A sword. That was the historical combination. A sword was mainly used in self defense together with a buckler to protect your non weapon hand and to deflect incoming strikes. This combo was easy to carry without hindering movement like a spear or a big shield would do😁
Imagine dropping your kid off at the dance academy, and you ask the instructor about the dude always in the parking lot wrestling with his buddies and driving over shields.
All I could think about when they were out back throwing the shield is, "What must that pretty lady from 2 stores down be thinking when she hears/sees this nonsense going on?"... Lol
Sword and buckler might be the best late medieval civilian loadout there was. Compact, effective against an unarmoured opponent and generally also looks cool.
As someone who's been into HEMA TH-camrs for years, seeing a more... mainstream, I guess, martial artist realizing the awesome power of the buckler nearly brought a tear to my eye.
Hard2hurt's next guest is going to be Skallagrim or Matt Easton, I swear. Funny how "something to defend yourself with and annoy your enemies with and then something to hit them with" is pretty timeless after all! Awesome to see you exploring this to a serious degree, I love how you never discard an idea until you try it, even after scoffing at it.
I'm glad you recognize that. It makes me laugh even harder at the guys who cling really hard to stuff that I have discarded when I know they have NOT done that.
@@hard2hurt firearms are the game changer. For any other situation, the shiled+spear+short sword/long knife combo is king. The vast majority of weapon and tactics development in the middle ages spinned around negating that (with wild variance in the effectiveness) because it was absurdly effective for its cost. A full plate armor costed as much as many hundreds spears and shields. The most obnoxious part about that set of equipment is that it required no training whatsoever to be effective. Any regular joe can grab a shield, a short spear, and will inmediately know how to use it, instinctively, and have a good chance of beating trained soldiers.
There are modern shields made out of modern ballistic materials that can withstand firearms. But I get it's more about the range of engagement and overall change in tactics and strategy that made them more of a liability than an asset in modern warfare.
@@Pasaken they are certainly a must in short range encounters. Every breaking in or hallway shooting with the SWAT will have at least one shilded guy at the front, because of how much they improve the safety of the entrance. It effectively negates 80-90% of their surface of aim while they retain their visiblity. It's not that different from the medieval fighting in terms of how much advantage they provide, with the bonus of being able to rely on teammates to deliver the heavy duty boomsticking.
sorry to resurrect the necropost- but I legit think a slightly larger bullet resistant shield would be an Excellent home defense tool. I mean, that's a roll out of bed, grab it and pretty much Anything in your other hand and you're good vs most things coming through your door.
Fun fact: The term “swashbuckler” came from times when gangs armed with swords and bucklers roamed city streets and challenged people to duels. To call someone out they would yell challenges and insults while striking their own bucklers with their swords (“swashing” their bucklers) to make noise.
Santiago Jr. Baluyot Well, “swashbuckler” is also a term for a story about a lovable rapscallion who is skilled with a sword and who defies/takes down evil authority figures - like The Three Musketeers, or Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride. But the origins were in pre-ubiquitous-firearms city-states where armed gangs would swagger around the streets. Oftentimes nobles would be scared to walk about without several armed escorts.
@@Meloncholymadness Germany wasn't a country per se but certain german cities of late middle ages and renaissance are famous for their fencing organisations and street duels/skirmishes between members of various groups. But tbh most countries had some equivalent of this kind of culture, it was especially popular among university students.
The Cold Steel buckler is about as close to indestructible as it gets, and very popular in HEMA. It's not getting discontinued any time soon. Traditionally you can use the buckler with the arming sword, side sword, and rapier. I'm sure there were plenty of other weapons used with it, but those are the ones I know have historical sources for. Side note I like how you quickly figured out that it's best used mostly in an extended position. Gives you the cone of defense.
I love it! Effective the combo is a “tinbe rochin” which was an old term in Okinawa Japan for a turtle shell & short spear/blade combo. Super cool, very effective.
@@flynn8845 It's the small things that the fencers lack in movement and body positioning as well as things like "lean in, bleed later" training, which develops a certain mindset. Fencers fight in a relatively straight line, even current HEMA fencers who don't have to rely on a runway. It's something that HEMA fencers are actually starting to actively incorporate into training and as scoring in tournaments. You can see that body positioning and spatial awareness here, as well as a rather intuitive distance gauging. Heck, the way Mike holds the buckler can be seen in historical manuals, so that's another thing that I found awesome. Both in the fact that a good fighter will figure out the best configuration, as well as the fact that old school manuals aren't really useless and speak of the same combat mechanics. It's brilliant. No rocket science or macdojo shit, there's just plain old common sense. I could rant on, but I probably shouldn't :D Sorry for the heck of a long post. TL;DR - I like the nuances that you can see here that can be applied to every martial art, and are just based on common sense, and not some mumbo-jumbo special hidden techniques.
@5:51 I love how intuitive it is to slide right back into the 1400's and recreate the messer and buckler. @10:58 The buckler was used for a number of centuries and in that time, it was paired with a great many different weapons. Basically, if you could hold it with another weapon, chances are high that somebody _did_. Yes, rapiers were used in the 16th and 17th centuries with buclkers. One of the oldest martial arts documents we have shows the use of what we now call the "arming sword" paired with a buckler back in the 14th century. As you have discovered, this weapon is too handy to really ignore and people recognized that for a long time. @11:13 , we see that the author(s) of the Anonymous Tower manuscript MS I.33 were correct: Even without much buckler experience, you start naturally falling into the "wards" listed in that document.
When using a buckler, you're supposed to when in use extend it forward as in that position it allows the obscuring of most of your targets from the view of the opponent. The only time it is withdrawn slightly, is when the blocked actions of the enemy's attack has provided you with an opening to strike with your weapon. It is not utilized to it's best purpose if it is kept back behind your main weapon when not in use.
This is exactly why I constantly practice with my Scottish targe and 18” dirk. The targe with the short blade are a good combination for indoors, for outdoors I use the targe and dirk along with my basket-hilt backsword.
