Yes this is realy true and historicly you had many solgers that where good figthers but not that verse into sword technique never underestimate speed, strength, and simple agression.
This is the first sword fighting channel where I've actually been able to watch a video the whole way through. You're a natural teacher and easy to listen to.
I feel like he is a better explainer since he can claim that an otherwise silly technique can, under circumstances, be useful and not outright dismiss it like most of the others. Keeping an open mind while at the same time staying practical is far better than dogmatically sticking to old manuals.
I appreciate the fact that you didn't outright demonize the technics in the game like many other HEMA "professionals" do. You explained some of the faults but you added ways in which his technics in the game could be altered to be more effective. Also, I like that you didn't say that HEMA is the only martial art that is effective. Many will say that the technics in the game are outlandish and would get you killed in real life but you realize that different martial arts utilize different technics very effectively even though they may seem to leave yourself open. All together, I just enjoyed seeing someone that is open to fighting technics that aren't the HEMA standard.
many "experts" are simply people who get their heads so deep inside their asses they're so cucksure about their "expertness" and refuse to even consider other methods when that method is not in line with theirs, keeping their minds closed inside their own echo chamber watching this, it was nice to see an expert who's willing to analyze other styles, fictional even, with respect and an open mind..
What exactly is a "HEMA standard" of two handed swordsmanship to begin with? Fiore *and* early KDF/Liechtenauer rely almost exclusively on compact cuts, but would disagree heavily on what is safe to do with a longsword. KDF likes fighting Indes/in counter-time, while most other styles employ parry-and-riposte in two times. Meyer is partly KDF, partly Guild fencing, and often uses flashy flourishes. Marozzo and the Bolognese School's assaults against one opponent use very wide sweeping blows and momentum. Iberian montante and Alfieri's spadone have you downright spinning around making sweeps in all directions like a helicopter blade.
Hey, Master Witcher! There is this one Ghost that's been haunting the the Cemetary. Folk are afraid to wander there anymore, and many dead people need to be buried, you know the War between Nilfgard and us. Slay it, and I shall not spare a single Copper. (Reward: 200 Crowns)
Guys, guys. A word of clarification. I'm saying that you can't rely on pirouettes. They are risky. Their use is circumstantial at best. I find that employing a pirouette can be good against a strongly defensive opponent, whom you can't reach otherwise. Against offensive-oriented fighters - it's a suicide. There.
You forget Witchers are not humans. They are much faster and have much better senses. For them rotations have sense to give their swords better speed/momentum and also confuse enemies more. Speed up all your moves at least 1,5x and then you have Witchers speed :)
Playing the devil's advocate, maybe Witchers use these wide sweeping strikes because their training is usually geared toward monsters and they generally fight alone against groups of monsters. So wide sweeping attacks *might* help against groups of foes to keep them all at a safe distance, if you can position yourself in a manner that all of them are in front of you. Moreover, sweeping attacks might miss a monster's head or body but might still strike (and hopefully cut) a claw. Still, since it's fantasy and it's not really meant for duels (which is what HEMA usually entails, isn't it?), I think there can still be reasoning behind it... even if it's based on fantasy. If it's applicable in its own scenario and context, then why not? :)
***** No idea. I was just trying to conjecture about the fighting style rather than the blade used. Maybe nobody knew how to forge a broad sword, since there aren't any in the game... in any case don't take my word for it. It's just assumptions. Actually, the Zerrikanian Saberra is a pretty broad saber, so there's one example. But maybe only the Zerrikanians knew how to forge them. =p
Physics doesn't really work like that. As soon as your sword hit an opponent, something like 90% of the kinetic energy would go into that single opponent, and it would probably stick at it. Best case scenario you'd be able to hit multiple opponents by just slightly slicing each ones skin if they were positioned at very specific positions, but that's not really any damage at all. So those techniques are pretty useless no matter which way you look at them. Unless you have a lightsaber.
+MBOmnis the issue is that Geralt will spin 360 degress *before* he's even began to harass or threaten his enemy with his blade...that's stupid regardless of what you're fighting. Monsters are more likely to close the distance in that time and of course except GRAPPLING to ensure.... Geralt also doesn't throw his blade out throughout his entire motion...only at the end when he's aimed at a single enemy. There's no way you can legitimately justify this ridiculousness. No one mentioned broadswords, the person above referred to broad cutting blades perhaps like a Falchion or Messer. A broadsword is a smaller rapier/backsword like blade (perhaps more similar to a traditional arming sword.) often with a baskethilted handle... There are messers and Falchions in game, there are broadswords I believe as well. Geralt has no excuses.
The factor to consider, I think, is that in theory, Witchers are supposed to have significantly superior speed, so a lot of techniques that make no sense in HEMA can make sense for a Witcher because openings created will be closed faster than they can be exploited by someone with normal speed.
Still doesn't make any sense because the real techniques are simply better, so if Witchers are so much faster, if they used the real techniques they would REALLY be several times faster than the opponent and be actually unbeatable. It's like if you were twice as strong and fast as a boxer and you decided to fight with just one hand. It just doesn't make any sense.
TheAsj97 Not really. The real techniques have to compromise, because they have to make sure you are at all points able to defend if your opponent acts differently than you predicted. You are using half-cuts, because full swing cuts would cause you to stop being a threat and unable to change your movement so as to avoid a hit. If you are that much faster, you can use the full momentum of a swing without risk.
Oliver H But there's no point, all that extra power wouldn't be that much, and even if it were, it would just fuck up the sword much more quickly. And it's still a fact that wide swings would be slower than real swings by the same fighter, so he could attack many more times with almost the same power, making it literally more effective.
TheAsj97 "But there's no point, all that extra power wouldn't be that much, and even if it were, it would just fuck up the sword much more quickly. " Um, yes. Speed enters into the equation for kinetic energy squared. Wider circles means higher angular velocity for the point of impact, both due to more momentum build-up and due to the wider circle. And as for fucking up the sword more quickly - we're talking about swords you can hit a gargoyle or a golem with, i.e. solid rock. "And it's still a fact that wide swings would be slower than real swings by the same fighter, so he could attack many more times with almost the same power, making it literally more effective." Nope. Wider swings would have a lower frequency, but the actual velocity of the blade would be higher.
With that superior speed why not use effective techniques, furthermore these supposed speed advantages do not translate IN GAME....and in game is the only canonical version of the Witcher to the techniques seen in the video. There's no such thing as "full swing cuts" Geralt's strikes wouldn't cut anything, if you were unlucky they'd bounce off and if you were lucky they'd cleave an inch or so into the flesh (extremely lucky.) If a sword were a crowbar you might have a point, cuts need to be drawn to glide through the body, there's no point trying to generate extra momentum if your sword is going to bounce or glide past the body....furthermore pirouetting would decrease momentum...as you don't have a *stable platform* to strike from...no leverage while you're mid-air, All of that body movement wasted. The velocity of the blade would be lower on a pirouette unless he's magically able to fly 360 degrees steadily gaining momentum throughout. Furthermore Geralt does not strike with quick, fast and accelerating movements...instead his movements tend to hold roughly the same velocity throughout...making such motions pointless in the first place.
"Oi, mastah Witcha. I gots a job offer for ya" "Yeah? What seems to be the problem?" "One of our boys, Lilial was out in the woods pickin' some berries for the village. We was gonna make a pie you see!" "Sounds great and all, but I'm more interested in the monster" "Oh right, right. Aye, anyways, BIG smashes and crashes heard in them woods shortly after he left. Sent some men to go check it out. They never returned. Except for one.." "Hmm, where's he at? Might know more about the monster that took Lilial" "He's over in that hut over yonder, fella's wearin' a red smashing right tunic" "Thanks. So long" "Wait! Mastah Witcha.." "Yeah?" "Try to bring Lilial back to us, alright?" "I'll try my best, can't make any promises though. See ya" "Farewell mastah".
I totally understand the criticisms to Witcher fighting styles compared to actual real techniques but one thing to remember is that Witchers are mutants that are unnaturally strong and fast trained and made to fight asymmetrically versus monsters of many shapes and sizes. They can also shield themselves with the Quen magic sign that blocks (usually) one enemy blow without them breaking tempo. This allows them to wind up huge swings without the danger of being cut in half before they even land a blow.
Yeah, I was going to say this too. I mean WItchers are technically super humans, they have superior strength, speed, reflexes and senses. So while a normal human might not benefit from the Witcher's style of combat, since they don't have the necessary speed or strength for it, A witcher would probably be able to use the techniques pretty darn well. However I'm not a sword expert so I could be wrong, but It's something to think about Great video anyhow, keep it up mate!
Fancy swordfighting in video games: The Sword's Path: I'm About To End This Man's Whole Career Honestly though, this guy fights much more practically and somehow manages to make it even fancier. Props to you, man. If only it didn't get recommended 3 years late.
When I pressed play I thought to myself "This fucking weeaboo probably knows nothing about fencing and is going to be just cringy". I stand fucking corrected. Youve earned a suscriber for life. I loved the blunt, zero extra stuff, way of explaining. Perfect video.
I rewatched this again in 2019 and I can't help to comment on how much I respect a master who is not overly confident of his way of fighting and not dismissing other ways of combat easily the way you respect other ways of fighting, saying HEMA is not the only way while adding your anecdote is a big yes for me
Very well explained, and I loved the filming location. If you don't mind me asking, where did you film this? It's also nice to see an open mind to the non-hema style of fighting.
