Timothy Heimbach Fighting to the death happened in times of war and sometimes in judicial duels in the Germanic parts of Europe. But duels only very rarely ended in death. Ofcourse their was robbery and murder, but duels were controlled social interactions.
They were still very dangerous and could end your life. There is a mental difference when u have this in mind when fighting. Despite it being controlled social interactions. It could get very very wrong compared to HEMA. Thats why virtual reality will be interesting and a new approach to interpret historical european martial arts.
very informative for those interested in getting started in any medieval martial art. I have been fighting in the SCA (Society of Creative Anachronism) for about 17 years and there are some things I have picked up from there that I will never fight or train without. I always recommend a good layer of padding such as a helmet cap, gauntlets and a decent gambeson. for the arms get full arm and leg protection, including steel mittens. I recommend 14g steel at a minimum but umpire leg guards are a decent alternative. A gorget and a steel cup is an absolute must! We typically fight with rattan weaponry vs synthetic training swords but I will go with those over rattan any day of the week. the big take away is do NOT skimp on the protective gear. you can and will face minor to severe injury during training but proper gear will insure you are kept in one piece after training and spending the day on the battlefield. in the 17 years I've been fighting I have had a couple broken fingers, fractured ribs, multiple concussions of various degrees and alot of external bruises. it's expensive to start but most of the equipment is good for several years and can be replaced as needed. Happy sparring
(1) Get a mask (2) get a mask (3) seriously GET A MASK Don't do any kind of fencing without a mask. Your head contains your brain and has your face on the front of it.
Callum Bundy Oh that was not directed at him necessarily. I just mean for anyone who wants to jump into HEMA. Cuz, you know, your head has some pretty important characteristics. On the front is your face and inside is your brain.
I wish I could get back into martial arts. I took ATA (tae kwon do) for 3 years, got to red belt (just 1 below the first stage of black belt), I loved it. But I had to quit because of a chronic headache disorder I developed. I still have it, 2 years later. Which means I will never be able to go back to ATA, or start new martial arts like HEMA. I still remember quite a bit about what they taught us with weapons and I have a feeling most of it (stances, grips, strikes, angles) will transfer to actual sword techniques in HEMA, in fact most of the ones Skallagrim uses in his videos for demonstrations are similar if not exactly the same techniques taught to us at ATA. I hope someday I can come back to it.
cadkls American taekwondo association. In my taekwondo class in canada we use "WTF" world taekwondo federation. Yes it's actually WTF. Idk why america uses the different one.
Good to see that Guy Windsor is still publishing books. I used to own one of his older books on long sword fencing years ago. I gave it to a younger friend who was developing an interest in it. I was hoping to buy a new one, but found that the book went out of print.
haaaa.... the video discription a sacred place, undiscovered by the mere mortals, said to be the place of infinite wisdom and redundance alike as well as always present but yet to be discovered. Ive heared quite marvelous tales it linking the realms of question and answers.
you fool, you pressed the wrong key. anyone with an iq of over 420 would know that the correct spelling woul'd have been "woul'dn#t" at least you di'dn#t forget to censor n#t
Speaking/typing as someone who's had a smashed knuckle and consequent surgery from a good solid hew with a synthetic waster in sparing despite lacrosse gloves, hand protection is something people do seem to scrimp on. HEMA can get pricey quickly. The proper gear costs less than medical care, time of work, explanations to your wife etc.
I've been interested in HEMA for a long time but have struggled for a while figuring out how to go about it since there are no groups close to me. This video has provided a map to getting started solo. Thank you!
I definitely hope to get into HEMA, and it looks like it’s definitely something I can study on my own accord and maybe start my own small group to practice with. I actually already have a lightsaber fencing group, but it’s kind of deteriorating because everyone’s losing interest and I can’t get new members fast enough. A LARP, renaissance, HEMA group or all of the above might be more valid. P.S. Thanks for the helpful video. Also, I’ll remember to END MY OPPONENTS RIGHTLY.
nice introduction =) as a german swordsman myself i'd also like to recommend the book "Lebendige Schwertkunst" by Wolfgang Abart for your collection although it's in german (but so are all original manuals =) )
Starting HEMA now is so easy. There are countless clubs and groups now. I remember when I started like 6 years ago there was one club in whole country. Gear was problem everything had to be custom made or borrowed from different sports, I had to pull the mask from USA, handguards from some military surplus, jacket completely custom. Also swords/sabres were problem, now on the internet everything is available in 3 sizes and various materials. Still, it was fascinating journey. It felt almost like RPG completing my gear :)
Great video. I'm looking at getting into HEMA and this really helped. I'm also looking at getting a pair of the Rawlings synthetics do it was nice to see those briefly reviewed as well. I'll be getting mine from the Knight Shop as well living in the UK.
+Ian Hollier too true, and really it is more than just learning how to use a blade, you're literally a part of restoring an important part of history. And congrats Yawning Gull. Everything is more satisfying when you can pay for it yourself. Good luck mate!
