Wanted : Sparring Video

[JeanryChandler]

Ok, I just added 3 more, to the same URL.

http://www.iregames.com/jr/slum4.htm

I'll probably put 3 or 4 more on tomorrow.

These new clips are of Dave using sword and dagger vs me using a longsword.

Two things are worth noting in these clips. Lance, you may notice my variant on your patented sharp-shooting one hand sling-cut. Hopefully this demonstrates that I am more than just a one-trick pony:) I like to charge and close better in general, because I think that approach is actually safer in many cases (you can control the situation through domination), but I'll use more conservative methods as well when the situation calls for it.

Which brings me to another point you can see clearly here.
I notice a lot that I do better fighting somebody after I have fought them for a few bouts. Assuming I have some advantage in experience, once I learn how a given opponent is fighting, I can usually adjust and start beating them.

The problem is, this usually takes me 3 or 4 bouts, during the first couple I often get a mutual kill or two. My question to the more experienced WMA'ers out there, is how do you evaluate an opponent instantly, or how do you avoid mutual kills or outright defeats before you do know the best approach to use?

The obvious anwers are to fight more conservatively and hang back, but this doesn't work if your opponent is very aggressive, and it can also often mean giving up the initiative, which is counter to the philosophy of most of the Masters I have read. Another answer is to watch them fight other people first but I seem to be unable to actually absorb how to fight them until I face them myself.

Has anyone else dealt with this problem, and does anyone else know of a good way of handling it? Obviously, in a real fight, you dont want to have to go three or four bouts with someone before you start winning cleanly. I'm starting to think this is one of the keys to becomming a truely good fencer, rather than just a pretty good one <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

Jeanry

[Lance Chan]

Hello. I've checked out the latest batch. Yes, I see a lot of false edge cuts being used this time. Since the active use of false edge cut existed, there seem to be a new kind of barrage of attacks too. In the videos before, the barrage of attacks usually consisted of running and rushing the opponent. Now I can see there are successive attacks that make use of true and false edge without the overruning. Personally I would like to learn how to mix the two together. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" /> I'm never really good in overrunning my opponent and I think it could be beneficial to do so in the right time.

I notice Dave's grip is sometimes too close together and crowded toward the pommel side to gain reach. I also found that none of you really grip the pommel. Maybe you can experiment a bit on this: Grip the pommel and use the false edge cut from low guard... you will find it significantly stronger and faster than with both of your hands together, due to the leverage.

Another tip is that when you see Dave's high guard, he placed his hands in front of his forehead. People tend to judge distance by the position of his eyes. If your strike doesn't reach his eyes' distance, his mind would think "I'm fine, he can't hit me". Use this trick against his hands and elbows because both targets are closer to you than his eyes. When you strike, he might think it was an off-range shot but turned out hitting his hands/elbows.

Also, when you do the false edge cut, sometimes it's not necessary to really hit the target you see before your initiation of the attack. Instead, predict what he would do... such as from a high guard, he would most likely swing the sword downward at you. So you can aim at a point on the path his hand will travel through and start your attack there. If his reflex makes him attack, his hand will cross the point of your striking and got hit.

This works until the time your opponent dun flinch reflex every time you make move. .. Despite that, it's usually quite effective. (at least Alfred got me once by this in the video he posted on the other thread that I spar with him. He didn't hit my hand in the path but instead initiated a feint to trigger my flinch reflex then let my sword passed over the dangerous zone before his strike landed on my hand.)

[Lance Chan]

You're never the one trick pony. I'm more likely to be one. Tim said I was too much a one shot wonder guy... hahhaha. And I still think I more or less am. That's why I think I have to learn overruning my opponent.

I checked those too. I can see that you were unfamiliar with his fighting method at first, indeed.

My approach to face a new opponent before I learned the false edge cut is this:

Attack him before he can attack you on the four openings.

If you can't observe his way of fighting, don't do so. Make sure that he has no chance to express himself by striking him before he did to you. HAHHAHA... Worked quite well but usually not ending up friendly (that's part of why I made some enemies before)... but then, if it was a real sword fight, it's not necessary to make him ur friend, right?

After I've learned the false edge cut, my approach changed a bit. That doesn't mean the one above doesn't work. Just that I have another option.

With the false edge cut from low guard, I'm relatively safe against all attacks above my hands' position, that's usually above waist level. Most new opponent's attack come from above, either cuts or thrusts, so that means I'm quite well prepared. I can afford letting them attack once or twice to see how they fight before ending the round. For those attacks that come below my hands, I simply pass backward and void it.

And if you dun want to be as lay back as that, you can employ the low guard false edge cut directing to their elbows/hands/knees. I found this very effective in dealing with new opponents because the majority of them would somehow expose their hands and you can almost always sharp shoot them to finish the round. You can hit the opponent's hand even he's in a middle guard. Strike from below and from the side that is opposite to his sword's cross guard position to make sure that you got his hands and not his guard.

