Newbie Longsword wanting advice against S&S

[mookierah]

I posted this in the Ask Paul Bellatrix forum, but I figure that it couldn't hurt to ask this forum as well.

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Greetings Sir Paul,

I'm a very new SCA fighter that has just gotten his armor (our group didn't have a loaner set, so up till now I've had very little experience with SCA heavy fighting) and I was wondering if you had any tips on how to approach/engage a sword and board opponent.

My area seems to fancy ridiculously huge shields that, for the most part, defends their entire left side (my right) when they are in a neutral position. I know that my weapon has a slight reach advantage (I'm using a very light longsword, more akin to Marc de Arundel than your typical SCA Greatsword) so I can engage them somewhat safely, but so far it feels that my opening strikes are limited to pokes and prods that I use to either A: attempt to manipulate where they place their shield to open up a spot to quickly attack, or B: coerce them into engaging me and take advantage of the openings they have whenever they overextend themselves or are in mid-swing.

Option A doesn't yield much returns. Their shields are so large that just a simple quick move covers my attack and they are quick to return it back into neutral position, much faster I could ever hope to attack. I've seen Marc use this to great effect in vids by attacking the top of people's shields in order to trick them into dropping their shield lower than neutral so he can thrust at their face(something that is very similar to what I was taught in MMA to manipulate my opponent to allow me to get a takedown), but it's simply not working on these guys.

Admittedly, I haven't tried making these attacks with a lot of power for fear of overextending myself with the attack.

Option B is currently wrecking their faces, cause I don't think they are used to fighting someone who is used to baiting them like this, but I worry about it. Right now it works , but I'm thinking that in a short amount of time my local opponents will know that I'm not much of a threat when I take the initiative, and that more advanced opponents would be able to deduce that very quickly.

So what are effective ways to put more pressure on my opponent and to make my opening engagements more threatening and effective?

[Edit]
I had some new thoughts on this. I REALLY like techniques such as the arm throw, and it is a strength of using a 2 handed weapon that is not available to S&S users. How effective do you think it would be to launch a powerful vertical hew to force them to sheild up, and use that as a tool to close the gap and get into a shield control position? It's like how I used jabs in boxing to lock up my opponent to get inside safely (I'm rather short and as such had to adopt an in-boxing style).

[Peikko]

hmmm..block his first strike. close on him (get really close ). Bind his sword arm and kick him in the nuts. Then, when he's down go through his wallet.

as for SCA rules I dunno...perhaps leave out the binding, kicking, and theft

[chris19d]

I've just started fighting greatsword, the advice given to me, is to stay in your A range, keep out of theirs, when they advance swing for the head and step diagonally back to their shield side, you move in a little circle they chase you in a big circle. The knight teaching me hasn't fought much of late and isn't familiar with the newer rules, IE half swording etc, so there may be a better option out there.

Or there's hit his shield really hard with a downward blow to get it out of the way, then face stab him

[mookierah]

hmmm..block his first strike. close on him (get really close ). Bind his sword arm and kick him in the nuts. Then, when he's down go through his wallet.

If I was part of an EMP group I'd totally do that, but sadly not SCA legal xD.

Still, this still relies on giving up the initiative to my opponent, something that I would rather not rely upon to get telling blows.

I've just started fighting greatsword, the advice given to me, is to stay in your A range, keep out of theirs, when they advance swing for the head and step diagonally back to their shield side, you move in a little circle they chase you in a big circle.

I'll try that out, although I've instinct-ually been circling to my right, my opponents shield side, and that has just made it harder to hit them cause I'm circling into their giant shield preventing me from launching attacks cause the behemoth shield is so large.

I've been thinking about it at work and have hypothesized that perhaps circling to my opponents left and blocking in a hanging guard then countering off of it (pull one of these:http://www.bellatrix.org/school/appendi ... 24a-GS.htm) might work as I would be moving outside of their shield's protection and using their attack to disable their sword from protecting against mine.

