Restricited posture when armoured?

[Alfred Wong]

Dear all,

I just started my armour project and got my first piece of armour. It's a leather gorget from the Griffin Work. The leather piece is nice, never trained in armour before, I found quite some posture will actually push the gorget's rim up and choke myself. (What a shame)

I would like to ask for tips from those who had experience in armour trainning! Are there any good tips that a beginner shall notice? What I cannot do now, is all over shoulder stuff, overhead vom tag, hanging guard, ochs and such,

Alfred <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

[Matthew_Anderson]

Well, it's best if each piece of armour is made to fit you specifically. This will ensure the best possible freedom of movement and correct functioning. If your gorget is riding up and choking you, it sounds like it may not fit right or is not made correctly. I don't wear one, I have a 14th century style harness that features a maille aventail suspended from a my bascinet to protect the neck. It doesn't interfere with movement of my head, shoulders, or arms at all. Gorgets really have to fit well and be attached correctly to work well, even then, it may interfere with certain movements. Unfortunately, getting a well functioning armour harness together is often a process of trial and error. I'm still not completely satisfied with mine and I've been working on it for years.

[Alfred Wong]

Thanks Matt,

It's a good lesson that I paid for 50 dollars... well...

Now I learn that I would need armour without the presence of a gorget...... choking myself up in an overhead vom tag before attacking my enemies is not good. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

Alfred

[SzabolcsWaldmann]

It depends what kind fo armour you will boild up when it's finished, but the stances and guards will always be limited. You will never be able to do a Vom Tach when using bigger shoulders than a pauldron, for example. Some stances are limited becouse of the armed gloves, some becouse of the shoulders or the helmet (just try to fight in a sallet w/ bevor and closed visor!).

The thing is, you have to fight a lot in armour to learn using it. It is a formidable weapon in itself, but one has to learn its limitations - and if we are at it, it's enormous advantages as well. You have to know both to use it correctly.

I had a free sparring mach with my college on Monday. We both had gothic suits of armour, mine is with a pauldron and a bevor / sallet combo, his has heavy shoulders with protective sides and no bevor under his sallet.
Well, every piece of my body aches <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />
There was little air for the hall was small. It was hot and not well-lit, so it was some hell of a battle with my opponent, myself and the suit. And becouse i often use sturzhau, zornhau and a lot of overly placed bladework ewen in armour, my shoulders are burning like hell, for the pauldron's top bores itself in my flesh, even with protective clothing underneath. And that armour was made for me! What I want to say, you can actually do many things in suit, but you have to know the consequences. Wearing armour is not about feeling well. It's about fighting like a knight <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

Szab

[TimSheetz]

Al,

My gorget tends to do that too... if you are at Vom Tag with the sword directly above the head, I think you will have this problem. If at Vom Tag withthe sword over the right shoulder, you should not have this problem.

I think this is why the over the shoulder position was used (just my thinking, no proof).

Tim Sheetz

[Alfred Wong]

Hello Szab!

Thanks for the advice. It's really, really hot when armour is on. I would soon taste the heat when I finish my coat of plates...

Fighting in armour is good. Almost invulnerable to a lot of attacks, and to me that feel really nice.

I will try making some bracer and other light armour when I've got the fund. Making armour with stainless steel is so costy. <img src="/forum/images/icons/wink.gif" alt="" />

Dear Tim,

I think so too. I have no problem doing the side vom tag. But the hanging guard is some what limited and I kept choking myself again and again while not wanting to be "defeated" by the gorget, well.

Best wishes,
Alfred <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

[robrobertson]

Alfred,

There's generally three reasons for the problem you're experiencing.

1) the DESIGN of the armour.

2) the FIT of the armour.

3) Personal technique.

Problems 1 &amp; 2 would be sort of hard to trouble shoot here. #3 is usually caused by "hunching" the shoulders when going into the overhead "roof" position. Until trained, many people think that they'll get more power by using more muscle groups. What they actually do is constrict their selves. It's sort of a "constrict your air and you constrict your power" sort of a thing. Effective examples of this poor technique are in the star wars movies.

It could be a combo of any of the above. If technique isn't your problem, I hope that this can at least help someone who DOESN'T have a group like you do.

I hope that you can get this resolved. It's always a bummer when it happens!

Rob

[Shane Smith]

I agree with Matt whole-heartedly.If you want well-fitted armour, you must have it made for you by a skilled armourer. When I was putting my harness together years ago, I couldn't afford "pretty", but I did insist on having it fit me to a "T". As such, my range of motion is comparatively huge and I can train in comfort all day in it even if it isn't the slickest kit to be had.

[Alfred Wong]

Hello Robert,

It's more of the fitting problem then. Even without hunching, I would choke myself too... While overhead, the shoulder pushed the neck-piece up and it "hang" me.

Dear Shane,

Agree - I am saving up for a 16th Century plate from Illusion Armoring... They are of reasonable price, but still one must save up for that...

Alfred <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

[Shane Smith]

One more thing here, I recently cut a friends nose inadvertantly when I demonstrated a murderstroke with light force on his very badly designed/fitted helm.The helm settled at the impact and the visor on his sallet creased the bridge of his nose. I never experienced that kind of injury from poorly fitted armour before, but now that I have, I cannot overstress the importance of having your gear checked for fit and function before any sort of impact, to include any of your buddies you may train with.