Sabers are used with such an interesting and impressive, though effective, style. It would definitely be what I would want to learn to use if a HEMA school were anywhere near where I live.
Indiana. I don't even know of a way to look for locations of clubs. Even something close enough to make trip to once a month or something would be awesome. Any advice would be much appreciated.
www.hemaalliance.com/club-fin... If you don't find it here, then try searching for a club that only does sabre sparring. I had the same issue, but luckily in Hungary sabre fencing is a big part of our jistory (IDK how to say it LOL) and as such, there were some clubs I could choose from
A modern fencing school can teach you 75% the saber techniques you need to know. The rules are obviously less applicable, but the techniques and other skills transfer completely.
+the Whaler I wouldn't say it was any less gruesome after the gun. Go and watch an American Civil War movie like Gettysburg and see them pour volleys of rifle fire into one another and tell me it isn't gruesome. Plenty of fights were won without injury, and many weren't, same as any fight, whether it's a sword or a gun.
@@willow9571 and that's just with guns. Not to mention bombs, landmines, flamethrowers, poison gas, etc. Warfare became much more gruesome after these inventions to the point where they had to put limits on how gruesome they could make it!
This is so cool and useful. I'm writing a novel with sabres and rapier fighting in it, and I had no idea how smooth and flowing sabre fights were. So interesting!
Glad its of interest. Fencing is purely a hobby, though a dedicated one at that. By day both of the instructors of the club are novelists. If you want to get in touch about any of this, you can always find me on facebook. Through my personal page (Nick Thomas), or author page, Nick S. Thomas.
You mean you could give me technical advice and stuff? That'd be awesome! I already got lots of help out of this- watching some of your videos made me realize how different the rapier and sabre is, and how my characters would have to fight differently.
I'm sure I won't be too tough of a customer, writing's more of a hobby for me anyway :) but I appreciate any help I can get. (There sure are a lot of people named "Nick Thomas" on facebook lol)
I do a blade-based Filipino Martial Art, but I have to say that I am really glad to see people rediscovering Western Martial Arts as well in recent years. Great job guys, and keep it up!
The footwork seems very similar to olympic sabre but with a lot more control (and more crossing in retreat) is there some use in knowing this footwork when looking to convert to more historic military sabre.
It is extremely similar. Olympic sabre has it's origin in duelling sabre, which in turn comes from the military sabre. If you have experience in Olympic/sport sabre, you will transition very quickly into military sabre, particularly in footwork. We don't move around quite so much as there is more a concern for self preservation, and the front leg often withdraws because that is a target. Basic advance and retreat steps are the same. The lunge is the same, though not taken to the extremes of reach in the lunge as some do in sport fencing, once again because of the risks it would present in a real fight, and also ground variables. We also have no rules against the feet passing as they now do in sabre. There is some offline footwork as well, but that is a smaller part. If you can do sport sabre, you already know the majority of what is needed for military sabre.
Excellent. Thank you for your detailed reply. Should be interesting for me but the main thing I will have to concentrate on is that self preservation element as that is fundamentally different to the sports sabre
Yep that is key. Also you'll need to work on rotational cuts. They are a necessity for many parries, and power development. As opposed to the fast twitch style cuts of sport sabre. Have a look at some of our sabre lessons as that will give further insight. Work on the six cut drill, emphasize defence over going for the point, and you will be well into military sabre in no time at all. We get quite a number of sport sabre fencers coming to the club.
@@secutorprimus pretty happy with my process with the sabre. Fitness is killing me im a good 50lbs overweight but technique wise im very happy with sabres. Also doing some private study on polish sabre. Longsword is leaving a little to be desired but im getting it. Also have a sidesword on the way to broaden my study. Loving every second though
Man I love seeing nick using the saber, elegant yet deadly. I picked up the saber seriously recently and you are the reason why. I'm also learning to dual wield them, very fun and effective. Hard to use against longs words but I have little difficulty with any other weapon
+blackraver5 Thank you. Sabre shouldn't be too tough to use against longsword. Your the fast rotation feints and combination cuts to strike their hands, and focus parrying on outside guard and outside half hanging, the strongest that they cannot drive through. Your ripostes from those parries with sabre are exceptionally fast and with their two handed grip they cannot use such a strong outside hanging guard as you (right ochs). They are more likely to try left ochs, in which case there hands/wrists are open.
Thank you for the good advice, I will put it to practice. Hopefully I can start making videos as well cause I really really like yours and would like to contribute to the community
@@CallofWar5 watch the sabre vs katana video - there is a reason why the japanese military used sabres during the 20th century. The katana is just too slow, and the reach of a sabre is perfectly sufficient to strike before the katana. A razor sharp sabre would easily lop off a limb or cut a person neck to gizzard unless they're armoured. The weight of a big sword stands against it.
Thank you. I think that many people forget that time when in order to kill your enemy you had to look him in the eye, and he you. Neither walked away unscathed.
Do any of those 19th century saber manuals cover what to do in a clinch ? Earlier forms of fencing seem to account for grappling...maybe it was covered separately? Any info would be appreciated ..
Very high quality video! I noticed that the hand guards get hit regularly. That's good to know. I loved the smooth flow of this video. It really brings out the details. Crisp and clear!
They do. The trick is to never aim to parry with them. But the reality is there will get struck, often by a blade that has been parried and slid down to the guard, and sometimes as a direct hit.
