The Armour Archive

Assuming a thirty inch round shield, how would you defend attacks to the left or right side of the body. Do you tend to leave you body stationary, and just move the shield with your arm, or do you tend to rotate your whole body behind the shield.

Also, do you use the same techniques for a large shield as for a small one?



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The defining characteristic of fanaticism is the inability to understand why everyone else is not a fanatic.

Depends if your talking about a strapped shield or center-boss shield.
No matter which shield footwork is key to moving in and around your shield. A strapped shield can ve fought in at least three different styles I have seen or played with. I can label three different styles with the center-boss shield also.
Vebrand

What Vebrand said is correct, there are two ways of holding a round shield, and at least three methods of fighting with them, so some of the answer will depend upon that. The Armour Archive is much like computer message boards in that, when you have a problem, we want some specifics of your system so we can better answer your question.

However, I can offer some general advice and give some specific example. With all round shield styles, you should be mobile, meaning that neither you nor your shield are static. Active punch-blocking is good.

I've fought center grip round (and oval) for 6+ years now, and have settled into a closed form stance as working best for me, though I've spent many a year using 18"-24" strapped bucklers in a semi-open stance as well. For center-grips, I've used shields ranging in size from 18" to 32".

When dealing with a large center grip round (28" and up) in a closed form stance, many attacks need little or no movement to block. I've had two-weapons people throw a double-scorpion attack (a wrap with both weapons) figuring, I guess, that if I moved my shield to block one, I'd open up for the other attack, but I've blocked both merely by letting my shield stay in place.

For shields of a smaller size, I actively block attacks to my body or legs with my shield, and let my sword do most of the blocking for head attacks.

Given a choice of being only able to move one or the other, shield or body, I'd go for the shield every time. Less mass to move, more muscle to move it. In actual practice, however, the truth is that both get moved at the same time, one simply more than the other.

If you'd like more specific of an answer, please feel free to ask more specific of a question.


Frederich

Defense starts in the legs. I'm not very good at this (as in I forget to do it alot), but I use body mechanics to move both me and the shield to make a block, and then keep the motion going to throw a shot.

just fight with the heater it is soo much easier and you don't have to hold it way out ion front of you

Tarquin

I generally try to keep my body behind the shield. If the shot ot to my sword side, mostly I use my sword to block, but I also block with the shield.
Best bet, whenever possible, keep the shield between you and your opponent at all times.

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Constancius of Lincolnshire

animis corporibusque

Your Kingdom style and sword grip come into question on what will be effective too.
In the Middle there are dominantly A-frame and Sword on back shoulder styles, but in An Tir and West you might see Iron Chicken or hidden sword styles. To defend for a short shot from an A-frame fighter you should use your sword as a block if it is in the advanced position, but if it's back then your feet and shield across the body are the block of choice. My suggestion is to seek out someone in your kingdom with that style and your body type for pointers on how they do it so you aren't lacking that one specific block due to style versus style conflicts.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Tarquin Bjornsson:
<B>just fight with the heater it is soo much easier and you don't have to hold it way out ion front of you

Tarquin</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Easier for you, maybe. I find that using a heater shield is the fastest way for me to get my butt kicked.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Lubeck:
-- snip -- My suggestion is to seek out someone in your kingdom with that style and your body type for pointers on how they do it so you aren't lacking that one specific block due to style versus style conflicts.</font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

And that is almost always the best advice.

btw, when someone asks a question of the type "How do I do x with y?" and someone else replies, "Don't use y, use z instead" they win tard points.

Assuming a center-gripped shield..

One thing I've seen An Tiran knights do is stand "goofy-footed", lead hip cocked back for power generation (that's a bit weird at first, practice it), with the shield held at belly-button level. Most blocks are made by rotating around the shield.
I saw very effective fighters both putting the sword in front for the blocks, and holding it in the classic on-the-shoulder position -- depends on preference and power generation method, I guess, you can make both work.

Keep in mind that I don't actually fight in that style, I just spent the weekend in a foreign kingdom watching it fairly closely (looking for gaps, I confess.. ). I might be completely wrong.

If you are using a side-strapped shield, I'd say 30 inches is a bit big, but look up Duke Paul's manual at www.bellatrix.org .

-Dmitriy Shelomin
West

[This message has been edited by Dmitriy (edited 09-04-2002).]

I am using a 20" centergrip shield in a style based predominantly on Duke Paul's, the shield is held falt against the forearm by cocking the wrist back. Blocks are punched out enough to intercept the incoming attack with minimal travel. There is a lot of 'flack' in this method. i.e. blows that seem from an observers standpoint to connect with the target, but there is in fact little or no force left in them. It can be played cleaner, by extending the reach of the block a few more inches. This will aid the calibration of the side line judges .

"...tard points..." That's funny JP. And I agree.

And one does NOT hold a 30" center held round "way out" in front of them...not if they want to WIN that is.