I like how we say of Hutton's age that they dismissed everything before them, and basically gave the Middle Ages a bad rep. Meanwhile Hutton is looking at Medieval and Renaissance manuals to become better swordsmen.
I love it that you guys also used full speed in demonstrations! Yes, use slower movements and pauses to clearly explain the technique, but also show how it might look in actual use, preferably against a resisting opponent!
Excellent. Great presentation. I love the "practical application" aspect of this. Thank you very much. Top quality demonstration and explanation. Cheers!
This was a great video, there are some rough contemporary spanish sources. A few decades before Hutton but Jaime Merelo y Casademunt's treatise on the saber addresses this topic! In his book he delivers his fundamentals of saber fencing but he goes on to have 3 interesting sections at the end of his treatise. He covers the spanish sword/foil vs saber , he covers the saber vs bayonet, and finally the saber vs short weapons mentioning the Spanish experiences in North Africa and the Philippine Archipelago. He has a series of rules he lays out and mentions how he would fence with shorter weapons so that a student would know what strategies would be employed against them. He also mentions that grappling is an essential part and that its something best learned in the salle rather than in a book. Similarly Maestro Roman Punzalan Zapata covers his take on the spanish sword vs machetes, lances, and knives.
Great information! Any youtube video showcasing the Spaniard's take of battlefield use of the saber? It will be much appreciated! Or Mr. Easton is welcome to create one. :)
Very good point. I'm currently reading the book you are talking about (the english translation by Jakelsy). The part talking about knifes is interesting. Too bad it's a bit short. I was planning a class with my students about it (i teach military saber from Roworth mainly, and a bit of Merelo atm). Some parts are a bit too incomplete : he says for exemple to use your offhand for parrying, but does not explain how. I was planning to fill the void with a few krav maga / self defense techniques because that's something i know, but i'm also trying to find other knife fighting sources at the moment. If you got any pointers, feel free to share :) I'll look up that Punzalan dude ;)
@@JeremyRoyaux I’ve experimented with it but it comes with my background with other things and isn’t necessarily what Merelo intended which is just how interpretation works with HEMA lol we have separate baggage to Merelo. Imo I wouldn’t over think it. Punzalan Zapata isn’t in English (well I have a semi edited translation I’ve done) but I can share the bits on dissimilar weapons.
@@wildyracing1 I don’t think so, I could give it a go at creating one but it might be a little bit. Would need to bug a friend or two and refresh my knowledge on his specific advice.
Hello, Mr. Easton. A friend of mine directed me towards this particular video of yours, and I appreciate how you show the techniques first in slow motion several times, THEN at the chaotic full-speed several times. (Your method of HOW to educate viewers is as worthwhile as the subject matter.) Second, at around 08:50 minutes, you said, "In some cases, these things will just HAPPEN over the course of the fight." I agree! There are times in aikido classes where any student might be thinking, "Why are we practicing these elaborate, precise movements in class when IRL the odds of us contorting a chaotic mugger into this configuration is between slim and none when it's all coming at us too fast?" Some aikido techniques are more akin to: if we practice it enough times over enough years, eventually we recognize in a split-second when the assailant is in the proper position for us to use the technique. If we had scoffed at learning the technique and hadn't practiced it, the opportunities wouldn't be visible or available to us in the middle of a flurry of violence. Your mentioning of, "In some cases, these things will just HAPPEN over the course of the fight," strongly brought that to mind.
I'm sure I read/heard somewhere that the British view of the Choora as a chopping/cutting weapon was a form of selection bias. Doctors were treating cut wounds, but not stab wounds and so assumed it was a cutting weapon. However anybody stabbed by a choora was going straight to the burial detail and not being seen or recorded by the Doctors.
You could say they are recognizing that you can't expect your opponent in war to fight you on your terms. Therefore you must adapt how you fight (whether individually or as a whole army) to the war you're in. Not doing this has lost many a war over the course of history.
The US military recognized this after Vietnam. The Air Force instituted "Dissimilar Air Combat" training using jets that had performance envelopes closer to Migs. The Army created the incredibly elaborate National Training Center, where an entire military unit was trained to fight according to Soviet doctrine and act as a freestyle opposing force for visiting units.
I especially enjoyed discussion of use of the pommel, and the apparent tradeoff between the fastest possible instant response vs the option of a slightly slower but likely more deadly strike, either point or more devastating cut.
Probably not useful in my daily life, but very enjoyable. Changes in any system after analysis are always fun to me. Since there is currently very little growth in swordmanship from use, I sometimes get the idea that what I see presented was BEST, rather than another stage in development. Thanks for this.
Thanks Matt I enjoyed that one. I can imagine that being very useful to young gentleman and when reading historical accounts of battles I can see how this instruction was used .
Both the footwork as well as the sickle-like motions of those defences bear a striking resemblance to Okinawa-style Karate. I am thinking of Uechi Ryu or Gojo Ryu . Great video, cheers🙂
I think this would be a pretty difficult situation for the swordsman without a shield. These seem more like emergency techniques where you’re hoping the enemy over commits on the cut. I don’t think they are invalid, more like you’re trying to make the best of a bad situation.
I don't really disagree, the swordsman with a shield has an advantage (well if you ignore revolvers and pistols). But the moment you get a good grab on their sword arm, the advantage now swings to the sabreur. Once grabbed, the shield guy is in big trouble.