A buckler goes perfect with a rapier as you said, Arabs used shields similar to the buckler with shamshirs , tulwars or the turkish kilij, it's meant to be used with a one handed sword
Tbf, unless they have a gun, you could easily block a doorway or corridor with a kite-shield and spear. Especially if you have your wife and kids behind you with their own spears...
On the toilet making a recommendation for the right kind of sword to use with a buckler. Rapiers were used with bucklers, but bucklers were around way before rapiers to help with swords w/o hand protection. Common pairings have been arming swords (standard knightly sword) and messers ( think a machete with a better guard).
Look up I33 you will find a lot of material on how to use a buckler and sword. You need to get a cold steel Sjambok next since you seem to like whip type of weapons.
11:00 - it is more or less a correct sword (although it is some kind of Asian variety), BUT: do not use Cold Steel training swords. They handle like baseball bats made of plastic. For a proper sparring weapon, search for "arming sword, synthetic". And regarding the weapons that could be used with a buckler, here are their modern names: 1. Arming sword - for XIV-XV centuries 2. Sidesword - c. XVI century - a more nimble version of No. 1 3. Langes messer - a common man's substitute for an arming sword 4. Rapier - maybe, but it was more common to pair it with a parrying dagger rather than a buckler.
hey so I compete competitively in sword and buckler competitions through a modern medieval sport league so I loved this video. you actually used the weapon really well. it goes great for punching, grappling, and blocking the vision of an opponent. the one thing to do different is when you block you should take the impact like shocks on a car. you get hit and pull the arm back so the force doesn't transfer thru like it did with the baseball bat at the beginning. otherwise great video!
I’ve a serious question for you, Mike. You’ve spent a lot of time on your channel networking and letting other people share good material with you, and have a lot of videos where your open minded approach has given you food for thought, and it’s my favorite content if yours. So my questions is: has playing with a shield given you any interest in HEMA?
@@hard2hurt I would absolutely LOVE to see you guys do some HEMA stuff. I was just having a conversation with a couple of friends today about how Xing Yi has lots of spear fighting methods adopted for hand to hand, so I'm sure HEMA has similar methods and I can tell by your content just how much you probably love techniques and methods you can use with and without a tool or weapon.
@@hard2hurt Since you already have a one hand sword (and machete) and buckler, I'd recommend contacting your local HEMA clubs if they practise S&B or else dagger fighting. Longsword is the stereotypical HEMA weapon but it's, ah, less carryable in modern life lol.
The word buckler comes from an Anglicization of the French word " bouclier," which translate to, wait for it, shield. Bucklers were used as early as ancient Rome by gladiators all the way up until the Renaissance alongside the rapier, not hard to see why.
I do the following Okinawa Kata, among others, with an 18 inch short spear (rochin) and the Cold Steel Buckler (tinbe). You’re correct, if you train properly, this is a very effective home self defense system. I love it! Maybe you’ll do a video on tinbe and rochin for modern self defense. Don’t forget, the Zulu had a shield and a short spear, and, the Romans had a shield and a short sword (gladius). Stabbing was the main technique used by the Zulu, the Romans, and the Okinawans.
I can't remember why I cut it. I was tight on time but I think things got a little unsafe during that bit but yeah... office space is an apt comparison.
@@hard2hurt neither would it be mine, too long to carry, drawing takes lots of time, not to mention using it in gates or backstreets where most attacks happens (at least out here). I just assumed since it gives you reach it would make sense in the gun>everything context ;) Oh, and stopping someone with it usually means they're going to die, that's why the French and Spanish banned duels while they were common in Poland-Lithuania and turkish satellite countries :v
It so fascinating to see guys who know fighting use sword and buckler! In the I.33 Manuscript on fighting with the sword and buckler it says that it is a very intuitive weapon combination. Which is probably why it was used in Europe from the 11th-19th century!
@@hard2hurt - Obviously we can't tell exactly what it's made of from this side of a TH-cam video. But you could definitely chip either stone or concrete with a 16 or 20 oz. hammer. You'd probably need a sledge to break a chunk off, but then again if there's a flaw in there... 🤷🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️... Stone and concrete are hard but fairly brittle, at least compared to a hardened steel hammer. So when you bang them together the steel deforms but the stone/concrete eventually cracks.
Wrap the buckler handle in leather or tennis tape to reduce shock. This is why buckler and dagger (rondel/bollock) were carried in medieval Europe for self-defence for a long time. And the buckler was worn hanging from the belt too.
I've had one of these for like 10 years and I've also shot it with arrows and attacked it with various weapons its pretty indestructible. I have 2 steel bucklers that are great for doing lu ups and some very tricky push ups
hard2hurt historically there actually were “lantern shields”. They were shields that had lanterns built into them and even had a few martial techniques specifically for fighting with a light. Mostly blind your opponent then do xyz.
It shouldn’t be to hard to mount a weapon light with a “rat tail” pressure switch the edge of the buckler with some creative use of brackets, screws, rail sections, and a hose clamp or two.
Yes, I was on the can. I do agree with you that the buckler is a good idea for modern self defense. We also have swords because ammo will run out and should be use wisely because certain events will make it hard to get more ammo.
You guys should look at the treaties that HEMA uses like i33 and talk about them for modern self defense. These buckler videos have been great, and I could only think you would love messer and buckler after you picked up the machete.
@@jedi77palmer A better buckler would allow him to use a thumb grip, for instance, which is better for striking with the edge, or rotating the buckler to cover the other side of the body.
This guy 7:56 No shit, a medieval weapon that evolved for personal protection against real life threats, and to be carried everyday... its actually... effective :o Who would've though?
@@hard2hurt For someone with a self defence channel you have paper thin skin, that wasn't meant to be a personal attack, I'm commenting how people may scuff at the idea, not at you. So chill it sunshine
@@GreenTacoHat I was not being condescending I'm subscribed for a reason mate, he said people might scuff at this product, I was mocking the people, not him
@@academiacadejo3266 If you're being genuine here, then you should know that you're being condescending without knowing it then. You're going to want to fix that unless you actually want everyone to think you're being condescending.