Pretty nice, i can see the developement of Malcolm (i think it's malcolm, the guy on the left) as he learns Nick's techniques and style I can tell your not fully perfect yet, good luck my g I've always been a nerd for sabre sparring although since i'm in France, it's always just Olympic Fencing schools. Hope one day i can travel somewhere to try it out although that'll be complicated... U guys made my day tbh, thanks :) 3:15 oh that feint was good
Very nice techniqes guys. Question: What gear do you use? The legguards, jackets, masks, gloves? Can you link me some retailers please, im looking for good gear.
The en guarde position are so much more different than in modern sabre fencing. When I fence modern sabre a hit is over in 2 seconds but here it looks more fleshed out and fun. I might consider doing this.
You should! Largely it is different because there is a much greater emphasis on defence rather than scoring a point. So more caution is taken. Also, because the legs are a target zone. With sport sabre you can also launch flick cuts with the hand alone, whereas we require power generation from rotations or at least a greater range of movement. It's a quick transition from sport fencing to HEMA fencing, many of our fencers have done it.
@@ianfinrir8724 This saber is British, but not all modern saber is Italian, and none of it has basis in dueling saber. Hungary and France both have strong influences, and dueling sabers in our modern definition largely didn’t exist.
The sabre is cool but I wish we could see fencing with the gladius, I would love to know how Romans would have fought in just a one on one gladius duel probably would have been similar to fencing with sabre as they are all single handed swords can both thrust and cut well
We''ll likely never know how gladius were used, as no documentation remains. But it probably was not like the military sabre styles, that use extended guards, linear footwork and the lunge as the primary attacking step. To get some possibly better insight in to it, you'd be better off looking at earlier systems with weapons closer to to the gladius. The Grosse or Langes Messer for example. But the treatise are still from a very different period. Gladius is a very different weapon to a military sabre, and even where weapons are similar, they do not necessarily dictate style. We can see this in renaissance on onwards manuals, where often very different approaches are taken, despite the weapon being the same.
They are a little bouncier than steel, though of realistic weight matched to original swords. Checkout some of our other videos and you will see a range of steel swords being used of this type as well as many others.
If you had to duel properly like in the olden days by sabre which sabre would you choose. After switching from epee to sabre today in class I notice that a light blade would be the advantage. Light and razor sharp. Just wondered which you would choose.?
I wouldn't go too light, as you lose too much impact force in the cut. There is also a big difference between a duel and a battlefield. Were I taking a sabre into battle I would want something like the British 1803, which has a blade profile identical to the ones in this video, but with slightly more hand protection, and the blade has immense cutting power. But in a one on one sword duel for sabre, I would likely take something like the later Victorian sabres, as they have a little more reach and are faster. something like the 1845 pattern infantry officers sword, also more hand protection still.
@ Nick ... How are you finding the Red Dragon gloves for mobility of the wrist? I ask because I had a pair and returned them as they seemed very restrictive - I like a lot of wrist mobility for rolling cuts etc ... similar complaint that Ilkka had in his video. You seem to be doing ok though ... do these soften up a bit and wear in?
Rikitocker As stock we find them restrictive. The issue is mainly the three plates that protect the wrist. The middle one should be on the outside of the other two, not inside, as it locks when the other two press against it. The most basic solution we do it just remove this middle plate. You suddenly get great wrist mobility with little loss of protection. The next step is to remove the ring that goes around the base of the hand and replace with something smaller and thinner, but I haven't bothered with this yet, it is a lesser problem. With that one simple modification we find them to be rather good.
Academy of Historical Fencing Good to know, so they are modified after all - I suspected as much. I have seen some bouting from Schola that showed quite a bit of mobility and I suspect the gloves have been modified there also. As you say, the three petals that form over the wrist are pretty woeful and lock you into very limited mobility - I was none too keen to have into a new pair of gloves but I'm afraid for Sabre, there isn't much out there that does the job as well as these right now. I also found that after measuring myself up for the first pair ... I got the 13's and they were actually too big for me when fitted ... I'll need the 12's. Just a warning to anyone buying the RD's ... the sizing might be a little larger than you think.
RemmmK Yep that's the one. It sits underneath and between the other two. You will notice if you try bending your wrist it will lock against the other two. Either remove it entirely, or unstitch and re-attach above the other two, I always just remove.
malcolm is a great fencer, just a bit footwork, predicting attacks, dodging a bit faster, and not to rush to his opponent. Being good at those WILL improve his fencing. I would like to test my skills and face him in a sparring match. One day. Nick seems like an expert fencer, all vids I saw tells me that. I do really wish to spar with him one day, tho it would be hard to meet him, I dont live in europe…
Yeah, I've noticed that Malcolm tends to close the distance and then attempt to strike. In both HEMA and competitive fencing, you're supposed to extend the blade before advancing. This ensures that you don't get any closer than necessary, and prevents the opponent from intercepting your attack and hitting you mid-step. Moving with your feet first also makes your movements more exaggerated and easy to guess - as an example, at 3:43, Malcolm lunges, then tries to strike; Nick sees what he's attempting to do, and has plenty of time to prepare a parry-riposte.
Beginner here I'm assuming the circular wrist movements are to maintain momentum? Or is it like a feint? It makes sense given the curvature of the blades but I figured surely it has some practical use and not just to look flashy, with a rapier it's all about minimal movement whereas the sabre I guess youd have to lunge a bit, if anyone could enlighten me I'd be very grateful
With the era and origin of sabre we are practicing here (British Napoleonic) the majority of power and speed with the sabre is produced in the wrist. That circular rotation is used as the typical recovery from cuts as it is very quick, and it is used to launch many cuts from the parries, but also yes it can be used in feints also. Later on this rotation became known as the moulinet, though the same practice existed in sidesword fencing. It's not so useful to full rapiers because of their sheer length. But with a sabre, especially one with a fair amount of forward weight, these rotations can allow you to carry the weight through actions like a pendulum rather than fight to try and stop them. The end result is very fast progressive actions.