[chris19d]

Oh, and apparently even if your quilions are split ratan and have thrusties on the end, reversing your sword as seen in the fechtbuchs and trying to bludgeon them over their shield with the quillions = marshals call hold

[mookierah]

Argh, so many edits!

E half swording etc

I really need to check, but I'm pretty sure halfswording is legal in my area, but my group doesn't believe me at all when I mention it. I'll find out, and then I can try that out and see how it goes.

Or there's hit his shield really hard with a downward blow to get it out of the way, then face stab him

Marc de Arundel does something similar that I mentioned in the OP. It's much more subtle than just powering through shields though. A lot of times, when people are pressed downwards their instinct is to raise themselves up . Usually they do it as fast as possible, and overcompensate it with a burst of energy that has little control (which could temporarily cover their vision, which is why I mentioned using this as a strategy to move in close). They realize this and in their attempt to reset to a neutral position they will often have their shield lower than usual, and that's when Marc blasts dudes in the face.

I will try out the power through method just to see how it goes, but I'm not a particularly strong fellow (I'm 5' 6.5" and weigh 135lbs.) and most of my kills come from speedy thrusts and superior mobility, not from powerful hews.

Oh, and apparently even if your quilions are split ratan and have thrusties on the end, reversing your sword as seen in the fechtbuchs and trying to bludgeon them over their shield with the quillions = marshals call hold

Haha, yeah. I was aware of that being illegal already. My quillions are metal though, so I wouldn't be able to do it if it was legal.

[chris19d]

Argh, so many edits!

Sorry, ton of stuff I forgot and was trying not to clutter up the thread with multiple replies.

[J.G.Elmslie]

hmmm..block his first strike. close on him (get really close ). Bind his sword arm and kick him in the nuts. Then, when he's down go through his wallet.

as for SCA rules I dunno...perhaps leave out the binding, kicking, and theft

sounds good to me.

just remind me to leave my wallet behind if I ever visit you lot down south since I'm well out of practice.

[jogdog1]

I am Lucky. out here in Caer Darth we have Marc himself to teach us. S&S is a minority out here. most of us do his style of bastard sword.

He can get past anyone's shield

[Adamo]

I am Lucky. out here in Caer Darth we have Marc himself to teach us. S&S is a minority out here. most of us do his style of bastard sword.

He can get past anyone's shield

http://scabastardsword.com/

Adam

[mookierah]

I am Lucky. out here in Caer Darth we have Marc himself to teach us.

Damn. You are indeed lucky.

Does he have anymore youtube vids other than the ones that show up when you type out his name? I'd really like to look through more of his stuff, I've gleaned a good deal of awesome from it and seeing how those vids are dated, I would imagine he's a good deal better now.

S&S is a minority out here. most of us do his style of bastard sword.

Yeah, I don't see why everyone thinks that sword and board is superior to it, or why people think that it's inherently easier. Perhaps at first it is, but I don't feel it as something that's holding me down at all. It just has different strengths and weaknesses.

Also, in terms of a metagame it would be perceived that using the longsword/bastard sword is not as good, but I could also see it that in the SCA community the longsword hasn't been used as much, so it hasn't been as developed.

@Adam
Way ahead of you, read up on that site a while back actually. I need to reread it though.

[Micah Nelson]

I've had great success with a fake-high strike, and then when the shield comes back down face thrusting, but that may be just the guys I fight. I discovered it on the fly and only seems to work as a late fight move.

Alternatively, batter their sword arm. S&S guys cry and whine and moan about "arm hunting" but if that's the only target you can see sticking out from behind the "war door" then hit it. Hit it many times. Beat the guy's defenses down. You've got more than a lot more leverage with your bastard sword that they've got in their dorky basket hilt single handers. Use it. Take the arm, and the shield goes away. Then it shouldn't be a big problem to clobber them. Not the most elegant method, but it's effective.