Bucklers were very popular throughout the middle ages and appear in the oldest fencing manuals from the 13th century in combination with long sword for civilian self defense, think merchants and pilgrims. Rapiers weren't a thing until the late middle ages, when gunpowder started making almost all armor obsolete and metallurgy improved to the point that long, slender blades could be made reliably. There is no good reason not to use a Rapier with a Buckler, but left-hand daggers (with large guards to catch and trap enemy blades) were very popular as well at the time
I love that you're trying different weapons and defense methods. Who'd have thought, that little buckler is a real champ. I'm getting mine! I mean the great thing about it is that it really protects you and you can shove the edge of it to someone's teeth if necessary without being lethal so it is like a real compact defensive actual modern shield. And a sword for home defense rules! I have my katana ready.
The guy who taught me to use a sword was an expert with a buckler. It’s a serious weapon. It’s nice to see martial artists rediscover Historical European Martial Arts.
Polypropylene is a great material. A big weakness to Polypropylene is the cold. Polypropylene in winter conditions becomes brittle and is prone to shattering. Other than that it's wonderful.
I love everything about this video apart from the total lack of eye protection you guys were wearing when smashing the eff out of that shield. You do NOT want metal splinters in your eyeball.
The CS Buckler is one of the better things they brought on the market. We love it for training in swordsmanship, but it is also great with the stick (see the Dog Brothers using Stick and Buckler) or Tomahawk or Knife. If I may give a tiny advice though: When you try out such things better have some kind of army or working gloves to protect your hands and maybe if you stab objects with the knife full-force in icepick grip, I prefer to rest my thumb on the back or pommel for support to not slide down the blade (if it has no guard). Great video as usual.
so buckler gave name to swashbucklers, the noise that bucklers and sword would make when warriors from the later medieval era would sound walking about. longsword was the most traditional of the pairings but i have had some great fun with a axe and buckler, or tomahawk and buckler would also be pretty functional and allow hooks and picks. interesting what you say about home defence as historically it was used in taverns and tight urban environments, top vid!!
Any design of sword and shield or most kinds of polearm from antiquity to late medieval Era are gonna be the best choices for combat when guns are out of the picture. Cos they were the best for centuries when guns were out of the picture. It's good to train the historical martial arts applied to those weapons.
A spear-type weapon (or possibly a sword & large shield) would be the best close-range option for single unarmored combat in the open. That's not a scenario that comes up often in modern self-defense. Spears & company become ineffective in most indoor environments & can't be easily carried by most folks in the contemporary USA at least. The buckler is interesting because it's small enough to be practical for home defense & daily wear. Spears & such remain as potent as ever in the right context, & you do get a glimpse of this every once in a while with flagpoles & staves at protests.
The Black Swift stick co. Makes 2 great walking sticks you can use with the Cold Steel buckler, I have the raptor, I keep it and the buckler in my truck its a great combination.
Is always good to have a defensive item plus a wapon, "gauchos" in my country (Argentina) used a poncho around the forearm and a "facon", wich is a big ass knife in the other hand.
These have been work horses in the Historical Western Martial Arts scene for a couple of years now. Absolute tanks. If interested check on I.33 (One, Thirty-Three) which is an actual manual from the 1300's that covers using a sword and buckler.
Remember that you can also use the edge of the buckler to strike! It can be very effective striking tool too. Imagine if they make those with sharpened blade on the edge of this thing.
buckler and sword ms l.33 teaches a lot of the mathematics on why that puny shield is so op. It works more like a glove but it will take on most weapons. leaving a hand free for anything else. combine it nowadays with any baton, machete or pistol and you got one serious kit
in the last sparring, you can use the buckler to protect the hand with the sword, so when you attack just don't pull the buckler and keep it in foward possition
A friend of mine cracked one of those clean in half with a blunt steel arming sword during a sword and buckler tournament. It still held together though as the crack appeared in between the handle attatchments. The buckler was not brand new, and I've never heard of one breaking since though.
@@hard2hurt Plastics like that harden after a few years and become more brittle (volatiles slowly evaporating). Probably should be replaced every 5 or so years. Or switch to metal.
Re: end fight. A sword is not a knife. For self defense, keep it mostly in front of you if you're a beginner, and learn to hit from that position. Swords are defensive as well as offensive.
Honestly with a sword & buckler like these, your sword & shield hands should move together most of the time, so you can attack as you defend, in one motion.
That looks like a 12 inch buckler. Part of my skill set was Cutlass or Sabre with a 9" and 12" Buckler. I like the 9 inch as it was VERY easy to carry on a belt but also there I was slightly more offensive using it than a 12". I also used a 15 Buckler, 15" Targe or Small Round Shield. Long swords were okay but there was a reason why the Sabre and Cutlass was being used all the way to the 1970's in combat. I really think that the 9" and 12" Bucklers will work well in modern times, especially with bullet resistant material.
Great video, that buckler could still be very effective. That claw hammer looked very effective as a combo. So did the machete or even a knife. The buckler gives you options to block or parry but you can also hook and punch. Very versatile and I think that it would not take too long to be proficient with it.
The earliest manual for how to fight with this, the Valpurgia Manuscript, explicitly states that the positions it teaches and trains are ones that even the novice would assume naturally. Thus, they train the student to use the most natural human positions so that they can fight comfortably and learn easily, while at the same time teaching the student what he would most likely see in a fight. This was the OG version of saying "this is what happens in da streets"
I just bought one of these. I think you that the way to fight with one of these against a bat or similar heavy weapon is to be offensive with the buckler. If you wait for a heavy weapon to hit, using the techniques you outline here (fully extended arm), you are going to get your fingers and wrist broken. if, not when, a bat hits the edge of the shield it will try to rip the shield right out of your hand. spinning it and causing damage to you. Instead, keep a half bent arm, and as the attacker starts to strike you punch block into either the hands, elbow, or shoulder. This will slow the attack enough to strike yourself. But for sure, do not wait and try to block anything that fast and heavy.