Thank you! I shot this just outside my house, which is near Przemyśl, Poland. Aren't you that notorious Zed player, by the way? I really like your voice, so different from the usual League screamers.
+The Sword's Path didn't see your question, lol Yes! I am somewhat known as a Zed player, super happy to hear you're enjoying my voice. Very self conscious about it. How long have you been practicing fencing? It looks very natural in the video.
Range in W3 may be different but in the books its clear that Witchers were using tip of the sword to perform cut, not to bash and swing like an idiot. They were aiming for arteries.
Tip cutting is certainly a thing that works but it is not an effective way to end an opponent. Arteries are VERY small targets and are often well protected. Instead, you want to strike in such a way that several inches of your sword is past your opponent so that as you draw the sword through the rest of arc closer to you it still has enough range to destroy vital structures in the chest or neck.
John Previtera Read a books first, then argue because i wont do this for you ok? Then come back and apologize me for your stupidity and say i was right, because thats how it was in books
in the books, when fighting humans/human-ish enemies, witchers basically seem to fight like sabreurs (perhaps unsurprisingly), delivering quick cuts and then moving back into guard or far out of distance. it's not really tip-cutting, exactly, though they do tend to deliver one cut and then withdraw.
I appreciate your insights about the differences between "real" fighting, and idealized combat both in HEMA and stunt performance. Both the stunt community and the HEMA community are somewhat dogmatic and fixed in their interpretation of what is historic or what looks cool, as the case may be, and I think both would benefit greatly from an appreciation that the guy with the fanciest moves isn't always victorious.
Many peoples who's actually do HEMA, proove that Witcher fighting technique are .. "Impossible" to do. You would be ready to sacrifice all your protections just for peoples looking at you, swinging your Sword left and right with greats and useless cleaves? .. Yet, Geralt is not human, and its a game.
This is just amazing. In the end, the "Golem stabing" scene was great. You really should shoot a short film like the Rise of the White Wolf trailer, when Geralt practice with his silver sword. A+
Absolutely love the Witcher, books and games, and my only regret watching this is that I have never taken up fencing (who knows, maybe one day!). Just wanted to say that I admire the fairness of your analysis I.e. Not saying that HEMA, good as it may be, is the only style of fencing, and also your grace and speed when fighting is truly a sight to behold. Very enjoyable videos indeed!
It's funny because in Witcher 1, Geralt holds his sword just like you do at 8:18 Could you do a response on Witcher 1 techniques? They are very fluid and weird actually, almost like dancing with a sword.
It was just a rumour. They did intend to hire a consultant from a group known as Lorica, who were quite a prominent stage fighting troupe at the time. In the end, they just settled for an extraordinary stuntsman - Maciej Kwiatkowski.
"perfectly halal" that caught me off guard. I laughed. i have to admit, i was only curious upon stumbling on this video but your presentation was so clean and clear as well as a touch of humor what kept me watching.
I think it's also worth noting that witchers were superhuman in many aspects - strength, speed, reaction time and those advantages were also compounded by the use of elixirs. Therefore I can imagine they could get away with a fighting style that favoured simple, powerful strikes and relied on insanely quick reflexes for defence.
That! good sir is a truly breathtakingly magnificent blade, your skills are absolutely inspiring in both swordsmithing as well as the way of the European sword. I would trade many a things to train with you sir, you are a TRUE swordsman indeed, id kill to continue teaching your legacy of swordsmanship to our next generations. Im sure you live Fuckin hell of far away from me, but I can dream right? lol!..... Anywho please continue to teach us through here, we whom truly appreciate the way of the sword salute you.
Amman Saleem It's a joke way of saying it's the right way to do something. Since those terms means it's okay to eat to Jewish and Muslims respectively.
personally I would just like to say I really enjoyed how much of an elegant fighter you are. you move swiftly and with purpose it's great to watch! and the explanations were really clear too!
I pomyśleć, że do tej pory walki oparte na systemie HEMA wydawały mi się całkiem proste i "do ogarnięcia" - ot akcja - reakcja, cios - parowanie - kontratak - parowanie - etc. Jak tylko zobaczyłem z jaką szybkością wyprowadzałeś cięcia na początku filmu, to na samą myśl o walce z przeciwnikiem Twojego pokroju uginają mi się nogi - przy takiej szybkości zadawanych ciosów chyba nawet zawodowi szermierze mieliby nogi z waty, zwłaszcza gdyby to działo się naprawdę i walka odbywałaby się na śmierć i życie - bo niewątpliwie szybkość podejmowanych decyzji dotyczących parowania, kontrataku i jednocześnie ciągłego obserwowania ruchów przeciwnika byłaby cholernie obciążająca psychicznie... Nie wspominając o realiach pola bitwy, gdzie po pokonaniu jednego przeciwnika już jest się wykończonym fizycznie i psychicznie, a pozostały jeszcze setki innych wrogów, władających bronią w tym samym, jeśli nie w lepszym stopniu, świeżych i wypoczętych, czekających w kolejnych szeregach.
Myślę, że ludzie, którzy robili to zawodowo, trenowali aż większość decyzji "podejmowały" za nich odruchy - eliminując dużą część obciążenia psychicznego. W wielu podaniach, wschodnich i zachodnich, mówi się o stanie "bez myśli", w którym nie zastanawiasz się nad każdym ruchem z osobna, a po prostu pozwalasz im płynąć, świadomie decydujesz natomiast na wyższym poziomie: o taktyce i strategii. Myślę, że zdanie się na wyćwiczone odruchy to sposób, w który zarówno prosty żołdak jak i mistrz fechtunku mógł sobie poradzić ze stresem w czasie bitwy. Choć poziom presji jest oczywiście nieporównywalny, można porównać to z wyćwiczeniem muzyków koncertowych: przed występem tłuką utwór w kółko, aż wejdzie w pamięć mięśniową - by grać nawet, kiedy świadome rozumienie utworu zawiedzie. :) Pozdrawiam!
Fakt - zapomniałem o być może najważniejszej kwestii, jaką jest pamięć mięśniowa :) Nota bene w naszym poczciwym Wieśku ten temat też był chyba wałkowany w trakcie szkolenia wiedźminów. Mogło mi to umknąć z tego względu, że to zagadnienie bardziej kojarzyłem już ze współczesnymi sztukami walki :P W każdym razie dzięki za odpowiedź, mega ciekawy i merytoryczny materiał, gdybym miał wolny czas i środki, to z chęcią próbowałbym zagłębić się bardziej w temat HEMA :) Również pozdrawiam!
Something I’m learning the more choreographies I write is the difference between fighting for sport/your life and the more cinematic and “pretty” fights we see on TV. Thank you for breaking down these movements. Keep up the great work.
I'd like your opinion on some of Geralt's strikes in mid step, the cut that nearly decapitated Olgierd and the thrust at full reach that took Eradin in the eye? I've used the full reach thrust while disengaging with my bastard sword it worked pretty well, a sudden burst of speed from an angle you wouldn't expect, I'm no where as good as you are though
I've just started watching your vids and their very interesting, I do enjoy getting insight from those who have a true understanding of what they do. Now, in the defense vs the Witcher's technique besides it being a fictional world and all with more cinematic fights. I also keep in mind that a Witcher's Technique is meant to fight Monsters not Men. Hence the incredible aggressiveness and constant movement. And even the game addresses this, as when fighting other weapon wielders, you can't just spam on the offense. You have to (like you said) parry and respond(At least on Death March, the hardest difficulty). But honestly, I absolutely love your insight on sword fighting. Apologies for the long comment that you may not even read but I have subscribed and will love to see more :P
I just started playing The Witcher 3 and was looking up videos for it. This one came across my feed and I'm glad it did. My only gripe with the video was the rain being picked up by the mic. Subbed.
Nice. I somewhat understand the differences between actual combat and theatrical combat as far as technique. This is a cool video. First off, the setting is awesome. Second, you're very good at instructing, and third everything looks really cool. I love the closer range combat and the importance of having the tip of the blade always as a threat. Well done. :)
The way I see it is... we have to see this techniques as performed by a witcher, and not a human; a much stronger and faster being with superior reflexes (and although I agree some of them are a bit too telegraphed and too widely swung) the pirouette in the game and the rend are done much faster than you are able to (although they should be even faster I think, based on the books). A withcer (as portrayed in the fantasy setting) can leave openings because he has the necessary reflexes, speed and reaction to retract those openings before a normal human can exploit them. As such a human may be confused as of what is happening... He sees the withcer starting a pirouette, thinks it's his lucky moment to hit an idiot... miday through his exploitation of the opening, the witcher is already back in guard (an unexpected thing that cannot be pulled off by an unmutated human) and is now exploiting HIS attacj and opening. Also, maybe I am bad... but rend gets you hit very often when trying to use it agains humans. I find it more useful against hulking monster enemies, especially if they miss their attack or are staggered.
I came here because my husband nicely ask if I would be so nice and watch this vid he liked very much, so much that he just want someone to see it, no biggie. And I got glued to screen with my jaw dropped, this is amazing. Pure awsomness.