+Will nonya I found with the middle petal of the three removed that there is no restriction at all. But the band that goes around the glove could still do with being thinner, mine broke off so doesn't restrict anymore anyway.
What I have been thinking of doing is removing all three petals and replacing it with a donut wrist protector and ridged forearm guard. Enlisting the help of one of my sewing knowledgeable friends.
+Will nonya That is the traditional 19th century approach and it must surely have worked for them. But there have not been good enough reproductions of that style yet for us to either buy easily, or say we are happy with the design. I think the SPES heavy glove cuff would be great for a sabre glove.
Academy of Historical Fencing I practice long sword and side sword. All we have are nylons at the moment, but the problem with SPES heavies is that you can't even fit the glove inside the hand guard for the side swords. The cuff seems ok, I haven't played with them much, but I don't think anything on the market can beat them in protection.
+Will nonya Agreed, I don't like them personally, I merely meant the cuff. Take the cuff off them and put on a sabre glove, it would be great. I have never found any mitten design I have liked, and I have tried all that are on the market, like the Polish Sparring glove stuff, Absolute Force, Spes etc. They just compromise dexterity too much. As for sidesword, that is one of the hardest swords to find a good glove for, unless you go with the more complex end. They have all the same protective requirements of open hilt swords, but the wrapping of the quillion interferes with the protection at the base of the thumb. I have not seen a good solution to this yet but modifying the regular stuff that is out there.
Not a very good place to ask but I'm still very curious...where can we get those nylon plastic(I guess they are), like on which website or real store? BTW how much are them?
That is a possibility, but this is a sparring bout with many exchanges. A real fight would never have gone on this long, but ended within about 1-2 hits landed, usually 3 at the very most. Both fighters getting hurt in a sword fight certainly happened, but a great many were ended cleanly too.
Academy of Historical Fencing yeah, i guess knife fight is qay mor up close. Your fight would have ended in less than a minute 0:45 with that glorious thrust to liver.
Yes it is different. Sport fencing has three sport weapon types that are of strict form and function, with very specific rules and a goal towards competition up to an Olympic level. This is HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts, which uses historical weapon forms, or representations of them, according to a martial art. Drawing on historical fighting styles, and with an aim towards replicating fighting styles as they were taught and used for martial purposes, such as in war, self defence, duelling etc. So essentially HEMA is sword martial arts, and sport fencing a sport derivative of those martial arts. There is some crossover in technique at times, but the weapon types and overall approach is quite different.
The training swords are made by Black Fencer in Spain, the protective equipment is mostly by SPES in Poland. Many practitioners all around the world use these suppliers.
Parker Muller We are based in the UK, and are only in contact with a few on the US side. I suggest you go to the HEMA alliance forum, a collective of US HEMA clubs. They should be able to help you find something nearby.
Academy of Historical Fencing I've noticed that you guys don't tend to use synthetic longswords much, but you use synthetics for a lot of other weapons. Is there any particular reason for that?
It's not an event. There are events, but this is weekly practice, we have two sessions each week. Costs vary according to club and location, but for ours it is £6 per session, (90-120 mins), or £15 a month unlimited.
Dual wielding two weapons of similar length isn't really a good idea, contrary to what video games and movies show. If you attempt to attack with one saber, then the other one has to be put out of the way, somewhere behind you or to your side. Otherwise, the other sword will get in the way. Plus, with a second saber, you have another long weapon to worry about orientation and the like, when you can do all you need to do with just one. If you look at historical manuals that focus on dual wielding, you'll see that the weapons used are typically a long sword (usually a rapier or perhaps a saber) and a shorter parrying dagger. The shorter blade allows you to keep most of your mobility without too much inhibition, and it also allows you to get into defenses for a decisive attack. So if you're gonna go for two swords, drop your other saber and grab a dagger.
Link below for the current generation of these sabres that we helped develop. We've also been working with them to develop steel versions of the same, the prototype can be seen on one of our most recent videos. www.blackfencer.com/en/home/27-like-steel-waster-saber-v2.html
Alguien que hable español y me diga donde puedo comprar diferentes espadas de entrenamiento y uniformes y ojala puedan subir videos tutoriales de combate básico y avanzado para peleas con este tipo de estilo de espada/ sable, quiero difundir la cultura del esgrima Histórica o medieval en mi país, para contrarrestar la influencia de las culturas asiáticas en mi país.
You should be able to match it exactly. I have just bought a sabre that is of historical weight and handling that is 740 grams, with a robust guard, thick enough edge and folded tip and nice blade flex.
+Academy of Historical Fencing I wanted to buy the synthetic ones since view years ago but its hard to order swords or anything that looks like a sword, its not illegal but the police and security here are very corrupt and there is no HEMA school anywhere in this country
+Academy of Historical Fencing indonesia.... the nearest HEMA school is at Australia and Singapore, I've been contacting them but they also dont know how to get the training sworda here
+Timothy Edward That is a nuisance. Perhaps you would be better making some rattan singlesticks? They are a traditional training tool. Materials are easy to source and they should get around any legal implications.
+deathpants1 Search for 'brush cutter leg guards' Oregon and Rocwood are common suppliers but there are others. They are cheap, very light and very agile. They will not offer as much protection as riot protection, and like most, lack side of the knee, but other than that are very good and still my preferred leg protection after about 10 years of use.
