Відео

Is there anything additionally to the reverse for tall vs small? It seems like almost always there is a focus on small overcoming tall. Tall dealing with the small almost never comes up. Mentally it has always seemed like when heading into the use of weapons, especially with low armor scenarios, that the smaller would have advantages. Being a smaller target, deflections don't have to move as far, sometimes higher power output potential for mass, telegraphs being smaller, greater room to move in more restricted spaces, etc Any thoughts?

Don't lose sleep about the periodicity of stuff. It's nice but not critical.

The last🎯 was best!

This looks better with every update.

May I ask what is the rapier you use?

Great video. The analogy works really well when applied to chess. When I played regularly about 30 years ago against my mentor a USMC general he'd beat me about 70% of the time and the Grandmaster we played beat me 100% of the time and beat my mentor about 90%. I just couldn't bring my game up to being reliable and solid enough and apply my gift for creative on the fly tactics at the same time. The tricks that would befuddle my mentor because he'd never seen them applied like that were clumsy and obvious to the GM. People would watch us and wonder why I could beat one player regularly and always lose to the other and assume it was something psychological but it was simply that I wasn't playing against a GM I was playing against an expert with occasional bursts of creativity pushing me up to master. I hadn't adapted to do what you suggest here so adeptly. You can't assume the tricks you are trying to pull off aren't transparent to a master or grandmaster as the case may be.

Goodness, I am looking everywhere for a description of the sword you use! I see the buckler video, I see the video about the length being 1/2 + 3, I see the sigi review…. I am 77 inches tall and I have huge hands and feet! Always a problem. Thoughts?

Best video yet.

Great video! Rob, in the messer portion, if you had the messer and not the rapier, how would you stop the stabbing and lunges? It just looks hopeless for the messer!

I know its so overdone to complain about judging, but some of these calls are mind boggling... I really wish we had standardized rulesets and judge specific training on said rulesets. As someone who volunteers to judge anytime I'm at a tourney, I'd personally love some focused proper training.

Any ideas why so many historical rapier treatises instruct to carry the majority of the weight on the rear foot? I've noticed that when you do that, it forces the fencer to use the mechanics described around 1:40 of the video.

Do you remember what place you got in the video competition?

Low guard vs the mid guard Fencing (dueling back in the renaissance) it's something i wished to perform for my love swords and cutlery. Excellent challengers in the skills and arts swordsmanship!

Nice and clean

Well… skinny neckbeards and obese neckbeards so 🤷

I like the ref, you can actually hear and understand what he is saying.

Very useful video; I have two questions: since I am left-handed, should I point my sword towards my opponent's left shoulder, right? And are there any differences if we are fighting using a dagger as well?

😊I also study rapier in Korea, and you are the best teacher. Your speed and accuracy are amazing. And your every move is beautiful! There are almost no rapier players in Korea😢. you are my master ❤

Thanks for the ideas! But what if, for example at 2:11, my opponent uses his dagger to attack me on my unguarded side? Would my best choice be making a step backwards?

Maybe I'm looking at it wrong, but there was a tell throughout most of the examples. Your sword came up and paused for a fraction of a second before you attacked. The first three examples, even at normal playback speed, the raise and pause was noticeable enough that a re-alignment or reset could be forced by the opponent repositioning the sword or offhand to close off the line. It's still a fast action, but not so fast as to be unaddressable. The fourth example I'd say is about as close to "no tell" as it got--there was no hesitation on your sword moving, it was down in a low guard and then there in the person's arm, no pause or other action giving it away when compared to the first three examples.

Hi Rob, This is a bit of an unrelated comment. I'm halfway through your book and I have realised that I had not trained at all the basics of fencing during these 3 years. Most of our training is on bladework and positioning but things such as how to efficiency perform a lunge or a parry were never taught in depth. On top of that I realised I need A LOT of training to properly understand measure. I still think these 3y of Destreza were useful, but I would have liked to build these bladework and positioning techniques AFTER properly understanding how to do the fundamentals: lunge, parry and understand time and measure. Thanks for your book and videos :)

You consider your preparation of bringing your sword online as part of the hand extension of the attack?

The "not being historical" argument as I see it hinges on what definition we are using: colloquial or academic? Let's say you are fencing Fiore and throw in a Zwerchhau when it suits your needs. If we are using colloquial definition of historical, then you are perfectly historical, there is a mountain of evidence for people being trained in both Italy and HRE of the time (exhibit one being Fiore himself), so someone knowing both styles is so likely it is almost inevitable, ergo you are fencing like someone in the period would've fenced. The academic definition of historical, however, is very strict, either it is written down or it isn't - and there is no trace of Zwerchhau by name or by execution in Fiore, therefore what you are doing is not historical. It may be appropriate to the period, but it is not historical, and if we take Fiore at his written word, it is not how he himself fenced. Thing is, I'm convinced that while you can do fairly well in tournaments if you fence strictly according to a particular manuscript, you will never be able to be the best. One part is what was said in the video, you have your own strengths and weaknesses, but the setting of tournament itself is biased to some approaches as opposed to others by virtue of psychology, equipment used and people you face. I mean, I like Destreza as much as the next guy, but even historical diestros decided to cut it out with their tall stances after the first major war they fought.