To prevent your wrist from being twisted and weapons slipping off easier. What about the handle able to spin inside the shield and adding some kind of spring mechanism to lessen impact force? And allowing a one inch dip so weapons can slide off the outer edge easier causing less force on your wrist? Some thoughts.
Question for Viewers: What do you think the best weapon combo is with this?
A sword. That was the historical combination. A sword was mainly used in self defense together with a buckler to protect your non weapon hand and to deflect incoming strikes. This combo was easy to carry without hindering movement like a spear or a big shield would do😁
Filipino short sword. Good on it´s own and maneuverable in places like hallways. (I´m assuming we are talking home defense)
M48 war hammer
gladius, short sword, machete, any one armed sword really. then a knife.
A big fuck off knife :) but seriously short sword/big knife would be perfect.
I guess it shouldn’t be surprising that something used for hundreds of years as a defensive tool, is really good at being a defensive tool.
Shut up! I pioneered this. I basically invented it.
@@hard2hurt 😂👍🏻
You didnt invent the buckler.
@@TheGrandMasterTaco 🤦🏼♂️
@@Trappygit r/wooosh material
Imagine dropping your kid off at the dance academy, and you ask the instructor about the dude always in the parking lot wrestling with his buddies and driving over shields.
All I could think about when they were out back throwing the shield is, "What must that pretty lady from 2 stores down be thinking when she hears/sees this nonsense going on?"... Lol
Well she is cool but everyone else in this place doesn't talk to me
@@hard2hurt youre too much fun. They have to go to work.
This is one of my favorite videos you’ve ever made, coach. Genuine fan of this channel!
Lol thanks shane you're the man
Its because these videos are all about trying cool stuff with friends while learning to fight.
@fighttips but were you watching from the toilet?
My two favorite online coaches. 🙏
Sword and buckler might be the best late medieval civilian loadout there was. Compact, effective against an unarmoured opponent and generally also looks cool.
I like how quickly these things go from “we are doing a serious field test of this equipment” to “get Cliff in here! We’re wrecking shit!”
Cliff didn't realize today was a work day haha. We got done and he was like "wait... was that it today?"
As someone who's been into HEMA TH-camrs for years, seeing a more... mainstream, I guess, martial artist realizing the awesome power of the buckler nearly brought a tear to my eye.
This dude really rediscovered sword and buckler. Wait until he sees I33 guys go at it
Modern martial artist discovers effective home defense is being a gladiator.
I mean who's house would you not wanna stumble into... Jon wick first and a gladiator second
@@kaylsomogyi3475 I'd take my chances with Jon Wick to be honest. Lol.
@@Meloncholymadness in all seriousness sure but I was joking.
@@kaylsomogyi3475 frank castle's or uma thurman's in kill bill
@@obamaspaghettitoiletsauce9150 frank castle...yea man he might be scarier than Jon wick. They kinda have the same story now that I think of it lol
The buckler also has the advantage of being a small shield, giving it the most parry frames.
Ah yes, still lets you have the fastest roll animation too.
That's a nice profile picture there brother
Best combo is buckler, black knight great axe, and a hornets ring. Get those nasty ripostes
@@rockkafella1229 can confirm
@@Ricardoromero4444 MY BROTHER
“You’re hiding from your family, aren’t you? Your legs are asleep. Stop shirking your responsibilities!”
Me: “ _Oh my god he can ACTUALLY SEE ME_ 😳😳”
lol we've all been there man.
Hahahaha i know
Hard2hurt's next guest is going to be Skallagrim or Matt Easton, I swear. Funny how "something to defend yourself with and annoy your enemies with and then something to hit them with" is pretty timeless after all! Awesome to see you exploring this to a serious degree, I love how you never discard an idea until you try it, even after scoffing at it.
I'm glad you recognize that. It makes me laugh even harder at the guys who cling really hard to stuff that I have discarded when I know they have NOT done that.
There's a reason that shields were a thing for so many years (literally thousands). The only thing that really negates them is firearms.
I think firearms made us forget the value of some of this stuff.
@@hard2hurt firearms are the game changer. For any other situation, the shiled+spear+short sword/long knife combo is king. The vast majority of weapon and tactics development in the middle ages spinned around negating that (with wild variance in the effectiveness) because it was absurdly effective for its cost. A full plate armor costed as much as many hundreds spears and shields. The most obnoxious part about that set of equipment is that it required no training whatsoever to be effective. Any regular joe can grab a shield, a short spear, and will inmediately know how to use it, instinctively, and have a good chance of beating trained soldiers.
There are modern shields made out of modern ballistic materials that can withstand firearms. But I get it's more about the range of engagement and overall change in tactics and strategy that made them more of a liability than an asset in modern warfare.
@@Pasaken they are certainly a must in short range encounters. Every breaking in or hallway shooting with the SWAT will have at least one shilded guy at the front, because of how much they improve the safety of the entrance. It effectively negates 80-90% of their surface of aim while they retain their visiblity. It's not that different from the medieval fighting in terms of how much advantage they provide, with the bonus of being able to rely on teammates to deliver the heavy duty boomsticking.
sorry to resurrect the necropost- but I legit think a slightly larger bullet resistant shield would be an Excellent home defense tool. I mean, that's a roll out of bed, grab it and pretty much Anything in your other hand and you're good vs most things coming through your door.
Fun fact: The term “swashbuckler” came from times when gangs armed with swords and bucklers roamed city streets and challenged people to duels. To call someone out they would yell challenges and insults while striking their own bucklers with their swords (“swashing” their bucklers) to make noise.
Santiago Jr. Baluyot Well, “swashbuckler” is also a term for a story about a lovable rapscallion who is skilled with a sword and who defies/takes down evil authority figures - like The Three Musketeers, or Inigo Montoya in The Princess Bride. But the origins were in pre-ubiquitous-firearms city-states where armed gangs would swagger around the streets. Oftentimes nobles would be scared to walk about without several armed escorts.
@@urlawyerFascinating, I always enjoy learning about such things. In which countries did that occur?
Autumn Aurora Mainly Europe (including, I believe, the UK/London).