You are the first sword fighter on TH-cam to legitimately scare me. Even armed with my choice weapons. I would run away, your technique is great. Honestly, I find the raipd sweeping cuts much more terrifying. Pointing your tip in the Hema manner would at least give me an opportunity to bind or displace your sword. Since I favor an arming sword, the sheer reach/momentum of the sweeping cuts would completely overwhelm me.
Love the video! Have always wanted to try out HEMA for myself however, it's not really that huge in my country and the only clubs are quite the drive from where I live. You managed to make the video both entertaining and informative and also managed to pick up another subscriber!
I really enjoyed this video. I'm going to share it with my TH-cam series's fans. You explain yourself well, the garb brings the viewer right into your subject material, the quality of video is high, your points are well made. Overall a very good thing. And I love the humor like in the Rend section "A kosher or perfectly halal way to do this is...." (BTW you forgot to mention Posta di Donna as another position to deliver a deadly and freight train powerful blow but it wasn't an issue). I'm looking forward to your next one. :)
"I chose high vom Tag" You mean.... Posta di Falcone right? ;) BTW what do you think of Christian Tobler's new version of Fighting With The German Longsword? I've yet to be able to get a copy but I have the 1st edition and really enjoyed it.
Ich bin begeistert. Das Video ist gut geschnitten und ich kann deinen Erklärungen sehr gut folgen. Wirklich ein Klasse Kanal. Abo und Like sind auf jeden Fall drin. Freue mich auf mehr ;)
Kolejny fajny filmik! Podoba mi się, że wplatasz w niego humor, czy językowe smaczki... Jak np. "thrust issues" w którymś poprzednim, po prostu padłem :) I to o sealsach :D Tak nawiasem, chyba czytałeś "Sztukę wojny" Sun Tzu? :) Co do tych różnic między efektywną walką, a pokazaną w grze, to niektóre kwestie nawet tak "na chłopski rozum" można wziąć. Np. bardzo mi się nie podoba, kiedy bohater płynnie wykonuje akcje, trzyma się pewnego swojegu rytmu. Nawet w niektórych książkach jest o tym, że dobry szermierz robi nieregularne kroki, zwody, zmienia kierunki i prędkość, żeby wybić przeciwnika z rytmu i tak dalej, co nie? A na koniec muszę coś przyznać. Jestem pod wieeeelkim wrażeniem Twoich umięjętności. Szybkość i technika normalnie powalają. Można cię zobaczyć na turniejach, czy pokazach związanych z wydarzeniami historycznymi? Bo podejrzewam, że bohurt w swej "chamskości i braku finezji" Cię nie interesuje. Pozdrawiam i życzę sukcesów.
Bardzo chętnie zacznę coś tam machać :) Po prostu dla rekreacji i zdrowia... A podpowiedziałbyś mi czego użyć do treningu? Chodzi mi konkretnie o jakąś symulację miecza długiego. Wiem, że są bokeny, ale to nie ten kształt. Widziałem gdzieś kiedyś, że cold steel robi imitację miecza z tworzywa. Póki co, dla BHP, wolałbym nie korzystać z niczego stalowego, bo chyba nie miałoby to sensu. Z tym, że nic oprócz miecza stalowego nie odda realistycznie środka ciężkości, wagi, giętkości główni. Więc może rzeczywiście kupić stępionego i po prostu uważać?
Jakub P Jeśli stać Cię, kupuj tępy miecz. Jeśli chcesz najpierw spróbować - bokken to akurat dużo lepsze narzędzie od drewnianych symulatorów mieczy. Możesz też rozważyć zakup syntetycznego Rawlingsa (rawlings synthethic swords). :)
You are a badass. I have a question for you! Although some of the moves illustrated in the Witcher are a little unnecessary in man to man combat, would you consider them to be helpful in a man vs. monster fight? Would the sweeping cuts would keep monsters from getting too close, or would the moves still be unnecessary? Thank you!
Yes, I imagine sweeping cuts might actually work against "soft" monsters and animals. Against chargers, like a boar (or a fiend :)), a specialized spear would be preferable.
you so fast!! lol like you have so much confidence in those fancy slashs to the point i doubt anybody can counter it or just parry them away, this is such a cool video
Excellent video. I'm a HEMA practitioner and Witcher is my favorite series so as you can imagine I subscribed immediately! Awesome channel! This video also had the funny side effect of making me switch from the magic build I've had since Wild Hunt came out, to an über overpowered swordsman/alchemy build. Whirl is such an awesome skill can't believe I never tried it!
If you want to apply more skills, you can download a mod called"SlotsSlotsSlots". What it does is that it gives you an option to select the limit of skills you can apply with the highest being 96.
It's kinda of difficult to compare for a serious of reasons. First the witcher fighting style is crafted to fighting monster, some of which are massive. Second, his is not human. He has enhanced strength and speed that is unmatchable by a human. Third he fights under the influence of strong potions that further enhance his abilities. And lastly he has a minor magic added to his fighting capabilities. And also they have to make it so that a player can also play the game. Overall I think the fighting style in Witcher is so far the best one so far.
Brzeziński fought in 2013 and didn't win... (Fight here: th-cam.com/video/2KIG_c5WXQE/w-d-xo.html) a powerful fighter absolutely, but he was completely outmatched in the last fight. Jörlind got almost half his points by simply sidestepping and attacking, because Brzeziński was using too much power. The manuals talk about fighting "bulls" and Jörlind shows it well. I would very much like to see Brzeziński fight again with 3 years of additional training under his belt, he is a monster in the ring =). The system of Lichtenauer (as an example) was created to fight the "common" way of fighting, which would probably have been some sort of parry/repost system. Now I'm not saying it is a bad system, but when compared to a system that was developed to beat it it will loose.
As to me this movie is pretty interesting. I read serial "Vedmak" when it appeared in Russian, I liked it very much, of course. But I didn't play the game. As to me, Alan, you is like Geralt from book. One to one. Thanks a lot, and sorry my English.
I very much enjoyed this video, hope to use some of those techniques if I ever do practice with HEMA. You've also sent across that you don't have a bias opinion on anything, it was very well telegraphed video but the audio was a bit meh, but I used subtitles which were very accurate to my surprise... so keep making videos ^
Very good video. And can you pls make a video where you "fight" against another poeple, because I think it is realy interesting to see those moves in a "real" combat. :)
Everything is fine and logical but one thing: witchers were trained (or made) to be anti-monster weapons. They were not suppose to fight people. This is the point where we come to Witcher universum paradox where he fights more human opponents than monster like (not winning everytime though). Techniques that are maybe not overpowering in sword to sword duel were probaby designed with monster hunting in mind. You should also remember that witchers were mutants with inhuman agility so cuts that look slow and clumsy performed by human were lightning fast in witcher's hands. That is why witcher sword-dance should not be compared to classic/realistic sword fighting style at any level.
Dude just discovered your channel and as a guy who likes swords i really look up to you. I only wish i can one day have as much knowledge about the sword as you do. Keep it up :D
Although points made are very much reasonable and all, but... About issue that been dragged throughout the whole video - speed of the blows. It's a game. So whole combat, even though it feels more or less dynamic, it's still a bit "slowed down" so player has time to react. Similar thing you can see, per say, in Dark Souls game series, Dragon's Dogma, etc. And overall, people who take the witcher's choreography too serious - criticizing fighting style of somebody capable to chop human being, and other more robust creatures in half, can use magic, can survive being hit by... Something the size of a truck, drinks acid, and eats drowners for breakfast is a bit funny.
I've never intended to be a great "contributor", still IMHO paragraph about speed of slashes in witcher game is pretty valid. Also note that last paragraph of my comment was directed at " people who take the witcher's choreography too serious", so I'm being "dismissive" not towards the idea of analyzing fictional things, but people who take analysis of those too seriously.
Yeah, obviously it's not meant to be realistic...expecting that it must be is foolish. Nothing wrong with analyzing it for fun, or pointing out that you personality would think it would be even cooler if it looked like someone who was actually good at sword fighting. It does look cool, and I find the combat really fun. But if it were up to me, I'd go for realism. AFAIK, just because there are monsters and magic doesn't mean physics goes out the window, unless there's a specific magical reason for it. But it's a matter of personal taste. The sword-on-back thing irks me even more. Yeah, it was in the lore, of course they're right to do it. The author was wrong to make a thing of it, IMO, because it's stupid... There's a reason people wore swords on their belts... Drawing from the back just doesn't work (try it, or watch videos of people trying it), and if you pay attention to the animation in the game, you can tell what he's doing is physically impossible...it clips through the scabbard. Anyway. Pet peeves. It's an incredible game (I think I'm up to about 200 hours already) and book series, with which I've become totally obsessed. I can forgive a few stupid details that make no sense.
But if I can give you a piece of advice, try to buy a tie microphone or I don't know how we call that, a mic that u can attach to your collar because sometime we can't hear you well, other than that nothing is wrong keep it up 😉
For what it's worth Witchers were not very good at fighting human opponents. They were trained to fight monsters almost exclusively and they could be bested by skilled swordsmen despite all the mutations. So many of these constant moves of the sword were just to scare animals and monsters. Furthermore in the books it is said that these moves of the blade were irregular with irregular speed. That being said I accept that WItcher fighting techniques are just fantasy and most of them are usless in the real world ;) Great video by the way :)
Two important factor about practicing spins that I found out when practicing swordfight in the backyard: Practicing spinning cuts can help you integrate attacks to regaining footing if you slip, (which can easily happen on wet grass, especially with authentic medieval footwear), as I often found that having the momentum of a swing cause me to slip it was much faster to spin back to stance than try to get straight up. Secondly they're a fun way to hone your inner ears balance.