I wonder what the blades of these sparring Sabres are made of, they seem to be plastic and a little too flimsy I think as a real Sabre's blade would be much stiffer. A sparring Katana's blade is made of wood and I would think it would represent much more realistic form with Sabre sparring if they too were a hardwood. Just my thoughts on the matter.....
The thing about the kid is that he's not taking it seriously, he would die killing at his first real fight if not just die. Also he would not cut anything with those hits.
You couldn’t but you also wouldn’t need to. A big ass axe is heavier making it less dynamic to use with a longer recovery between strikes. All someone armed with a sabre needs to do is control the distance, dodge an axe strike and follow up with a quick strikes in between their opponent’s swings
still too formalized and oddly dainty. I want to see free-hand punches and reckless charges and the occasional knee to the yarbles. EVERY FIGHT SHOULD BE FOUGHT LIKE IT WOULD BE ON THE FLAMING DECK OF A STRICKEN MAN-O-WAR
+athodyd Difference is that a great many people actually tried to survive their fights. It's really quite easy to cut down a fighter who tries to rush into that kind of distance. Punches, knees and grappling do some up in our videos, but almost never with sabre. The sabre is such as agile weapon and fast strong cutter than it can put a stop to almost all of it. Kind of hard to throw punches when you have you hand chopped off and a sabre imbedded in your head. As for formalized, this is exactly how it was formalised and taught to Navy crews too for cutlass/sabre.
+Academy of Historical Fencing although i agree, i couldnt help but think during many of the rounds that a simple rush and push could have easily tipped the fight, and opened up an opportunity for a finishing strike. Many of the swings, although potentially lethal had they connected, didnt seem to do much except for show proper fencing form haha
+beyondthelol That form exists to create powerful and effective strikes. I have dealt with very aggressive fighters who rush like that many times, and it's easy to deal with them with sabre than many weapons. Going into hanging guards stops their initial attack and is followed by a very powerful cut to the head that would end the fight.
Lol, that is piece of poor performance... No foorwork, literaly zero knowledge about parry, no strenght, no speed and swinging like flail. I find it disappointing.
![The Match That Changed Fencing Forever [Epee]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qy-1m5jxYCI/mqdefault.jpg)
![The Match That Changed Fencing Forever [Epee]](/img/tr.png)
Sabers are used with such an interesting and impressive, though effective, style. It would definitely be what I would want to learn to use if a HEMA school were anywhere near where I live.
+Antos Trok They certainly are. Where do you live? We might be able to point you in the right direction.
Indiana. I don't even know of a way to look for locations of clubs. Even something close enough to make trip to once a month or something would be awesome. Any advice would be much appreciated.
www.hemaalliance.com/club-fin...
If you don't find it here, then try searching for a club that only does sabre sparring. I had the same issue, but luckily in Hungary sabre fencing is a big part of our jistory (IDK how to say it LOL) and as such, there were some clubs I could choose from
@@AcademyofHistoricalFencing Why did French calvary used their saber the curved way?
A modern fencing school can teach you 75% the saber techniques you need to know. The rules are obviously less applicable, but the techniques and other skills transfer completely.
It really makes you appreciate how gruesome warfare must have been before the advent of the gun. Even if you win you're likely mangled in some way.
+the Whaler I wouldn't say it was any less gruesome after the gun. Go and watch an American Civil War movie like Gettysburg and see them pour volleys of rifle fire into one another and tell me it isn't gruesome.
Plenty of fights were won without injury, and many weren't, same as any fight, whether it's a sword or a gun.
+the Whaler WW1
Moderne warfare ils pretty grusom due to thé fact thé thé bullets van litteraly take chuncks of flesh out of you , ans van even cut off limbs .
@@willow9571 and that's just with guns. Not to mention bombs, landmines, flamethrowers, poison gas, etc. Warfare became much more gruesome after these inventions to the point where they had to put limits on how gruesome they could make it!
Try and watch some video about current fights and warfare. or perhaps the Vietnam war on netflix. Its bloodier and deadlier than ever!
This is so cool and useful. I'm writing a novel with sabres and rapier fighting in it, and I had no idea how smooth and flowing sabre fights were. So interesting!
Glad its of interest. Fencing is purely a hobby, though a dedicated one at that. By day both of the instructors of the club are novelists. If you want to get in touch about any of this, you can always find me on facebook. Through my personal page (Nick Thomas), or author page, Nick S. Thomas.
You mean you could give me technical advice and stuff? That'd be awesome! I already got lots of help out of this- watching some of your videos made me realize how different the rapier and sabre is, and how my characters would have to fight differently.
Greatkingrat88 Sure, within reason! :-) - Michael
Our official websites are:
www.starcrusader.com (Michael Thomas)
www.battlebeyondearth.com (Nick Thomas)
I'm sure I won't be too tough of a customer, writing's more of a hobby for me anyway :) but I appreciate any help I can get.
(There sure are a lot of people named "Nick Thomas" on facebook lol)
Greatkingrat88
facebook.com/battleearth/ - Nick's FB Page
facebook.com/starcrusader/ - Michael's FB Page
I do a blade-based Filipino Martial Art, but I have to say that I am really glad to see people rediscovering Western Martial Arts as well in recent years. Great job guys, and keep it up!
You should look for distreza style it’s where escrima got a lot of it’s techniques from
The guy on the right got a very impressive sense of distance . He landed a cut very accurate.
That move at 1:08 was so clean, I love it
This is awesome, and I'd do it in a heartbeat
Painful but fun
Nick has great sparring composure
The footwork seems very similar to olympic sabre but with a lot more control (and more crossing in retreat) is there some use in knowing this footwork when looking to convert to more historic military sabre.