@@Meloncholymadness Germany wasn't a country per se but certain german cities of late middle ages and renaissance are famous for their fencing organisations and street duels/skirmishes between members of various groups. But tbh most countries had some equivalent of this kind of culture, it was especially popular among university students.
I don't know if this etymology is accurate, but I will promulgate it anyway.
The buckler was paired with basically every kind of one handed sword on three continents. It's legit but mostly absent in film beacause reasons..
Because it looks dainty. And who cares about historical accuracy when you have to sacrifice looking badass, amirite?
Yeah it just doesn't look or feel as cool as a bigger shield. I want a bigger shield.
@@hard2hurt It's the EDC shield, you keep the bigger shield in the trunk.
@@PomaiKajiyama Yup, men literally carried these on their belts.
Having someone look into the camera, and ask if I'm on the toilet, while I'm actually on the toilet was pretty unnerving 😅
Same lol
Saaaame
Ahahahaaha! There goes the 4th wall and your sense of privacy!
*nervously covers camera since now I feel like I'm being watched*
Same here!
The Cold Steel buckler is about as close to indestructible as it gets, and very popular in HEMA. It's not getting discontinued any time soon.
Traditionally you can use the buckler with the arming sword, side sword, and rapier. I'm sure there were plenty of other weapons used with it, but those are the ones I know have historical sources for.
Side note I like how you quickly figured out that it's best used mostly in an extended position. Gives you the cone of defense.
I didn't have any experience with it, but you can figure a lot of shit out when you tell big dudes to try to beat the shit out of you lol
I love it! Effective the combo is a “tinbe rochin” which was an old term in Okinawa Japan for a turtle shell & short spear/blade combo. Super cool, very effective.
Very cool!
I actually was mid shit when he asked if I was on the toilet. I've never felt so exposed
Nobody's judging you. They're all on the toilet too.
Same 😂
And same
Same 😅
at least your boss didn't facetime you at that moment.
We have to get Matt Easton from Scholagladiatoria over here to teach you how to buckler fight :)
Yeah, let's get Matt Easton over here for some context-specific teaching. 😁
+1 on the cross-over video! Because that dude is fantastic.
Fuck yeah they should collab'
Matt should at least make a reaction video to this. And that would probably be the best way to get their attention too
Well I'll be sharing this on all Matt's videos so hopefully he'll take note :)
I love that he let's himself to be proven wrong. That's how you know the info is reliable. Love the channel learned so much
As a fencer I gotta say this: Thank you. This was awesome. Made me think, made me realize some stuff, came for copper, found gold man.
whys is the info so particularly special for you as a fencer? just curious
@@flynn8845 It's the small things that the fencers lack in movement and body positioning as well as things like "lean in, bleed later" training, which develops a certain mindset. Fencers fight in a relatively straight line, even current HEMA fencers who don't have to rely on a runway. It's something that HEMA fencers are actually starting to actively incorporate into training and as scoring in tournaments. You can see that body positioning and spatial awareness here, as well as a rather intuitive distance gauging. Heck, the way Mike holds the buckler can be seen in historical manuals, so that's another thing that I found awesome. Both in the fact that a good fighter will figure out the best configuration, as well as the fact that old school manuals aren't really useless and speak of the same combat mechanics. It's brilliant. No rocket science or macdojo shit, there's just plain old common sense. I could rant on, but I probably shouldn't :D Sorry for the heck of a long post.
TL;DR - I like the nuances that you can see here that can be applied to every martial art, and are just based on common sense, and not some mumbo-jumbo special hidden techniques.
@5:51 I love how intuitive it is to slide right back into the 1400's and recreate the messer and buckler. @10:58 The buckler was used for a number of centuries and in that time, it was paired with a great many different weapons. Basically, if you could hold it with another weapon, chances are high that somebody _did_. Yes, rapiers were used in the 16th and 17th centuries with buclkers. One of the oldest martial arts documents we have shows the use of what we now call the "arming sword" paired with a buckler back in the 14th century. As you have discovered, this weapon is too handy to really ignore and people recognized that for a long time.
@11:13 , we see that the author(s) of the Anonymous Tower manuscript MS I.33 were correct: Even without much buckler experience, you start naturally falling into the "wards" listed in that document.
All you need now is an arming sword and Matt Easton talking about context!
Don't forget penetration.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahah
Next video you can do a colab with a HEMA practitioner that actually knows how to use a buckler.
Skal
@@oscallibur5597 Skal is just a nerd, better call Matt Easton, who is a coach and competitive fencer. Also there must be a lot of people in between.
When using a buckler, you're supposed to when in use extend it forward as in that position it allows the obscuring of most of your targets from the view of the opponent. The only time it is withdrawn slightly, is when the blocked actions of the enemy's attack has provided you with an opening to strike with your weapon. It is not utilized to it's best purpose if it is kept back behind your main weapon when not in use.
@@solarissv777 Or even someone like David Rawlings, Matt doesn't really do much buckler, he's more into the Victorian military sabre stuff.
Pretty sure him and Thrand are in the same state. Not many HEMA youtubers are in the US. That would be really expensive for a one-off collab.
The sword and shield combo ruled from at least 2000 BC to the late 1300s AD. I'm not suprised at all that is turned to be effective.
This is exactly why I constantly practice with my Scottish targe and 18” dirk. The targe with the short blade are a good combination for indoors, for outdoors I use the targe and dirk along with my basket-hilt backsword.
A buckler goes perfect with a rapier as you said, Arabs used shields similar to the buckler with shamshirs , tulwars or the turkish kilij, it's meant to be used with a one handed sword
10:26 the failure to mention the kite shield has shadaversity furious
@H C if you could get it around around your home, they're huge!
Matriculations!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Gotta get Shad on here now.
Magic Beetle
Machicolations*
Or rather:
MACH-IC-O-LA-TIONS!!!!
Tbf, unless they have a gun, you could easily block a doorway or corridor with a kite-shield and spear. Especially if you have your wife and kids behind you with their own spears...
