Considering the difficulty of these cuts I'm quite impressed with these gentlemen's performance. I wish I could've gone to this event since it would have been both educational and enjoyable.
I like how you are humble and help clean up after the cuts. Menial tasks like that are utterly necessary and nobody should feel they are above them. I also see Sean Franklin in this video, did you guys manage to talk to each other and exchange opinions?
I didn't expect those last cuts made by James Clark I understand is his name, the waistcoat competitor, to be so powerfull and effective. I am concerned someday someone is going to lose the grip of his sword in this crowded audience. It happens in baseball, tenis etc. I'm a worrier
Such has happened at other similar events - there has been at least one fatality, in Sweden, quite a few years back. You have a fine example here as well (fortunately, no injuries): /watch?v=1b_P879EEQY It tends to be a rookie mistake, however, as was the case in the link above.
A lot of people here seem to think things should have gone differently... By all means, get involved and earn your place as a judge, until then, stop trying to do their job. It's disrespectful.
I LOVE the broad blade on Jake's Albion Principe. I wonder if it handles like a hand and a half sword, due to it's stoutness but the broadness can probably make up the extra weight making it not as effective in one hand as say a Mercenary from Albion.
Hey guys, do you know what is is that guy on the right at 1:40 using for leg/shin protection at video "FightCamp 2015 standart tournament rules - historical fencing"? i want to buy a long gambeson because i have problems of people hitting me into shins.
Please could somebody clarify to me, how are results made in the competition of this type. Is there a jury, or it was done solely by some measurement? In my humble uneducated opinion gentleman of the utmost left should have won.
Does being big and strong help with the cut at all? Or is strength only for maintaining the proper stances? Are cuts like this practical for an actual sword fight?
Cognitive Instinct strength does help, and yes, cuts like this are practical in combat. When cutting, blade orientation is a must. Improper blade orientation will result in hitting, not cutting (this is what happen when the cutting stand fall)
Hey Matt, what do you think about throwing a circular shield offensively like a frisbee á la Captain America? Random question but I've always been curious about it.
Well it would certainly hit and hurt someone. Though most shields you cannot let go of them that easily, as they're attached to the arm by two or more straps. The exception being boss-gripped shields from the Viking era and earlier.
scholagladiatoria Would a shield-throwing attack be practical in a one-on-one fight, assuming you had the strength to knock someone out, or would you just lose a shield and end up empty handed?
Matt, do you have any insight for us into how the point system works for the cutting tournament? Does knocking the stand over mean you get no points at all despite having cut through a mat, for example?
Knocking over is indeed zero points. They are looking for cleanliness of the cut, the angle of the cut and the action of the tatami. The best cut is straight, on the correct angle, and the tatami just dropping down next to the stand. If the tatami goes flying you have force going outwards which is not good. Bad angles and scalloped cuts is lack of edge control.
That gives some insight into why points are awarded, thank you. Do you also happen to know the amount of points that can be awarded? Is it something like a jury holding up 1 - 10 point signs, in the end totalling to a score?
In my first day of fencing class I told my teacher: “I like everybody helps everybody”. He answered me: “I like they hug each other”. Impressive cuts all of them.
So I'm not sure exactly what the objective is here, or how to tell who's doing well, but in general I'm guessing you're supposed to cut through all of the weird rolled-up things cleanly and not knock anything over? So I guess it takes a lot of speed and accuracy with the angle of the blade.
Rolled up tatami mat. You're right. Cut must be both quick, and edge alignment have to be perfect. Sounds simple enough, but what these people show are years of hard work.
Armexius Productions All of these are longswords. They weight roughly the same. Yes, some of these had advantages. Broader blades are sharper, so as you can see winners had an advantage.
does it ever happen that somebody loses grip of their sword? seems that it could be a dangerous situation with so many people all around in every direction.
thank you for that. Do you think the shape is perhaps prime for this type of cutting contest? They seemed to be the only blades (or skilled sword users) able to cut deep through the wrack of 4 horizontally stacked mats.