It is extremely similar. Olympic sabre has it's origin in duelling sabre, which in turn comes from the military sabre. If you have experience in Olympic/sport sabre, you will transition very quickly into military sabre, particularly in footwork.
We don't move around quite so much as there is more a concern for self preservation, and the front leg often withdraws because that is a target. Basic advance and retreat steps are the same. The lunge is the same, though not taken to the extremes of reach in the lunge as some do in sport fencing, once again because of the risks it would present in a real fight, and also ground variables. We also have no rules against the feet passing as they now do in sabre.
There is some offline footwork as well, but that is a smaller part. If you can do sport sabre, you already know the majority of what is needed for military sabre.
Excellent. Thank you for your detailed reply. Should be interesting for me but the main thing I will have to concentrate on is that self preservation element as that is fundamentally different to the sports sabre
Yep that is key. Also you'll need to work on rotational cuts. They are a necessity for many parries, and power development. As opposed to the fast twitch style cuts of sport sabre. Have a look at some of our sabre lessons as that will give further insight. Work on the six cut drill, emphasize defence over going for the point, and you will be well into military sabre in no time at all. We get quite a number of sport sabre fencers coming to the club.
@@matwetton How's your progress been, Mat?
@@secutorprimus pretty happy with my process with the sabre. Fitness is killing me im a good 50lbs overweight but technique wise im very happy with sabres. Also doing some private study on polish sabre. Longsword is leaving a little to be desired but im getting it. Also have a sidesword on the way to broaden my study. Loving every second though
I wish HEMA was popular in my country.
Where do you live? You can probably find a HEMA group near you.
Make it popular!
me too ;-; rip hungary
@@shotya9403 doesn't Hungarians like saber fencing though? Find your nearest club!
@@shotya9403 Ι know for a fact HEMA is very popular in Hungary
Man I love seeing nick using the saber, elegant yet deadly. I picked up the saber seriously recently and you are the reason why. I'm also learning to dual wield them, very fun and effective. Hard to use against longs words but I have little difficulty with any other weapon
+blackraver5 Thank you. Sabre shouldn't be too tough to use against longsword. Your the fast rotation feints and combination cuts to strike their hands, and focus parrying on outside guard and outside half hanging, the strongest that they cannot drive through. Your ripostes from those parries with sabre are exceptionally fast and with their two handed grip they cannot use such a strong outside hanging guard as you (right ochs). They are more likely to try left ochs, in which case there hands/wrists are open.
Thank you for the good advice, I will put it to practice. Hopefully I can start making videos as well cause I really really like yours and would like to contribute to the community
@@CallofWar5 watch the sabre vs katana video - there is a reason why the japanese military used sabres during the 20th century. The katana is just too slow, and the reach of a sabre is perfectly sufficient to strike before the katana. A razor sharp sabre would easily lop off a limb or cut a person neck to gizzard unless they're armoured. The weight of a big sword stands against it.
yo they were smooth with those swings, very satisfying to watch
Thank you.
I think that many people forget that time when in order to kill your enemy you had to look him in the eye, and he you. Neither walked away unscathed.
Do any of those 19th century saber manuals cover what to do in a clinch ? Earlier forms of fencing seem to account for grappling...maybe it was covered separately? Any info would be appreciated ..
HEMA has grappling in it and some people force clinches so they can wrestle
Good sparring guys! 👌👍 I think I found my preferred sword-fighting style. 😀🤓
lol @ :26 That patch was already flappin but that nick gave it the final gust of wind it needed to take off
Very high quality video!
I noticed that the hand guards get hit regularly. That's good to know.
I loved the smooth flow of this video. It really brings out the details. Crisp and clear!
They do. The trick is to never aim to parry with them. But the reality is there will get struck, often by a blade that has been parried and slid down to the guard, and sometimes as a direct hit.
Pretty nice, i can see the developement of Malcolm (i think it's malcolm, the guy on the left) as he learns Nick's techniques and style
I can tell your not fully perfect yet, good luck my g
I've always been a nerd for sabre sparring although since i'm in France, it's always just Olympic Fencing schools. Hope one day i can travel somewhere to try it out although that'll be complicated...
U guys made my day tbh, thanks :)
3:15 oh that feint was good
Looks even cooler than in the movies.
There’s something about sword fighting that I just love
I want to ask how do you get those sabre trainer and how much is it??
from kult of Athena. Buy universal sword with no sharpening service.
For newer people finding this aswell, thdi group uses the sabres from blackfencer
Very nice techniqes guys.
Question: What gear do you use?
The legguards, jackets, masks, gloves?
Can you link me some retailers please, im looking for good gear.
This looks SO fun
Thank looks like a lot of fun.
Superb!
Ah the Cross cut the best way to defeat an enemy
I would love to learn this but with my combination of asthma and a mild heart murmur, I wouldn't even be able to properly spar v.v
The en guarde position are so much more different than in modern sabre fencing. When I fence modern sabre a hit is over in 2 seconds but here it looks more fleshed out and fun. I might consider doing this.
You should! Largely it is different because there is a much greater emphasis on defence rather than scoring a point. So more caution is taken. Also, because the legs are a target zone. With sport sabre you can also launch flick cuts with the hand alone, whereas we require power generation from rotations or at least a greater range of movement.
It's a quick transition from sport fencing to HEMA fencing, many of our fencers have done it.
Modern, or Olympic style, Saber fencing is based off the Italian dueling saber. What these guys are using is the Polish style
@@ianfinrir8724
This saber is British, but not all modern saber is Italian, and none of it has basis in dueling saber. Hungary and France both have strong influences, and dueling sabers in our modern definition largely didn’t exist.
