The Armour Archive

Hi Biriukov,

Yeah, its the same lady your thinking of. I'd really appreciate any help you can give me, because by the time she and i are done fighting im actually starting to get dizzy from the amount of circling thats gone on. The reason i end up circling to her shield side is that whenever i've tried to step in with my right leg i run into that damn wrap of hers. It's also a lot easier for me to throw the offside to her head if i can get one step ahead of her in the circling dance. I KNOW i should be able to disrupt her wrap with my own blade when i step in with my right foot, but i just can't seem to get the timing right. I step in, start to block, and the next thing i know that wrap is either inside my shield or smacking the cheekplate on my helm.

Just got thinking about this, and i realized that once i switched over to using my mace that she and i werent circling nearly as much. Maybe it's just because i was being so much more aggressive then i am with a sword, but i only remember her hitting me with that wrap one time once i started using it.

------------------
Bruce S.

Originally posted by Samuel:
>crotch kicking isnt written of in period manuals

Actually, it was. Here's one fine example from the Codex Wallerstein:

<img width=480 src="http://www.thehaca.com/Manuals/141.jpg">


[Editted to resize picture - MJL]

------------------
Semper Esuriens | Matthew J. Lecin | mjl at all hell dot com

[This message has been edited by macbain (edited 10-15-2003).]

Don't block with your sword, strike. The easiest way to do this is a simple hammer strike. Rest your sword on your shoulder, sword roughly horizontal. Drop your elbow hard and fast and step forward and to the right. Don't worry about hitting anything, just concentrate on moving your elbow quickly and then doing a teardrop return to get that sword back into an offensive posture as quickly as possible. Basically you are clearing a path with your sword. If she wraps then you are stepping inside the blow (which will disrupt her return shot) and your sword is likely to hammer her arm. If she doesn't wrap, then you are in good position to strike her.

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR><font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Otto von Aachen:
<B>The reason i end up circling to her shield side is that whenever i've tried to step in with my right leg i run into that damn wrap of hers. It's also a lot easier for me to throw the offside to her head if i can get one step ahead of her in the circling dance. I KNOW i should be able to disrupt her wrap with my own blade when i step in with my right foot, but i just can't seem to get the timing right. I step in, start to block, and the next thing i know that wrap is either inside my shield or smacking the cheekplate on my helm.
</B></font><HR></BLOCKQUOTE>

Ok. Don't step toward her sword shoulder with your right foot. Lead with your left (shield) foot instead. That will keep you from opening up. If you cirlce too much to her shield side you'll also open up for a wrap if she knows how to time it.

Keep the top edge of your shield close to your face and she won't be able to get her wrap netween it and your helm so the shot won't work even if she does get a chance to try it.

Dan