[Peikko]

hmmm..block his first strike. close on him (get really close ). Bind his sword arm and kick him in the nuts. Then, when he's down go through his wallet.

as for SCA rules I dunno...perhaps leave out the binding, kicking, and theft

sounds good to me.

just remind me to leave my wallet behind if I ever visit you lot down south since I'm well out of practice.

[Peikko]

...Still, this still relies on giving up the initiative to my opponent, something that I would rather not rely upon to get telling blows..

Well then, you have two options:
A) Seize the initiative and hammer them with shots that force them to stay "buttoned up", BUT, maintain your distance and use your extra reach and their shield to pick them a part.

B) Seize the initiative and rush them as I alluded earlier, use the bulk of their shield against them (make them have to fight around it) and stab them with your dagger...you did bring a dagger right?

[AndreasMorgan]

/nods to JohannM. Sidearms are handy. Tie em up and stab em in the face lol.

I would also add..." Use the Force". Well kinda. Learn to see tells and anticipate your opponents actions and prepare appropriate reactions. Use your eyes. Learn how to count and observe steps and range. Look for little things like " does your opponent dip and rise when he steps" . I could probably go on and on but those are a few things I would think about.

Ooh also work the planes of the shield with your strikes not against them.

Cheers,
Andreas

[mookierah]

So I went to fighter practice this past Saturday, and had a blast. From reading everyone's recommendations it seemed as if the biggest thing I was doing wrong when opening on a S&S opponent was that I wasn't committing enough to the strike. I knew in my head that the my opening strike was less about landing a killing blow and more about manipulating them, so I just did light puny blows before. This time I didn't make that mistake. I threw real attacks, that they had to react to in order to not get KO'ed. This little change made a huge difference. The best part about it is that they got used to me wailing on them at my optimal range that I was able to then throw feints and light blows to trick them.

I also landed the infamous shield hit to face stab. I really gotta practice it, cause I know that was not something I could consistently land, but damn, it was extremely satisfying. I love finding ways to make my opponents shield work against them.

Alternatively, batter their sword arm. S&S guys cry and whine and moan about "arm hunting" but if that's the only target you can see sticking out from behind the "war door" then hit it. Hit it many times.

I'm gonna work on this more. I did land a few arm pit shots that took out my opponents sword arm, but it's something that is a bit awkward for me right now. As far as removing their shield arm, I'm not sure how to manage that one. I did mention their shields are gigantic right?

Well then, you have two options:
A) Seize the initiative and hammer them with shots that force them to stay "buttoned up", BUT, maintain your distance and use your extra reach and their shield to pick them a part.

This, this, and this. Like I mentioned before, I was able to control and pressure my opponent effectively if I sent REAL blows their way. Once I took the flow of the match, I could easily mind game my opponent, which I'm no stranger to doing. All those years in competitive gaming has taught me all about the importance of creating openings via manipulation.

B) Seize the initiative and rush them as I alluded earlier, use the bulk of their shield against them (make them have to fight around it) and stab them with your dagger...you did bring a dagger right?

I don't currently have one, although I do plan on making one soon. Considering my engagements so far, it seems that it would be very situational though, as binding with my opponent was very rare, and when it did happen, it was for a matter of a few seconds tops. It's still nice to have that option though.

Well kinda. Learn to see tells and anticipate your opponents actions and prepare appropriate reactions. Use your eyes. Learn how to count and observe steps and range. Look for little things like " does your opponent dip and rise when he steps" . I could probably go on and on but those are a few things I would think about.

I'm really trying on this. It will take a long time to get to where I can read opponents well. I know that observation is the key to success, it's the same in competitive fighting games. It's just that right now I'm focusing most of my attention to my own body and technique that I can only allot so much on my opponent. It's all good though, cause I'm getting with the group and will try to set up training days for pell work, slow fighting, and controlled mock fighting so that controlling my body and observing my opponent becomes second nature.