On the toilet making a recommendation for the right kind of sword to use with a buckler. Rapiers were used with bucklers, but bucklers were around way before rapiers to help with swords w/o hand protection. Common pairings have been arming swords (standard knightly sword) and messers ( think a machete with a better guard).
You really got into the spirit of this video.
When's the the flashlight buckler combo edition?
I definitely would rock one of those.
Look up I33 you will find a lot of material on how to use a buckler and sword.
You need to get a cold steel Sjambok next since you seem to like whip type of weapons.
Any one handed weapon in combination with a shield is so.much.better than a one handed weapon alone.
11:00 - it is more or less a correct sword (although it is some kind of Asian variety), BUT: do not use Cold Steel training swords. They handle like baseball bats made of plastic. For a proper sparring weapon, search for "arming sword, synthetic".
And regarding the weapons that could be used with a buckler, here are their modern names:
1. Arming sword - for XIV-XV centuries
2. Sidesword - c. XVI century - a more nimble version of No. 1
3. Langes messer - a common man's substitute for an arming sword
4. Rapier - maybe, but it was more common to pair it with a parrying dagger rather than a buckler.
Don't worry... proper balance isn't important for us lol.
@@hard2hurt if you're going to get training weapons, I would suggest Purpleheart armory.
They make excellent cheap polymer trainers.
Rapiers where paired with daggers bc bucklders were illegal at the time
@@milivojetomovic6138 Nope, Daggers were just easier to carry. Why would anyone outlaw a buckler?
@@rehwr daggers defend against thrusts better
I'm amazed that a training tool held up so well against abusive testing, I might have to buy one just as a reminder not to underestimate things.
I don't think it can fairly be called a training tool. It is a complete, final, full version.
In my experience, the shock to the hand is partially alleviated by striking into the strike.
yeah, you really shouldn't block statically. You want to push away and let it slide off. Which I think is fairly natural for people do do.
hey so I compete competitively in sword and buckler competitions through a modern medieval sport league so I loved this video. you actually used the weapon really well. it goes great for punching, grappling, and blocking the vision of an opponent. the one thing to do different is when you block you should take the impact like shocks on a car. you get hit and pull the arm back so the force doesn't transfer thru like it did with the baseball bat at the beginning. otherwise great video!
Cold Steel owe you dough. I'm getting tons of these thanks to you
Me too
lol you should @ them somewhere and let them know maybe they'll send me some stuff and I can hurt myself with it for your enjoyment.
I’ve a serious question for you, Mike. You’ve spent a lot of time on your channel networking and letting other people share good material with you, and have a lot of videos where your open minded approach has given you food for thought, and it’s my favorite content if yours. So my questions is: has playing with a shield given you any interest in HEMA?
I'm interested in everything.
@@hard2hurt I would absolutely LOVE to see you guys do some HEMA stuff. I was just having a conversation with a couple of friends today about how Xing Yi has lots of spear fighting methods adopted for hand to hand, so I'm sure HEMA has similar methods and I can tell by your content just how much you probably love techniques and methods you can use with and without a tool or weapon.
@@hard2hurt Since you already have a one hand sword (and machete) and buckler, I'd recommend contacting your local HEMA clubs if they practise S&B or else dagger fighting. Longsword is the stereotypical HEMA weapon but it's, ah, less carryable in modern life lol.
I’m actually on the toilet to be perfectly honest with you, Mike.
Yeah I know that's why I said it. I can see you.
i started watching this as I was working my way to the toilet🤣 and then I sat down and all of the sudden he starts saying that and I'm like crap...🤣
It's like Harry Potter trying to destroy the horcrux
I've never seen or read any of that stuff, should I?
@hard2hurt If you have to ask youraelf if you should then the answer is yes
@@hard2hurt its a classic. Thou maybe not your area
@@paweandonisgawralidisdobrz2522 It's not a classic it's a teen fantasy lol
You mentioned law enforcement, maybe the buckler coupled with that cable whip you've used as a less than lethal/compliance method.
Finally. I´ve been waiting for this one.
The word buckler comes from an Anglicization of the French word "
bouclier," which translate to, wait for it, shield. Bucklers were used as early as ancient Rome by gladiators all the way up until the Renaissance alongside the rapier, not hard to see why.
10:30 Based on the multiple Dark Souls references I've read in the comments, I think he underestimates how many nerds watch this channel lol.
I thought we were all nerds.
and here I was thinking it was the Soul Caliber music that would bring out the geeks.
Reinventing the wheel mate!
That's sword and buckler discipline as soon as you pick up the machete
I do the following Okinawa Kata, among others, with an 18 inch short spear (rochin) and the Cold Steel Buckler (tinbe). You’re correct, if you train properly, this is a very effective home self defense system. I love it! Maybe you’ll do a video on tinbe and rochin for modern self defense. Don’t forget, the Zulu had a shield and a short spear, and, the Romans had a shield and a short sword (gladius). Stabbing was the main technique used by the Zulu, the Romans, and the Okinawans.
"if anyone is still comin at you they're on drugs" I laughed out loud at that part and my roommate heard me laughing and now he's subscribed too 🤣👍
I see a buckler, I click thumb up.
Well I'll see your thumb up and raise you one heart.
I see Frederico (a great fencer) and I like.
But in all seriousness I love your channel.
Michael Skinner thank you Michael!
@@FedericoMalagutti Ma tu sei davvero dapertutto ?!
Thrown Sword Pommel ahahahahahah!
"Everyone is afraid of poo stick"
- Sun Tzu probably
I like how you test the product out and present the strengths and weaknesses of it. Something to consider when I can’t use a firearm.
Best self defense,!! TRUE SELF DEFENSE THATS REALISTIC ON TH-cam!! HANDS DOWN BRO
8:38, y'all just started going full office space on it. Man that had me in tears.
I laughed so hard when they went to jump it
This literally had me dying best moment 😂😂
I can't remember why I cut it. I was tight on time but I think things got a little unsafe during that bit but yeah... office space is an apt comparison.
You're indirectly inviting people with guns to test the shield.