This is an incredible video! More of this Matt! If you want to break down sword systems in this way, (commentary over video examples) I would want to watch as many videos of that as you could make!
many different grips in the shinkage-ryu marobashikai where the interaction of two opponents dressed in armor is considered. therefore, they do not cut with a sword, but use it to overcome the distance and various ways of knocking an opponent to the ground. At the same time, both the impact of the sword of the performer of the technique on the body of the opponent along its weak vectors and lines, as well as various kinds of levers and tacks are used. in fact, this is a technical analogue of European fencing books on the theme of a two-handed or one and a half sword, but in the form of a living tradition and not speculative reconstructions
@@scholagladiatoria is a traditional Japanese school of old martial arts. As a rule, sparring and competitions are not held in such schools. The documents of the school contain information that once such a practice took place. At present, in Japan, the technique is studied by the method of formal kata repetitions. Unlike the Japanese, I do randori (free fights) with my comrades.
Great video, one critique is that its very obvious the "attacker" is not putting full force into the swing. With forward momentum on a swing they should easily be pushing the blocking blade, but in all these videos the attackers blade stops basically dead as soon as it makes contact with the attackers sword. This would definitely change some of these subtly as the 'defenders' balance will be different by trying to hold back the momentum of the 'attackers' sabre.
I disagree. The 'attacker' is performing full force cuts. Properly executed parries with a sabre will stop the hardest hits. If you parry with the weak of the blade then certainly the blade can be pushed but parries using the forte are rock solid.
What an excellent video. Thank you so much, Matt. It is fascinating to see how swords were really used in relatable battle. I'm sorry, I love the medieval content you do, but this more modern look was just great.
Modern swordsmanship is more interesting than ancient or medieval swordsmanship, at least in a military context. They were generally far more martial contests, and far more bloody and lethal, since armor and shields were seldom used in the modern era. Swords before the modern era are mostly just tools to accomplish some kind of specialized purpose.
Very interesting as always. I am always surprised to hear the Khyber Knife was primarily a cutting weapon, but you have mentioned British army medical reports confirming this in one of your earlier videos. The ones I have handled have a rigid spine and would make powerful thrusting weapons; I wonder if those records have survivorship bias-- the soldiers who were stabbed instead of slashed didn't make it to the doctor?
Yeah, pretty obviously the Tribesmen didn't decline the opportunity "Well, I COULD have stabbed him in the armpit before he had fully turn to me, but this is a slashing weapon it says so in ALL of the literature after all, there were Foreigners watching, wouldn't want them to think I was a noob".
That's exactly what i thought since triangular make unstichable wounds, imagine a spined knife of that size! Only way you could possibly survive an encounter with it is by being slashed!
Late reply of course but some were used for thrusting, but that is a quality difference of the weapon in question, a lot of the cheaper knives would be “soft”
I disagree that all european martial arts held the bucklers at arm's length exclusively. Marrozzo himself says it's ideal but not strictly neccessary. Also most brassards (anti-grappling tournament armor that locks the arm in place) have the arms at a half-bend. In addition, KDF and non i.33 sword and buckler has the buckler as close as the indian fencer in the dreyschlang video as a resting guard, only going further as a reactive response (bucklers are a reactive defense after all).
I googled "battlefield sabre techniques" yesterday and was met with a dearth of practical info. A lotta "light saber" nonsense. Yeah. Anyway, saw a Scholagladiatoria notification this afternoon and, lo! Ask and yea shall receive. Thanks, Matt!
Lovely presentation, we are working with a local Scottish broadsword school due to similar interests. Your mate was cutting a bit more in the European fashion which I suppose is fine for the demonstration. But it would be cool to see it done more from the shoulder while spilling forwards. It might actually make the advice a bit more advantageous actually
Nice Wrap at 7:24 followed by a draw. Amazing how practical it is even with a saber. It will also work to the back of leg to hamstring somebody. People who have never executed any of these cuts are going to come along and say it's not a wrap. Unless you regularly use back edge cuts you don't know what a wrap is and how flexible and versatile it is. 7:24 " inspired by earlier sources" 🙂
The wars between the Danish vs North English were the earliest example of the behind the knee or leg attacking technique as far as I have heard of. The protection armour, interlocking chain armour, was vulnerable to the early Danes. The mercilessly aggressive Danish were trouble. This period was within the 13th, 14th century.
Amazing stuff! I was always amazed at Hutton's research into older swordplay. Is it too much to call him the "Father of HEMA"? Love the practical demonstrations.
As someone who practice sabers, that use hammer grip and blows with power of whole arm I can say that paring powerful strikes with lite saber and a this gentle grip is much difficult than it looks
There is, or used to be, a YT clip of an Indian martial artist using a sword (tulwar) and a spiked buckler. The buckler was employed as a stabbing weapon, punching the opponent with the spike, while the swords were bound.
Yes that would certainly make the buckler more dangerous, though once the sword arm is grabbed, the free sword is still going to be cutting and stabbing a lot, and is more agile than a buckler.
@@scholagladiatoria I can't find the clip, which is frustrating. I recall what struck me - no pun intended - was that the sword was employed as a very dangerous distraction that had to be honored, while the buckler was revealed to be the threat that finished the match.
This is a very well written and presented video, at least from my perspective. I like to consider myself a quick learner, but I have very limited experience with HEMA, most of it in longsword and basic European sabre and I found the information contained within easy to understand and - if I wished - implement to start learning these techniques. Which, as an aside, strike me as eminently practical, particularly given the role of an officer in combat of the period and the likely opponents. Someone else commented that these seemed like desperation moves, as a buckler armed opponent has a considerable advantage, and I would somewhat agree - but the shield / blade armed swordsman has to reach engagement range through firearm fire, making these situations either applicable in surprise engagements, or in the closing elements of more conventional engagements - at least, I would assume that, without knowledge of the Afghan war of the day - and those situations are by their nature desperate and bloody.
Basically yes, which is why if you're armed with a sword and revolver, once the revolver is empty and you still have opponents, you have to train specific techniques to try and even the balance.
It kind of reminded me of some of the ideas that I saw in a demonstration of the Shawnee (Native American tribe) martial arts. Seizing with the off hand, grapples, using the tomahawk to first hook and then coming back around to strike with it.
