Medieval Weapon Instruction

[Kormin]

I am attempting to put together a small encyclopedia of the fighting styles of various western medieval weapons. This encyclopedia would take the place of a teacher for my friends and I, we have no historical combat schools around us, and I also get the feeling that if I don’t compile some sort of ‘instruction manual’ our meetings will descend into “lets hit each other with sticks”.

I have no fighting skills what so ever, and wouldn’t know what proper sword technique would be if it walked up and bit me on the ass. So I turn instead to you guys, people who love history and might have some experience fighting with the weapons I’m investigating.

Pretty much I’m asking you guys to check out the Links I’ve posted, tell me if they seem reliable, point me in the direction of other documents/videos/personal information, and just help my friends and I stop hitting each other with sticks and start practicing realistically
.
Sword and Shield:
http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/manufacturing/text/viking_sword_technique.htm
http://mysite.verizon.net/tsafa1/pell/index.htm

Axe and Shield/Two handed Axe
http://www.hurstwic.org/history/articles/manufacturing/text/viking_axe_techniques.htm

Long-Sword:
http://www.sword-buyers-guide.com/support-files/trueswordsman.pdf

I am still looking for information on Pole-Arms, Spears, Maces, Flails, and anything else you think would help.

 

[Mauritius zu Mainz]

some viking-shield techniques:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdX8edB80YM&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkhpqAGdZPc&feature=related

 

[The Bowman]

A ruleless fight between medieval knights I had recently filmed at Akkerman Fortress. The fighters are either Russian (most probably) or Ukrainean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hYtcM_2svs

 

[Night Ninja]

just help my friends and I stop hitting each other with sticks and start practicing realistically

Not going to happen without an instructor, I'm afraid, unless you want to spend years reinventing the wheel.

 

[Papa Lazarou]

Yeah. I've played with a bit of HEMA stuff before. It's fun to do, but I don't think I could ever become a competent fencer without a teacher. And I have years of Jujutsu to help me understand balance, leverage, movement of limbs, posture and stuff like that.

I actually had a few backsword lessons at Stephen Hand's school last year. The difference between that and my own fiddling around was like night and day. There's really so much that novices just won't see on their own.

I don't mean to put you off though, just to warn against certain expectations. Playing around with techniques is a lot of fun, so I say go for it.

Here's a site you might find helpful. It has lots of videos of basic drills and so on.

 

[Kormin]

just help my friends and I stop hitting each other with sticks and start practicing realistically

Not going to happen without an instructor, I'm afraid, unless you want to spend years reinventing the wheel.

I am fully aware we wont amount to anything without a teacher, we aren't trying to get good just have some fun and learning some small techniques.

Yeah. I've played with a bit of HEMA stuff before. It's fun to do, but I don't think I could ever become a competent fencer without a teacher. And I have years of Jujutsu to help me understand balance, leverage, movement of limbs, posture and stuff like that.

I actually had a few backsword lessons at Stephen Hand's school last year. The difference between that and my own fiddling around was like night and day. There's really so much that novices just won't see on their own.

I don't mean to put you off though, just to warn against certain expectations. Playing around with techniques is a lot of fun, so I say go for it.

Here's a site you might find helpful. It has lots of videos of basic drills and so on.

thanks Lazarou, that's exactly the kinda thing i was looking for  .

A ruleless fight between medieval knights I had recently filmed at Akkerman Fortress. The fighters are either Russian (most probably) or Ukrainean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-hYtcM_2svs

that is a lot more grappling then I expected. it looks terrifying trying to fight like that, I wonder how many knights had PTSD without knowing it.

some viking-shield techniques:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdX8edB80YM&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkhpqAGdZPc&feature=related

now they can deliver some awesome hits with those shields.

Thank you everyone, so far this will help greatly.

 

[Merlkir]

The Ukrainian fight is also not much of a real fight. Probably as much as boxing is a bare hands fight to the death. While there is intensity and full speed and power in the blows, they don't "go for a kill", it's just scoring points. And they don't bother with any techniques really.

 

[Skot the Sanguine]

I was thinking the same thing.  Once they started grappling and hugging I swore I was watching boxers in armor.

 

[Mauritius zu Mainz]

in full contact you have to bother with techniques (at least you don´t have to adapt the historical ones biblically) , otherwise you recieve hits by counterattack. fighting buhurt, you need some basic skills in wrestling or similar for takedowns, as a fight ends, when one fighter touches the ground with something other than his feet. this is mostly achieved by take-downs, because with stabbing forbidden, it is hard to knock s.o. in armour out

 

[chaos marine]

Here are some youtube vids that  might like, but i don't know if they will be useful or not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ijy8Ky_vrI

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gTVC25hYJaY&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kj4Ng6DBfrg&list=UUSjXHeq8fuL-Je7cashCDqA&index=5&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC5FIyfI8TA&list=UUSjXHeq8fuL-Je7cashCDqA&index=4&feature=plcp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC5FIyfI8TA&list=UUSjXHeq8fuL-Je7cashCDqA&index=4&feature=plcp

 

[Fehnor]

What city are you in? We might be able to find a school nearby.

 

[Night Ninja]

Lazarou, the Swordschool videos are good and provide very clear progression, but without understanding what's happening all you're really doing is aping the motions. There's a vast difference between executing a technique with the intent to execute said technique and doing so by following a form.

Also, did you check out Collegium in Armis?

Kormin, check out HEMA Alliance and the Schola Gladiatoria (sp?) forums and trawl through old discussions. You might get bogged down in minutiae and stupid horse**** ('oh I haz big teets hao fence??') every now and then, but the pointless pissing about and pedantry is often fairly productive.

Subscribe to HEMA-related Youtube channels.

These would be a good start:
http://www.youtube.com/user/kohutovic
http://www.youtube.com/user/celgus
http://www.youtube.com/user/johnmeadowcourt
http://www.youtube.com/user/NYHFA
http://www.youtube.com/user/Schlachtschule