Hi Allen/Alan, Thank you so much for mentioning the sienawski fencing channel. I have been very curious about that form of sword fighting for some time! Of course, I'm still primarily interested in longsword.
A lot of the techniques i think are kinda used logically against the monsters that appear in The Witcher Universe, if you've read the books there are quite a lot of the techniques described as used well against monsters.
You make an excellent point regarding the wide, strong swings. I have been hit many times by opponents who were using poor technique, but with such force that my own technique wasn't able to defend against it.
Informative, funny, exciting video! Excellent editing and presentation! I was smiling the whole time. Only criticism I have is of audio, which is not up to the quality of rest of things in the video, which is strange. It sounds as if the microphone is far from you and you don't have a wind protector on it. But great job! Subbed
then a fancy gambeson it is! XD is the sword custom made? it looks witcher style, reminds me of Gwe-....a steel sword from Witcher 3 I can't even pronounce it's name anyway :D
Awesome video. You make great points while keeping a reserved and humble tone. I also admire your fencing skills as an ex-HEMA practitioner myself. I will look to your channel now.
Greetings, I want to make the Chinese subtitle for this video to let more people know your effort and your channel. But I came across so many difficulties in catching your word. Have you made a draft of script for this video? Would you like to share it with me? ^ ^
Yes please. :) I've published the english subs for the video just now, and I'll send you the *.sbv file for easier editing. Sub contribution is enabled as well.
They are ineffective without the enhanced precision, speed and strength if used as is. To use them irl, you would have to adapt them and know which moves would not do you any favours. The pirouettes for example, will get you shanked.
R Vanzo I understand that Geralt is fast enough to do the spins, but wouldn't it be more efficient to fight in a standard manner? In other words, does doing spins actually make your fighting better, or does he just fight with flourish because that's how witchers are trained?
Unfortunately that figure about 10,000 endorsed by Malcolm Gladwell is grossly misrepresented by most, including Gladwell. It's just an average, and has no meaning at all for an individual, as the deviation is huge. A skill might take someone 1,000 hours to master, and someone else 100,000 hours. Anyway, knowing I'll never be a swordmaster or whatever, I'm still seriously considering starting medieval swordfighting as a hobby. If you think it might be fun, why not try regardless of how good you'll become?
Andrea Maffione I started fencing when I was 13. Up until then I had only done mostly judo, karate, a bit or wrestling and a tiny bit of zulu stickfighting. I had done rugby, hockey, cricket and athletics though since age 7 though. I trained in epeé and foil every week for a year, and participated in a competition at the end of the year. I came 13th out of 25 people. Moral, as long as you start and you put effort into it (and enjoy it of course!) you will only get better.
Great video. I am a student of the Polish school Shinkendo, and your tips great show lessons our teacher. I am proud you'd say much of good things about Polish fighters. Let the blade leads your hand.
TW3 dumbed down the combat from TW2 for the sake of fluidity, simplicity, and sense of power. TW2 was arguably more realistic, and somewhat more in keeping with the books. Unlike TW3, witchers in the novels, including Geralt, emphasized using their heightened speed, eyesight, and coordination to deliver fast, shallow, precise, and accurate blows to vital parts of the body- typically the face & neck, and groin & thigh poles. Sapkowski detailed quite a bit regarding balance, footwork, and the harnessing of momentum, even in tight quarters, making the swordsmanship seem reasonable. Then again, his efforts in explaining magic and controlled mutation got the books classified as sci-fi instead of fantasy in many stores.
CountryMusicMann Wow, I found copies in the Danville, Va store when it was still opened, (we're so small and poor it's closed down). But, if all else fails, Amazon. The Last Wish is IMHO the best.
CountryMusicMann There's a singular narrative broken up by short stories. Personally I think Sapkowski did a better job that way, than with a continuous narrative which is the style of the other books.
It's fantasy, jesus. Flashy moves are fun. The keyword here is fun. It's a video game, not a medieval combat simulation. Geralt can conjure fire for fucks sake, and his swords can freeze enemies with correct "runes".
Kirazawr medieval fantasy should always have bits of realism in it and since the game was so horribly misrepresented in this video I had to say something
Greetings from Australia! You guys are fucking amazing swordsmen; the passion, knowledge and skill you all clearly have is truly inspiring. That video was a genuine pleasure, and a treat, to watch. You guys just got yourselves a new subscriber!
6:43 "seeing an opening is one thing, exploiting it is another" Thank you... This fact is so often overlooked.
Yes this is realy true and historicly you had many solgers that where good figthers but not that verse into sword technique never underestimate speed, strength, and simple agression.
I would totally play as you in an RPG or something.
best compliment i've ever heard
With that coat? Hell yeah. Plus I play swordsman characters almost exclusively.
lacks a hunting bow in the back tho...
+guitarlover1204 A bow? A crossbow is obviously a much better solution for your average ranger-type character.
Rogem a crossbow is too slow for this type of character, you need a short mongolian-style bow...
btw can someone mod this guy into skyrim?
This is the first sword fighting channel where I've actually been able to watch a video the whole way through. You're a natural teacher and easy to listen to.
What about scholagladitoria?
I feel like he is a better explainer since he can claim that an otherwise silly technique can, under circumstances, be useful and not outright dismiss it like most of the others. Keeping an open mind while at the same time staying practical is far better than dogmatically sticking to old manuals.
Easy to listen to? I can't hear a dam thing he's saying!
Honestly though once you get used to his accent, he is pretty damn good.
I found turning on the closed captions feature helped, just my two cents
I appreciate the fact that you didn't outright demonize the technics in the game like many other HEMA "professionals" do. You explained some of the faults but you added ways in which his technics in the game could be altered to be more effective. Also, I like that you didn't say that HEMA is the only martial art that is effective. Many will say that the technics in the game are outlandish and would get you killed in real life but you realize that different martial arts utilize different technics very effectively even though they may seem to leave yourself open. All together, I just enjoyed seeing someone that is open to fighting technics that aren't the HEMA standard.
Not to forget that these techniques are mainly used to slay Monsters, which don't know much about HEMA anyway
Very true
Not to mention Witchers can just drink a swallow potion iif they get stabbed or slashed in the back doing pirouettes. XD
many "experts" are simply people who get their heads so deep inside their asses
they're so cucksure about their "expertness" and refuse to even consider other methods when that method is not in line with theirs, keeping their minds closed inside their own echo chamber
watching this, it was nice to see an expert who's willing to analyze other styles, fictional even, with respect and an open mind..
What exactly is a "HEMA standard" of two handed swordsmanship to begin with? Fiore *and* early KDF/Liechtenauer rely almost exclusively on compact cuts, but would disagree heavily on what is safe to do with a longsword. KDF likes fighting Indes/in counter-time, while most other styles employ parry-and-riposte in two times. Meyer is partly KDF, partly Guild fencing, and often uses flashy flourishes. Marozzo and the Bolognese School's assaults against one opponent use very wide sweeping blows and momentum. Iberian montante and Alfieri's spadone have you downright spinning around making sweeps in all directions like a helicopter blade.
This guy looks like he got ripped straight out of a medieval rpg game into this world.
Plot twist: He went through Ciri's portal and ended up in our time and world.
>implying he wasn't
Ugh. I hate portals.
You have used 10 lvl's of experience to get this lesson.
I am digging the Grand master Ursine Armor :D
my first thoughts :)
Hey, Master Witcher! There is this one Ghost that's been haunting the the Cemetary.
Folk are afraid to wander there anymore, and many dead people need to be buried, you know the War between Nilfgard and us.
Slay it, and I shall not spare a single Copper. (Reward: 200 Crowns)
[quest accepted jingle]
The Sword's Path I uh...
Oh, you replied, lol.
Oh and: [Quest Updated: investigate the Cemetary with your Witcher senses.]
Dude! You are so awesome. Great sense of humor XD
Wrong. You always negotiate the payment before you accept the quest!
2Pains1Love Nah, not necessarily.
Guys, guys. A word of clarification.
I'm saying that you can't rely on pirouettes. They are risky. Their use is circumstantial at best. I find that employing a pirouette can be good against a strongly defensive opponent, whom you can't reach otherwise.
Against offensive-oriented fighters - it's a suicide.
There.
You forget Witchers are not humans. They are much faster and have much better senses. For them rotations have sense to give their swords better speed/momentum and also confuse enemies more. Speed up all your moves at least 1,5x and then you have Witchers speed :)
WANT
MOAR
"perfectly halal" lol
+Marek Rokam not only that but they have superhuman strength
Unless you are a witcher with uber speed and strenght, of course
33 drowners disliked this video
yeah and a huge number of Trolls also.
Wild bunt disliked
Playing the devil's advocate, maybe Witchers use these wide sweeping strikes because their training is usually geared toward monsters and they generally fight alone against groups of monsters. So wide sweeping attacks *might* help against groups of foes to keep them all at a safe distance, if you can position yourself in a manner that all of them are in front of you. Moreover, sweeping attacks might miss a monster's head or body but might still strike (and hopefully cut) a claw.