Quick idea for a future video. What would a modern combat helmet look like? Most old helmets have a tiny visor with limited hearing and sight, but when I saw the wire face guard of your fencing helmet, I could not help but think that the natural evolution would have been the addition of wire face guards and wire-protected ear-holes. A heavier cage beneath or over the wire face guard could deflect direct strikes to the face or something. Helmets. Make a video about helmets and finish it off with your ideal 'fantasy' helmet design. Who knows, with your viewership, someone might make actually build one.
Great intro to sparring with swords. I agree the minimum protective equipment for sword fighting even with heavy plastic swords in fencing helmet and hockey or lacrosse gloves.
I`m glad I clicked that one random recommended video of skalls. Without it I wouldn`t have gotten into Hema based stuff. Still trying to find a club though.
Thank you very much. After watching this video i have purchased the 2 books you showed, and i'm currently in the middle of reading "The Swordsmans Companion" by Guy Windsor and have started eler so sligthly on working with my balance and footwork. I'm not sure how much use ill have for the "Knightly Arts of Combat" but i got the delivery for free when bying it as well, so it wasnt much of an ekstra expence, and it might turn out that ill use it eventually if i start with sword and buckler for instance. Nevertheless it does have some wonderful and very inspiring illustrations. But enough about that, I really just wanted to express my thanks for getting the help to get started, since theres no HEMA groups anywhere near me. I hope some day to be able to go attend some seminars, and maybe one day, help start a HEMA group where i live. Keep up the good work, you have made some very inspiring videos. Sincerely Allan Stevns (Denmark)
***** , thank you for this video. I have wanted to get into historical sword fighting for a long time, and this really helped. Reason being, I plan to teach medieval warfare and cultural histories at a big university when I grow older, and I figure I aught to know what I am talking g about and have a good taste of it before I try to teach/explain it to others.... It was helpful and much appreciated. Love those synthetic swords, by the way!
While most of my own exp is more eastern in nature I do know some about HEMA. Nice to see another video from you helping out those that are interested and giving some good info esp for beginners.
Also of note.. I applaud the safety aspect! I didn't get to have such equipment years ago and have the scars to prove it. But ultimately your last statement about sharp swords is 10000000% accurate (I have scars from that as well but no missing parts thankfully). So anyone wanting to get into swords period.. be SAFE! The same as I am with firearms. They can be very educational and a lot of fun but common sense MUST be utilized to prevent unwanted harm being done.
The definite #1 tip would be to join a club. It's extremely difficult for a person not having studied martial arts before to judge whether they are hitting with their arms alone, or are they actually putting their weight into their blows like they are supposed to, etc.
Joints protection is usually to protect the soft inner part of the joint, where tendons are...you can easily permanently damage them if you were to get hit hard enough there. In the SCA it is common to see "winged" elbow/knee cups for that reason.
thanks a ton this was very helpful. im just now taking a real interest in hema and i find the books to be very helpful. im 16 still trying to find i solid hobby
Hey Skall, on the topic of the Rawlings synthetic swords, I have to say that while I do own a couple of my own for sparring with the newbies at my HEMA club who don't yet have their own steel weapons, I'd like to note that the Rawlings swords do not at all bind realistically, and they are in fact quite bouncy and slide far too easily. I've recently upgraded from synthetic training weapons to full steel, and the difference is like night and day. While people usually won't be willing to or even have the money to spare to purchase blunt steel weapons and full body protective gear right away (it does after all add up to a lot of money all together), you really ought to try and do so as soon as you can if you're serious about learning HEMA. Wasters/Synthetic swords are fine to start learning with, but many historical techniques won't work properly with anything other than steel.
+Nathan Giles A Japanese tempered and steel 1045 41 inch total length sword is about 60 US dollars imported from China, sharp or dulled. What's the going rate for the blunt edged steel swords in HEMA economies? Say 45-50 inches, total length.
+Cruelty1633 Anything that can be purchased for as low as $60 USD isn't exactly of the kind of quality and worksmanship that you'd want to be using it to spar with, for a variety of reasons. Swords that can stand up to the abuse of sparring over a lengthy amount of time and are specially made to conform to safety standards (while also providing a fairly realistic simulation of a 'real sword') aren't the cheapest thing in the world. Peter Regenyei's longsword feders, which are essentially the cheapest and usually most common option, are about 200 Euros if purchased from him directly (though there's also a US supplier for his products by the name of Scott Brown; I'm not sure if the equivalent price is any different). The longsword feder that I bought was more expensive than that; an Arms & Armor fechterspiel training grade sword at $490 USD, which is just about as good as it can possibly get for a feder.
I've done some very light, careful sparring twice now. Once without hand protection and once with. My hand got hit really hard both times, with a poly waister. The first time hurt seriously bad but there was no bruising or anything thankfully. The second time, with hand protection didn't hurt at all. Both times was very slow speed like I'm going to throw this cut and you're going to parry, slow and over animated. And I still got my hand hit hard in both situations. Wear protection. It only takes one time for a bad accident.
