Some good cross-training w/EMA

[Lance Chan]

Just to share more material for discussion. Today I sparred against a Chinese martial arts practitioner using a long, straight single edged sword made after his request. Me? Using my Brescia Spadona RSW version. His sword was 4 inches longer than mine, being 49 inches overall and 4 oz heavier, being 3 lbs 8 oz. Anyway here's the video.

http://www.rsw.com.hk/nodachi-vs-spadona.zip

The ground was wet, the weather was rainy, I didn't do any big moves I used to do a lot back then and switched to a new style of sparring (new for me). He used to practice with his senior with wooden swords (obviously large ones) and it was his first time here to spar with realistically weighted and balanced weapons in full contact mode. Very soon it showed how different it was from the semi-contact wooden swords combat he used to train with.

[Randall Pleasant]

Justin Blackford wrote:
The kashira is the Japanese "pommel", sort of. He explained that a lot of close-quarter techniques that start from suriwaza, that is combat kneeling down from a seated position on the floor, will often times employ a strike to the face or throat with the kashira before finishing the opponent with a fatal strike from the blade.

In the book "Flashing Steel" there is a pommel strike technique called Zetsumyoken shown on pages 197 &amp; 198. Basically from a bind you step in and bring your hilt under the adversary's hilt and push his hands up, once at face level the pommel strike is performed, the finishing move is an Oberhau. Works nicely with a longsword too. <img src="/forum/images/icons/cool.gif" alt="" />

[s_taillebois]

Have to try that one, could be an interesting alternative.
Usually (in my case) anything with the pommel is often linear and about shoulder level...the oblique nature of 'zetsumyoken' has potential. The oberhau makes sense...have tried a time or two to utilize the short (back) edge in these things...but it's mechanically ackward. Simplicity usually wins out.
The book, will have to get one ordered in...or make a several hundred mile pilgrimage to get one...there oblivion wins out...

[M Wallgren]

Hi Justin!

How much can you use "Binden und winden" against him? does "Dupliren" and "Mutiren" work the same as if you faced a opponent with a western dubbeledged longsword?

Why I ask is because I was a Iaidoka before I found ARMA and I trained with the katana for almost five years and thrusting was not realy enphasised in our style of Iaido (Muso Shinden Ryo)

Reasently we here in Östersund has taken Hanko Döbringers manual and his principles to hart with a very good result and as I have understood Hanko you schoul work with the three wonders (trust, cut and strike) in as much as possible, witch I read as about 1/3 of your attacks should be trusts. (yeah! I know this sounds a little to mathematic.) What I mean is that trusts seems to have been somewhat underrepresentated in at least our (Östersund) fighting with longswords earlier.

[Justin Blackford]

How much can you use "Binden und winden" against him? does "Dupliren" and "Mutiren" work the same as if you faced a opponent with a western dubbeledged longsword?

Actually, he was the one who was binding me during most of our fight. I have usually locked him up ambinden by using the cruciform hilt or by durchlauffen and wrapping him up in a good grappling maneuver.
Duplieren and Mutieren must still be done the same, but you will find that when you perform a duplieren against a katana fencer, you will more than likely strike with your edge against the back(unsharpened) edge of his blade rather than his flat. Mutieren still works the same, though.

And yes, the thrusts are more emphasized in Western longsword than in Eastern katana. The longsword is naturally more adept to thrust anyway. The curved blade of the katana makes a thrust much more diffucult to set up, so it is the cut which is emphasized. Besides, a thrust is just plain faster than a cut no matter how you try to fight.

Justin

[Randall Pleasant]

s_taillebois wrote:
Have to try that one, could be an interesting alternative.

The ARMA DFW study group has also practiced using this type of technique when our adversary uses Kron to counter our Oberhau. Since Kron is a "strong" action just go "weak" when the blades connect, letting your blade flip back allowing you to keep driving the pommel forward under his hilt to his face. Since your hands are inside of his arms at the end of the hit you can slip your left hand over and under his right arm for an arm lock. Note that we have practiced this technique only at slow speed as none of us are willing to take a pommel strike at full speed even with a fencing mask. <img src="/forum/images/icons/tongue.gif" alt="" />

[s_taillebois]

Yeah, the concept of quarter time seems to evade people.
And we live in a society wherein front teeth are considered necessary...
On a related theme with the pommel. In L's displacement, when the oberhau is blocked, one is to move the pommel over the hands, and strike forward with the long edge. One possibility I've looked at with that one, should it fail, and be still in contact...would be to drop the hilt, wind slightly and use the lower cruciform to bind the arm or hand outwards. Vex is, if the other agent gets the blade obliquely down &amp; left, or steps back...the defense would be compromised. And the rotation needed to get back into the English (Hanging) guard (a personal favorite when closely pressed/engaged), could be troublesome. Haven't quite figured this one out, and will have to watch endangering someone's wrist...