I was reading the other thread on two-stick fighting for any kind of tips and tricks that would help me since I plan to use this technique, but all of them apply to SCA use. Not that its a bad thing, mind you, but it doesn't help me a whole lot. So, I thought that since I'm not in the SCA I'd ask how effective a twosticker might be in a different style of armoured combat. A style where full body targeting is allowed, as is shield bashing, grappling, and just about everything else. NO MAGIC CAT'S ASSES THOUGH.
So, even if you have never fought florentine outside of the SCA, how effective do you think it would be against a sword n' boarder or a person fighting with a great axe?
I have found that while sparring with my roommate, I can get some pretty good shots off with my left hand even though its been broken twice and is physically weaker than my right. Blocking shots and counter-striking is pretty easy too since you have two sticks to do it with.
Clay -- even after all this time, I still don't have a really clear understanding of exactly how your bunch conducts combat. Does every fight go on until somebody yields or loses consciousness? I'm not trying to rile you here; I'm sure you've explained the whole thing before.
But based on my impression, there's not way I'd go out with two swords in your milieu. That style works in the SCA because we fall down for any noticeable blow and don't allow "excessive force"; therefore with a one-handed sword you can block anything and also deliver winning blows. The same conventions make greatswords less effective than they'd otherwise be.
Allow the force standards to be cranked up past a certain point, and all that changes; you can't rely on being able to block really hard blows with a one-handed sword (especially not if the guy can bash you with his shield). If I ever got to fight with you guys -- which I would probably love -- I'd take my greatsword and put some guts into my swordblows. (Or possibly put some swordblows into guts.)
Anyway, regardless of the fights in Gladiator, I don't think I'd try using two swords in a milieu where guys can hit as hard as they want.
------------------ "Come, winds! Blow, wrack! At least we'll die with harness on our back!"
The matches are decided by points. You get a point for hitting someone in the front or side of their neck, simulating decapitation. Of course, if you wear a gorget or similar collar (like a lot of our guys are going to start doing), there is no chance of getting a point and the matches all go to submission. I'm not really too worried about getting caught up by someone who is grappling since I can defend myself fairly well that way.
I'll probably at least use it in our melee since it is such a big clusterfunk in a small area, it would be easy for my to fight someone and use the other fighters as shields
The Tuchux fight as if unarmored; therefore, we acknowledge slashes and draw cuts. Alot of our two sword fighters apply Shiiten Ryu (Japanese style with two katanas). Also you can apply Wah Lum Kung Fu, aka Tornado Broads swords. (I broke my thumb doing that) The problem is, you guys fight more or less to submission and with baseball bats. I guess instead of just going for contact, the blows would have to be aimed at vulnerable areas to disable, and the left sword would kind of make you more aware of stuff coming from the other side. Also, with these styles you learn to incorporate leg sweeps and kicks which would fit right in with what you do.
Clay- rig yourself up some sort of axe head with a good hook on it,pack a mean mace in the other.
In your style of combat you could(guessing here) use your weight and strength to open up the opponenets guard/ drag them to the ground all together(pulling downa shield/glaive,ect).Then blast them in the head with the mace. Back up and repeat once the opponent starts to close his guard.
I'm thinking that at a highish force level,clear and unblocked shots would be key to victory,and hooking their shield/glaive and dragging it out of the way could do that.
Wait a minute what is this about none armoured fighting to submition? No! don't use two sticks! I'm good enough to tell you that! A two stick fighter is dependant upon one good blow killing thier opponant. If he can say ouch and swing at you again you'll loose. Equal level fighters one sword and board one two stick the two sticker will get a good blow in first. But after that he gets the stuffing beat out of him. Today I was practicing with a guy about my level in some new armour that he couldn't feel anything through. I smacked him twice pretty good. Then I was Hella clobbered in the face. And that stunned me enough that he coulda kept doing it till I fell unconcious. My blows would have sent live steel right to his brain but he shrugged it off and smacked me. In submition he probably would have won.
2 stick for "submission" is a bit tough... but it can be a very effective style all the same. Especially when body blocks and grappling come into play. I'd look toward the Arnis/Escrima stuff myself... they spend a lot of time learning blocks, locks, disarms, grapple takedowns, etc with 2 sticks... useless in the SCA, loads of potential w/ the Swordsmen. Call around and find a local Martial Arts academy that teaches Arnis/Escrima and ask if you can come down and see it ... it's well worth the look, believe me.
(note, this is not saying you should learn it, just that the style has some very good techniques that blend into other styles very well.)
Actually, i think that two stick would have lotza apllications in Clay's style of fighting. Smallish polearm in one hand for blocking, hooking and trapping and then a sword or long handled mace in the other. Buttcap strikes to the feet and face. As a madu fighter who likes to close, I can see lots of options. Slainte, Fearghus
------------------ "How long will we fight? We will fight until hell freezes over. Then we fight on the ice." ---------------------------------- The rules are: pillage first, then burn. Failure to follow the rules will lead to summary dismissal from the raiding team.