Good video - I'd probably mention body armor as well. At my Fechtschule I've seen people use padded gambesons, the AF black leather HEMA Jacket, the Histfenc Axel Petterson jacket, and even plain white fencing jackets like you'd find Olympic 3 weapon schools. Oh and the cheapest decent steel blunt I've seen for HEMA is the Hanwei Federschwert for as low as $159.00. It's relatively safe for thrusting and handles well. I've seen a set of 6 or so stand up to fairly heavy use (once or twice a week for 2-3 hours) including free play for about a year and a half without breakage. There were some issues with the leather grip wrap and blades taking a set, but nothing a bit of epoxy and a good bend over the knee won't fix. As far as synthetics, I really prefer the Penti III+ from Purple Heart over the Rawlings weapons. They're a bit stiffer but still many of the same safety features including a much blunter tip built in.
Joel Parkour Same problem that I have. If there are no HEMA groups it's really difficult. The best you can do is ask around and maybe post an ad on Craigslist or Kijiji for instance to look for people who might be interested in practicing with you.
The closest to fencing I ever did was me and my baby sister grabbing small branches and sparing in the woods of Pennsylvania. No holds barred, 1st to yield or get beaten to the ground lost. I was bigger (5 years between us) but we were of equal skill so it was a fair fight. She was also the only sibling that humored me, the bad ass. lol
Really informational, Thanks Skallagrim, great video, i liked favorited and book marked so when i get money i can actually start saving up for certain items. Thanks :D
Thanks for this, I am definitely interested in hearing more about the synthetic longswords. I've got a Cold Steel hand and a half polypropalene trainer... effective enough for basic steps and such, but sparring? Not really. Experience has taught me that it becomes a club pretty quick. A very painful on the fingers club. And definitely thanks for going into hand protection. Lacrosse gloves are the lowest price range must then? I had been trying to figure out what to get. I was going to ask about this, you're like a mind reader. Thanks a whole bunch.
Are there scabbards for practice long swords? I've seen many websites for sword forgers, and the swords they make are actually sharp, and have scabbards. And so I've been wondering, are there scabbards for sparring swords, it may just be for decoration, but still, are there?
very informative. i've been recently looking into learning this art. Thank you for the video and i have been loveing your sword reviews. I had been looking online and was leaning towords wooden swords. but with your recomendation i shall look into these nylon swords. but i shall be trying differnt things finding what suites my tasts best. but again, very informative and i shall be looking for those books you recomended aswell. Thank you and keep the videos comeing.
in the club where i practice nobody has anything but a mask and gloves, we use blunt steel blades, and i learned the zornhou with only one person wearing head protection and the gloves that were used were just padded leather and nobody has had injuries yet.
I have a question, when you are learning do you have to train with a specific sword (for example I like the rapier) or do they teach you all styles that work for all swords
A Falchion (or ein großes Messer) waster, cool! I think the reason the "Schools of Defense" spent time on grappling is that sword fights probably often degenerated into ungallant rolling around on the ground.
A Messer is more or less a Falchion in function, looks, and handling. BUT with a few minor differences: the Messer has a full visible tang which the handle scales are riveted onto (like a kitchen knife), and also lacks a "sword pommel". Whereas a falchion has a wrapped handle, and a more sizeable pommel.
Thanks for the heads-up at the beginning of the video. The only problem I've been running into, and perhaps you can answer this concern, but I've been having a devil of a time coming across an actual HEMA group in my area. I'd be up for starting my own group, but I don't know where to start.
Sorry, I think I just misspoke. I'm in Northern Virginia, and I was looking to possibly start a HEMA group. Since I commented, I've been hitting the internet, and I think I've figured out how to make it work.
I feel silly for asking on another video of yours where to get this stuff now. I read descriptions a lot but didn't know that this video existed. Awesome! The only thing I'm left wondering where to get is something similar to that long coat gambeson thing that you wear in a lot of your videos. Any torso protection works obviously, but quite frankly that thing looks badass and I wanted similar. Again though, awesome that this video exists, thanks for pointing out where to buy this stuff at!
Skall, what is your opinion on LARPing (live action role playing)? My friends and I have no sword training but we still have learned a lot about sword fighting and archery.
i know im ages late to this video but thank you for an intro to equipment and basics (: i recently found your channel and have loved blades and swordfighting since i was a kid, but i didnt know people could safely practice it! if you see this, do you have suggestions or lonks to hema community web sites or programs? My wife and I want to get into it, but it would be us two with cheap gear in our backyward, which i am all for but if there is some kind of community basics class that would help immensely:D thanks Skall, keep up the awesome videos and being a badass inspiration!(:
I love Symphony of the Night. You reckon you can do some more videos on the weapons in Castlevania, especially on the Vampire Killer chain morgenstein whip?