Thank you for this video, we are working on alot of these movments currently with my group, grapples are a very fun technique and should be used more often I think in sparring and tournaments.
In fact this of course was the main recourse of British officers, with 5 and 6 shot revolvers... but in war those 5 or 6 shots would be gone fairly quickly and with multiple enemies the sword does not run out of ammo.
Rob Roy movie shows I think well what a dandy can do. It’s one of the best sword fighting scenes in all movies. Lots of contemporaries might look at him and laugh. But he was a rock star of the day and lethal. They practiced daily for hours and they fought dirty. Grappling an equal is one thing. But someone like a master would not allow you to close without obliging you with serious injury or death. Also if it’s life or death the stakes and mistakes are many. To remain calm in those situations is where the training comes in.
@scholagladitoria - which system do you like better Hutton's Cold Steel/The Swordsman or JM Waite/Bushman? I am curious how you compare Hutton and Waite
Not to disparage this at all - these are effective techniques - but this kind of parry followed by open hand grappling and then counterattacking are techniques I was taught in the first year of studying Eskrima. Because Eskrima swordsmanship involves mainly short swords and knives (there is some saber), grappling the enemy's limbs is very common, very fast, and usually results in a quick exchanges of grapples, counter-grapples, close range strikes or other similar maneuvers (including a lot of open hand blade deflection against the flat of the blade, or outright grasping - usually the false edge). Considering that Eskrima was influenced by Spanish swordsmanship, it's not surprising. but nice to see the same ideas appearing/being discovered elsewhere. Eskrima continues to develop to this day alongside modern weapons (in other words, firearms) and if you know the roots and can follow along the development paths of its various schools, you can find a lot of history in there.
I wonder if the French sabre manual involving scabbard-parries has anything to do with the French involvement in the Boshin War? Do Vietnamese and Chinese swordsmanship involve scabbard-parrying?
I personally don't know anything about Judo, but people who do can definitely use that to their advantage. Usually people will be hesitant to do that sort of thing since it could lead to injuries, but I got to know someone with Judo training who very much enjoyed closing in to grapple. I'm not sure how much of what she did was strictly related to Judo, but she did occasionally inform me that I should put my weight somewhere else.
Matt, with your extensive reading, experimentation, and experience the HEMA world would greatly benefit from you authoring some kind of fighting manual in modern language-- not so much a history lesson as a practical textbook. A separate volume describing and summarizing historical sources techniques would also be extremely interesting. Edit: while I’m planning out your time for you, please make something that doesn’t look like crap on a kindle.
@@scholagladiatoria Well, this is perhaps a case of knowing too much: how does one select the very best approach out of all the old treatises, and what about the source materials you haven't read and will likely never read? Analysis paralysis. What if you lowered the bar a bit though: from Fiore to Hollywood? Instead of a Magnum Opus, what would you write if you only had 30 pages to keep someone alive... or only 10 pages... or only 3 pages? Finally, let out a sigh of relief when you realize that you're not actually responsible for keeping anyone alive, because no one these days walks around wearing a sword expecting to settle a dispute with another so armed. Rather, your primary audience is likely people who own some wall hangers and maybe cut a few water bottles on occasion, but otherwise draw a complete blank when they hold a sword and would like to have some idea of how to go about thinking about how to use it. Either the book is intriguing enough to get them to join a HEMA school, or it's a fascinating glimpse; both outcomes are a success. Mull it over, anyways.
@@scholagladiatoria, age is corrosive. You have a wonderful store of knowledge and experience and it would be a shame if a lifetimes work is lost after you pass on. Better to get it down on paper now than to wait until your declining years. Besides, all the greats wrote books. Without them there would be no HEMA. Join the Great Conversation and help progress the art.
Thanks for another great video, this was the video I was looking for when I found the video where you talk about pistol. This is exactly what I was after and answers very well some thought and questions I was having in my own mind. I was interested you mention a French system that includes the use of the scabbard, as this was also a train of thought I was having in my mind, could you name the source so I can find it. Interesting what you said about small sword and 133. I will get hold of these. As I am realy more interested in the use of Saber on the battlefield, as like you said combative. Going to try this out with a friend. Thanks again for the Great insight. Dan.
The tank general, General Patton, had a looong career. He started as a cavalry officer. Designed the last official for combat use sword. Held the unique title "Master of the Sword". Bronze in the Olympics. I heard a rumor of a short manual for cavalry by him from this time before WWI but can't research this point. I have seen a return showing 40,000 of this pattern sword in the far east in 1940: 18,000 cut down and issued as machetes in the Philippines.
You were saying that the prevailing use of polwa [?] was for a chopping blow. I was wondering if the prevailing technique was more of a slicing manoeuvre as part of a larger combination of blows?
We do unarmoured sparring on a weekly bases with blunt olimpic fencing sabres usually towards to the end of our regural HEMA session. I would say one needs huge balls to attempt a wrist grab / grip in a situation where sharps and no armour involved. Great video though.
That barren nugget of yours is an invitation to every full-blooded swordsman for some powerful head seperating , with any appropriate blade , saber or not !
Like how when they're going full contact the shield user doesn't just let himself be manipulated. You can see he struggles when his arm is grabbed and uses the shield to evercome and block the counter several times. Vary good techniques.