Still, since it's fantasy and it's not really meant for duels (which is what HEMA usually entails, isn't it?), I think there can still be reasoning behind it... even if it's based on fantasy. If it's applicable in its own scenario and context, then why not? :)
***** No idea. I was just trying to conjecture about the fighting style rather than the blade used. Maybe nobody knew how to forge a broad sword, since there aren't any in the game... in any case don't take my word for it. It's just assumptions.
Actually, the Zerrikanian Saberra is a pretty broad saber, so there's one example. But maybe only the Zerrikanians knew how to forge them. =p
+Reaperrz, except Witchers could just use real techniques and be several times better than Witchers that use the game's techniques.
Physics doesn't really work like that. As soon as your sword hit an opponent, something like 90% of the kinetic energy would go into that single opponent, and it would probably stick at it. Best case scenario you'd be able to hit multiple opponents by just slightly slicing each ones skin if they were positioned at very specific positions, but that's not really any damage at all.
So those techniques are pretty useless no matter which way you look at them. Unless you have a lightsaber.
TheAsj97 I didn't say a wide sweeping strike would hit several enemies at once. I said it could be useful in keeping them at a safe distance. ;p
+MBOmnis the issue is that Geralt will spin 360 degress *before* he's even began to harass or threaten his enemy with his blade...that's stupid regardless of what you're fighting. Monsters are more likely to close the distance in that time and of course except GRAPPLING to ensure....
Geralt also doesn't throw his blade out throughout his entire motion...only at the end when he's aimed at a single enemy. There's no way you can legitimately justify this ridiculousness.
No one mentioned broadswords, the person above referred to broad cutting blades perhaps like a Falchion or Messer. A broadsword is a smaller rapier/backsword like blade (perhaps more similar to a traditional arming sword.) often with a baskethilted handle...
There are messers and Falchions in game, there are broadswords I believe as well. Geralt has no excuses.
The factor to consider, I think, is that in theory, Witchers are supposed to have significantly superior speed, so a lot of techniques that make no sense in HEMA can make sense for a Witcher because openings created will be closed faster than they can be exploited by someone with normal speed.
Still doesn't make any sense because the real techniques are simply better, so if Witchers are so much faster, if they used the real techniques they would REALLY be several times faster than the opponent and be actually unbeatable. It's like if you were twice as strong and fast as a boxer and you decided to fight with just one hand. It just doesn't make any sense.
TheAsj97 Not really. The real techniques have to compromise, because they have to make sure you are at all points able to defend if your opponent acts differently than you predicted. You are using half-cuts, because full swing cuts would cause you to stop being a threat and unable to change your movement so as to avoid a hit. If you are that much faster, you can use the full momentum of a swing without risk.
Oliver H But there's no point, all that extra power wouldn't be that much, and even if it were, it would just fuck up the sword much more quickly. And it's still a fact that wide swings would be slower than real swings by the same fighter, so he could attack many more times with almost the same power, making it literally more effective.
TheAsj97 "But there's no point, all that extra power wouldn't be that much, and even if it were, it would just fuck up the sword much more quickly. "
Um, yes. Speed enters into the equation for kinetic energy squared. Wider circles means higher angular velocity for the point of impact, both due to more momentum build-up and due to the wider circle.
And as for fucking up the sword more quickly - we're talking about swords you can hit a gargoyle or a golem with, i.e. solid rock.
"And it's still a fact that wide swings would be slower than real swings by the same fighter, so he could attack many more times with almost the same power, making it literally more effective."
Nope. Wider swings would have a lower frequency, but the actual velocity of the blade would be higher.
With that superior speed why not use effective techniques, furthermore these supposed speed advantages do not translate IN GAME....and in game is the only canonical version of the Witcher to the techniques seen in the video.
There's no such thing as "full swing cuts" Geralt's strikes wouldn't cut anything, if you were unlucky they'd bounce off and if you were lucky they'd cleave an inch or so into the flesh (extremely lucky.)
If a sword were a crowbar you might have a point, cuts need to be drawn to glide through the body, there's no point trying to generate extra momentum if your sword is going to bounce or glide past the body....furthermore pirouetting would decrease momentum...as you don't have a *stable platform* to strike from...no leverage while you're mid-air, All of that body movement wasted.
The velocity of the blade would be lower on a pirouette unless he's magically able to fly 360 degrees steadily gaining momentum throughout. Furthermore Geralt does not strike with quick, fast and accelerating movements...instead his movements tend to hold roughly the same velocity throughout...making such motions pointless in the first place.
"Oi, mastah Witcha. I gots a job offer for ya" "Yeah? What seems to be the problem?" "One of our boys, Lilial was out in the woods pickin' some berries for the village. We was gonna make a pie you see!" "Sounds great and all, but I'm more interested in the monster" "Oh right, right. Aye, anyways, BIG smashes and crashes heard in them woods shortly after he left. Sent some men to go check it out. They never returned. Except for one.." "Hmm, where's he at? Might know more about the monster that took Lilial" "He's over in that hut over yonder, fella's wearin' a red smashing right tunic" "Thanks. So long" "Wait! Mastah Witcha.." "Yeah?" "Try to bring Lilial back to us, alright?" "I'll try my best, can't make any promises though. See ya" "Farewell mastah".
Jeffery Christopher Mastah Witcha. Wanna play some Gwent ?? 😂😂
Leave me be. 🤣🤣
I totally understand the criticisms to Witcher fighting styles compared to actual real techniques but one thing to remember is that Witchers are mutants that are unnaturally strong and fast trained and made to fight asymmetrically versus monsters of many shapes and sizes. They can also shield themselves with the Quen magic sign that blocks (usually) one enemy blow without them breaking tempo. This allows them to wind up huge swings without the danger of being cut in half before they even land a blow.
Yeah, I was going to say this too. I mean WItchers are technically super humans, they have superior strength, speed, reflexes and senses. So while a normal human might not benefit from the Witcher's style of combat, since they don't have the necessary speed or strength for it, A witcher would probably be able to use the techniques pretty darn well. However I'm not a sword expert so I could be wrong, but It's something to think about
Great video anyhow, keep it up mate!
Dude, you're like a medieval Jedi or something. Your techniques are amazing.
Man I absolutely loved your video. The explanations, the humour, everything was awesome. Cheers!
Seconded! Love the style of humour where you "don't telegraph eveything" with laughing yourself or whatnot. :)
Fancy swordfighting in video games:
The Sword's Path: I'm About To End This Man's Whole Career
Honestly though, this guy fights much more practically and somehow manages to make it even fancier.
Props to you, man.
If only it didn't get recommended 3 years late.
When I pressed play I thought to myself "This fucking weeaboo probably knows nothing about fencing and is going to be just cringy". I stand fucking corrected. Youve earned a suscriber for life. I loved the blunt, zero extra stuff, way of explaining. Perfect video.
"MOM LOOK I DID A 5K CRIT" - I subbed
I rewatched this again in 2019
and I can't help to comment on how much I respect a master who is not overly confident of his way of fighting and not dismissing other ways of combat easily
the way you respect other ways of fighting, saying HEMA is not the only way while adding your anecdote is a big yes for me
Very well explained, and I loved the filming location. If you don't mind me asking, where did you film this?
It's also nice to see an open mind to the non-hema style of fighting.
Thank you! I shot this just outside my house, which is near Przemyśl, Poland.
Aren't you that notorious Zed player, by the way? I really like your voice, so different from the usual League screamers.
The Sword's Path Looks gorgeous. Subbed btw, keep it up!
+The Sword's Path didn't see your question, lol
Yes! I am somewhat known as a Zed player, super happy to hear you're enjoying my voice. Very self conscious about it.
How long have you been practicing fencing? It looks very natural in the video.
+Azoh Well, almost 12 years. Glad it looks good. :)
Range in W3 may be different but in the books its clear that Witchers were using tip of the sword to perform cut, not to bash and swing like an idiot. They were aiming for arteries.
Tip cutting is certainly a thing that works but it is not an effective way to end an opponent.
Arteries are VERY small targets and are often well protected.
Instead, you want to strike in such a way that several inches of your sword is past your opponent so that as you draw the sword through the rest of arc closer to you it still has enough range to destroy vital structures in the chest or neck.
John Previtera Read a books first, then argue because i wont do this for you ok? Then come back and apologize me for your stupidity and say i was right, because thats how it was in books
SuperNovaPL
Maybe you were confused, I wasn't saying they do that in the Witcher novels.
I was saying, in reality, it is a stupid idea.
+SuperNovaPL I havent seen this much salt since Lot's wife looked back at Sodom
in the books, when fighting humans/human-ish enemies, witchers basically seem to fight like sabreurs (perhaps unsurprisingly), delivering quick cuts and then moving back into guard or far out of distance.
it's not really tip-cutting, exactly, though they do tend to deliver one cut and then withdraw.
We need more of this in our lives.
I appreciate your insights about the differences between "real" fighting, and idealized combat both in HEMA and stunt performance. Both the stunt community and the HEMA community are somewhat dogmatic and fixed in their interpretation of what is historic or what looks cool, as the case may be, and I think both would benefit greatly from an appreciation that the guy with the fanciest moves isn't always victorious.