I started practicing kenjutsu, sure it was because of animes and mangas, but I soon fell in love with Japanese culture, and sword fighting in general... I think HEMA is awesome but kenjutsu is really my thing, personal taste of couse =) still I think more people should be interested in sword art...
Sorry Skall . I entered your most recent contest and requested a video like this without doing your patented "search it first" oh well. I hope we see a video on a European equivalent on Okinawan kubudo. Thanks for all you do - Cory Davis
Sorry if i seem like a smartass, but because this is youtube and here a some ... strange ... people(especially when we are talking backyard Martial Arts) i think it would be good mention the following: (i am sorry if this stuff is boring for people with common sense) - at least one guy or girl who trains with you - Time to train regulary to become proficient in the art Also one should check if there are active HEMA Groups in ones area and check these out. And if there a not and you need to open one so you can train then you should drive to a good one at regular periods(every 3 or 6 months) to have a go with new Partners, learn from people who train and spar longer than you and also to get some new input on good fencing manuals. Also if you want to actual read some fencing manuels who are not translated you have to learn some new languages ... or the old versions of these languages ;) But thanks for thats pretty solid video skall ! Greetings Kuma
It's incredibly unfortunate that, where I live, nobody here is interested in HEMA, and there are no clubs or groups within hours of me. I'd really like to get started, and I'd like to think that I've done the best I can to inform myself, but I'm not sure how to really get started without other people or groups.
Hey man I live in the UK and I'm getting in to HEMA, with the medieval martial arts and potentially some of the british forms of wrestling with living lineages, and I for one would be interested in reviews of the nylon swords as at the moment its sticks and blunt steel going very slowly (not safe i know,, broken fingers have happened)
For full realism be sure to fight to the death.
Timothy Heimbach cant wait for true virtual reality
Timothy Heimbach
Fighting to the death happened in times of war and sometimes in judicial duels in the Germanic parts of Europe. But duels only very rarely ended in death. Ofcourse their was robbery and murder, but duels were controlled social interactions.
They were still very dangerous and could end your life. There is a mental difference when u have this in mind when fighting. Despite it being controlled social interactions. It could get very very wrong compared to HEMA.
Thats why virtual reality will be interesting and a new approach to interpret historical european martial arts.
Timothy Heimbach throw pommels
And might sure to "End them Rightly"
I like how uncomfortable Skall got when he began discussing _groin protectors_. :D
Now all I need is money...
I've got a Plan.
Toss a coin to your Witcher 'O valley of plenty
@@Nerd2Ninja oh valley of plenty ~
Totally got a hundred dollars :(
very informative for those interested in getting started in any medieval martial art. I have been fighting in the SCA (Society of Creative Anachronism) for about 17 years and there are some things I have picked up from there that I will never fight or train without. I always recommend a good layer of padding such as a helmet cap, gauntlets and a decent gambeson. for the arms get full arm and leg protection, including steel mittens. I recommend 14g steel at a minimum but umpire leg guards are a decent alternative. A gorget and a steel cup is an absolute must!
We typically fight with rattan weaponry vs synthetic training swords but I will go with those over rattan any day of the week. the big take away is do NOT skimp on the protective gear. you can and will face minor to severe injury during training but proper gear will insure you are kept in one piece after training and spending the day on the battlefield. in the 17 years I've been fighting I have had a couple broken fingers, fractured ribs, multiple concussions of various degrees and alot of external bruises.
it's expensive to start but most of the equipment is good for several years and can be replaced as needed. Happy sparring
(1) Get a mask
(2) get a mask
(3) seriously GET A MASK
Don't do any kind of fencing without a mask. Your head contains your brain and has your face on the front of it.
He's not sparring. When he does sparring videos he does use protective gear.
Callum Bundy Oh that was not directed at him necessarily. I just mean for anyone who wants to jump into HEMA. Cuz, you know, your head has some pretty important characteristics. On the front is your face and inside is your brain.
I think mask and gloves are most important
I guess it's kind of randomly asking but do anyone know of a good place to stream new tv shows online?
@Leonardo Parker flixportal =)
I wish I could get back into martial arts. I took ATA (tae kwon do) for 3 years, got to red belt (just 1 below the first stage of black belt), I loved it. But I had to quit because of a chronic headache disorder I developed. I still have it, 2 years later. Which means I will never be able to go back to ATA, or start new martial arts like HEMA. I still remember quite a bit about what they taught us with weapons and I have a feeling most of it (stances, grips, strikes, angles) will transfer to actual sword techniques in HEMA, in fact most of the ones Skallagrim uses in his videos for demonstrations are similar if not exactly the same techniques taught to us at ATA. I hope someday I can come back to it.
TheTriforceCrusader What does ATA stand for? Why not just use TKD instead?
cadkls American taekwondo association. In my taekwondo class in canada we use "WTF" world taekwondo federation. Yes it's actually WTF. Idk why america uses the different one.
