Postby JeanryChandler » Tue Feb 04, 2003 2:13 am
I found this discussion very interesting and I have a few comments of my own. I just started sparring again with a local partner for the first time in something like 5 years. First of all, man that hurts when you are out of shape! Not from the blows, but from all the jumping, twisting, striking parying and dodging. Stick fighting has to be the most aerobic workout possible, when a "sword" is directed at your head, you leap, parry, counter, duck, twist, or all of the above, without waiting to see if your body can do it first! Just a thought, but given the popularity of boxing and psuedo martial arts for working out, if HACA ever got in any kind of financial bind, John should do a workout video complete with wasters and fencing mask.
Seriously though, I found the discussion of long sword versus staff fighting interesting. Intially, I was surprised that even an experienced long sword user did so well, but then it made more sense when it turns out the staff user only switched to quarter staff technique when he was having trouble with the first few matches.
My sparring partner is a very experienced and skilled guy but he comes from a background of "LARPS" where they aren't used to really intense full contact sparring. On a good day I can usually beat him with most weapon combinations, EXCEPT when he uses his staff. Against the staff I really only have a chance when using a large shield or a Zweihander sized sword, or another staff.
My opponent uses his staff basically like a spear, reverting to half staff for defense. The reach advantage against a long sword is difficult indeed to surmount. I think this is especially exacerbated as we are using padded weapons and helmets, so he is free to thrust hard at my face. If I can close to inside melee range, the odds are more than evened out, but outside, waiting for that opportunity to rush in, it's quite challenging. Fun, actually, to keep trying, but aggravating too. I wonder if anyone could reccomend a really good stance for blocking hard, swift thrusts from a spear toward your body or face when using a much smaller weapon (say a six foot 'spear' or 'staff' and a 36" - 44" 'sword'). I think I found that pointing the weapon at him to keep him from stepping in even closer for his thrust helped more than my more normal tactic of holding my weapon out of view (to hide my reach).
With the shield though it's much more even, in fact I think I have an edge. I wonder how much sparring y'all at HACA do with larger shields? Mine is the size and shape of an old stop sign. I also use an arm strap grip, but I notice historically center grips with no forearm straps seemed much more popular, and could theoretically be more effective since they keep the enemies weapon further away.
I'm really yearning to learn some half-swording techniques, but from what I have read in the few books I own I haven't learned many specifically useful positions or parries. We never did any half-swording in the old days, though people wanted to, I always ruled it out under the false assumption that it was unrealistic. Does it really work well with long swords? I thought it was most suited for bastard swords, great swords and zweihanders.
Finally, with regard to attacking the hands, wouldn't you assume that in say, a judicial combat, a military engagement, or anything really other than a civilian street fight, the opponent would usually have gauntlets? I've never really trained to attack the hands. We always used to rule it out due to a combination of safety concerns and the assumption about gauntlets. Another new thing to learn.
JR
"We can't all be saints"
John Dillinger