Where can i buy this synthetic weapons? i only know the knight shop but doesn't have it
What is the advantage of the slightly curved Sabre over the straight practice Sabre for learning military Sabre / English military Sabre?
This is what it looks like when me and my clan mates duel in warframe
Do you guys have introduction videos on stances, gaurds, and strikes?
such an elegantly weapon :P
Very nice!
Мужики просто красавцы.никаких прыгалок.рубятся и все
Guy on the right has that moulinet to a number 1 down pat
5:26 the struggles of a handshake
Badass move from Nick at 2:51
This makes me realize how unrealistic star wars duels are. A real life sword fight with no gear won’t be longer than a a minute tops
The sabre is cool but I wish we could see fencing with the gladius, I would love to know how Romans would have fought in just a one on one gladius duel probably would have been similar to fencing with sabre as they are all single handed swords can both thrust and cut well
We''ll likely never know how gladius were used, as no documentation remains. But it probably was not like the military sabre styles, that use extended guards, linear footwork and the lunge as the primary attacking step. To get some possibly better insight in to it, you'd be better off looking at earlier systems with weapons closer to to the gladius. The Grosse or Langes Messer for example. But the treatise are still from a very different period. Gladius is a very different weapon to a military sabre, and even where weapons are similar, they do not necessarily dictate style. We can see this in renaissance on onwards manuals, where often very different approaches are taken, despite the weapon being the same.
master
Are those swords lighter or bouncier than metal ones? This sparring looked particularly fast. Was it a higher intensity, or more about the gear?
They are a little bouncier than steel, though of realistic weight matched to original swords. Checkout some of our other videos and you will see a range of steel swords being used of this type as well as many others.
Where can i go to learn about saber sparring and to use it?
If you had to duel properly like in the olden days by sabre which sabre would you choose. After switching from epee to sabre today in class I notice that a light blade would be the advantage. Light and razor sharp. Just wondered which you would choose.?
I wouldn't go too light, as you lose too much impact force in the cut. There is also a big difference between a duel and a battlefield. Were I taking a sabre into battle I would want something like the British 1803, which has a blade profile identical to the ones in this video, but with slightly more hand protection, and the blade has immense cutting power. But in a one on one sword duel for sabre, I would likely take something like the later Victorian sabres, as they have a little more reach and are faster. something like the 1845 pattern infantry officers sword, also more hand protection still.
excellent choices :-)
Nice
@ Nick ... How are you finding the Red Dragon gloves for mobility of the wrist? I ask because I had a pair and returned them as they seemed very restrictive - I like a lot of wrist mobility for rolling cuts etc ... similar complaint that Ilkka had in his video. You seem to be doing ok though ... do these soften up a bit and wear in?
Rikitocker As stock we find them restrictive. The issue is mainly the three plates that protect the wrist. The middle one should be on the outside of the other two, not inside, as it locks when the other two press against it. The most basic solution we do it just remove this middle plate. You suddenly get great wrist mobility with little loss of protection.
The next step is to remove the ring that goes around the base of the hand and replace with something smaller and thinner, but I haven't bothered with this yet, it is a lesser problem. With that one simple modification we find them to be rather good.
Academy of Historical Fencing Good to know, so they are modified after all - I suspected as much. I have seen some bouting from Schola that showed quite a bit of mobility and I suspect the gloves have been modified there also. As you say, the three petals that form over the wrist are pretty woeful and lock you into very limited mobility - I was none too keen to have into a new pair of gloves but I'm afraid for Sabre, there isn't much out there that does the job as well as these right now. I also found that after measuring myself up for the first pair ... I got the 13's and they were actually too big for me when fitted ... I'll need the 12's. Just a warning to anyone buying the RD's ... the sizing might be a little larger than you think.
RemmmK Yep that's the one. It sits underneath and between the other two. You will notice if you try bending your wrist it will lock against the other two. Either remove it entirely, or unstitch and re-attach above the other two, I always just remove.
malcolm is a great fencer, just a bit footwork, predicting attacks, dodging a bit faster, and not to rush to his opponent. Being good at those WILL improve his fencing. I would like to test my skills and face him in a sparring match. One day.
Nick seems like an expert fencer, all vids I saw tells me that. I do really wish to spar with him one day, tho it would be hard to meet him, I dont live in europe…
Yeah, I've noticed that Malcolm tends to close the distance and then attempt to strike. In both HEMA and competitive fencing, you're supposed to extend the blade before advancing. This ensures that you don't get any closer than necessary, and prevents the opponent from intercepting your attack and hitting you mid-step. Moving with your feet first also makes your movements more exaggerated and easy to guess - as an example, at 3:43, Malcolm lunges, then tries to strike; Nick sees what he's attempting to do, and has plenty of time to prepare a parry-riposte.
Beginner here
I'm assuming the circular wrist movements are to maintain momentum? Or is it like a feint? It makes sense given the curvature of the blades but I figured surely it has some practical use and not just to look flashy, with a rapier it's all about minimal movement whereas the sabre I guess youd have to lunge a bit, if anyone could enlighten me I'd be very grateful
With the era and origin of sabre we are practicing here (British Napoleonic) the majority of power and speed with the sabre is produced in the wrist. That circular rotation is used as the typical recovery from cuts as it is very quick, and it is used to launch many cuts from the parries, but also yes it can be used in feints also. Later on this rotation became known as the moulinet, though the same practice existed in sidesword fencing. It's not so useful to full rapiers because of their sheer length. But with a sabre, especially one with a fair amount of forward weight, these rotations can allow you to carry the weight through actions like a pendulum rather than fight to try and stop them. The end result is very fast progressive actions.