Good to see that Guy Windsor is still publishing books. I used to own one of his older books on long sword fencing years ago. I gave it to a younger friend who was developing an interest in it. I was hoping to buy a new one, but found that the book went out of print.
haaaa.... the video discription a sacred place, undiscovered by the mere mortals, said to be the place of infinite wisdom and redundance alike as well as always present but yet to be discovered. Ive heared quite marvelous tales it linking the realms of question and answers.
wouldn#t it be far too dangerous to have a steel pommel? From what I've heard around this channel those are even more lethal than the blade itself.
Get a tungsten one, it'll be worth it once that bad boy is in the air.
MrRamram720 underrated comment^^^
WWIII won't be fought with nuclear bombs... it will be fought with pommels.
you fool, you pressed the wrong key. anyone with an iq of over 420 would know that the correct spelling woul'd have been "woul'dn#t" at least you di'dn#t forget to censor n#t
Speaking/typing as someone who's had a smashed knuckle and consequent surgery from a good solid hew with a synthetic waster in sparing despite lacrosse gloves, hand protection is something people do seem to scrimp on. HEMA can get pricey quickly. The proper gear costs less than medical care, time of work, explanations to your wife etc.
I've been interested in HEMA for a long time but have struggled for a while figuring out how to go about it since there are no groups close to me. This video has provided a map to getting started solo. Thank you!
Guy Windsor! My older brother used to get trained by him.
This is a great introduction video to HEMA, Skallagrim! The best one around, I believe.
A great demonstration of HEMA Rapier vs longsword Mike & Nick AHF Sparring
That is awesome :)
were did you get your shirt its not in the description
I was actually going to ask the questions this video has answered, thank you Skall.
I definitely hope to get into HEMA, and it looks like it’s definitely something I can study on my own accord and maybe start my own small group to practice with.
I actually already have a lightsaber fencing group, but it’s kind of deteriorating because everyone’s losing interest and I can’t get new members fast enough. A LARP, renaissance, HEMA group or all of the above might be more valid.
P.S. Thanks for the helpful video. Also, I’ll remember to END MY OPPONENTS RIGHTLY.
nice introduction =)
as a german swordsman myself i'd also like to recommend the book
"Lebendige Schwertkunst" by Wolfgang Abart for your collection
although it's in german (but so are all original manuals =) )
Starting HEMA now is so easy. There are countless clubs and groups now. I remember when I started like 6 years ago there was one club in whole country. Gear was problem everything had to be custom made or borrowed from different sports, I had to pull the mask from USA, handguards from some military surplus, jacket completely custom. Also swords/sabres were problem, now on the internet everything is available in 3 sizes and various materials.
Still, it was fascinating journey. It felt almost like RPG completing my gear :)
What country?
In the UK, there is only one 'club' near me, but I hesitate calling them a club, as they don't appear to exist anymore.
***** It's Poland. We had one in Warsaw now most of bigger cities have at least one. In Warsaw I know 3 clubs, one even has its own building :)
EnhancedNightmare Lucky
Thank you Skallagrim, for promoting the noble arts of arms.
I like how Peter svärd made one of the books about hema and svärd means sword in Swedish.
Great video. I'm looking at getting into HEMA and this really helped. I'm also looking at getting a pair of the Rawlings synthetics do it was nice to see those briefly reviewed as well. I'll be getting mine from the Knight Shop as well living in the UK.
Dayum fencing masks are expensive I'm just a poor 15 year old fetus with no job :P
+Ian Hollier Chepest is 49$? That's three days of my work. I was wondering, how it's look like in US? 49$ you get in... one day?
5.5 hours of work
I got a job I can pay for it now :P
+Ian Hollier too true, and really it is more than just learning how to use a blade, you're literally a part of restoring an important part of history. And congrats Yawning Gull. Everything is more satisfying when you can pay for it yourself. Good luck mate!
Ian Hollier I'm 15 years old and I collect, paint and play tabletop (Warhammer 40 k), now that's expensive
Wow, thank you so much! This video helped me a lot, because with my friend we wanted to get into HEMA, and now we know where to start, thanks a lot!
Your videos inspired me, I am going to a club this week.
I am glad you made a video on this. Thank you
Quick idea for a future video.
What would a modern combat helmet look like? Most old helmets have a tiny visor with limited hearing and sight, but when I saw the wire face guard of your fencing helmet, I could not help but think that the natural evolution would have been the addition of wire face guards and wire-protected ear-holes. A heavier cage beneath or over the wire face guard could deflect direct strikes to the face or something.
Helmets. Make a video about helmets and finish it off with your ideal 'fantasy' helmet design. Who knows, with your viewership, someone might make actually build one.
Great intro to sparring with swords. I agree the minimum protective equipment for sword fighting even with heavy plastic swords in fencing helmet and hockey or lacrosse gloves.
"TH-cam is a good source."
I`m glad I clicked that one random recommended video of skalls. Without it I wouldn`t have gotten into Hema based stuff.
