As someone having grown up around these axes I'd add to the intro that it is still fairly unwieldy in one hand due to length combined with being an axe (even though not a particularly heavy one). One of competitions at various carpathian folk events is "precision chopping" where participants try to strike a a circle drawn dead center on a piece of wood with one hand and it's surprisingly difficult! Fokos in one hand does look cool though lol
When you are used to working with the Irish Shillelagh according to surviving sources. Using the fokos single handled is not unwieldy or slow. Now precise strikes may be a tid more difficult to make but it is not totally impossible.
We dance hajduk in polish folk dance and use the shepherds axe, but I always thought it a shame that there was no fighting system for it. The little bit you've covered in your book is absolutely wonderful, and if I weren't all the way up in the great white north I'd be at your door looking for lessons.
I'm really fascinated by how martial arts systems are preserved through dance. Damon Stith talks about looking at African dances to help reconstruct the combat systems he works with.
I feel called out here. I need to knock some rust off of that form. Also at 6:46-6:52 I was reminded of a bayonet move I was taught by a former Ranger School instructor when we were both on the DMZ. It was based off a Jo move. One hand on the narrow part of an M-16A2 buttstock.The other hand on the far end of the hand guard by the sight tower and you strike with the hand guard proper.
Great stuff. I remember seeing an image of Csaba Hidan parrying with a sabre an opponent's incoming cut 2, then with a fokos in his left hand, he seemed to hook the opponents blade out of their hand. I've seen footage of a similar move but I think the fokos was hooking the back of the knee for a takedown.
That hooking move in two hands sets up a vicious choice for the fencer: allow the disarm, or resist it and create enugh structure to guarantee that you then eat the top of the fokos through the teeth. Un-fun.
I picked up a Ueno Takashi Kukishin Ryu Jo book to experiment with your book's fokos section. The jo is a stick similar in length to the fokos and though I am experimenting and mixing there is lots of useful crossover here for open sparring outside the vacuum of "historical". Injuries have me appreciating walking sticks ATM.
I'm not in the hema world. But dam the fokos is a cool weapon. I have to pick one up someday. Even if just to use it as a wall hanger or for small brush. Because everyone can have a cheap wall hanger. A real fokos on the other hand, now that's cool.
@@lamnad We no longer use these as weapons, so they are basically toys for adults. But just like any other toy for adults, we wouldn't want to handle them like drunken children.
Question about the action at about 4:45 because it seems like to manage the distance you can simply void and counterattack. Is there a reason you go with actions on the blade versus just a straight counterattack? Super fun to see fokos play!
You very often would void instead of engaging, but it is demonstrating how the entire weapon comes into play. Therefore the slap the smack, the punch, the drive, the hit all of that fun stuff
@@russmitchellmovement makes sense as far as showcasing goes, I guess what context do you actually want to engage vs voiding and striking? It’s something that’s always been a struggle for me to contextualize using an action that follows behind the opposing persons strike.
I'll give it to you for funny, but no, that would be INSANELY disrespectful (unless you consider kissing your judo/aikido/wrestling ukes standard practice, in which case I'm guessing you have a reeeeeeeeeally "interesting" club).
As someone having grown up around these axes I'd add to the intro that it is still fairly unwieldy in one hand due to length combined with being an axe (even though not a particularly heavy one). One of competitions at various carpathian folk events is "precision chopping" where participants try to strike a a circle drawn dead center on a piece of wood with one hand and it's surprisingly difficult!
Fokos in one hand does look cool though lol
It's a part of folk dance as well by the way :)
When you are used to working with the Irish Shillelagh according to surviving sources. Using the fokos single handled is not unwieldy or slow. Now precise strikes may be a tid more difficult to make but it is not totally impossible.
We dance hajduk in polish folk dance and use the shepherds axe, but I always thought it a shame that there was no fighting system for it. The little bit you've covered in your book is absolutely wonderful, and if I weren't all the way up in the great white north I'd be at your door looking for lessons.
I'm really fascinated by how martial arts systems are preserved through dance. Damon Stith talks about looking at African dances to help reconstruct the combat systems he works with.
I feel called out here. I need to knock some rust off of that form. Also at 6:46-6:52 I was reminded of a bayonet move I was taught by a former Ranger School instructor when we were both on the DMZ. It was based off a Jo move. One hand on the narrow part of an M-16A2 buttstock.The other hand on the far end of the hand guard by the sight tower and you strike with the hand guard proper.
Great stuff. I remember seeing an image of Csaba Hidan parrying with a sabre an opponent's incoming cut 2, then with a fokos in his left hand, he seemed to hook the opponents blade out of their hand. I've seen footage of a similar move but I think the fokos was hooking the back of the knee for a takedown.
That hooking move in two hands sets up a vicious choice for the fencer: allow the disarm, or resist it and create enugh structure to guarantee that you then eat the top of the fokos through the teeth. Un-fun.
@@russmitchellmovement That's awesome Mr. Mitchell. Was there a video of that move? I really appreciate the attention you bring to this weapon.
I picked up a Ueno Takashi Kukishin Ryu Jo book to experiment with your book's fokos section. The jo is a stick similar in length to the fokos and though I am experimenting and mixing there is lots of useful crossover here for open sparring outside the vacuum of "historical". Injuries have me appreciating walking sticks ATM.
I'm not in the hema world. But dam the fokos is a cool weapon. I have to pick one up someday. Even if just to use it as a wall hanger or for small brush. Because everyone can have a cheap wall hanger. A real fokos on the other hand, now that's cool.
I love the balance between "these are serious weapons and need to be careful not to hurt each other" and "Isn't this stuff soooo Cool?!"
@@lamnad We no longer use these as weapons, so they are basically toys for adults. But just like any other toy for adults, we wouldn't want to handle them like drunken children.
@@russmitchellmovement So, you don't teach Fokos anymore. If so, I am sad.
Question about the action at about 4:45 because it seems like to manage the distance you can simply void and counterattack. Is there a reason you go with actions on the blade versus just a straight counterattack?
Super fun to see fokos play!
You very often would void instead of engaging, but it is demonstrating how the entire weapon comes into play. Therefore the slap the smack, the punch, the drive, the hit all of that fun stuff
@@russmitchellmovement makes sense as far as showcasing goes, I guess what context do you actually want to engage vs voiding and striking? It’s something that’s always been a struggle for me to contextualize using an action that follows behind the opposing persons strike.
Fantastic work! I appreciate all you do!
Nice!
Hi ya, where can I get safe(r) axe heads to train fokos
See my latest community post.
should have kissed the lady for good measure at 4:24
I'll give it to you for funny, but no, that would be INSANELY disrespectful (unless you consider kissing your judo/aikido/wrestling ukes standard practice, in which case I'm guessing you have a reeeeeeeeeally "interesting" club).
I appreciate you having a sense of humor about it