11:12 _cut to the outside leg_ -- riposte shown delivers it 'orthodox' stepping to the outside (less power); to follow through on the initial intent to grapple at 11:10 the defender would need to commit to _stepping inside_ into 'southpaw' simultaneous to the offender's strike to deny the wrist rotation upwards seen at 11:12 , the leading thigh of the defender at 11:27 follows the parry in and acts as the pivot for the hips swinging the trailing left leg to bring the grapple into play. Per 11:33 the offender is blind to whatever you follow up with your left hand (a hook to the liver is tempting) and should be bound sufficiently to transition to a thrust to the thorax or their inner leading thigh. Bowling them over entirely while off balance in the 2-4 oclock area while delivering the thrust may be preferable to dealing with their shield upright should they recover. These are demonstrations of course, but many of these presuppose a passive buckler or a shield too large to be dexterous on the counter and not checking to the head for a double strike exchange.
i quite like to have a bind established with their sword on the right side of mine (held in my right hand, theres in their right hand), letting my sword then rotate along their on that connection point. my sword is now in prim with the point down and their sword is on the left of mine. i grab their wrist, slide the guard to their fort, and then push against the fort. the group should come out of their hand from the pinky first. if it doesn’t work, you can still stab them or whatever.
I understand why fencing specific manuals don't teach these techniques but I agree fighting is more sloppy than we like admit. For example I like they're not afraid to strike instead of cutting or thrusting with the sword. Yes, cutting and thrusting is more lethal but if someone leaves themselves unprotected what's stopping me from punching them or tripping them.
A major flaw in the instruction is that when you step in to grab your opponent's sword arm, they will almost certainly continue to step to the left, and at the same deliver a hard punch to the face with their buckler.
I found it surprising when I was first learning HEMA, how many groups didn't address the "grab and control the opponent's sword arm" option. I've since learned that many groups trained (and some still do) from duelling-focused manuals and texts, and the rules of those systems are the reason why. Not all systems barred the use of such techniques, and some did so only incidentally by enforcing that you fight with weapons which keep both hands full, but the texts about how to fight in styles where this kind of action wasn't permitted, are obviously not going to include them. Training for such duels could potentially become a liability in a real fight though, similar to how training in a striking-exclusive unarmed martial art puts you at a disadvantage if your opponent can get through your initial few strikes and turn the fight into a grappling match.
What manner of cleaning and oiling regiment do you suppose warriors who brandished swords had to have undergone for proper maintenance of their blades?
Interesting material. Matt you mentioned that you think there are better sources to draw from than Silver for this- it would be interesting to see you expound.
Yes that could be an interesting topic to cover. I don't think Silver's grips and closes are bad, but these sorts of techniques are given more attention and shown with pictures in other sources which Hutton simply didn't have access to. For example Lecküchner or lots of rapier sources.
Don't the Bolognese sources contain grips? I think Hutton had access to Bologness sources or at least Marozzos work. Also don't the Stage Gladiator sources also touch on grips a little? Lekuchner is a cool source but it's bloated with some pretty impractical stuff. Silver even though lacking pics is much more straightforward and practical imo.
hi there, i am wanting to get into buying antique swords and have been looking for some cheap munitions grade tulwars to restore and start a collection, but wherever i look it is nothing but overpriced rusted out pieces of junk! for example on ebay just the handles alone were listed at $300 nzd (150 pound sterling) while being so pitted it looked like it was going to fall apart. please i need some help knowing where to start buying, wherever i look it is nothing but $1000 broken down swords that were clearly listed by people who think because its old it MUST be ultra valuable. any help will be appreciated, thanks.
I like how we say of Hutton's age that they dismissed everything before them, and basically gave the Middle Ages a bad rep. Meanwhile Hutton is looking at Medieval and Renaissance manuals to become better swordsmen.
I love it that you guys also used full speed in demonstrations!
Yes, use slower movements and pauses to clearly explain the technique, but also show how it might look in actual use, preferably against a resisting opponent!
Excellent. Great presentation. I love the "practical application" aspect of this. Thank you very much. Top quality demonstration and explanation. Cheers!
This was a great video, there are some rough contemporary spanish sources. A few decades before Hutton but Jaime Merelo y Casademunt's treatise on the saber addresses this topic! In his book he delivers his fundamentals of saber fencing but he goes on to have 3 interesting sections at the end of his treatise. He covers the spanish sword/foil vs saber , he covers the saber vs bayonet, and finally the saber vs short weapons mentioning the Spanish experiences in North Africa and the Philippine Archipelago. He has a series of rules he lays out and mentions how he would fence with shorter weapons so that a student would know what strategies would be employed against them. He also mentions that grappling is an essential part and that its something best learned in the salle rather than in a book.
Similarly Maestro Roman Punzalan Zapata covers his take on the spanish sword vs machetes, lances, and knives.
Great information! Any youtube video showcasing the Spaniard's take of battlefield use of the saber? It will be much appreciated! Or Mr. Easton is welcome to create one. :)
Very good point. I'm currently reading the book you are talking about (the english translation by Jakelsy). The part talking about knifes is interesting. Too bad it's a bit short. I was planning a class with my students about it (i teach military saber from Roworth mainly, and a bit of Merelo atm). Some parts are a bit too incomplete : he says for exemple to use your offhand for parrying, but does not explain how. I was planning to fill the void with a few krav maga / self defense techniques because that's something i know, but i'm also trying to find other knife fighting sources at the moment. If you got any pointers, feel free to share :) I'll look up that Punzalan dude ;)
@@JeremyRoyaux I’ve experimented with it but it comes with my background with other things and isn’t necessarily what Merelo intended which is just how interpretation works with HEMA lol we have separate baggage to Merelo. Imo I wouldn’t over think it.
Punzalan Zapata isn’t in English (well I have a semi edited translation I’ve done) but I can share the bits on dissimilar weapons.
@@wildyracing1 I don’t think so, I could give it a go at creating one but it might be a little bit. Would need to bug a friend or two and refresh my knowledge on his specific advice.
@@matthewlawrence7056 That sounds great! Keep my fingers crossed to see it.
