.

Click here to see the pictures.

While the weapon in this shot is a cheaply made POS, it would still do some serious damage. The blade side is substantial enough, but the Bec de Corbin is weak and would fold under pressure. A friend bought this for me thinking, "Oh, Mars likes weapons. I'll buy him this 'real' battle axe for $...

There is nothing wrong with Aluminium as long, as with most kit, you have good stuff. The key is to have the right kind of aluminium with the right kind of hilt, it then wieghs and balances right. Then they don't saw or chipped edges. Obviously don't use them against other materials. We have some t...

If you're looking for an aluminum practice sword, I own a Swordcrafts Lichtenaur* long sword that is standing up very well to hard workouts. Our school has a number of them and they are very well made.

*His spelling, not mine

I was talking to my teacher last night about the windshield wiper and he mentioned Dobringer's Peacock technique. Since they didn't have windshield wipers back then, they used a different descriptor. I know the Peacock was also used by two-handers to shear pike tips, sweeping back and forth. Dobring...

Ben, Thanks for your analysis. Yes, the true target is the hands or forearm if they are within range. And the follow-up pop to the neck or head is our standard move. You are right that in drills and practice, it's not practical to be hitting your partners hands. The playdate would be over very soon....

Off the top of my head, all I can think of is a rondel dagger that has a round hilt. Check out this page from Albion . About half way down is the classic rondel. It does have quite a long blade for a dagger. And the hilt is round. Maybe this is what you were thinking of? http://img150.imageshack.us/...

John, I apologize if I explained it poorly. I give you The Krumphau as I practice it. No need to apologize. I saw no problem with the question. I hope the answer was clear. There many reasons we keep certain key things to ourselves. JC John, Looking at the krump in the link I gave, do you see probl...

So what have you contributed to fencing studies :?: Our light fills your darkness. :idea: I am just a student of WMA. I've been practicing for only two years. I have neither written any scholarly essays nor published any translations. I commend you for doing so. I have obviously over-reacted to the...

I would rather take the advice of one of the historical Fechtmeister than do what modern critics and forumites want done. :!: As you wish. I choose to live in the present and will continue to try to find a site where that is acceptable. Enjoy your cherished secrets in your dark, little rooms. Witho...

Back on topic... Many beginners are confused by the krump and think of it as a blocking move, when it's a master cut. Probably because it's first taught as a 'safe' attack the the blade with a follow-up twitch. The krump is made with a forward attack to the hands or wrists and becomes an effective d...

Maybe I'm naive. No, I must be naive. I come here as a practitioner of WMA and look on this forum site as one of the foremost avenues for sharing ideas and perfecting my art. I try to help wherever I can and I'm never sly or tricky in my responses. This thread has been very enlightening. Others have...

John, I apologize if I explained it poorly.

I give you The Krumphau as I practice it.

The only time I've seen the wind-shield wiper explanation used is to introduce a student to the Krump. Once they get the basic idea that it's a sideways barrier move, then the instruction moves on to the actual details of the move.