[Peikko]

Well done Mookierah, keep up the good work

Remember, the only difference between a faint and a real (ie. fully committed) attack is that one kills them and the other opens up their defense for the next strike you throw.

[Galvyn Lockhart]

Back in the early 2000's I went to a practice in the middle of NYC and fought this one young gentleman whose preference was to fight bastard / hand and a half sword. He was very active and fought very well. Anyway, after our fights, we got to talking. I commended him on his weapon of choice, and he admitted kinda sheepishly that he used it because he loved Star Wars.

AndreasMorgan said...

I would also add..." Use the Force".

[mookierah]

I commended him on his weapon of choice, and he admitted kinda sheepishly that he used it because he loved Star Wars.

Haha. While I like Star Wars alright I have other reasons for using this weapon. I originally wanted to dual wield two very short swords (inbetween the length of a long dagger and a shortsword) and focus on in fighting, something that I would imagine would be hard for S&S and great weapon fighters if I managed to get inside. I have some experience with MMA, and being a short guy I figured that some of the skills I learned when it came to in-boxing and the like could be utilized.

I read up on the weapon systems being used and discovered SCABastardsword.com, HEMA, and all that jazz. The longsword is an elegant weapon with a lot of history as being an incredible weapon with a wealth of knowledge of it's historic use (albeit interpreting this wealth is somewhat of a problem). I was hooked once I saw videos of HEMA practitioners battling it out.

Although a chunk of what made the longsword great has been removed in the SCA due to safety concerns (I mourn the lack of grappling, I would LOVE to incorporate my Jiu-Jitsu/Wrestling) it's still a potent weapon that seems underestimated due to the fact that S&S is so ubiquitous. I believe that while there are clearly drawbacks to the longsword, that it is close to equal, if not on equal footing as S&S. So I intend to find out if my hypothesis is right. At least for now, I can say with absolute certainty that I do not feel in any way hampered by my weapon choice, and that I wouldn't be any better with any other weapon system.

---------------------------------- Off topic ----------------------------------

I know EMP does grappling, but I'm confused as to why they don't allow joint locks and submissions. I say this because Jiu-Jitsu is really, really safe when you compare it to boxing or other striking martial arts. Even as a novice at my MMA gym I never came close to applying enough pressure to break or hurt someone with a submission, but I walked away with several whelps and black eyes over the course of my training when we did full on boxing (and I have a crapload of bruises from my SCA bouts this past Saturday).

My only reasoning is to why they disallow it is that in HEMA they practice a form of wrestling that doesn't have locks, but if you were to have a Japanese persona then that wouldn't be valid as Jiu-Jitsu was originally a martial art based around fighting in armor with weapons, and it had submissions.

[JimC]

My only reasoning is to why they disallow it is that in HEMA they practice a form of wrestling that doesn't have locks,

There are all kinda of join locks in HEMA. Loads of them.

[mookierah]

There are all kinda of join locks in HEMA. Loads of them.

Then I am at a complete loss as to why EMP doesn't allow submissions .

[JimC]

There are all kinda of join locks in HEMA. Loads of them.

Then I am at a complete loss as to why EMP doesn't allow submissions .

I'll take a stab, since my stab includes you. With the prevalence of MMA and its strong ground and submission game if would be easy for you to close, grapple and go to the ground on many of your peers. Ridiculously easy, to the point where nether of you are learning anything. It takes real skill, that few have to defeat this sort of strategy and undervalues the art. I was doing some freeplay last night against someone who had virtually no skill at wrestling. I found this out after I easily did a collar throw after a bind and a missed pommel strike. I could see it half way though the throw that he had possibly never been taken to the ground before. Big "OMG, what is happening" eyes. I aborted throw and stood him back up. After that, we agreed that he needed to work on this area and for the sake of the next few passes we would not close to grips. It wouldn't teach him anything being dumped on his head, and it wouldn't teach me anything.