Hello, Mr. Easton. A friend of mine directed me towards this particular video of yours, and I appreciate how you show the techniques first in slow motion several times, THEN at the chaotic full-speed several times. (Your method of HOW to educate viewers is as worthwhile as the subject matter.)
Second, at around 08:50 minutes, you said, "In some cases, these things will just HAPPEN over the course of the fight." I agree! There are times in aikido classes where any student might be thinking, "Why are we practicing these elaborate, precise movements in class when IRL the odds of us contorting a chaotic mugger into this configuration is between slim and none when it's all coming at us too fast?"
Some aikido techniques are more akin to: if we practice it enough times over enough years, eventually we recognize in a split-second when the assailant is in the proper position for us to use the technique. If we had scoffed at learning the technique and hadn't practiced it, the opportunities wouldn't be visible or available to us in the middle of a flurry of violence.
Your mentioning of, "In some cases, these things will just HAPPEN over the course of the fight," strongly brought that to mind.
Its good that Hutton combined other martial arts with it
I'm sure I read/heard somewhere that the British view of the Choora as a chopping/cutting weapon was a form of selection bias. Doctors were treating cut wounds, but not stab wounds and so assumed it was a cutting weapon. However anybody stabbed by a choora was going straight to the burial detail and not being seen or recorded by the Doctors.
It happened before. Survivor's mistake.
You could say they are recognizing that you can't expect your opponent in war to fight you on your terms. Therefore you must adapt how you fight (whether individually or as a whole army) to the war you're in. Not doing this has lost many a war over the course of history.
Annoyingly, the enemy also gets a say in how any battle progresses.
The US military recognized this after Vietnam. The Air Force instituted "Dissimilar Air Combat" training using jets that had performance envelopes closer to Migs. The Army created the incredibly elaborate National Training Center, where an entire military unit was trained to fight according to Soviet doctrine and act as a freestyle opposing force for visiting units.
I especially enjoyed discussion of use of the pommel, and the apparent tradeoff between the fastest possible instant response vs the option of a slightly slower but likely more deadly strike, either point or more devastating cut.
I watched this when it premiered during Dreynevent. Thank you for bringing it up again. This is simply great.
The original video was very well presented. I love the demonstrations of "battlefield fencing" involving grappling and free hand manipulations!
Probably not useful in my daily life, but very enjoyable. Changes in any system after analysis are always fun to me. Since there is currently very little growth in swordmanship from use, I sometimes get the idea that what I see presented was BEST, rather than another stage in development. Thanks for this.
I gotta read more of these books
Matt Easton, you're the best. Thank you for your earnest dedication.
Thanks Matt I enjoyed that one. I can imagine that being very useful to young gentleman and when reading historical accounts of battles I can see how this instruction was used .
Hey, we did the exact same thing with Marozzo, Fiore and Leckuchner. I recognize those movements and actions. Grab, twist and strike.
This improves my faith and love for HEMA.
Thank you for covering this, Mr. Easton. I anticipate more coverage of this topic with electric enthusiasm.
Both the footwork as well as the sickle-like motions of those defences bear a striking resemblance to Okinawa-style Karate. I am thinking of Uechi Ryu or Gojo Ryu . Great video, cheers🙂
Fascinating video. Interesting to hear about guys still developing combat styles right up until the weapons become obsolete.
I think this would be a pretty difficult situation for the swordsman without a shield. These seem more like emergency techniques where you’re hoping the enemy over commits on the cut. I don’t think they are invalid, more like you’re trying to make the best of a bad situation.
I don't really disagree, the swordsman with a shield has an advantage (well if you ignore revolvers and pistols). But the moment you get a good grab on their sword arm, the advantage now swings to the sabreur. Once grabbed, the shield guy is in big trouble.
incredible, thanks for the opportunity to copy and work around
This is an incredible video! More of this Matt! If you want to break down sword systems in this way, (commentary over video examples) I would want to watch as many videos of that as you could make!
thanks Matt, been hunting for this for weeks
Matt Easton, you're the best. Thank you for your earnest dedication.. Its good that Hutton combined other martial arts with it.
many different grips in the shinkage-ryu marobashikai where the interaction of two opponents dressed in armor is considered. therefore, they do not cut with a sword, but use it to overcome the distance and various ways of knocking an opponent to the ground. At the same time, both the impact of the sword of the performer of the technique on the body of the opponent along its weak vectors and lines, as well as various kinds of levers and tacks are used. in fact, this is a technical analogue of European fencing books on the theme of a two-handed or one and a half sword, but in the form of a living tradition and not speculative reconstructions
That's great. Do they spar and compete?
@@scholagladiatoria is a traditional Japanese school of old martial arts. As a rule, sparring and competitions are not held in such schools. The documents of the school contain information that once such a practice took place. At present, in Japan, the technique is studied by the method of formal kata repetitions. Unlike the Japanese, I do randori (free fights) with my comrades.
That was all really interesting, thank you for making that available to us! ^_^
Dude this was awesome!
Great video, one critique is that its very obvious the "attacker" is not putting full force into the swing. With forward momentum on a swing they should easily be pushing the blocking blade, but in all these videos the attackers blade stops basically dead as soon as it makes contact with the attackers sword. This would definitely change some of these subtly as the 'defenders' balance will be different by trying to hold back the momentum of the 'attackers' sabre.
These aren't heavy swords and the opponent is likely a small brown tribal person, so probably perfectly valid.
I disagree. The 'attacker' is performing full force cuts. Properly executed parries with a sabre will stop the hardest hits. If you parry with the weak of the blade then certainly the blade can be pushed but parries using the forte are rock solid.
@@chaimafaghet7343 valid.....till they still lost their empire to "small brown tribal people" lol
@@derigel7662 Their empire was lost to international finance. The browns didn't do shit.
