Sword & Buckler vs Long Sword

[TimSheetz]

HI Shane,

Look, the technique doesn't count if you use it against a 10 year old no matter how skilled he is.... (hehe)

Seriously, That is what I mean by a "shoving" hit. It creates pressure and "changes their world view" and confuses and stuns them.

Compare that to an edge strike across the fore-arm or better yet - one that 'breaks' the collar bone.

One way creates confusion that can be capitalized upon and one can be more immediately damaging.

Either way, being hit by a buckler is NOT GOOD for the hittee.

Peace,

Tim

[Allen Johnson]

I can second that- Casper accidentially tagged my nose once. Wasnt a hard hit but even a light one can make you tear up. RE: the buckler and dagger thing... you could hold a dagger in a downward grip in the same hand as your buckler. Talhoffer shows this in plate 240. Later on the Scots did this with the dirk and targe as well. I'm sure others did it as well, I'm just not aware of any.

[Casper Bradak]

I could be imagining it but I think Durer may show the dagger gripped in the buckler hand as well.

[Craig Peters]

Off topic for a moment...

Lance, are you thinking of joining the ARMA any time soon? <img src="/forum/images/icons/cool.gif" alt="" />

[Lance Chan]

Could be. <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" /> I've to read more about the rules first...

[Shawn Cathcart]

Probably the key part to I.33 is the forward leaning stance. Its only a tad exxagerated in the images in my opinion. This puts the arms hands forward and face high and the legs back and low. This does a great deal to protect the legs from easy attacks, as well as makes it hard to get at even the arms if you are handling the buckler properly. It also makes the head a very difficult target to reach.

[John Jordan]

Couple of thoughts:
-Because your buckler can protect the hand and wrist of your sword arm you shouldn't lose much range.
-Because your buckler creates a 'protected' area in front of your body you can commit your blade later than your longsword opponent.
-Create a threat before entering into range. Your blade should menace your opponent in such a way that he must respond to it; all this before you bring the rest of your body into range.
-Control your opponent's blade/sword arm. If he swings for the leg, void the attack, use your blade to control his blade, transfer the control from your blade to your buckler and then strike him. If you attack, make him parry your blade. The thrust seems more useful than the strike in this regard. His blade cannot strike you if it is busy dealing with your threat.

Again, just a few thoughts.

[Shawn Cathcart]

Just an question here. Are you experiencing a lot of attacks where the leg is the initial target? That's not something as common with our sparring here simply because to open with a cut to the leg leaves the head and arms extremely open to void and counter cuts. Most of our leg cuts are either a changing of target or a secondary blow. On the odd occasion if someone is really leaving it out unknowingly I might go for it, but in my experience, the leg moves, and you get hit in the head or arms. While the length of the sword with sword and buckler might not be enough to void and countercut to the head, its quite within the range of the hands/forearms.

Basically opening with a cut to the leg is not something I attempt very often as I rather like my head attached to my shoulders. I'm curious what others experience has been.

[JeffGentry]

hey Shawn
Well i have a pretty aggresive personality and and only been at this a couple of month's and am studing long sword. The first couple time's i sparred i opened to the leg's and learned it is not a good move got hit in my grape more than i wanted.lol <img src="/forum/images/icons/grin.gif" alt="" />

[James Derrick]

My (limited) experience is that if someone goes for the lower leg as I am closing, I usually hit them in the head a moment later. On the other hand, it would be cold comfort for me limping around on my peg to know that I won

They guys in Lance's group (Hong Kong) have a wide variety of backgrounds and weapons (which makes sparring with them a very educational experience). I think that most of them haven't faced a buckler before though, so they are trying to hit somewhere where I can't easily block.

Thanks for all the replies - I will try them out on Sunday and see how I get on <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />

[Jeffrey Hull]

Hey CB,

I am pretty sure that Duerer shows only one image with buckler (a wing-shaped one), where the fighter wields a falchion, but alas, no dagger held by the buckler-hand.

JH

[Shawn Cathcart]

Aggressiveness is an assest if you learn when and where to apply it <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />. By nature most people tend to be defensive in their sparring, waiting for attacks to counter. It is more difficult to be the initiator and learn how to deal with those counters as they are thrown at you. Or rather, force the opponent into reacting how you want them too. I think keeping the "initiative" takes on many forms besides just being the first guy to attempt a cut. You get hit a lot while trying to learn, but in the end I think you have a better grasp of the techniques. Besides, someone has to start with an action eventually right <img src="/forum/images/icons/smile.gif" alt="" />.