Luckily for me, Alaska abounds in "natural tatami" targets. Devil's Club and Poison Celery. Both of which penalize you for improper cuts in their own deliciously natural ways. I slew a GREAT many of them with a 22 inch Galivian latin machete from the age of reason to now. I've broken one, and someone else broke another =( But those blades are like excalibur to me, or like the Kokiri/Master sword to Link, how I love them! I haven't found a real replacement, America is gimped on melee the way the rest of the world is gimped on firearms.
Gloin79 because there is no standard from history, longsword are a lot like guns in that regard as they are catalogued by type, which is determined by blade geometry. gilts and pommels have their own specific types.
Gloin79 max weight of longsword is 1.8kg. It is stated by german masters. I this competion blades above 1.8kg or 130cm were prohibited. So heres your amswer: nobody brought such blades you described. And lol, even two-handers dont weight 3kg.
+SunBreaker Films Well, cos, his name's Matt, and "practising by chopping Matts in half", a tragic misunderstanding could ensue... I apologise, I'll now leave the internet forever.
LOL. i somehow didn't realise the pun. I thought you were some elitist weirdo being like "test cutting on matts isn't a proper way to demonstrate realistic technique, blah blah blah" hahaha
What stops a sword coming loose and hitting someone or is that very unlikely? Sweaty competition hands? A Faulty sword grip? Nervous spasms? Maybe a cage might be an idea...or everyone in the crowd has to bring a shield :D
I feel like the skinny young guy had his elbows and arms out way too far for it to be realistic. Although I could be totally wrong, I don't know anything about cutting. That's just how it appeared.
The guy on 1:10 is the only one doing things right. He probably would wreck these other fools on an actual combat. Me included because I dont know shit.
I loved the vid and I watched it five times already. However one thing worries me - no matter how skillfull these men are (and they are), they could lose grip on their sword any moment. Even a master can make a mistake, get a cramp, sneeze at the exact wrong moment, etc. etc. And if sharp blade capable to cut three tatami mats went flying through the air, it could seriously injure or even kill someone. There should be some protective barrier (like arrow catching net, or plexi wall) in the line of the swing between the competitor and spectators and judges, or enough distance (although I imagine the sword could fly quite a few meters with such powerfull swings). I am suprised there were not more obvious and readily visible safety measures, given this happened in USA with their shitty health care system where anyone potentially injured would almost certainly have no other option than to sue the event organizers in order to be able to pay the hospital bill.
😀 although what is true is, they apply force with both hand, that makes the edge zigzag and deviate when cutting. I saw also there were cuts made with the center of the sword and that probably also helps to not cut properly.
![PURPEECH - นี่ฉันเองคนที่... (It's me) [Official MV]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/NuhHd0hOOg8/mqdefault.jpg)
Considering the difficulty of these cuts I'm quite impressed with these gentlemen's performance.
I wish I could've gone to this event since it would have been both educational and enjoyable.
Bespectacled fellow is quite theatrical.
he makes the ladies moist though
James Clarke
He's also very good.
+scholagladiatoria *Clark ;)
Mea culpa
I like how you are humble and help clean up after the cuts.
Menial tasks like that are utterly necessary and nobody should feel they are above them.
I also see Sean Franklin in this video, did you guys manage to talk to each other and exchange opinions?
I'm holding the camera in this, not cleaning :-) I did chat a little to Sean.
You have a doppelganger!
But yeah, my bad, I didn't look close enough.
+scholagladiatoria Was it one of your shadow clones?
Guy at 2:50 is almost dead ringer for Matt
All very impressive, guy in waistcoat deserved a few extra points for presentation though :P
I'm pretty sure he is: youtube(dot)com/channel/UCl3qmjnhr-1QRf6_bsjhz3w
You do realize that you can paste youtube links in youtube comments right?