You guys are blind, He is secretly a witcher! hunting Leischen in those forest! he's misleading so he can fight humans better.
yheah but geralt can use his technics with a shovel. I bet you can't do proper HEMA style with a shovel.
Geralt 1 HEMA 0
pls
s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/48/7d/92/487d926d9332b4ae9b7d19b64c988c40.jpg
spod czyjego mlota twoj miecz wyszedl? Zacna bestyjka. Tylko czy nie gnie się za bardzo klinga?
thats not a shovel
The Duck It's even more unwieldy
Many peoples who's actually do HEMA, proove that Witcher fighting technique are .. "Impossible" to do.
You would be ready to sacrifice all your protections just for peoples looking at you, swinging your Sword left and right with greats and useless cleaves? .. Yet, Geralt is not human, and its a game.
This is just amazing. In the end, the "Golem stabing" scene was great. You really should shoot a short film like the Rise of the White Wolf trailer, when Geralt practice with his silver sword. A+
And here I was, thinking I was the only one getting that reference...
Absolutely love the Witcher, books and games, and my only regret watching this is that I have never taken up fencing (who knows, maybe one day!). Just wanted to say that I admire the fairness of your analysis I.e. Not saying that HEMA, good as it may be, is the only style of fencing, and also your grace and speed when fighting is truly a sight to behold. Very enjoyable videos indeed!
"...seeing an opening is one thing, exploiting it is another"
This.
I was like this is kinda lame..... until you started doing all the moves
You sound quite a bit like Christopher Walken.
I get that a lot. :)
Lol Please at the end of your next video just say "I got a fever! And the only prescription is more cow bell!"
Alex McCart i didnt notice until you said it. Now i cant think about anything else.
i just made that comment lol
"Want more?" I will say it as simple as possible: Teach me/us everything Master Witcher of the Bear School! :D
This is Thrand, Excellent video
It's funny because in Witcher 1, Geralt holds his sword just like you do at 8:18
Could you do a response on Witcher 1 techniques? They are very fluid and weird actually, almost like dancing with a sword.
CD Project Red engaged professional swordmaster to make combat animations, for the Witcher 1.
It was just a rumour. They did intend to hire a consultant from a group known as Lorica, who were quite a prominent stage fighting troupe at the time. In the end, they just settled for an extraordinary stuntsman - Maciej Kwiatkowski.
"perfectly halal"
that caught me off guard. I laughed.
i have to admit, i was only curious upon stumbling on this video but your presentation was so clean and clear as well as a touch of humor what kept me watching.
I think it's also worth noting that witchers were superhuman in many aspects - strength, speed, reaction time and those advantages were also compounded by the use of elixirs. Therefore I can imagine they could get away with a fighting style that favoured simple, powerful strikes and relied on insanely quick reflexes for defence.
That! good sir is a truly breathtakingly magnificent blade, your skills are absolutely inspiring in both swordsmithing as well as the way of the European sword. I would trade many a things to train with you sir, you are a TRUE swordsman indeed, id kill to continue teaching your legacy of swordsmanship to our next generations. Im sure you live Fuckin hell of far away from me, but I can dream right? lol!..... Anywho please continue to teach us through here, we whom truly appreciate the way of the sword salute you.
Thank you, my good man!
Who knows? In time, I may go to visit many strange lands and yours might be among them. :)
At every kosher and halal I was dying
At least he didn't say haram...
But you survived. Congratulations.
I dont get why he puts that in?
Amman Saleem It's a joke way of saying it's the right way to do something. Since those terms means it's okay to eat to Jewish and Muslims respectively.
Have you played the Hearts of stone DLC? I've read that Olgierd von Everec apparently uses the saber style you mentioned in this video.
personally I would just like to say I really enjoyed how much of an elegant fighter you are. you move swiftly and with purpose it's great to watch! and the explanations were really clear too!
The rain slowly hitting the ground as the sound of the sword cutting the air is being heard sounds really cool, i love this video!
I pomyśleć, że do tej pory walki oparte na systemie HEMA wydawały mi się całkiem proste i "do ogarnięcia" - ot akcja - reakcja, cios - parowanie - kontratak - parowanie - etc. Jak tylko zobaczyłem z jaką szybkością wyprowadzałeś cięcia na początku filmu, to na samą myśl o walce z przeciwnikiem Twojego pokroju uginają mi się nogi - przy takiej szybkości zadawanych ciosów chyba nawet zawodowi szermierze mieliby nogi z waty, zwłaszcza gdyby to działo się naprawdę i walka odbywałaby się na śmierć i życie - bo niewątpliwie szybkość podejmowanych decyzji dotyczących parowania, kontrataku i jednocześnie ciągłego obserwowania ruchów przeciwnika byłaby cholernie obciążająca psychicznie... Nie wspominając o realiach pola bitwy, gdzie po pokonaniu jednego przeciwnika już jest się wykończonym fizycznie i psychicznie, a pozostały jeszcze setki innych wrogów, władających bronią w tym samym, jeśli nie w lepszym stopniu, świeżych i wypoczętych, czekających w kolejnych szeregach.
Myślę, że ludzie, którzy robili to zawodowo, trenowali aż większość decyzji "podejmowały" za nich odruchy - eliminując dużą część obciążenia psychicznego. W wielu podaniach, wschodnich i zachodnich, mówi się o stanie "bez myśli", w którym nie zastanawiasz się nad każdym ruchem z osobna, a po prostu pozwalasz im płynąć, świadomie decydujesz natomiast na wyższym poziomie: o taktyce i strategii. Myślę, że zdanie się na wyćwiczone odruchy to sposób, w który zarówno prosty żołdak jak i mistrz fechtunku mógł sobie poradzić ze stresem w czasie bitwy. Choć poziom presji jest oczywiście nieporównywalny, można porównać to z wyćwiczeniem muzyków koncertowych: przed występem tłuką utwór w kółko, aż wejdzie w pamięć mięśniową - by grać nawet, kiedy świadome rozumienie utworu zawiedzie. :)
Pozdrawiam!
Fakt - zapomniałem o być może najważniejszej kwestii, jaką jest pamięć mięśniowa :) Nota bene w naszym poczciwym Wieśku ten temat też był chyba wałkowany w trakcie szkolenia wiedźminów. Mogło mi to umknąć z tego względu, że to zagadnienie bardziej kojarzyłem już ze współczesnymi sztukami walki :P W każdym razie dzięki za odpowiedź, mega ciekawy i merytoryczny materiał, gdybym miał wolny czas i środki, to z chęcią próbowałbym zagłębić się bardziej w temat HEMA :) Również pozdrawiam!
Why, if it is none other than Witcher Gerd. Pray, master, what will you teach us today?
YES ! I WANT MORE ! Please make vids like this about For Honor when it comes out.
Something I’m learning the more choreographies I write is the difference between fighting for sport/your life and the more cinematic and “pretty” fights we see on TV. Thank you for breaking down these movements. Keep up the great work.
I'd like your opinion on some of Geralt's strikes in mid step, the cut that nearly decapitated Olgierd and the thrust at full reach that took Eradin in the eye?
I've used the full reach thrust while disengaging with my bastard sword it worked pretty well, a sudden burst of speed from an angle you wouldn't expect, I'm no where as good as you are though
I've just started watching your vids and their very interesting, I do enjoy getting insight from those who have a true understanding of what they do. Now, in the defense vs the Witcher's technique besides it being a fictional world and all with more cinematic fights. I also keep in mind that a Witcher's Technique is meant to fight Monsters not Men. Hence the incredible aggressiveness and constant movement. And even the game addresses this, as when fighting other weapon wielders, you can't just spam on the offense. You have to (like you said) parry and respond(At least on Death March, the hardest difficulty).
But honestly, I absolutely love your insight on sword fighting. Apologies for the long comment that you may not even read but I have subscribed and will love to see more :P
I need to meet this guy before the zombie apocalypse.
Really enjoyed watching this video. The spot demonstrations really cut to the point.
I just started playing The Witcher 3 and was looking up videos for it. This one came across my feed and I'm glad it did. My only gripe with the video was the rain being picked up by the mic. Subbed.
Nice. I somewhat understand the differences between actual combat and theatrical combat as far as technique. This is a cool video. First off, the setting is awesome. Second, you're very good at instructing, and third everything looks really cool. I love the closer range combat and the importance of having the tip of the blade always as a threat. Well done. :)
I see The Sword's Path video in my feed - other videos immediately become secondary.
The way I see it is... we have to see this techniques as performed by a witcher, and not a human; a much stronger and faster being with superior reflexes (and although I agree some of them are a bit too telegraphed and too widely swung) the pirouette in the game and the rend are done much faster than you are able to (although they should be even faster I think, based on the books).
A withcer (as portrayed in the fantasy setting) can leave openings because he has the necessary reflexes, speed and reaction to retract those openings before a normal human can exploit them. As such a human may be confused as of what is happening... He sees the withcer starting a pirouette, thinks it's his lucky moment to hit an idiot... miday through his exploitation of the opening, the witcher is already back in guard (an unexpected thing that cannot be pulled off by an unmutated human) and is now exploiting HIS attacj and opening.
Also, maybe I am bad... but rend gets you hit very often when trying to use it agains humans. I find it more useful against hulking monster enemies, especially if they miss their attack or are staggered.