@@chaimafaghet7343 wow thats racist as shit ty imma report that
What an excellent video. Thank you so much, Matt. It is fascinating to see how swords were really used in relatable battle. I'm sorry, I love the medieval content you do, but this more modern look was just great.
Modern swordsmanship is more interesting than ancient or medieval swordsmanship, at least in a military context. They were generally far more martial contests, and far more bloody and lethal, since armor and shields were seldom used in the modern era. Swords before the modern era are mostly just tools to accomplish some kind of specialized purpose.
Very interesting as always. I am always surprised to hear the Khyber Knife was primarily a cutting weapon, but you have mentioned British army medical reports confirming this in one of your earlier videos. The ones I have handled have a rigid spine and would make powerful thrusting weapons; I wonder if those records have survivorship bias-- the soldiers who were stabbed instead of slashed didn't make it to the doctor?
Yeah, pretty obviously the Tribesmen didn't decline the opportunity "Well, I COULD have stabbed him in the armpit before he had fully turn to me, but
this is a slashing weapon
it says so in ALL of the literature after all, there were Foreigners watching, wouldn't want them to think I was a noob".
That's exactly what i thought since triangular make unstichable wounds, imagine a spined knife of that size! Only way you could possibly survive an encounter with it is by being slashed!
Late reply of course but some were used for thrusting, but that is a quality difference of the weapon in question, a lot of the cheaper knives would be “soft”
I disagree that all european martial arts held the bucklers at arm's length exclusively. Marrozzo himself says it's ideal but not strictly neccessary. Also most brassards (anti-grappling tournament armor that locks the arm in place) have the arms at a half-bend. In addition, KDF and non i.33 sword and buckler has the buckler as close as the indian fencer in the dreyschlang video as a resting guard, only going further as a reactive response (bucklers are a reactive defense after all).
Easton didn't use the words "all European Martial Arts" or "exclusively" and IMO they weren't implied.
You are disagreeing with a strawman argument, that Matt didn't make. Congrats to you and the dittoheads that upvoted your comment.
I didn't say they did 😊
These videos are awesome! It's cool to know more about swordsmanship. I don't want to just go to my nearby hema class and only learn about long sword.
I googled "battlefield sabre techniques" yesterday and was met with a dearth of practical info. A lotta "light saber" nonsense. Yeah. Anyway, saw a Scholagladiatoria notification this afternoon and, lo! Ask and yea shall receive. Thanks, Matt!
Fascinating and important work.
Matt you're a legend ❤
GREAT video - more like please ! I look forward to part 2 where you talk about the better alternatives you alluded to.
Fantastic video! Great analysis; thank you.
Onlineschlag event was amazing, hope I wish wish they continued the project even though lockdowns are over
Great video. Very informative. ⚔
Lovely presentation, we are working with a local Scottish broadsword school due to similar interests. Your mate was cutting a bit more in the European fashion which I suppose is fine for the demonstration. But it would be cool to see it done more from the shoulder while spilling forwards. It might actually make the advice a bit more advantageous actually
That's a very fair comment
Nice Wrap at 7:24 followed by a draw. Amazing how practical it is even with a saber.
It will also work to the back of leg to hamstring somebody.
People who have never executed any of these cuts are going to come along and say it's not a wrap. Unless you regularly use back edge cuts you don't know what a wrap is and how flexible and versatile it is. 7:24
" inspired by earlier sources" 🙂
That was a really interesting video! Thanks Matt! Lots of what I see here is similar to the way we do fencing in Quebec's Scrimicie
You have no idea, how helpful this video is with some fight sceans I've been struggling to write... ❤ You channel 😺🐈👍.
I feel so grateful for your content great stuff, I will try to incorporate these techniques with my combatives, thank you.
Behold, the origin of all modern military martial arts!
Intriguing. I'm Fascinated by sword work. Liked it!
The wars between the Danish vs North English were the earliest example of the behind the knee or leg attacking technique as far as I have heard of. The protection armour, interlocking chain armour, was vulnerable to the early Danes. The mercilessly aggressive Danish were trouble. This period was within the 13th, 14th century.
I'd love to see the reaction video of a HEMA guy specialised in renaissance techniques.
Amazing stuff! I was always amazed at Hutton's research into older swordplay. Is it too much to call him the "Father of HEMA"? Love the practical demonstrations.
What I find interesting is that the ability to use the hand seems more advantageous than to have a buckler.
It's "top gun" training (dissimilar combat training) for swords.
Thank you for the video it was very informative and entertaining ⚔️
Awesome video; very interesting. It would be awesome if you expanded and showed modern-day options for these types of attacks.
As someone who practice sabers, that use hammer grip and blows with power of whole arm I can say that paring powerful strikes with lite saber and a this gentle grip is much difficult than it looks
There is, or used to be, a YT clip of an Indian martial artist using a sword (tulwar) and a spiked buckler. The buckler was employed as a stabbing weapon, punching the opponent with the spike, while the swords were bound.
Yes that would certainly make the buckler more dangerous, though once the sword arm is grabbed, the free sword is still going to be cutting and stabbing a lot, and is more agile than a buckler.
@@scholagladiatoria I can't find the clip, which is frustrating. I recall what struck me - no pun intended - was that the sword was employed as a very dangerous distraction that had to be honored, while the buckler was revealed to be the threat that finished the match.
This is a very well written and presented video, at least from my perspective. I like to consider myself a quick learner, but I have very limited experience with HEMA, most of it in longsword and basic European sabre and I found the information contained within easy to understand and - if I wished - implement to start learning these techniques.