Freeplay after all is just another drill, right?

That said, this should only be a problem in freeplay. You should be practicing grips, locks, take downs, pins, ect as they do form an important part of any WMA. Perhaps it is weak area of your instructor(s) and you have an opportunity to help them develop the structure, balance and technical proficiency?

Always do these five things: take his dagger away, strike him, break his arms, bind him, and throw him to the ground.

[Peikko]

There are all kinda of join locks in HEMA. Loads of them.

Then I am at a complete loss as to why EMP doesn't allow submissions .

At the end of the day a lot of this has to do with us all needing to get up the next day and make it to work. This simply a matter of acceptable risk and for the EMP "submissions" is simply a step to far, no different in theory than the SCA's rules or the Tuchux.

[Micah Nelson]

What I mean by eliminating their shield arm is that when you take the sword arm, you have the option of chivalrously allowing your opponent to switch hands. They put down their shield and move their sword into their shield hand. This being (typically, but not always) an "off-"hand gives you another distinct advantage. Your opponent now has no shield, and is fighting with their less well-coordinated hand. Using a single handed sword (only) vs. two handed sword is not advisable under ideal conditons.

[Benedek]

Depends on the situation and who you are fighting. I tend to be the biggest guy in our local groups so I have a bit of an advantage in my size and strength. What they don't expect is fast flurries of shots from inside their range. You would be amazed at how many angles you can create using good footwork.

Sometimes I like to let my opponent put his shield on my longsword giving him the impression of an advantage with my "trapped" weapon". When the try to go in for a deep wrap a sidestep is all it takes to get them of balance or out of position enough for you to make a move.

I also like to play the muscle game pushing back on their shield and opening them up woth the pommel of my longsword to hook the edge of their shield and pry it open.

[bjarashow]

There are all kinda of join locks in HEMA. Loads of them.

Then I am at a complete loss as to why EMP doesn't allow submissions .

At the end of the day a lot of this has to do with us all needing to get up the next day and make it to work. This simply a matter of acceptable risk and for the EMP "submissions" is simply a step to far, no different in theory than the SCA's rules or the Tuchux.

So few people in HEMA (and I assume SCA) are remotely trained grapplers. The rules are set up to favor the majority...... And of course there is some safety concern if someone doesn't recognize that they shouldn't move a certain way or they'll break their own neck trying to fight a lock or a throw too hard.

I'm presently writing my own groups curriculum to teach grappling - I'm the only trained wrestler there. We're going to learn primarily from Codex Wallerstein, with some Talhoffer thrown in - and once everyone is on the same page, grappling will become part of the regular bouting structure.

[mookierah]

So few people in HEMA (and I assume SCA) are remotely trained grapplers. The rules are set up to favor the majority...... And of course there is some safety concern if someone doesn't recognize that they shouldn't move a certain way or they'll break their own neck trying to fight a lock or a throw too hard.

Oh, ok. I didn't think about it from the perspective of someone who had no training attempting to do a lock or submission. I could see that as very dangerous O_o.

It would be cool; however, if you allowed it for people who have the experience though, but I can completely see why they disallow it now.

------ Back on topic! ---------------

I'm gonna do some training today at the shire meeting. Gonna grab the fighters and run through some drills and pell work. Right now I plan on running through these kinds of drills:

Basic Pell work: Hitting from 1 to 1, 1 to 2, 1 to 3, and so on and so forth till I hit all the regions, starting from each region. Gonna do it slow and focus on technique and footwork.

Slow Fighting: Slow fighting against a person holding those freakishly huge shields in which the shield man only defends and I try to work out methods of attacking. Do that for a bit then reverse roles.

Mock Freeze Fighting: Run through drills of throwing an attack, freezing, allowing opponent to react to it, freeze him, and then try and discover the ways one could re-route the attack to either hit or deflect my opponents weapon more. After a while reverse roles.