I came here because my husband nicely ask if I would be so nice and watch this vid he liked very much, so much that he just want someone to see it, no biggie. And I got glued to screen with my jaw dropped, this is amazing. Pure awsomness.
You are the first sword fighter on TH-cam to legitimately scare me. Even armed with my choice weapons. I would run away, your technique is great.
Honestly, I find the raipd sweeping cuts much more terrifying. Pointing your tip in the Hema manner would at least give me an opportunity to bind or displace your sword. Since I favor an arming sword, the sheer reach/momentum of the sweeping cuts would completely overwhelm me.
Love the video!
Have always wanted to try out HEMA for myself however, it's not really that huge in my country and the only clubs are quite the drive from where I live.
You managed to make the video both entertaining and informative and also managed to pick up another subscriber!
To defend the Rand a little bit: in the game it actually *is* risky to use it, unless you're fighting a big, dumb archespore or a frozen enemy ;p
I really enjoyed this video. I'm going to share it with my TH-cam series's fans. You explain yourself well, the garb brings the viewer right into your subject material, the quality of video is high, your points are well made. Overall a very good thing.
And I love the humor like in the Rend section "A kosher or perfectly halal way to do this is...." (BTW you forgot to mention Posta di Donna as another position to deliver a deadly and freight train powerful blow but it wasn't an issue).
I'm looking forward to your next one. :)
+Aspie Sean Thank you! :)
A strike from Zornhut would be less vertical - I chose high vom Tag to retain the geometry of original Rend.
"I chose high vom Tag"
You mean.... Posta di Falcone right? ;)
BTW what do you think of Christian Tobler's new version of Fighting With The German Longsword? I've yet to be able to get a copy but I have the 1st edition and really enjoyed it.
+Aspie Sean Haven't seen it yet! Guess I'll order a copy. :)
The Sword's Path Yup. Check out Freelance Academy Press.
Posta di Donna, now that's a guard I'm getting used to reading about.
Don't suppose you could recommend some good sources for more Italian long sword?
Loved the video. Great job!
What you're wearing looks like a cloth version of the ursine Witcher armor. Pretty cool
Ich bin begeistert. Das Video ist gut geschnitten und ich kann deinen Erklärungen sehr gut folgen. Wirklich ein Klasse Kanal. Abo und Like sind auf jeden Fall drin. Freue mich auf mehr ;)
Kolejny fajny filmik! Podoba mi się, że wplatasz w niego humor, czy językowe smaczki... Jak np. "thrust issues" w którymś poprzednim, po prostu padłem :) I to o sealsach :D Tak nawiasem, chyba czytałeś "Sztukę wojny" Sun Tzu? :)
Co do tych różnic między efektywną walką, a pokazaną w grze, to niektóre kwestie nawet tak "na chłopski rozum" można wziąć. Np. bardzo mi się nie podoba, kiedy bohater płynnie wykonuje akcje, trzyma się pewnego swojegu rytmu. Nawet w niektórych książkach jest o tym, że dobry szermierz robi nieregularne kroki, zwody, zmienia kierunki i prędkość, żeby wybić przeciwnika z rytmu i tak dalej, co nie?
A na koniec muszę coś przyznać. Jestem pod wieeeelkim wrażeniem Twoich umięjętności. Szybkość i technika normalnie powalają. Można cię zobaczyć na turniejach, czy pokazach związanych z wydarzeniami historycznymi? Bo podejrzewam, że bohurt w swej "chamskości i braku finezji" Cię nie interesuje. Pozdrawiam i życzę sukcesów.
Miałem przerwę w eventach DESW/HEMA, ale od przyszłego roku wracam. :)
Cieszę się, że doceniasz moje filmy! Powodzenia w treningu!
Bardzo chętnie zacznę coś tam machać :) Po prostu dla rekreacji i zdrowia... A podpowiedziałbyś mi czego użyć do treningu? Chodzi mi konkretnie o jakąś symulację miecza długiego. Wiem, że są bokeny, ale to nie ten kształt. Widziałem gdzieś kiedyś, że cold steel robi imitację miecza z tworzywa. Póki co, dla BHP, wolałbym nie korzystać z niczego stalowego, bo chyba nie miałoby to sensu. Z tym, że nic oprócz miecza stalowego nie odda realistycznie środka ciężkości, wagi, giętkości główni. Więc może rzeczywiście kupić stępionego i po prostu uważać?
Jakub P
Jeśli stać Cię, kupuj tępy miecz. Jeśli chcesz najpierw spróbować - bokken to akurat dużo lepsze narzędzie od drewnianych symulatorów mieczy. Możesz też rozważyć zakup syntetycznego Rawlingsa (rawlings synthethic swords). :)
You are a badass. I have a question for you!
Although some of the moves illustrated in the Witcher are a little unnecessary in man to man combat, would you consider them to be helpful in a man vs. monster fight? Would the sweeping cuts would keep monsters from getting too close, or would the moves still be unnecessary?
Thank you!
Yes, I imagine sweeping cuts might actually work against "soft" monsters and animals. Against chargers, like a boar (or a fiend :)), a specialized spear would be preferable.
Thanks for responding! I hope you keep making these videos, you are a natural at it
"You're a witcher, Alan."
you so fast!! lol like you have so much confidence in those fancy slashs to the point i doubt anybody can counter it or just parry them away, this is such a cool video
Excellent video. I'm a HEMA practitioner and Witcher is my favorite series so as you can imagine I subscribed immediately! Awesome channel!
This video also had the funny side effect of making me switch from the magic build I've had since Wild Hunt came out, to an über overpowered swordsman/alchemy build. Whirl is such an awesome skill can't believe I never tried it!
If you want to apply more skills, you can download a mod called"SlotsSlotsSlots". What it does is that it gives you an option to select the limit of skills you can apply with the highest being 96.
It's kinda of difficult to compare for a serious of reasons. First the witcher fighting style is crafted to fighting monster, some of which are massive. Second, his is not human. He has enhanced strength and speed that is unmatchable by a human. Third he fights under the influence of strong potions that further enhance his abilities. And lastly he has a minor magic added to his fighting capabilities. And also they have to make it so that a player can also play the game. Overall I think the fighting style in Witcher is so far the best one so far.
I know this is an old comment, but witchers are humans.. just enhanced magically however they are still humans
Brzeziński fought in 2013 and didn't win... (Fight here: th-cam.com/video/2KIG_c5WXQE/w-d-xo.html) a powerful fighter absolutely, but he was completely outmatched in the last fight. Jörlind got almost half his points by simply sidestepping and attacking, because Brzeziński was using too much power. The manuals talk about fighting "bulls" and Jörlind shows it well. I would very much like to see Brzeziński fight again with 3 years of additional training under his belt, he is a monster in the ring =).
The system of Lichtenauer (as an example) was created to fight the "common" way of fighting, which would probably have been some sort of parry/repost system. Now I'm not saying it is a bad system, but when compared to a system that was developed to beat it it will loose.
karath87 Kept trading hits.
As to me this movie is pretty interesting. I read serial "Vedmak" when it appeared in Russian, I liked it very much, of course. But I didn't play the game. As to me, Alan, you is like Geralt from book. One to one. Thanks a lot, and sorry my English.
Another thing to consider is that a Witcher is much faster and has way better reflexes than a normal person
I very much enjoyed this video, hope to use some of those techniques if I ever do practice with HEMA. You've also sent across that you don't have a bias opinion on anything, it was very well telegraphed video but the audio was a bit meh, but I used subtitles which were very accurate to my surprise... so keep making videos ^
Very good video. And can you pls make a video where you "fight" against another poeple, because I think it is realy interesting to see those moves in a "real" combat. :)
Will do!
8:05 your opponent cannot react if you use Axii on him first.
Everything is fine and logical but one thing: witchers were trained (or made) to be anti-monster weapons. They were not suppose to fight people. This is the point where we come to Witcher universum paradox where he fights more human opponents than monster like (not winning everytime though). Techniques that are maybe not overpowering in sword to sword duel were probaby designed with monster hunting in mind. You should also remember that witchers were mutants with inhuman agility so cuts that look slow and clumsy performed by human were lightning fast in witcher's hands. That is why witcher sword-dance should not be compared to classic/realistic sword fighting style at any level.
ThousandTimesNo Not tru
Dude, this is awesome. Thanks for sharing your experience with us Witcher fans!
Dude just discovered your channel and as a guy who likes swords i really look up to you. I only wish i can one day have as much knowledge about the sword as you do. Keep it up :D
Although points made are very much reasonable and all, but...
About issue that been dragged throughout the whole video - speed of the blows. It's a game. So whole combat, even though it feels more or less dynamic, it's still a bit "slowed down" so player has time to react. Similar thing you can see, per say, in Dark Souls game series, Dragon's Dogma, etc.
And overall, people who take the witcher's choreography too serious - criticizing fighting style of somebody capable to chop human being, and other more robust creatures in half, can use magic, can survive being hit by... Something the size of a truck, drinks acid, and eats drowners for breakfast is a bit funny.
I've never intended to be a great "contributor", still IMHO paragraph about speed of slashes in witcher game is pretty valid.
Also note that last paragraph of my comment was directed at " people who take the witcher's choreography too serious", so I'm being "dismissive" not towards the idea of analyzing fictional things, but people who take analysis of those too seriously.