Which, as an aside, strike me as eminently practical, particularly given the role of an officer in combat of the period and the likely opponents. Someone else commented that these seemed like desperation moves, as a buckler armed opponent has a considerable advantage, and I would somewhat agree - but the shield / blade armed swordsman has to reach engagement range through firearm fire, making these situations either applicable in surprise engagements, or in the closing elements of more conventional engagements - at least, I would assume that, without knowledge of the Afghan war of the day - and those situations are by their nature desperate and bloody.
Does the person with the buckler have an advantage if they are equally skilled?
Basically yes, which is why if you're armed with a sword and revolver, once the revolver is empty and you still have opponents, you have to train specific techniques to try and even the balance.
It kind of reminded me of some of the ideas that I saw in a demonstration of the Shawnee (Native American tribe) martial arts. Seizing with the off hand, grapples, using the tomahawk to first hook and then coming back around to strike with it.
And remember to always restomp that groin.
Thank you for this video, we are working on alot of these movments currently with my group, grapples are a very fun technique and should be used more often I think in sparring and tournaments.
Indiana Jones knows how to end a swordsman quickly
In fact this of course was the main recourse of British officers, with 5 and 6 shot revolvers... but in war those 5 or 6 shots would be gone fairly quickly and with multiple enemies the sword does not run out of ammo.
That head is nicely shaved and polished. Customers will know you maintain your blades well
Again, tshirts of greatness! Do you have any bad ones? No!
Rob Roy movie shows I think well what a dandy can do. It’s one of the best sword fighting scenes in all movies.
Lots of contemporaries might look at him and laugh. But he was a rock star of the day and lethal. They practiced daily for hours and they fought dirty.
Grappling an equal is one thing. But someone like a master would not allow you to close without obliging you with serious injury or death.
Also if it’s life or death the stakes and mistakes are many. To remain calm in those situations is where the training comes in.
More techniques to add to my toolkit, yippee!
@scholagladitoria - which system do you like better Hutton's Cold Steel/The Swordsman or JM Waite/Bushman? I am curious how you compare Hutton and Waite
Not to disparage this at all - these are effective techniques - but this kind of parry followed by open hand grappling and then counterattacking are techniques I was taught in the first year of studying Eskrima. Because Eskrima swordsmanship involves mainly short swords and knives (there is some saber), grappling the enemy's limbs is very common, very fast, and usually results in a quick exchanges of grapples, counter-grapples, close range strikes or other similar maneuvers (including a lot of open hand blade deflection against the flat of the blade, or outright grasping - usually the false edge). Considering that Eskrima was influenced by Spanish swordsmanship, it's not surprising. but nice to see the same ideas appearing/being discovered elsewhere. Eskrima continues to develop to this day alongside modern weapons (in other words, firearms) and if you know the roots and can follow along the development paths of its various schools, you can find a lot of history in there.
I really enjoyed this video.
I wonder if the French sabre manual involving scabbard-parries has anything to do with the French involvement in the Boshin War? Do Vietnamese and Chinese swordsmanship involve scabbard-parrying?
I started Judo in 1967 and taught it for a couple of decades, I see all kinds of foot sweeps available., I wonder if anyone in HEMA utilize this art?
I personally don't know anything about Judo, but people who do can definitely use that to their advantage. Usually people will be hesitant to do that sort of thing since it could lead to injuries, but I got to know someone with Judo training who very much enjoyed closing in to grapple. I'm not sure how much of what she did was strictly related to Judo, but she did occasionally inform me that I should put my weight somewhere else.
Matt, with your extensive reading, experimentation, and experience the HEMA world would greatly benefit from you authoring some kind of fighting manual in modern language-- not so much a history lesson as a practical textbook. A separate volume describing and summarizing historical sources techniques would also be extremely interesting.
Edit: while I’m planning out your time for you, please make something that doesn’t look like crap on a kindle.
I don't really feel qualified to. I feel like the older I get, the more I find I don't know.
@@scholagladiatoria Well, this is perhaps a case of knowing too much: how does one select the very best approach out of all the old treatises, and what about the source materials you haven't read and will likely never read? Analysis paralysis. What if you lowered the bar a bit though: from Fiore to Hollywood? Instead of a Magnum Opus, what would you write if you only had 30 pages to keep someone alive... or only 10 pages... or only 3 pages? Finally, let out a sigh of relief when you realize that you're not actually responsible for keeping anyone alive, because no one these days walks around wearing a sword expecting to settle a dispute with another so armed. Rather, your primary audience is likely people who own some wall hangers and maybe cut a few water bottles on occasion, but otherwise draw a complete blank when they hold a sword and would like to have some idea of how to go about thinking about how to use it. Either the book is intriguing enough to get them to join a HEMA school, or it's a fascinating glimpse; both outcomes are a success. Mull it over, anyways.
@@scholagladiatoria, age is corrosive. You have a wonderful store of knowledge and experience and it would be a shame if a lifetimes work is lost after you pass on. Better to get it down on paper now than to wait until your declining years. Besides, all the greats wrote books. Without them there would be no HEMA. Join the Great Conversation and help progress the art.
You know more than I do :)
Thanks for another great video, this was the video I was looking for when I found the video where you talk about pistol. This is exactly what I was after and answers very well some thought and questions I was having in my own mind. I was interested you mention a French system that includes the use of the scabbard, as this was also a train of thought I was having in my mind, could you name the source so I can find it. Interesting what you said about small sword and 133. I will get hold of these. As I am realy more interested in the use of Saber on the battlefield, as like you said combative. Going to try this out with a friend. Thanks again for the Great insight. Dan.
I brought a Sabre when I deployed to a combat zone. Semper Fidelis!
Outstanding!!!!!
The tank general, General Patton, had a looong career. He started as a cavalry officer. Designed the last official for combat use sword. Held the unique title "Master of the Sword". Bronze in the Olympics. I heard a rumor of a short manual for cavalry by him from this time before WWI but can't research this point. I have seen a return showing 40,000 of this pattern sword in the far east in 1940: 18,000 cut down and issued as machetes in the Philippines.