Great cuts. Some really good technique in this video.
Those triple Zwerchhaw were amazing!
Holy crap the big bearded guy in the white shirt is a beast.
Jake Norwood
I had the pleasure of him teaching my class when he is in Singapore! (17 Aug)
hey scholagladiatoria what sword is that? where can i buy it that they used?
To me it looks like the Albion Principe, which is a Type XVIIIc
Sandor Clegane.
I didn't expect those last cuts made by James Clark I understand is his name, the waistcoat competitor, to be so powerfull and effective. I am concerned someday someone is going to lose the grip of his sword in this crowded audience. It happens in baseball, tenis etc. I'm a worrier
Probably will happen and I don't see them taking too many safety precautions.
I was thinking the same thing
Bring your own shield.
Such has happened at other similar events - there has been at least one fatality, in Sweden, quite a few years back. You have a fine example here as well (fortunately, no injuries):
/watch?v=1b_P879EEQY
It tends to be a rookie mistake, however, as was the case in the link above.
A lot of people here seem to think things should have gone differently... By all means, get involved and earn your place as a judge, until then, stop trying to do their job. It's disrespectful.
I love how you can see the 'oh no I fucked it big time' on the face of the first guy.
Thank you CarnalKid! Always appreciate being educated! That's what I signed on for!
Many thanks!
I LOVE the broad blade on Jake's Albion Principe. I wonder if it handles like a hand and a half sword, due to it's stoutness but the broadness can probably make up the extra weight making it not as effective in one hand as say a Mercenary from Albion.
Wow! Ian Laspina, Richard Marsden and Matt Easton all in the same video! .../s
Actually none of us are in that video :-)
+scholagladiatoria haha I know,
Some great demonstrations of technique in some fairly spectacular fashion.
1:28 I didn't expect anything less from The Hound.
Awesome video, that kid in the vest's short edge cuts were pretty nice.
Wow, Norwood's a great cutter.
absolutely phenomenal
Well done gentlemen - particularly the chap with the spectacles. I would seriously consider making this a shirt and tie event.
Hey guys, do you know what is is that guy on the right at 1:40 using for leg/shin protection at video "FightCamp 2015 standart tournament rules - historical fencing"? i want to buy a long gambeson because i have problems of people hitting me into shins.
I'd have switched second and third place, but all of them were very impressive.
there were other events in the final that weren't filmed -- they were done earlier in the day
Toby Hall
Ah, that explains that. Thanks!
Please could somebody clarify to me, how are results made in the competition of this type. Is there a jury, or it was done solely by some measurement? In my humble uneducated opinion gentleman of the utmost left should have won.
There was a jury off camera. The scores from earlier also came into play. This is why those who won ended up winning.
Does being big and strong help with the cut at all? Or is strength only for maintaining the proper stances? Are cuts like this practical for an actual sword fight?
Cognitive Instinct strength does help, and yes, cuts like this are practical in combat. When cutting, blade orientation is a must. Improper blade orientation will result in hitting, not cutting (this is what happen when the cutting stand fall)
Hey Matt, what do you think about throwing a circular shield offensively like a frisbee á la Captain America? Random question but I've always been curious about it.
Well it would certainly hit and hurt someone. Though most shields you cannot let go of them that easily, as they're attached to the arm by two or more straps. The exception being boss-gripped shields from the Viking era and earlier.
scholagladiatoria Would a shield-throwing attack be practical in a one-on-one fight, assuming you had the strength to knock someone out, or would you just lose a shield and end up empty handed?
Love the cut @7:40
Matt, do you have any insight for us into how the point system works for the cutting tournament? Does knocking the stand over mean you get no points at all despite having cut through a mat, for example?
Knocking over is indeed zero points. They are looking for cleanliness of the cut, the angle of the cut and the action of the tatami.
The best cut is straight, on the correct angle, and the tatami just dropping down next to the stand.