Interesting mod you did on those red red dragons. I took the wrist guard off entirely.
+Will nonya I found with the middle petal of the three removed that there is no restriction at all. But the band that goes around the glove could still do with being thinner, mine broke off so doesn't restrict anymore anyway.
What I have been thinking of doing is removing all three petals and replacing it with a donut wrist protector and ridged forearm guard. Enlisting the help of one of my sewing knowledgeable friends.
+Will nonya That is the traditional 19th century approach and it must surely have worked for them. But there have not been good enough reproductions of that style yet for us to either buy easily, or say we are happy with the design. I think the SPES heavy glove cuff would be great for a sabre glove.
Academy of Historical Fencing I practice long sword and side sword. All we have are nylons at the moment, but the problem with SPES heavies is that you can't even fit the glove inside the hand guard for the side swords. The cuff seems ok, I haven't played with them much, but I don't think anything on the market can beat them in protection.
+Will nonya Agreed, I don't like them personally, I merely meant the cuff. Take the cuff off them and put on a sabre glove, it would be great.
I have never found any mitten design I have liked, and I have tried all that are on the market, like the Polish Sparring glove stuff, Absolute Force, Spes etc. They just compromise dexterity too much. As for sidesword, that is one of the hardest swords to find a good glove for, unless you go with the more complex end. They have all the same protective requirements of open hilt swords, but the wrapping of the quillion interferes with the protection at the base of the thumb. I have not seen a good solution to this yet but modifying the regular stuff that is out there.
Not a very good place to ask but I'm still very curious...where can we get those nylon plastic(I guess they are), like on which website or real store? BTW how much are them?
Here is the manufacturer, you can order direct. Various resellers around the world keep stock as well.
www.blackfencer.com/en/
thanks a lot!!
So basically like in every knife fight one is going underground and the other will be going to emergency.
That is a possibility, but this is a sparring bout with many exchanges. A real fight would never have gone on this long, but ended within about 1-2 hits landed, usually 3 at the very most. Both fighters getting hurt in a sword fight certainly happened, but a great many were ended cleanly too.
Academy of Historical Fencing yeah, i guess knife fight is qay mor up close. Your fight would have ended in less than a minute 0:45 with that glorious thrust to liver.
buena pelea
So Is this different than sport fencing or is it simaler I'm interested in fencing and would like to know.
Yes it is different. Sport fencing has three sport weapon types that are of strict form and function, with very specific rules and a goal towards competition up to an Olympic level. This is HEMA (Historical European Martial Arts, which uses historical weapon forms, or representations of them, according to a martial art. Drawing on historical fighting styles, and with an aim towards replicating fighting styles as they were taught and used for martial purposes, such as in war, self defence, duelling etc.
So essentially HEMA is sword martial arts, and sport fencing a sport derivative of those martial arts. There is some crossover in technique at times, but the weapon types and overall approach is quite different.
Где можно купить такие пластмасовые мечи и защиту ? Для России и Казахстана ? Спасибо
The training swords are made by Black Fencer in Spain, the protective equipment is mostly by SPES in Poland. Many practitioners all around the world use these suppliers.
Hema stuff around the northern Utah area that you know of? I haven't found anything on the interwebs.
Parker Muller We are based in the UK, and are only in contact with a few on the US side. I suggest you go to the HEMA alliance forum, a collective of US HEMA clubs. They should be able to help you find something nearby.
Parker Muller www.southcoastswords.com/20-synthetics?sid=739faa79aa1c50f0abe792f379ae5c29
They ship, and its the same quality products!
Academy of Historical Fencing I've noticed that you guys don't tend to use synthetic longswords much, but you use synthetics for a lot of other weapons. Is there any particular reason for that?
Before Nick has his eye catching red gambesons.
Can you tell me from what the sword making of?
It's some kind of nylon/plastic, though I don't know the exact material as that is the manufacturers secret.
Their footwork has something to be desired. They keep losing balance. Csaba Elthes would blanch.
This looks super fun! How much does it cost to go to events like these usually?
It's not an event. There are events, but this is weekly practice, we have two sessions each week. Costs vary according to club and location, but for ours it is £6 per session, (90-120 mins), or £15 a month unlimited.
That's so reasonable! Wow, I need to find myself a HEMA club.
Which neck of the woods are you situated in, squire?
is there also a club in Hamburg, Germany?
+Skeptiker 01 Yep, Hammaborg. I know them well and would recommend them.
como vim parar aqui
how is made the sabre you use in sparring?
+naminogiri Cut from a type of nylon plastic. Check out the company who make them, Black Fencer in Spain.
Good fight good night.
can you fight with TWO sabres with both hands?
Dual wielding two weapons of similar length isn't really a good idea, contrary to what video games and movies show. If you attempt to attack with one saber, then the other one has to be put out of the way, somewhere behind you or to your side. Otherwise, the other sword will get in the way. Plus, with a second saber, you have another long weapon to worry about orientation and the like, when you can do all you need to do with just one.
If you look at historical manuals that focus on dual wielding, you'll see that the weapons used are typically a long sword (usually a rapier or perhaps a saber) and a shorter parrying dagger. The shorter blade allows you to keep most of your mobility without too much inhibition, and it also allows you to get into defenses for a decisive attack.
So if you're gonna go for two swords, drop your other saber and grab a dagger.
Hi where can I find those practice swords?
blackfencer.com/en/
I know they are wearing protection, but it still looks painful to get hit.
It can be, but its rarely anything more than bruises, aches and pains, same as any martial art.