That was the way I sparred with many visitors from overseas and the way I sparred when I was visiting MA schools in Taiwan.

However, I also encountered 1 particular opponent that render this tactic useless. He likes to hide his hand far far away from his body (tail guard) and has very good sense of distance that I can't hit his forearm/elbow either because he always voided my attack. Without seeing his hand, I can't predict which path he would go either (you know how many options a tail guard stance has)... so I have to kinda resort to make a hanging guard and run in, then strike... or quickly snipe at his leg before he could launch anything. Not something beautiful and elegant, but at least I survived.

[JeanryChandler]

Here are some rapier clips. Neither fighter had fought rapier in quite a while bu they are both experienced...

http://www.iregames.com/jr/dave.htm

More to come soon plus responses in this thread.

Jr

[JeanryChandler]

http://www.swordacademy.com/Academy-Videos/

We have three different sections on the Video page. A very small section of test cuts, sparring, and drills. The clips vary in date, meaning they've been taken over the last several years. Although we are always updating them. The clips in the drills section for example are all new.

I got to say, in looking at the sword and buckler clips on here, it looks like you are overreaching in your strikes and leaving yourselves vulnerable. Is in this intentional?

Jeanry

[JeanryChandler]

I reccomend d/l and watching in slow motion. This helps suss out the action quite well.

JR

[JeanryChandler]

Thanks for looking at the clips Lance. Now that my book is done I have time to really analyze these analisis and give them the careful responses they warrant.

Hello. I've checked out the latest batch. Yes, I see a lot of false edge cuts being used this time. Since the active use of false edge cut existed, there seem to be a new kind of barrage of attacks too. In the videos before, the barrage of attacks usually consisted of running and rushing the opponent. Now I can see there are successive attacks that make use of true and false edge without the overruning. Personally I would like to learn how to mix the two together.

As I had mentioned before, I will use both tactics depending on the situation. Dave's excellent stop-thrust made overunning much more problematic, so eventually I relied on more long range cuts to hands, both false edge and true edge.
[/quote]

I'm never really good in overrunning my opponent and I think it could be beneficial to do so in the right time.

I agree, I think the time has come for you guys to add this more to your training regimen, more binding and passing through etc. I think you will find it greatly enhances your tactical flexibility in a fight.

I notice Dave's grip is sometimes too close together and crowded toward the pommel side to gain reach. I also found that none of you really grip the pommel. Maybe you can experiment a bit on this: Grip the pommel and use the false edge cut from low guard... you will find it significantly stronger and faster than with both of your hands together, due to the leverage.

I agree, if I wasn't doing this my form is bad. I try to both swing and thrust from the pommel in many attacks.

Another tip is that when you see Dave's high guard, he placed his hands in front of his forehead. People tend to judge distance by the position of his eyes. If your strike doesn't reach his eyes' distance, his mind would think "I'm fine, he can't hit me". Use this trick against his hands and elbows because both targets are closer to you than his eyes. When you strike, he might think it was an off-range shot but turned out hitting his hands/elbows.

Very clever! I'll try to use that, and I'll share that with my class-mates. Very good insight Lance!

Also, when you do the false edge cut, sometimes it's not necessary to really hit the target you see before your initiation of the attack. Instead, predict what he would do... such as from a high guard, he would most likely swing the sword downward at you. So you can aim at a point on the path his hand will travel through and start your attack there. If his reflex makes him attack, his hand will cross the point of your striking and got hit.

That is also very interesting. I think I do this sometimes with counters, but no so much offensively. I'll have to practice this.

Jeanry

[Shawn Cathcart]

I got to say, in looking at the sword and buckler clips on here, it looks like you are overreaching in your strikes and leaving yourselves vulnerable. Is in this intentional?

Well there are only 3 clips involving sword and buckler, those being in the padded sparring section. Admittedly all 3 are older clips. But they are as follows:

1) Sword and Buckler vs. two hander: I don't see any over reaching persay in this scenario, although it wouldn't be unusual given that Milan's reach was far shorter than my own.

2) S&amp;B vs S&amp;B short: This clip is pretty short, Milan dealing a rather fast stop thrust. Aaron had his shield up and covering his forearm/hand in the cut, but the shield was likely a little too high in general as it gave Milan an opening for the thrust underneath.

3) S&amp;B vs. S&amp;B long: This clip is pretty long. Most of the cuts are covered by the buckler, protecting the hand and forearm which is important. However there is a little bit of 1-2 timing, not so much indes or simultaneous counter cutting. These clips were made before we really dived in depth into I.33.

So which of the 3 clips in particular do you notice obvious over-reaching in? It certainly wouldn't be intentional. One thing that has to be taken into account with sword and buckler work is how easy at very close distance cuts can be made down at the legs. So this by default prompts people to stay out of distance a bit more, unfortunately with the shorter blade this sometime presents a problem with being in distance for your cuts. I think this is one of the main reasons for the forward leaning stance in the I.33 images. It pulls the legs back, puts the head and arms forward and in line, offering better all round protection.