Still trying to find a club though.
Thank you very much. After watching this video i have purchased the 2 books you showed, and i'm currently in the middle of reading "The Swordsmans Companion" by Guy Windsor and have started eler so sligthly on working with my balance and footwork. I'm not sure how much use ill have for the "Knightly Arts of Combat" but i got the delivery for free when bying it as well, so it wasnt much of an ekstra expence, and it might turn out that ill use it eventually if i start with sword and buckler for instance. Nevertheless it does have some wonderful and very inspiring illustrations.
But enough about that, I really just wanted to express my thanks for getting the help to get started, since theres no HEMA groups anywhere near me. I hope some day to be able to go attend some seminars, and maybe one day, help start a HEMA group where i live.
Keep up the good work, you have made some very inspiring videos.
Sincerely
Allan Stevns (Denmark)
***** , thank you for this video. I have wanted to get into historical sword fighting for a long time, and this really helped. Reason being, I plan to teach medieval warfare and cultural histories at a big university when I grow older, and I figure I aught to know what I am talking g about and have a good taste of it before I try to teach/explain it to others.... It was helpful and much appreciated. Love those synthetic swords, by the way!
Brendton R Glad to know that it was helpful.
I vote yes for reviews on different practise swords
Totally enjoyed this video and the wealth of information. TY!
Thanks for the video. This is a topic I've thought a lot about, thank you again.
While most of my own exp is more eastern in nature I do know some about HEMA. Nice to see another video from you helping out those that are interested and giving some good info esp for beginners.
Also of note.. I applaud the safety aspect!
I didn't get to have such equipment years ago and have the scars to prove it. But ultimately your last statement about sharp swords is 10000000% accurate (I have scars from that as well but no missing parts thankfully).
So anyone wanting to get into swords period.. be SAFE! The same as I am with firearms.
They can be very educational and a lot of fun but common sense MUST be utilized to prevent unwanted harm being done.
thank you my friend it helped me out alot i am a big fan of swordsmenship but all i have is a dagger and shortsword
Thank you my friend! That's exactly what I seek!
The definite #1 tip would be to join a club. It's extremely difficult for a person not having studied martial arts before to judge whether they are hitting with their arms alone, or are they actually putting their weight into their blows like they are supposed to, etc.
Joints protection is usually to protect the soft inner part of the joint, where tendons are...you can easily permanently damage them if you were to get hit hard enough there. In the SCA it is common to see "winged" elbow/knee cups for that reason.
thanks a ton this was very helpful. im just now taking a real interest in hema and i find the books to be very helpful. im 16 still trying to find i solid hobby
Peter Svärd made two books about fighting with swords, that's somewhat comical in my mind since Svärd is Swedish for sword.
Hey Skall, on the topic of the Rawlings synthetic swords, I have to say that while I do own a couple of my own for sparring with the newbies at my HEMA club who don't yet have their own steel weapons, I'd like to note that the Rawlings swords do not at all bind realistically, and they are in fact quite bouncy and slide far too easily.
I've recently upgraded from synthetic training weapons to full steel, and the difference is like night and day. While people usually won't be willing to or even have the money to spare to purchase blunt steel weapons and full body protective gear right away (it does after all add up to a lot of money all together), you really ought to try and do so as soon as you can if you're serious about learning HEMA. Wasters/Synthetic swords are fine to start learning with, but many historical techniques won't work properly with anything other than steel.
+Nathan Giles A Japanese tempered and steel 1045 41 inch total length sword is about 60 US dollars imported from China, sharp or dulled. What's the going rate for the blunt edged steel swords in HEMA economies? Say 45-50 inches, total length.
+Cruelty1633 Anything that can be purchased for as low as $60 USD isn't exactly of the kind of quality and worksmanship that you'd want to be using it to spar with, for a variety of reasons.
Swords that can stand up to the abuse of sparring over a lengthy amount of time and are specially made to conform to safety standards (while also providing a fairly realistic simulation of a 'real sword') aren't the cheapest thing in the world. Peter Regenyei's longsword feders, which are essentially the cheapest and usually most common option, are about 200 Euros if purchased from him directly (though there's also a US supplier for his products by the name of Scott Brown; I'm not sure if the equivalent price is any different).
The longsword feder that I bought was more expensive than that; an Arms & Armor fechterspiel training grade sword at $490 USD, which is just about as good as it can possibly get for a feder.
Nathan Giles Thanks for the data about the sword prices in the EU and elsewhere. It'll be an interesting data point for my own research.
I've done some very light, careful sparring twice now. Once without hand protection and once with. My hand got hit really hard both times, with a poly waister. The first time hurt seriously bad but there was no bruising or anything thankfully. The second time, with hand protection didn't hurt at all. Both times was very slow speed like I'm going to throw this cut and you're going to parry, slow and over animated. And I still got my hand hit hard in both situations. Wear protection. It only takes one time for a bad accident.
