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Longsword practice, Order of the Marshal
Sir Brian:
Yeah I think this is an issue with all students of any type of martial art. Maintaining a fluidity of motion and intent can only come with repetition. What is one of the most appealing things about studying WMA is the fundamentals are decently covered but the refinements are left up to the individual to discover and develop for themselves. :)
As I consider myself still a novice student that is reasonably comfortable with the foundations of the longsword I am really enjoying on developing the refinements of ‘MY’ fighting style. I find using a pell really helps in developing my own katas to borrow a Japanese term. I try to visualize my opponent’s initial guard and attacks or defense while I practice perfecting a kata and infusing it into my muscle memory. Some work nearly all the time and others are a work in progress and still others are under the mental category of: NEVER DO THIS AGAIN! ;)
Sir Edward:
--- Quote from: Sir Brian on 2012-04-14, 14:07:49 ---NEVER DO THIS AGAIN! ;)
--- End quote ---
Parrying with your thumb is probably in this category. I learned that one the hard way myself. :)
Joshua Santana:
In short, both Sir Edward and Sir Brian did an nice job with with bout. I saw a couple of good techniques and distance control from both combatants.
How ever in regards to double kills, my philosophy is this: "You FREAKIN FAILED TO PARRY YOU IDIOT! ( ;) )
In regards to the differences between Italian and German Longsword arts, Italian has twelve guards as opposed the the 8 German guards. Footwork and body mechanics are also different. Fiore suggests linear footwork with additional triangle stepping (you step in three points like that of a triangle). Also the stance which reveals body mechanics, more athletic in nature whereas in German stance and body mechanics, they are more relaxed in posture, and footwork is more circular than linear (Dobringer advises to step offline and at an angle simultaneously). Liechtenauer advises as well to invest in one strike that will get the job done instead of having to strike 2 for 4 strikes all at once. (If you think about it, German fencers are lazy fencers, lazy in relaxation, but not lazy when dealing a good blow).
Fighting techniques from both German and Italian (Liechtenauer vs. Fiore), there are many similarities than differences to the point where there only subtle differences that stick out. Almost like Apples vs Oranges.
--- Quote ---Yeah I think this is an issue with all students of any type of martial art. Maintaining a fluidity of motion and intent can only come with repetition. What is one of the most appealing things about studying WMA is the fundamentals are decently covered but the refinements are left up to the individual to discover and develop for themselves.
--- End quote ---
You make a good point here Sir Brian, fluidity of motion and intent is a game of tactics than can only work with an mind open to the best and worst scenarios in combat. To me its more mental strategy than what works in a fight.
--- Quote ---As I consider myself still a novice student that is reasonably comfortable with the foundations of the longsword I am really enjoying on developing the refinements of ‘MY’ fighting style. I find using a pell really helps in developing my own katas to borrow a Japanese term. I try to visualize my opponent’s initial guard and attacks or defense while I practice perfecting a kata and infusing it into my muscle memory. Some work nearly all the time and others are a work in progress and still others are under the mental category of: NEVER DO THIS AGAIN!
--- End quote ---
That is a good training method, please remember its all on muscle memory, you must continue this in order that several techniques or more can be ingrained to the point of instinct.
--- Quote ---Yeah, me too. I've started falling into a few patterns, because they work. But I need to work on keeping it more dynamic without pausing to think too hard.
What throws me for a loop the worst is when I try to do something complicated, and it works... then I stop and think "now what???"
--- End quote ---
That is a mental leap in which bouting at full speed can throw a lot of people of track. This is why in Das Bill's messer videos, there is bouting "at speed", slow progressing to almost fast but slow enough to allow the mind to calculate more thoroughly with tactics and strategies. This is a bouting method that I know, because I have seen it done at SIGMA.
--- Quote ---Overall learning the Italian style is relatively easy, though I'm still learning how to string combinations together to think 2-3 steps ahead based on what an opponent may or may not do. That's the hard part for me as I tend to perform one or two maneuvers and then stop to think what's next?
--- End quote ---
When memorizing the Italian techniques, there is that 2-3 pattern, which is more of a mental game, be sure to include the details that Fiore gives in his plays (gioco largo and gioco stretto concepts, sword in one hand, bind work, closing in, grappling edge or point work).
--- Quote ---I know how it feels. The Q stands for "Quarantillo" ;). During public speaking I often have to remind myself to keep the hands down, or at least on SOMETHING.
I'm also heavily German, so I'm pretty intense with my hand motions. If I'm in an actual argument I look like I'm reenacting one of Hitler's hate-speeches, with the way I'm throwing my arms about and gesturing. :P
--- End quote ---
LOL! I'm more Italian when I perchance argue, I sound as if I'm going to fight someone due to me having a loud voice! LOL!
Best part is that I'm not only Puerto Rican, but also partly Spanish and Italian ;D So I know why Italians are very competitive ;)
Sir Ulrich:
Do you guys do sword+heater shield practice at all? Thats what I'd be interested in learning as thats period for the 1200s. Sure would beat rattan combat too, I dont care for full force blows as I got little in the means of strength which has been sapped.
Sir Edward:
Unfortunately there's very little surviving in the manuscripts about "sword and board" so to speak, so most of what's known has to be extrapolated from other things. It looks like it wasn't written down as much because people tended not to fight with them on foot so much by the time they starting writing it down in the 13th century and later. Instead people tended to favor bucklers by then, or the longsword... and then going into plate armor, the plates are your shield.
So the short answer is that in the HEMA/WMA community, you don't see a lot of it, but it's not completely absent either. Some of the Italian stuff covers the rotella (circular shield), and it gets used a little differently than you expect at first.
After working with the rotella a little bit, I have to say, I much prefer the buckler.
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