2020 IcyMike discovers XIII century technology :D
In the next episode: self defence rapier is the best tool for the job
I don't think a rapier would be my sword of choice for self defense.
@@hard2hurt neither would it be mine, too long to carry, drawing takes lots of time, not to mention using it in gates or backstreets where most attacks happens (at least out here). I just assumed since it gives you reach it would make sense in the gun>everything context ;)
Oh, and stopping someone with it usually means they're going to die, that's why the French and Spanish banned duels while they were common in Poland-Lithuania and turkish satellite countries :v
It so fascinating to see guys who know fighting use sword and buckler! In the I.33 Manuscript on fighting with the sword and buckler it says that it is a very intuitive weapon combination. Which is probably why it was used in Europe from the 11th-19th century!
Mike and Cowboy Cerrone are the people who live my dream life! Compete hard at stuff all day with your buddies, and have fun doing it!
Yes!!! I am watching this on the toilet lol
6:58 NOT ON THE NICE STONE TABLE!
barbarians...
Yeah, right? He said, "Try to follow through *through* the table", and I was like "No! You're gonna break the table!"
Do those tables break?
@@hard2hurt - Obviously we can't tell exactly what it's made of from this side of a TH-cam video. But you could definitely chip either stone or concrete with a 16 or 20 oz. hammer. You'd probably need a sledge to break a chunk off, but then again if there's a flaw in there... 🤷🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️🤷🏽♂️... Stone and concrete are hard but fairly brittle, at least compared to a hardened steel hammer. So when you bang them together the steel deforms but the stone/concrete eventually cracks.
I'm actually watching this at the toilet and I don't feel my legs anymore lmao
lol
Wrap the buckler handle in leather or tennis tape to reduce shock.
This is why buckler and dagger (rondel/bollock) were carried in medieval Europe for self-defence for a long time. And the buckler was worn hanging from the belt too.
I've had one of these for like 10 years and I've also shot it with arrows and attacked it with various weapons its pretty indestructible. I have 2 steel bucklers that are great for doing lu ups and some very tricky push ups
Some good experimentation in here - get together with some HEMA folks and have some fun together! ;)
Maybe one day.
@@hard2hurt That would be damn cool. =)
You need to do a collaboration with scholagladiatoria
Icy Mike-try mounting a flashlight to the buckler.
It definitely needs a light on it.
hard2hurt historically there actually were “lantern shields”. They were shields that had lanterns built into them and even had a few martial techniques specifically for fighting with a light. Mostly blind your opponent then do xyz.
It shouldn’t be to hard to mount a weapon light with a “rat tail”
pressure switch the edge of the buckler with some creative use of brackets, screws, rail sections, and a hose clamp or two.
Yes, I was on the can. I do agree with you that the buckler is a good idea for modern self defense. We also have swords because ammo will run out and should be use wisely because certain events will make it hard to get more ammo.
You guys should look at the treaties that HEMA uses like i33 and talk about them for modern self defense. These buckler videos have been great, and I could only think you would love messer and buckler after you picked up the machete.
I'd like to see him try out an actual steel buckler off of kultofathena.
Why? What do you think the difference would be? That buckler from Cold Steel is the type used in competition with steel swords.
@@jedi77palmer Yes and no. It's cheap and durable, but that's it. The way the handle is shaped is terrible, and it's even worse with a glove on.
@@thrownswordpommel7393 so how is that relevant for hard2hurt to try out?
@@jedi77palmer A better buckler would allow him to use a thumb grip, for instance, which is better for striking with the edge, or rotating the buckler to cover the other side of the body.
@@thrownswordpommel7393 I think you'll find he just doesn't know how to better hold the buckler.
This guy 7:56
No shit, a medieval weapon that evolved for personal protection against real life threats, and to be carried everyday... its actually... effective :o
Who would've though?
Oh man you are so very smart and you already knew the thing that I know now! Man I wish I was more like you.
@@hard2hurt For someone with a self defence channel you have paper thin skin, that wasn't meant to be a personal attack, I'm commenting how people may scuff at the idea, not at you. So chill it sunshine
@@academiacadejo3266 you were being condescending so he responded sarcastically. Why so surprised lol
@@GreenTacoHat I was not being condescending I'm subscribed for a reason mate, he said people might scuff at this product, I was mocking the people, not him
@@academiacadejo3266 If you're being genuine here, then you should know that you're being condescending without knowing it then. You're going to want to fix that unless you actually want everyone to think you're being condescending.
Hard2hurt, see skalagrim and shadversety videos abouty bucklers.
scholagladiatoria has some good old videos on the topic too
Bucklers were very popular throughout the middle ages and appear in the oldest fencing manuals from the 13th century in combination with long sword for civilian self defense, think merchants and pilgrims. Rapiers weren't a thing until the late middle ages, when gunpowder started making almost all armor obsolete and metallurgy improved to the point that long, slender blades could be made reliably. There is no good reason not to use a Rapier with a Buckler, but left-hand daggers (with large guards to catch and trap enemy blades) were very popular as well at the time
I love that you're trying different weapons and defense methods. Who'd have thought, that little buckler is a real champ. I'm getting mine! I mean the great thing about it is that it really protects you and you can shove the edge of it to someone's teeth if necessary without being lethal so it is like a real compact defensive actual modern shield. And a sword for home defense rules! I have my katana ready.
It's like watching skallagrim but not Canadian.
Also louder and funnier with better lighting
Arrow?
Edit: never mind 😂
Lol
They really went all-out on that thing, loved it
I love that this turned into a LARP fight at the end lol. Whole video is great, but that alone was enough to make me hit that thumbs up and bell.
As a boomer and former martial arts devotee, I love your "show" as much as "Frasier" in the old days. Bless you, this is fun 😄
And that´s why you are one of the best channels of youtube. That was great!! Great-ins from Brazil
I'm glad you guys took the Buckler Pill. It's unironically the best defensive tool other than a gun
The guy who taught me to use a sword was an expert with a buckler. It’s a serious weapon.
It’s nice to see martial artists rediscover Historical European Martial Arts.