Are they using the Purpleheart Synthetic Sabre
Nope, these are produced by Black Fencer in Spain.
Where can I get practice sabers
Link below for the current generation of these sabres that we helped develop. We've also been working with them to develop steel versions of the same, the prototype can be seen on one of our most recent videos.
www.blackfencer.com/en/home/27-like-steel-waster-saber-v2.html
I live in Europe, where can I buy these sabers?
+francisco VC They are in Spain - www.blackfencer.com/en/
Academy of Historical Fencing
Thank you! BTW you guys are awesome, hope I'll reach this level of skill in time! Cheers.
Alguien que hable español y me diga donde puedo comprar diferentes espadas de entrenamiento y uniformes y ojala puedan subir videos tutoriales de combate básico y avanzado para peleas con este tipo de estilo de espada/ sable, quiero difundir la cultura del esgrima Histórica o medieval en mi país, para contrarrestar la influencia de las culturas asiáticas en mi país.
+Maple Itzcoatl_IV www.blackfencer.com/en/
histfenc.com/
www.thetimeseller.com/default.aspx?l=2
Academy of Historical Fencing muchas gracias.
How heavy are these synthetic sabres plz?
700 grams.
Academy of Historical Fencing thks!
brian christopher
0:47 First guy: *has a low guard
Second guy: IMMA BOUT TO END THIS MAN WHOLE CARREER
Are they as heavy as the real average sabres?
Yes. Open hilt infantry sabres of the Napoleonic period typically weighed 700-820 grams. The ones in this video are 750 grams.
if we mass produced a cutlass/sabre using modern steel
how light can it go while being more durable than Napoleonic?
You should be able to match it exactly. I have just bought a sabre that is of historical weight and handling that is 740 grams, with a robust guard, thick enough edge and folded tip and nice blade flex.
how heavy are those sparing sabers? i want to make one out of wood lol
+Timothy Edward Around 760grams. Wood will chip and break easily though. Okay for drills but that's it.
+Academy of Historical Fencing I wanted to buy the synthetic ones since view years ago but its hard to order swords or anything that looks like a sword, its not illegal but the police and security here are very corrupt and there is no HEMA school anywhere in this country
+Timothy Edward That is a real shame. Which country is that?
+Academy of Historical Fencing indonesia.... the nearest HEMA school is at Australia and Singapore, I've been contacting them but they also dont know how to get the training sworda here
+Timothy Edward That is a nuisance. Perhaps you would be better making some rattan singlesticks? They are a traditional training tool. Materials are easy to source and they should get around any legal implications.
Mam wrażenie że za lekkie te palcaty.Nie wypływają z ręki.
4:02
is there a reason they do not parry the attacks? ie 00:05 and a lot follow later.
A good opening feint to create an opening. Cut to the inside to expose the wrist, then cut to the outside.
where can you get shin guards like that??
+deathpants1 Search for 'brush cutter leg guards' Oregon and Rocwood are common suppliers but there are others. They are cheap, very light and very agile. They will not offer as much protection as riot protection, and like most, lack side of the knee, but other than that are very good and still my preferred leg protection after about 10 years of use.
00:31
I wonder what the blades of these sparring Sabres are made of, they seem to be plastic and a little too flimsy I think as a real Sabre's blade would be much stiffer.
A sparring Katana's blade is made of wood and I would think it would represent much more realistic form with Sabre sparring if they too were a hardwood.
Just my thoughts on the matter.....
Interesting comparison:
th-cam.com/video/FzGitkT8hGk/w-d-xo.html
Same mistakes
The thing about the kid is that he's not taking it seriously, he would die killing at his first real fight if not just die. Also he would not cut anything with those hits.
Ok how tf u gonna block a big ass axe with that flimsy balloon sword lmao
What kind of question is that? The axe would win of course
@ Idk. Gun beats all.
You couldn’t but you also wouldn’t need to. A big ass axe is heavier making it less dynamic to use with a longer recovery between strikes. All someone armed with a sabre needs to do is control the distance, dodge an axe strike and follow up with a quick strikes in between their opponent’s swings
still too formalized and oddly dainty. I want to see free-hand punches and reckless charges and the occasional knee to the yarbles. EVERY FIGHT SHOULD BE FOUGHT LIKE IT WOULD BE ON THE FLAMING DECK OF A STRICKEN MAN-O-WAR
+athodyd Difference is that a great many people actually tried to survive their fights. It's really quite easy to cut down a fighter who tries to rush into that kind of distance. Punches, knees and grappling do some up in our videos, but almost never with sabre. The sabre is such as agile weapon and fast strong cutter than it can put a stop to almost all of it. Kind of hard to throw punches when you have you hand chopped off and a sabre imbedded in your head.
As for formalized, this is exactly how it was formalised and taught to Navy crews too for cutlass/sabre.
+Academy of Historical Fencing although i agree, i couldnt help but think during many of the rounds that a simple rush and push could have easily tipped the fight, and opened up an opportunity for a finishing strike. Many of the swings, although potentially lethal had they connected, didnt seem to do much except for show proper fencing form haha
+beyondthelol That form exists to create powerful and effective strikes. I have dealt with very aggressive fighters who rush like that many times, and it's easy to deal with them with sabre than many weapons. Going into hanging guards stops their initial attack and is followed by a very powerful cut to the head that would end the fight.
I think this free sparring is a waste of time when there is no focus on a specific tactic. This is a mishmash of everything they just happen to know.
Lol, that is piece of poor performance... No foorwork, literaly zero knowledge about parry, no strenght, no speed and swinging like flail. I find it disappointing.
Nice