Good video - I'd probably mention body armor as well. At my Fechtschule I've seen people use padded gambesons, the AF black leather HEMA Jacket, the Histfenc Axel Petterson jacket, and even plain white fencing jackets like you'd find Olympic 3 weapon schools. Oh and the cheapest decent steel blunt I've seen for HEMA is the Hanwei Federschwert for as low as $159.00. It's relatively safe for thrusting and handles well. I've seen a set of 6 or so stand up to fairly heavy use (once or twice a week for 2-3 hours) including free play for about a year and a half without breakage. There were some issues with the leather grip wrap and blades taking a set, but nothing a bit of epoxy and a good bend over the knee won't fix. As far as synthetics, I really prefer the Penti III+ from Purple Heart over the Rawlings weapons. They're a bit stiffer but still many of the same safety features including a much blunter tip built in.
a funny fact is that the word ``svärd`` in peter svärds name means sword :D
Vad för slags underligt språk är "peter" ? xD
@@amanduswestin9211 ja, peter från peterland
Many thinks for the links. I'll have to have a look at those books.
This was very helpful! I plan on Starting on the very low end then maybe work my way up to full speed steel sparring!
Thank you so much for this video.
I may have to try this, currently I only do SCA heavy combat but have considered joining other groups as well.
I am a HEMA enthusiast living in a suburban town where no one seems to want to do HEMA. WHAT CAN I DO?
Joel Parkour
Same problem that I have. If there are no HEMA groups it's really difficult. The best you can do is ask around and maybe post an ad on Craigslist or Kijiji for instance to look for people who might be interested in practicing with you.
Joel Parkour its the only sport i can look at and say "i want to do this" i even have the right build for it
***** What about olympic epee fencing ? doesn't tickle your fancy?
***** I'm in Ottawa and have a crew who would be interested, as well as folks in Toronto that I know, one of whom does Cossack knife fighting training
freakyskull516 what build would that be?
Please do more review on the synthetic swords! I am interested in starting HEMA and I want to know more!
Hey, Skallagrim, your vides are really informative and useful. Thank you.
*When you call a messer a longsword*
I too, am an intellectual.
Excellent video. Thanks for that.
The closest to fencing I ever did was me and my baby sister grabbing small branches and sparing in the woods of Pennsylvania. No holds barred, 1st to yield or get beaten to the ground lost. I was bigger (5 years between us) but we were of equal skill so it was a fair fight. She was also the only sibling that humored me, the bad ass. lol
i did that with my cousin and we are the same age, we fighted until ours hands started hurting
Really informational, Thanks Skallagrim, great video, i liked favorited and book marked so when i get money i can actually start saving up for certain items. Thanks :D
Thanks for this, I am definitely interested in hearing more about the synthetic longswords. I've got a Cold Steel hand and a half polypropalene trainer... effective enough for basic steps and such, but sparring? Not really. Experience has taught me that it becomes a club pretty quick. A very painful on the fingers club.
And definitely thanks for going into hand protection. Lacrosse gloves are the lowest price range must then? I had been trying to figure out what to get. I was going to ask about this, you're like a mind reader. Thanks a whole bunch.
Just want to thank you for making this video, Skallagrim. Your work is certainly appreciated. ^_^
Are there scabbards for practice long swords? I've seen many websites for sword forgers, and the swords they make are actually sharp, and have scabbards. And so I've been wondering, are there scabbards for sparring swords, it may just be for decoration, but still, are there?
The Game Lane no
Excellent sir. Keep it up.
2:30 fun thing peter swärd actually means peter sword
very informative. i've been recently looking into learning this art. Thank you for the video and i have been loveing your sword reviews. I had been looking online and was leaning towords wooden swords. but with your recomendation i shall look into these nylon swords. but i shall be trying differnt things finding what suites my tasts best. but again, very informative and i shall be looking for those books you recomended aswell. Thank you and keep the videos comeing.
in the club where i practice nobody has anything but a mask and gloves, we use blunt steel blades, and i learned the zornhou with only one person wearing head protection and the gloves that were used were just padded leather and nobody has had injuries yet.
Figures I do a TH-cam scearch of how to get into HEMA and it your video. LOL! Thanks for the help as always.
I have a question, when you are learning do you have to train with a specific sword (for example I like the rapier) or do they teach you all styles that work for all swords
A Falchion (or ein großes Messer) waster, cool!
I think the reason the "Schools of Defense" spent time on grappling is that sword fights probably often degenerated into ungallant rolling around on the ground.
A Messer is more or less a Falchion in function, looks, and handling. BUT with a few minor differences: the Messer has a full visible tang which the handle scales are riveted onto (like a kitchen knife), and also lacks a "sword pommel". Whereas a falchion has a wrapped handle, and a more sizeable pommel.
great! thanks for the links!
this was really helpful. Thanks!