Yeah, obviously it's not meant to be realistic...expecting that it must be is foolish. Nothing wrong with analyzing it for fun, or pointing out that you personality would think it would be even cooler if it looked like someone who was actually good at sword fighting. It does look cool, and I find the combat really fun. But if it were up to me, I'd go for realism. AFAIK, just because there are monsters and magic doesn't mean physics goes out the window, unless there's a specific magical reason for it. But it's a matter of personal taste.
The sword-on-back thing irks me even more. Yeah, it was in the lore, of course they're right to do it. The author was wrong to make a thing of it, IMO, because it's stupid... There's a reason people wore swords on their belts... Drawing from the back just doesn't work (try it, or watch videos of people trying it), and if you pay attention to the animation in the game, you can tell what he's doing is physically impossible...it clips through the scabbard.
Anyway. Pet peeves. It's an incredible game (I think I'm up to about 200 hours already) and book series, with which I've become totally obsessed. I can forgive a few stupid details that make no sense.
But if I can give you a piece of advice, try to buy a tie microphone or I don't know how we call that, a mic that u can attach to your collar because sometime we can't hear you well, other than that nothing is wrong keep it up 😉
I was thinking about that, yes! Especially for recording in noisy environment.
For what it's worth Witchers were not very good at fighting human opponents. They were trained to fight monsters almost exclusively and they could be bested by skilled swordsmen despite all the mutations. So many of these constant moves of the sword were just to scare animals and monsters. Furthermore in the books it is said that these moves of the blade were irregular with irregular speed.
That being said I accept that WItcher fighting techniques are just fantasy and most of them are usless in the real world ;)
Great video by the way :)
Two important factor about practicing spins that I found out when practicing swordfight in the backyard:
Practicing spinning cuts can help you integrate attacks to regaining footing if you slip, (which can easily happen on wet grass, especially with authentic medieval footwear), as I often found that having the momentum of a swing cause me to slip it was much faster to spin back to stance than try to get straight up.
Secondly they're a fun way to hone your inner ears balance.
Hi Allen/Alan, Thank you so much for mentioning the sienawski fencing channel. I have been very curious about that form of sword fighting for some time! Of course, I'm still primarily interested in longsword.
A lot of the techniques i think are kinda used logically against the monsters that appear in The Witcher Universe, if you've read the books there are quite a lot of the techniques described as used well against monsters.
Could you teach us how to use Quen? i've been trying it for weeks but it won't work... damn
+Dairi CsGo We've been trying to teach Ignii and look what happened... :(
So... I will need extra protective gear then i guess
In the witcher you first use Axii or sth that also give you enough time and THEN you rend
So it's usefull, but only for a wtcher...
You make an excellent point regarding the wide, strong swings. I have been hit many times by opponents who were using poor technique, but with such force that my own technique wasn't able to defend against it.
Informative, funny, exciting video! Excellent editing and presentation! I was smiling the whole time. Only criticism I have is of audio, which is not up to the quality of rest of things in the video, which is strange. It sounds as if the microphone is far from you and you don't have a wind protector on it. But great job! Subbed
nice outfit (I would call it armor but am not sure if it's a gambeson or just fancy clothing xD). did you make it yourself?
It's just a stylized overcoat with my fencing jacket underneath. So, yeah, there's an actual gambeson beneath the witcher-y stuff. :)
then a fancy gambeson it is! XD is the sword custom made? it looks witcher style, reminds me of Gwe-....a steel sword from Witcher 3 I can't even pronounce it's name anyway :D
the scarecrow I'm a swordmaker, I make swords! So I guess that yeah, you could call it custom made. :D
if you made it yourself then you are awesome!
Keep worrying you're going to destroy the camera... lol
What kind of physical training do you adhere to? Like, mostly aerobic right?
Yeah, why? :)
I was interested in learning sword fighting as well. Figured a good way to start would be with the physical fitness.
AlexDeimling
Aerobic training is great for increasing your overall stamina and coordination. Anaerobic leg training helps a lot in sparring/combat.
Ah i see. Are there any specific exercises that you recommend?
Running. Explosive lunges. Intervals. All of those will build up stamina, different kinds of it.
I'm really glad that I found this channel ^^.Keep up the good work!
Awesome video. You make great points while keeping a reserved and humble tone. I also admire your fencing skills as an ex-HEMA practitioner myself. I will look to your channel now.
Greetings, I want to make the Chinese subtitle for this video to let more people know your effort and your channel. But I came across so many difficulties in catching your word. Have you made a draft of script for this video? Would you like to share it with me? ^ ^
I'll transcribe it and send it to you later today. And thank you for the contribution! :)
+The Sword's Path Wonderful！Should I provide my email address？
Yes please. :) I've published the english subs for the video just now, and I'll send you the *.sbv file for easier editing. Sub contribution is enabled as well.
The traditional Chinese subtitle was finished and submitted to your TH-cam account. Please check it when you are convenient. ^ ^
Lico Deng
Reviewed and published. :) Thank you for your contribution!
i always tought that the witchers style would be ineffective without enhanced physical attributes granted by their mutations.
They are ineffective without the enhanced precision, speed and strength if used as is.
To use them irl, you would have to adapt them and know which moves would not do you any favours. The pirouettes for example, will get you shanked.
He is fast enough (due to mutations and potions) to complete the spin before you can raise your sword.
R Vanzo
Not sure if they're quite that fast, but yes, the speed is sufficient that this style would remain functional against human schlubs,
R Vanzo I understand that Geralt is fast enough to do the spins, but wouldn't it be more efficient to fight in a standard manner? In other words, does doing spins actually make your fighting better, or does he just fight with flourish because that's how witchers are trained?
Fighting a human would be true, but monster are sometimes massive and may require extra strength.
Hi
Can a man become a good fencer starting at 24? Or am I too old?
Only one way to find out, man.
It takes about 10.000 hours to truly master a skill, as long as you have atleast that much time left to live you can do it xd
Unfortunately that figure about 10,000 endorsed by Malcolm Gladwell is grossly misrepresented by most, including Gladwell. It's just an average, and has no meaning at all for an individual, as the deviation is huge. A skill might take someone 1,000 hours to master, and someone else 100,000 hours.
Anyway, knowing I'll never be a swordmaster or whatever, I'm still seriously considering starting medieval swordfighting as a hobby. If you think it might be fun, why not try regardless of how good you'll become?
Andrea Maffione I started fencing when I was 13. Up until then I had only done mostly judo, karate, a bit or wrestling and a tiny bit of zulu stickfighting. I had done rugby, hockey, cricket and athletics though since age 7 though. I trained in epeé and foil every week for a year, and participated in a competition at the end of the year. I came 13th out of 25 people. Moral, as long as you start and you put effort into it (and enjoy it of course!) you will only get better.
Andrea Maffione Age is just an Number
I absolutely love the sound your blade makes when it flies through air.
Great video.
I am a student of the Polish school Shinkendo, and your tips great show lessons our teacher.
I am proud you'd say much of good things about Polish fighters.
Let the blade leads your hand.
CD Project Red should hire you for motion capture for ( hopefully ) The Witcher 4 xD :D
TW3 dumbed down the combat from TW2 for the sake of fluidity, simplicity, and sense of power. TW2 was arguably more realistic, and somewhat more in keeping with the books. Unlike TW3, witchers in the novels, including Geralt, emphasized using their heightened speed, eyesight, and coordination to deliver fast, shallow, precise, and accurate blows to vital parts of the body- typically the face & neck, and groin & thigh poles. Sapkowski detailed quite a bit regarding balance, footwork, and the harnessing of momentum, even in tight quarters, making the swordsmanship seem reasonable. Then again, his efforts in explaining magic and controlled mutation got the books classified as sci-fi instead of fantasy in many stores.
Lol. You say "in many stores", but I can't find any of his books at the Barnes and Noble in my town! XD
CountryMusicMann Wow, I found copies in the Danville, Va store when it was still opened, (we're so small and poor it's closed down). But, if all else fails, Amazon. The Last Wish is IMHO the best.
Davito2000 Is it a short story compilation, or all one story?
CountryMusicMann There's a singular narrative broken up by short stories. Personally I think Sapkowski did a better job that way, than with a continuous narrative which is the style of the other books.
Davito2000 Fuck it. I just got my paycheck for three hundred bucks. I'm ordering the Witcher books.
Did you forget he is a beast hunter, not a Human hunter? Big fighting difference
Do you forget he has a steel blade for mortals and a silver blade for the undead/monsters?
v0Xic And he was Using the silver sword stance in the Video. also he uses the steel on beasts
It's fantasy, jesus. Flashy moves are fun. The keyword here is fun. It's a video game, not a medieval combat simulation. Geralt can conjure fire for fucks sake, and his swords can freeze enemies with correct "runes".
Kirazawr medieval fantasy should always have bits of realism in it and since the game was so horribly misrepresented in this video I had to say something
And don't forget Witchers are augmented humans so all these impractical moves aren't so impractical when you can cut a man in half with one hand.
Hey man i just came here more or less randomly... and oh boy do i enjoy ur content!!! great work go on with this!
Greetings from Australia! You guys are fucking amazing swordsmen; the passion, knowledge and skill you all clearly have is truly inspiring. That video was a genuine pleasure, and a treat, to watch. You guys just got yourselves a new subscriber!