New ARMA Florida Sparring Videos

[Mike Cartier]

ARMA-SFL SParing Videos

Staff, Dagger, Sword & Buckler and Longsword bouts for your viewing pleasure

[M Wallgren]

The link doesn´s seem to work.

Martin

[Mike Cartier]

the link to the page or the links on the page?

i am able to click on the link and go to the page fine?

you can also reach the page by going to our website, there is a link from the front page under the news.
www.arma-sfl.com

[Derek Wassom]

Thanks for sharing, Mike.
I wasn't able to open the second on from the top, though.

[Mike Cartier]

ok thanks Derek I'll fix that now

[JeanryChandler]

I just watched the longsword sparring clips on this page, and I had a couple of comments.

Overall I was impressed, you can clearly see steady advancement at ARMA SFL in technique and form, even since the last big event. You are using some new guards I'm not accustomed to using much yet (that 'wrath guard' over the should is particularly noticible).

Generally, I thought the fencing looked good, particularly the bouts between Mike and Tom. The strikes and thrusts were fast and precise, and all the fighters showed good sense of range and measure. I liked the fact that you were fighting actively but cautiously, obviously trying very hard to avoid the dreaded 'double kill' or 'mutual death'. I also admired how after good hits you often did a follow-up coup-de-grace, even at half speed. It looks good and makes sense to finish that out that way, I think I'm going to try to get this started in our group.

In the bouts between Mike and Tom, I liked the way Mike alternated between two handed and one-handed sling cuts, I thought that was very effective. Mike had good speed and particularly good timing in counter-cutting. I noticed a couple of instances in the first of the two clips of Mike vs Tom where Mike did some real interesting counter-cuts which looked like a Krumphau, though I wasn't sure about the edge placement. I'd like to hear more about that. Were those false edge or true edge? Very suave moves.

Tom had some very nice thrusts and was quick on his feet, executing some good voids and counter thrusts to neutralize Mikes nimble strikes.

Mike I thought your footwork could have been better a couple of times, you likes to use those small amost mincing steps like a boxer, but a couple times it looked like you could have connected with some blows that you missed on if you would have taken longer more decisive passing steps. Tom's worst moment was one time when he looked away as he parried a strike from Mike... he could have countered or stepped aside but instead got killed in a followup attack... thats a big no-no whether fencing or (especially) in a fist fight on the street, unless you are Zatoichi and can fight blind! You should do 20 pushups for that one. I also thought while Mike circled a lot, Tom could have circled more to the sides. This is a big problem I have myself, I tend to go in and out in a linear fashion and forget to step to the side. To be honest y'all were all better at lateral footwork than I am.

All in all, very impressive fencing. Mike, I think your guys would really give our New Orleans group a real run for our money. I'm looking forward to watching the knife and staff stuff now.

Jeanry

[Mike Cartier]

Mike did some real interesting counter-cuts which looked like a Krumphau, though I wasn't sure about the edge placement. I'd like to hear more about that. Were those false edge or true edge? Very suave moves.

that was the Meyer Krumphau to both sides, right to left (long edge) displaced his blade and the left to right short edge.

You are using some new guards I'm not accustomed to using much yet (that 'wrath guard' over the should is particularly noticible).

yeah I have been trying to work with it, its a tricky guard thats for sure. Unfortunatly a few of Meyers guards don't work too good with hockey gloves on and paddeds. Its a limitation of that type of sparring i guess, we are trying to do more wood and steel blunt sparring.

Mike I thought your footwork could have been better a couple of times, you likes to use those small amost mincing steps like a boxer, but a couple times it looked like you could have connected with some blows that you missed on if you would have taken longer more decisive passing steps.

yes Its a problem for me to get deep and long enough in my footwork, my old FMA and MMA training has ingrained these bad habits for longsword fencing. I'm a shuffler for sure i need to take larger steps and traverse more during my strikes .

[Matthew_Anderson]

Mike: "yes Its a problem for me to get deep and long enough in my footwork, my old FMA and MMA training has ingrained these bad habits for longsword fencing. I'm a shuffler for sure i need to take larger steps and traverse more during my strikes"

I think close footwork, keeping your feet under you is appropriate at times, like when in close coming to grips. I think your MMA training probably serves you well in these situations. Usually when attacking from range however, big passing and triangle stepping is often required to put yourself in range or proper position so that you truly threaten your opponent and force him to react to your blade or get cut. I find that if I don't do good footwork when attacking, or simply attack from too far out, I will get a nasty counter-cut, often to the hands or arms.

[Lance Chan]

Hi, I checked some of the videos and all are impressive works. I like the lawn, the close in and the grapplings. I also like the variety of weapons practiced.

For improvement though, I would like to talk about the long sword for one particular suggestion. In some of the fight where there're horizontal cut to the leg, the blade alignment seemed to be off. And this blade alignment issue also happens from time to time. There was even once one guy hit the other guy's head fully with the flat. I think some awareness could be given to the use of edge and flat in the future.

[JeanryChandler]

The Lawn? <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

JR

[Mike Cartier]

Hi, I checked some of the videos and all are impressive works. I like the lawn, the close in and the grapplings. I also like the variety of weapons practiced.

For improvement though, I would like to talk about the long sword for one particular suggestion. In some of the fight where there're horizontal cut to the leg, the blade alignment seemed to be off

Thanks Lance, yes you are correct there was some blade alignment slippage on a few low cuts. We do however as a study group train striking with the flat of the blade as we are training as faithfully to the Meyer manual as we can for a while. I think Meyer's flat use is interesting and most probably best used only during the fight snd finished with a cut even though Meyer does give examples of it as the final blow. Thats probably due to the slight sportification of the longsword in Meyer's time and fight to first blossen (red bloom) which is easily doable with a flat strike.