Polypropylene is a great material. A big weakness to Polypropylene is the cold. Polypropylene in winter conditions becomes brittle and is prone to shattering. Other than that it's wonderful.
I love everything about this video apart from the total lack of eye protection you guys were wearing when smashing the eff out of that shield. You do NOT want metal splinters in your eyeball.
The CS Buckler is one of the better things they brought on the market. We love it for training in swordsmanship, but it is also great with the stick (see the Dog Brothers using Stick and Buckler) or Tomahawk or Knife. If I may give a tiny advice though: When you try out such things better have some kind of army or working gloves to protect your hands and maybe if you stab objects with the knife full-force in icepick grip, I prefer to rest my thumb on the back or pommel for support to not slide down the blade (if it has no guard). Great video as usual.
so buckler gave name to swashbucklers, the noise that bucklers and sword would make when warriors from the later medieval era would sound walking about. longsword was the most traditional of the pairings but i have had some great fun with a axe and buckler, or tomahawk and buckler would also be pretty functional and allow hooks and picks.
interesting what you say about home defence as historically it was used in taverns and tight urban environments, top vid!!
Yep. Bucklers were primarily used with rapiers. But this is interesting. May have to snag one of these
Any design of sword and shield or most kinds of polearm from antiquity to late medieval Era are gonna be the best choices for combat when guns are out of the picture. Cos they were the best for centuries when guns were out of the picture. It's good to train the historical martial arts applied to those weapons.
A spear-type weapon (or possibly a sword & large shield) would be the best close-range option for single unarmored combat in the open. That's not a scenario that comes up often in modern self-defense. Spears & company become ineffective in most indoor environments & can't be easily carried by most folks in the contemporary USA at least. The buckler is interesting because it's small enough to be practical for home defense & daily wear. Spears & such remain as potent as ever in the right context, & you do get a glimpse of this every once in a while with flagpoles & staves at protests.
The Black Swift stick co. Makes 2 great walking sticks you can use with the Cold Steel buckler, I have the raptor, I keep it and the buckler in my truck its a great combination.
Hmm... we've heard walking sticks. You're the first person to recommend a specific one I think.
hard2hurt, neither the buckler nor the walking stick would be considered a “weapon “ and yet when used together they are quite formidable.
Is always good to have a defensive item plus a wapon, "gauchos" in my country (Argentina) used a poncho around the forearm and a "facon", wich is a big ass knife in the other hand.
These have been work horses in the Historical Western Martial Arts scene for a couple of years now. Absolute tanks. If interested check on I.33 (One, Thirty-Three) which is an actual manual from the 1300's that covers using a sword and buckler.
Remember that you can also use the edge of the buckler to strike! It can be very effective striking tool too. Imagine if they make those with sharpened blade on the edge of this thing.
buckler and sword ms l.33 teaches a lot of the mathematics on why that puny shield is so op. It works more like a glove but it will take on most weapons. leaving a hand free for anything else. combine it nowadays with any baton, machete or pistol and you got one serious kit
in the last sparring, you can use the buckler to protect the hand with the sword, so when you attack just don't pull the buckler and keep it in foward possition
I just bought the 19" targe version for hema practice but its nice to see how well it works without having to destroy my own 😅
A friend of mine cracked one of those clean in half with a blunt steel arming sword during a sword and buckler tournament. It still held together though as the crack appeared in between the handle attatchments. The buckler was not brand new, and I've never heard of one breaking since though.
Yeah maybe that one had been through something particularly nasty.
@@hard2hurt Plastics like that harden after a few years and become more brittle (volatiles slowly evaporating). Probably should be replaced every 5 or so years. Or switch to metal.
Re: end fight. A sword is not a knife. For self defense, keep it mostly in front of you if you're a beginner, and learn to hit from that position. Swords are defensive as well as offensive.
Honestly with a sword & buckler like these, your sword & shield hands should move together most of the time, so you can attack as you defend, in one motion.
That looks like a 12 inch buckler. Part of my skill set was Cutlass or Sabre with a 9" and 12" Buckler. I like the 9 inch as it was VERY easy to carry on a belt but also there I was slightly more offensive using it than a 12". I also used a 15 Buckler, 15" Targe or Small Round Shield. Long swords were okay but there was a reason why the Sabre and Cutlass was being used all the way to the 1970's in combat.
I really think that the 9" and 12" Bucklers will work well in modern times, especially with bullet resistant material.
Great video, that buckler could still be very effective. That claw hammer looked very effective as a combo. So did the machete or even a knife. The buckler gives you options to block or parry but you can also hook and punch. Very versatile and I think that it would not take too long to be proficient with it.
This video was a lot of fun to watch.
The earliest manual for how to fight with this, the Valpurgia Manuscript, explicitly states that the positions it teaches and trains are ones that even the novice would assume naturally. Thus, they train the student to use the most natural human positions so that they can fight comfortably and learn easily, while at the same time teaching the student what he would most likely see in a fight.
This was the OG version of saying "this is what happens in da streets"
A year later and I'm still watching this on the toilet
Very much looking forward to seeing how the buckler handles a 9mm. Wishing you and yours the best.
Apparently someone else has already done it. I might still just for fun.
5 months later, still on the toilet. Laughed so hard from the coincidence😂. Great vid keep it up 👍🏻
I just bought one of these. I think you that the way to fight with one of these against a bat or similar heavy weapon is to be offensive with the buckler. If you wait for a heavy weapon to hit, using the techniques you outline here (fully extended arm), you are going to get your fingers and wrist broken. if, not when, a bat hits the edge of the shield it will try to rip the shield right out of your hand. spinning it and causing damage to you. Instead, keep a half bent arm, and as the attacker starts to strike you punch block into either the hands, elbow, or shoulder. This will slow the attack enough to strike yourself. But for sure, do not wait and try to block anything that fast and heavy.
To prevent your wrist from being twisted and weapons slipping off easier.
What about the handle able to spin inside the shield and adding some kind of spring mechanism to lessen impact force? And allowing a one inch dip so weapons can slide off the outer edge easier causing less force on your wrist?
Some thoughts.