If the tatami goes flying you have force going outwards which is not good.
Bad angles and scalloped cuts is lack of edge control.
That gives some insight into why points are awarded, thank you.
Do you also happen to know the amount of points that can be awarded? Is it something like a jury holding up 1 - 10 point signs, in the end totalling to a score?
I feel that energy X)
That was very exciting to watch and oddly moving.
Was everyone using their own sword? Or one provided to them?
Their own.
In my first day of fencing class I told my teacher: “I like everybody helps everybody”. He answered me: “I like they hug each other”.
Impressive cuts all of them.
So I'm not sure exactly what the objective is here, or how to tell who's doing well, but in general I'm guessing you're supposed to cut through all of the weird rolled-up things cleanly and not knock anything over? So I guess it takes a lot of speed and accuracy with the angle of the blade.
Rolled up tatami mat. You're right. Cut must be both quick, and edge alignment have to be perfect.
Sounds simple enough, but what these people show are years of hard work.
Clarke was amazing. What type of sword is that? Forgive my ignorance
a custom Arms and Armor. I think a Durer variant.
looks so much cooler chopping things up in a vest
from 7:58 WTF!!!THAT is impressive
Did they all have the same sword? Because if they had differently weighted it would mean some had advantages over others.
it's a contest of consequence, not uniform ability. Like using your own golf clubs.
Armexius Productions All of these are longswords. They weight roughly the same.
Yes, some of these had advantages. Broader blades are sharper, so as you can see winners had an advantage.
I like how the grim reaper, Fedor Emilianenkos brother, got into HEMA
does it ever happen that somebody loses grip of their sword? seems that it could be a dangerous situation with so many people all around in every direction.
Beginners have been known to do that.
You can see the power of passing footwork...
Indeed. I think that the step was the pinciple reason for Jake's much deeper cut.
So tense!
Coming here from The Ocho
7:55 can we conclude from that: The more over the top the cut looks like, the better it is?
I had no idea that a Broad Sword like that even had an Edge! I always believed that the damage was done purely through the momentum.
Those aren't broadswords, they are longswords. But almost all swords are sharp, excluding those with triangular cross sections and such.
Why would someone make a blunt sword? If you want blunt trauma you use a mace.
Is there a reason why people are wearing a suit and tie while doing these cutting? Suit and tie are certainly not ergonomical for this kind of task.
they were judging other events in the finals
Are they doing this in a Banquet hall?
Seemed like first and second place winners had very similar, broad bladed longswords, anyone know what type it is?
XVa or XIIIc perhaps?
One was the Albion Principe and the other was the Albion Brescia Spadone.
thank you for that. Do you think the shape is perhaps prime for this type of cutting contest? They seemed to be the only blades (or skilled sword users) able to cut deep through the wrack of 4 horizontally stacked mats.
First place finisher used an Albion Alexandria. Second place used the Albion Principe. Same blade with different hilts.
Thank you
Did I see Richard Marsden in one of the cleanup crews?
No
Impressive.
Lol, that UUUghh in the end of the video :D
Luckily for me, Alaska abounds in "natural tatami" targets. Devil's Club and Poison Celery. Both of which penalize you for improper cuts in their own deliciously natural ways. I slew a GREAT many of them with a 22 inch Galivian latin machete from the age of reason to now. I've broken one, and someone else broke another =( But those blades are like excalibur to me, or like the Kokiri/Master sword to Link, how I love them! I haven't found a real replacement, America is gimped on melee the way the rest of the world is gimped on firearms.
For some reason I read "Final" as "Fail" the first time...was confused until I took a second look at the title.
That triple schielhau though!
If you mean at 8:00 then it's a zwerchhau. Not a schielhau.
or is it purchase?