Patton wrote an official manual in 1914 and also published his "Diary of an instructor in Swordsmanship"
Thank You!@@S.A.M.S.2017
Reminds me of the movie Rob Roy, the dueling scene at the end, saber versus rapier.
You were saying that the prevailing use of polwa [?] was for a chopping blow.
I was wondering if the prevailing technique was more of a slicing manoeuvre as part of a larger combination of blows?
Or am I being too pedantic here?
We do unarmoured sparring on a weekly bases with blunt olimpic fencing sabres usually towards to the end of our regural HEMA session. I would say one needs huge balls to attempt a wrist grab / grip in a situation where sharps and no armour involved. Great video though.
Do anybody has a link or PDF for the book/ Appendix. I could not find anything.
That barren nugget of yours is an invitation to every full-blooded swordsman for some powerful head seperating , with any appropriate blade , saber or not !
Fantastic!
Like how when they're going full contact the shield user doesn't just let himself be manipulated. You can see he struggles when his arm is grabbed and uses the shield to evercome and block the counter several times. Vary good techniques.
Excellent info. Not sure if you have already covered “khukri” but would love to learn more about its origins. ❤
British steps to fight an uncivilized enemy. 1, sneer contemptuously at the wog, 2, send a Scottish / Irish regiment at them (edit 3, tea time)
11:12 _cut to the outside leg_ -- riposte shown delivers it 'orthodox' stepping to the outside (less power); to follow through on the initial intent to grapple at 11:10 the defender would need to commit to _stepping inside_ into 'southpaw' simultaneous to the offender's strike to deny the wrist rotation upwards seen at 11:12 , the leading thigh of the defender at 11:27 follows the parry in and acts as the pivot for the hips swinging the trailing left leg to bring the grapple into play. Per 11:33 the offender is blind to whatever you follow up with your left hand (a hook to the liver is tempting) and should be bound sufficiently to transition to a thrust to the thorax or their inner leading thigh. Bowling them over entirely while off balance in the 2-4 oclock area while delivering the thrust may be preferable to dealing with their shield upright should they recover. These are demonstrations of course, but many of these presuppose a passive buckler or a shield too large to be dexterous on the counter and not checking to the head for a double strike exchange.
Fantastic presentation. Did they include any moves or drills with a pistol still being drawn as well?
Not in this manual, but it is touched on in a few others.
i quite like to have a bind established with their sword on the right side of mine (held in my right hand, theres in their right hand), letting my sword then rotate along their on that connection point. my sword is now in prim with the point down and their sword is on the left of mine. i grab their wrist, slide the guard to their fort, and then push against the fort. the group should come out of their hand from the pinky first. if it doesn’t work, you can still stab them or whatever.
_The Dread Crochet_
please write this book.
I understand why fencing specific manuals don't teach these techniques but I agree fighting is more sloppy than we like admit. For example I like they're not afraid to strike instead of cutting or thrusting with the sword. Yes, cutting and thrusting is more lethal but if someone leaves themselves unprotected what's stopping me from punching them or tripping them.
A major flaw in the instruction is that when you step in to grab your opponent's sword arm, they will almost certainly continue to step to the left, and at the same deliver a hard punch to the face with their buckler.
I found it surprising when I was first learning HEMA, how many groups didn't address the "grab and control the opponent's sword arm" option. I've since learned that many groups trained (and some still do) from duelling-focused manuals and texts, and the rules of those systems are the reason why. Not all systems barred the use of such techniques, and some did so only incidentally by enforcing that you fight with weapons which keep both hands full, but the texts about how to fight in styles where this kind of action wasn't permitted, are obviously not going to include them. Training for such duels could potentially become a liability in a real fight though, similar to how training in a striking-exclusive unarmed martial art puts you at a disadvantage if your opponent can get through your initial few strikes and turn the fight into a grappling match.
Great video
Hello Sir.
I from Malaysia How many style for Rapiers sword art ?. I want to learn the style like show on video!.
Thank you Sir.
What manner of cleaning and oiling regiment do you suppose warriors who brandished swords had to have undergone for proper maintenance of their blades?
How much do you find people successfully grab someone's sword arm when they spar? Not performing a drill but in spontaneous sparring practice?
Interesting material. Matt you mentioned that you think there are better sources to draw from than Silver for this- it would be interesting to see you expound.
Yes that could be an interesting topic to cover. I don't think Silver's grips and closes are bad, but these sorts of techniques are given more attention and shown with pictures in other sources which Hutton simply didn't have access to. For example Lecküchner or lots of rapier sources.
Don't the Bolognese sources contain grips? I think Hutton had access to Bologness sources or at least Marozzos work.
Also don't the Stage Gladiator sources also touch on grips a little?
Lekuchner is a cool source but it's bloated with some pretty impractical stuff. Silver even though lacking pics is much more straightforward and practical imo.
This is very interresting.
I looked for one of the books and found one on eBay.👍
Regards from Limburg, Germany.
You could have downloaded the whole treatise from wiktenauer for free!
All the arm trapping in the first moveset is really similar to basic chinese dao moves
Yes, a lot of these techniques are found all over the world across several centuries.
A lot of this looks a lot like medieval langesmesser. I love it :)
hi there, i am wanting to get into buying antique swords and have been looking for some cheap munitions grade tulwars to restore and start a collection, but wherever i look it is nothing but overpriced rusted out pieces of junk! for example on ebay just the handles alone were listed at $300 nzd (150 pound sterling) while being so pitted it looked like it was going to fall apart. please i need some help knowing where to start buying, wherever i look it is nothing but $1000 broken down swords that were clearly listed by people who think because its old it MUST be ultra valuable. any help will be appreciated, thanks.