Are there any manuals on spear fighting? I know it's generally easy to learn, but still
Thanks for the heads-up at the beginning of the video. The only problem I've been running into, and perhaps you can answer this concern, but I've been having a devil of a time coming across an actual HEMA group in my area. I'd be up for starting my own group, but I don't know where to start.
I can't help you with that unfortunately, I don't even know where you live.
Sorry, I think I just misspoke. I'm in Northern Virginia, and I was looking to possibly start a HEMA group. Since I commented, I've been hitting the internet, and I think I've figured out how to make it work.
I understand your a busy guy but would you have a recommended source for equipment for getting started in Hema on a budget?
that SotN poster is cool as hell
I feel silly for asking on another video of yours where to get this stuff now. I read descriptions a lot but didn't know that this video existed. Awesome! The only thing I'm left wondering where to get is something similar to that long coat gambeson thing that you wear in a lot of your videos. Any torso protection works obviously, but quite frankly that thing looks badass and I wanted similar. Again though, awesome that this video exists, thanks for pointing out where to buy this stuff at!
+Markus Hammonds This is Skall's gambeson, the website sells many others for cheap. armstreet.com/store/armor/armor-padding-asian-type-long-gambeson
5:50 I think you should look for a mask that can take 1600 newton. (FIE 1600N)
Yo! Thanks for the links, hella helpful
Very informative.
Skall, what is your opinion on LARPing (live action role playing)? My friends and I have no sword training but we still have learned a lot about sword fighting and archery.
sorry not replying comments section isnt working ^.^.... Skall your awesome, could you go over how people are misunderstanding rights to Bare arms?
Pat Tanz Not as scary as the right to arm bears. ;)
woah that show more button actually does stuff after all
SCA is a wonderful way to get into this sort of thing as well
thank skall thats very helpful
i know im ages late to this video but thank you for an intro to equipment and basics (: i recently found your channel and have loved blades and swordfighting since i was a kid, but i didnt know people could safely practice it! if you see this, do you have suggestions or lonks to hema community web sites or programs? My wife and I want to get into it, but it would be us two with cheap gear in our backyward, which i am all for but if there is some kind of community basics class that would help immensely:D thanks Skall, keep up the awesome videos and being a badass inspiration!(:
I love Symphony of the Night. You reckon you can do some more videos on the weapons in Castlevania, especially on the Vampire Killer chain morgenstein whip?
I just got a Rawling's nylon longsword. Glad I made the right choice!
I want to stick to Meyer's stuff. Any resources on him?
I think my dad had some antique swrods laying around, time to dig those out :3
Dantick09 please dont. They could get damaged.
Sadly in my country I'm not able even to get the pratice sword =(
Very helpful🙏👊
I started practicing kenjutsu, sure it was because of animes and mangas, but I soon fell in love with Japanese culture, and sword fighting in general... I think HEMA is awesome but kenjutsu is really my thing, personal taste of couse =) still I think more people should be interested in sword art...
I'm working on making my own mask, I'm using an old street hockey mask and making it a more uniform shape, I need to get a neck guard after that.
Nice I always asked my self where to get those synthetik swords.
I'd definately want to try to get into this. Closest proper school is nearly 2 and half hours away, sadly. Hm.
Do the books you mentioned in this video say anything about shield and spear fighting? And if not, would you happen to know of any books that do?
No, I haven't seen any books that cover spear & shield yet.
Ok, thank you anyway.
I love your beard and haircut.
Sorry Skall . I entered your most recent contest and requested a video like this without doing your patented "search it first" oh well. I hope we see a video on a European equivalent on Okinawan kubudo. Thanks for all you do - Cory Davis
Sorry if i seem like a smartass, but because this is youtube and here a some ... strange ... people(especially when we are talking backyard Martial Arts) i think it would be good mention the following:
(i am sorry if this stuff is boring for people with common sense)
- at least one guy or girl who trains with you
- Time to train regulary to become proficient in the art
Also one should check if there are active HEMA Groups in ones area and check these out. And if there a not and you need to open one so you can train then you should drive to a good one at regular periods(every 3 or 6 months) to have a go with new Partners, learn from people who train and spar longer than you and also to get some new input on good fencing manuals.
Also if you want to actual read some fencing manuels who are not translated you have to learn some new languages ... or the old versions of these languages ;)
But thanks for thats pretty solid video skall !
Greetings Kuma
It's incredibly unfortunate that, where I live, nobody here is interested in HEMA, and there are no clubs or groups within hours of me. I'd really like to get started, and I'd like to think that I've done the best I can to inform myself, but I'm not sure how to really get started without other people or groups.
Sick Castlevania poster!
Skalla! Do more sparring videos please! I love them!
All I have to say is thank you
Hey man I live in the UK and I'm getting in to HEMA, with the medieval martial arts and potentially some of the british forms of wrestling with living lineages, and I for one would be interested in reviews of the nylon swords as at the moment its sticks and blunt steel going very slowly (not safe i know,, broken fingers have happened)