Why are they all using different longswords
Gloin79 because there is no standard from history, longsword are a lot like guns in that regard as they are catalogued by type, which is determined by blade geometry. gilts and pommels have their own specific types.
yeah just seemed a bit un unfair if someone were to bring a 3kg longsword with a +5cm broad blade
Gloin79 max weight of longsword is 1.8kg. It is stated by german masters. I this competion blades above 1.8kg or 130cm were prohibited. So heres your amswer: nobody brought such blades you described. And lol, even two-handers dont weight 3kg.
It boggle my mind that Mssr Easton seems so keen to advocate test cutting on Matts.
what's wrong with that?
+SunBreaker Films Well, cos, his name's Matt, and "practising by chopping Matts in half", a tragic misunderstanding could ensue... I apologise, I'll now leave the internet forever.
LOL. i somehow didn't realise the pun.
I thought you were some elitist weirdo being like "test cutting on matts isn't a proper way to demonstrate realistic technique, blah blah blah" hahaha
it looks like snooker but with swords. still, it's fun.
What stops a sword coming loose and hitting someone or is that very unlikely? Sweaty competition hands? A Faulty sword grip? Nervous spasms? Maybe a cage might be an idea...or everyone in the crowd has to bring a shield :D
This was interestingly formal. Yes, interestingly is a word...maybe...
That zornhow though!
*zornhau ;)
or zwerchau?
Yes, I'm blind so I've never seen the technique written. I can barely see the techniques they used. I think one of the guys did a tripple one.
Could somebody time stamp the Zornhau pls?
+Timmy Turner he was referring to a zwerchhau
1:12 for those who say that charging attacks dont work in real life :P
was that ian laspina?
No.
you guys don't have plexiglass up? these cats could lose their grip (that one guy kept drying his hands on his pants...this is extremely dangerous
Why do some of the competitors looks like caterers?
Event staffers.
7:23
I actually thought its Matt
you guys make your own swords
I'm not sure who this is supposed to be addressed to - sword makers certainly make their own swords. Google 'Albion swords' or 'Danelli Armoury'.
7:56
Don't mess with fat samurai.....
Why do they look like they just came from a business meeting?
Many of them were judges during the tournaments that day and these are the judging uniforms.
why are they all wearing such fancy clothes?
I feel like the skinny young guy had his elbows and arms out way too far for it to be realistic. Although I could be totally wrong, I don't know anything about cutting. That's just how it appeared.
K
Where's Skallagrim at
Maurice Kim these are people who are good at cutting
Sandor Clegane??
Why do they hate these mats so much? 😎
The "being dressed like snooker umpires" thing is really off-putting.
The guy on 1:10 is the only one doing things right. He probably would wreck these other fools on an actual combat. Me included because I dont know shit.
That's because he is Jake fucking Norwood.
He is badass.
+friendly face I watched him run a combat stress workshop at FNY this year and people were passing out.
8:00. That is some mad skills with the zwerchhau. That is winner right there!
He gives the best back massages (not kidding, was in the rookie tournament and it seriously calmed me down)
I loved the vid and I watched it five times already. However one thing worries me - no matter how skillfull these men are (and they are), they could lose grip on their sword any moment. Even a master can make a mistake, get a cramp, sneeze at the exact wrong moment, etc. etc. And if sharp blade capable to cut three tatami mats went flying through the air, it could seriously injure or even kill someone. There should be some protective barrier (like arrow catching net, or plexi wall) in the line of the swing between the competitor and spectators and judges, or enough distance (although I imagine the sword could fly quite a few meters with such powerfull swings).
I am suprised there were not more obvious and readily visible safety measures, given this happened in USA with their shitty health care system where anyone potentially injured would almost certainly have no other option than to sue the event organizers in order to be able to pay the hospital bill.
Yeah, medical insurance is exceedingly common in the States, and required by the Affordable Care Act.
A katana would slice those really easy and very straight.
lol
😀 although what is true is, they apply force with both hand, that makes the edge zigzag and deviate when cutting. I saw also there were cuts made with the center of the sword and that probably also helps to not cut properly.
A katana would slice space and time too