I'll probably do more than that too as I think of stuff, but do you guys have any drills that you would recommend?

[mookierah]

So this past weekend I got a lot of training in. Mostly from practicing, although I ran some drills on my own too. I practiced some shield work for authorization, which I did Sunday. Myself and a friend of mine went to Memphis to get authorized. Sadly the weather was bad earlier in the day so their practice was canceled, but a knight and some friends of his was kind enough to drop by to test us for authorization (I believe it was Sir Uther of Grey Niche). We both authorized with flying colors. Sadly the knight had to leave after we authorized.

The big thing that I ran into was some rather staunch opposition to using the longsword from two of the fighters there. They went into detail about how bad the longsword was, and that I really needed to switch to sword and shield. They were quite pushy about it, and while I resisted a little about it at first, I soon began to grin and bear it. I have heard stories of things getting too political and/or people getting rather pissed when you disagree with someone higher up than you, so I opted to not rock the boat. They even went as far to say that knights would target me for the shear fact that I'm using a longsword, and not for the reasoning that they believed I would be an easy target, rather than they would target me because my base was using a long sword rather and using a sword and shield. After a while though, they did back pedal a bit and say that they were telling me this because they didn't want me to get hurt/discouraged because using the longsword is harder. So while I do believe they had their heart in the right place, they could have went about that conversation without being as abrasive as they were.

After that was over, I did some sparring. Sadly it was with the same practice partners from my shire and a Memphis newbie, mostly my friend Bear. I held my own, as usual, although I couldn't use thrusts because my thrusting tip wasn't legal (I misinterpreted the guidelines) so I was effectively neutered. After watching some of the bouts the two Memphis figthers pulled my friend over and began showing him ways to bind up my sword by pressing his shield against mine. They then told me, more or less, that any strike I made against someone with a shield is futile (even though I was following the advice that Paul Bellatrix gave me on the matter) and that basically I should never, ever, engage and just snipe.

I began to get frustrated, which led to something that I believe will help me tremendously. I have the habit of overthinking when fighting. I'll spend too much time analyzing and not enough time doing. Sometimes I tend to hesitate before I make a commitment too, so it's a really bad thing. Due to the frustration of everything I just decided to say "fuck it" and I just went full offense blitz mode on Bear (I wasn't swinging harder or anything, I was still safe in case you guys are wondering). To my surprise my flurry of blows were so quick that he didn't retaliate much. I think I remember that in the middle of that I dropped a shot to the leg and took it. I do remember getting several leg shots that day.

The Memphis newbie attempted to get in close then attempt to bind my sword shield like the other mentioned, but I just jumped away. I'm just not seeing that strategy being effective unless I'm trapped with some kind of boundary, cause I'm way more mobile than most shieldmen. I'm a short athletic guy, and even in armor I can leap backwards about 4 feet in very little time.

I really wished that the two people that stayed to watch and give tips armored up. I really wanted to experience fighting people who were much better than me, and I really wanted to fight against the strategies they mentioned that supposedly would dominate a longsword user.

All in all, it rubbed me the wrong way. That said, you guys have been great, and so has every other SCAdian I have met. So I'm not to worried about it. I'm going to continue to improve and stick with both the SCA and the longsword.

[Maeryk]

Learn to move laterally. Lots of sword and board is based upon belly-bucking butt wrap competitions. With a pole (or sufficiently large bastard sword) you can control the range, and keep them moving to get them into a position you want them in. (Don't do this to legged opponents).. but learn your "zone" and keep them in it, and learn theirs and keep yourself out of it.

combos are a good thing, _IF_ you can stay fluid and in motion with the weapon. remember, it's your shield too.. so never commit it to a strike that leaves you "open" at the same time. Think vectors and planes, and keep the blade BETWEEN you and them. a wrist roll and a push up turns offensive move into defensive block.. but it has to be there to be used.