Great video as always, Rob. Thanks for taking the time to break down your thoughts and methods. I've always been a sword first person (primarily, there are always exceptions) and I believe I actually learned this from working with you at a Pennsic years ago now. Speaking of, I hope I get the opportunity to work with you again. Been too long since I've been at the same event as you. Cheers!

From experience, it is better to not feed the trolls. They are just going to waste your time. They are seeking attention and arguing with them is giving them exactly what they want. Keep releasing great content and ignore the trolls for your own mental state.

That was informative. Showing how it is intended to be used in context with other techniques. 👍

Are you HEMA trained, or have you had classical/Olympic style fencing?

So this is false as I did not say the sword and the body should leave at the same time on every attack. I said that both are nessasary and people to much strain on always doing sword before body. I said it's not about sword before body it's about being aware of which body part tempo you spent and using your fastest one at the right time. I also clearly stated when cutting the sword should go first. I also said if you have dealt with the threat through means of time you do not need to lead the way with the sword. Example if I have the line covered and I fient with my feet or body and they react with a parry. They have now spent thier fastest tempo and I have not. I still have my fastest tempo to then attack and the ones ones they have left are slower then mine. There is not one place I said to do it every time. The entire post I made was about how both are useful. If you had also watched the videos I posted talking about it I clearly say that alot on the videos. You definitly did not look into or understand my opinion on the matter before making this video .i also stated that you do body and sword same time more often then not. As I looked at a ton of your footage and our footage expcially in rapier and dagger you usually start the action with the body. Literally your reasons for doing body before sword I had stated in the post, I had stated it's not about one or the other it's about when to do one more then the other. I also did not menchin the no Tell Lunge once in my post.

The guy on the right keeps always a low stand and a low guard. Not of my choice indeed.

Good point and easy to put into practice!

Mouth breather

The camera man is breathing so hard

I just rewatched this video and it reminded me that back in 2018 I got to battle a really tall fighter with Singlestick, that was dominating his pools, twice in consecutive tournaments, firstly in the eliminations, and then in the gold medal match. I couldn’t reach him, I tried and got hit, then switched modes and did all these things Rob suggests: when he went into a hanger, I struck the inside of his sword hard, so his blade slid under his armpit such that he couldn’t riposte while I hit his leg and escaped. I chased his guard changes to his wrist or forearm. I provoked to his head and mutated to his knee. I waited in fool and then parried and counter-struck his leg as he stepped forward. I used my mobility to void and counter-strike to his head as he leaned out to strike wide. I bobbed and weaved and swerved and then when he chose to wait me out I pounced and caught him when he didn’t think I could reach him. When he acted aggressively, and chased me down, I ran straight at him and risked the doubled, or sidestepped and clipped his leg under his attack… They were tough matches and exploratory, so not fought with known tools, but I don’t think I did the same exact thing twice, which further helped me succeed, but also illustrated to me that there is a whole bag of tricks for battling taller opponents… 😊

Wish I had heard of this sooner. When might be the next class? I’m mostly interested in rapier & dagger

Two top-tier rapier masters in the present.... what a match!

Some folks may find that regularly performing static side planks will be of great utility here.

Thanks Rob, this really made me stop and think. I hope there’s more!

It was a fantastic event! Thank you so much for hosting.

Great video! Your rapier's twisted swept hilt and quillons are absolutely gorgeous. May I ask where you acquired such a hilt?

Thanks for the great and helpful video. If my half+3 lands on a 38" blade, and my choices are 37 or 39, which would you suggest?

What style is this? Italian?

Are you a millionaire?

The title makes me see Russel Crowe shouting. "Are you not entertained?" Lol.

Excellent lesson/advice as always, Rob. Always appreciate you sharing your knowledge.

I watch a video of a master kendo fighter and teacher in Japan watching top HEMA fighters. He was impressed and admired the skill and ability of the HEMA fighters. There is a video of the same master handling a long sword and a rapier He very much liked the pommel and the cross on the sword. He said the rapier was scary because he could not see the tip. He was very impressed.

Funny enough we receive a lot of criticism from fringe living history activities like SCA. Which is funny because they are playing their own game with rattan bats or adopt less than optimal rules of engagement on the C&T ignoring most of the time the historical sources. On the other hand this organization loves to piggy back on the attention HEMA receive. On the other hand I have observe mostly here in Missouri and Kansas a casual approach to the historical sources or even a complete absence of it....individuals who are making money out of HEMA, but completely eschew the "H" on it. Which is a shame of itself but it is inevitable.

For an outsider to the community the academic and the martial artist may seem segregated. There is plenty of martial artist who never touch a historical source , just like plenty of academics who never go for the practical application of whatever sources they are studying....and this is true not just for HEMA but for almost anything martial arts related. But we are seeing similar HEMA analogs in the form and study of Historical Asian Martial Arts and Historical African Martial Arts. At the end at least in HEMA we are observing the martial artist gravitating towards the historical and academic elements and vice versa in the best of cases. After all HEMA is in nature a Multidisciplinary field of study with some very unique ramifications.