[MarkH]

Hi Mookierah,
I'm sorry you had a bad experience with people trying to discourage you against the longsword.
I will say, that I have a "standard disclaimer" I give to potential students, not because I want to discourage them, but because I want to be sure they know what they are getting into.
I don't want to lose potential fighters because they get pounded on or hurt, then quit.
I actually had a lot of people tell me I'd never get anywhere with a bastard sword when I started as well. It IS a harder road, but if you love it, and stick with it, it's certainly possible to do well, and if you do, you get extra rockstar points for doing something unusual.
Generally, when I fight against S+S guys, I use my offence to put them somewhere I want them, and then hit them somewhere else. A classic example would be a snapthrust to the face, followed by an offline step to my right, with a leg/hip blow during the transition. Many S+S guys overblock facethrusts, and you can use that moment to step offline and do bad things to them. That's just one basic example.
I also use range control, but I wouldn't "leap" out. You want to use smooth controlled footwork, so that you can move and change direction when you want. Don't forget you can move AT them as well, I will often step 45d offline and forward at a charging shieldman, as this will cause him to expose his flank/back to my attack. There are also some good inside techniques, such as blocking a snap/wrap with your front edge, stepping in while pushing down on their sword, and then levering your backedge into the back of their head. Hard to describe in type.
I often reccomend that new fighters spend a year with S+S, but if longsword is what you love, if THAT is the image in your head of the "knight in shining armor", then you should do what will bring you joy.
Have fun with it!

[mookierah]

A classic example would be a snapthrust to the face, followed by an offline step to my right, with a leg/hip blow during the transition.

I kinda feel dumb for not thinking of something like that. So far I've had the most success with using a slashing attack to link into a quick thrust at an opening. I haven't even thought about thrusting to keep them occupied while sniping a leg.

I also use range control, but I wouldn't "leap" out. You want to use smooth controlled footwork, so that you can move and change direction when you want.

I will be working on that. While jumping back has saved me a lot, it also is a bit too much. Often times when I do this I will miss an opportunity because I was too far away when they missed me to follow up on it.

I will often step 45d offline and forward at a charging shieldman

I would imagine the last place they would expect you to go would be forward, haha. That sounds like a great idea. I definitely can't wait to try that out.

There are also some good inside techniques, such as blocking a snap/wrap with your front edge, stepping in while pushing down on their sword, and then levering your backedge into the back of their head. Hard to describe in type.

I think I know what you are saying, and it sounds pretty awesome. Basically I interpreted that as catching their shot, stepping into it and pressing down which forces it into a bind, and then using your opponents sword as a pivot point to make a strike on your opponent.

I often reccomend that new fighters spend a year with S+S

Well, I've recently decided that it'd be good for me to do at least a few bouts per practice with S&S, even if I really don't like it. It's better to be more well rounded, and it helps me with my understanding when it comes to the mindset of a S&S fighter by doing it.

Have fun with it!

Thank you very much for your advice, it is much appreciated. I will definitely have fun with it, more-so now that you have given me more tools to help me excel.

[Peikko]

Remember that there is no perfect weapon...only warriors and their tools. Keep up the good fight and strive to learn all the lessons you can.

as for the haters, success is the best revenge.
[img]http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_xc0XfOa5pDc/T ... hatred.jpg[/img]

[mookierah]

Johann, you are my hero, lol. I did not expect a "haters gonna hate" on these boards xD. You win the internets.

[Maeryk]

Johann, you are my hero, lol. I did not expect a "haters gonna hate" on these boards xD. You win the internets.

The only limitation to greatsword is that in _MOST_ hands it's a liability, rather than a bonus, in melee. For every rule there are a few exceptions, but they are few and far between.

I _love_ 6 foot greatsword. That plus my arms gives me nearly nine feet of reach.. and if you learn to block effectively, it makes one hell of a defensive/offensive combo.

But many bruises will be had learning that combo.

[Murdock]

"Newbie Longsword wanting advice against S&S"




hit them first