Troper Fencing Academy

I would think that the more sensible thing to do would be to charge and tackle the claymore guy while he's winding up another swing. But I don't know if I would have the presence of mind in that situation.

Well, that's more a long sword than a claymore.

But I tried doing that against a claymore at half speed, and no, you really do not want to do that.

By claymore, do you mean a basket-hilted broadsword or a two-handed sword? In my experience, I've been restrained by the convention that one who wields a sabre or an epee can't use his off-hand or go corps-a-corps against an opponent.

I want to see some real cool western swordfight in a media, other than from Highlander series.

Also, I want a sword like this:

It would be impractical as hell, but just look at it!

edited 10th Oct '14 10:17:14 PM by dRoy

The two handed version.

It is big and fast enough to force you out at such distance that you have no time to close before the sword swings around.

edited 11th Oct '14 12:00:30 AM by IraTheSquire

I've sometimes thought about how I would choreograph a Shakespearean swordfight. Take for example the multiple fights in Romeo And Juliet. Would an audience appreciate a "realistic" fight, or one that displayed the characters' personalities and motivations, or would they be fine with Flynning?

If I were doing it, I would have Tybalt effortlessly wipe the floor with multiple Montagues in his introduction scene. Then, I would have Mercutio nearly beat him during their duel, and only lose because Romeo interfered. And then, Romeo is able to kill Tybalt because he's enraged and Tybalt is exhausted from his fight with Mercutio.

I'd go for something that showcased the characters' thoughts, motivations, etc. Realism usually translates to somebody dying in the first ten seconds. Granted, it doesn't have to if you have a good choreographer that can incorporate realistic elements into the fight and avoid obvious Flynning.

Hey fellas, thinking about buying my first sword, a reasonably good-Katana because for some reason all good non-Katana swords are absurdly expensive (Katanas are presumably cheaper due the whole Katanas Are Just Better myth, I take it). But one does what one can, and one has to start somewhere.

Now one question that came to me is if the troping swordsmen/sword collectors name their weapons?

Here is the deal. Any decent quality sword Katana or otherwise will be a bit pricey. Quality of production and care in it's manufacture often ups the price.

But the thing is all the European Swords were a lot more expensive. For some reason.

I'm not saying it was cheap, I'm saying it was affordable, which the other swords weren't.

edited 17th Dec '14 6:55:59 PM by Gaon

I don't think the number of manufucturers for high-quality non-katana swords is that high compared to those that do katanas. Less competition, higher prices because they know it's possible.

edited 18th Dec '14 9:31:50 AM by TomoeMichieru

This week, I started to go to kendo dojo again. Yesterday, I did my first sparring in about three months.

There was this one guy who had freaking both skill and speed.

When I went for his head, he simply tilted his head and hit me in the head.

He was about to attack my head, so I raised my guard, only to have him hit my side, and then vice versa.

When I primed myself and lunged at him...before my feet even touched the ground he hit me in the head.

Oh, and he hit me in my wrists. A LOT. By the time I was done for the day, my wrist was all red.

The only upside was that I had much more stamina than him, so the longer the match went on, the more hit I landed and avoided.

Fun time was had.

Just for you guys

...*groan*

Hey, fellas. I haven't forgotten about that Chinese weapon write-up. Still researching from time to time. I need to pick up my broadsword and get another jian so I can refresh my techniques.

I keep getting distracted when I lurk in the Military thread, especially when the other tropers start talking about guns and tanks. There's just too much interesting stuff to read on this site.

As for katana purchases, they're not too bad in terms of price. If you want something hand-forged absolutely from the ground up, it's obviously going to cost you a pretty penny, but you can find basic training-worthy swords for less than a thousand dollars. In fact, I'd advise against getting anything too expensive and decorative unless you're buying one for collection purposes. My sword is basic enough that I don't feel bad swinging it around and sweating on or near it, but high-quality enough to handle actual use. I don't rag on people who buy swords strictly as wall hangers, but know what you want out of your sword before you shop around.

Honestly, I've never studied HEMA, but I'd like to get a European sword like a claymore, a bastard sword or a broadsword just for shiggles.

edited 1st Jan '15 12:03:58 PM by Aprilla

Guys, why are we not all playing chivalry?

I've wanted to, but I don't think my laptop could handle it. What are the specs?

So I got a question for a story.

I got a spearman who's good at fighting by himself, be it one on one or one on many. He's faster and mor muscular than normal, and stands at 1.9m.

What would be the most ideal length of spear for this kind of character?

So is he just using the spear or is he also using a shield? A good length? At least as long as he is tall.

Shield...uh...that's a good question, I never actually thought about it. Hmm...having him using shield would be awesome as well.

In that case it'd have to be a relatively short spear, I think.

How short are we talking about? Longer than 1.5m but shorter than 2m, those range?

Depends. The Greeks for example used two different kinds of spears for the regular infantry. The Dory which is a little bit longer then the wielder is tall and a pike like spear called Sarissa which was fairly long. Peltests carried Javelins which could be thrown or used to fight.

A quick look through seemingly suggests spears meant to be thrown will be short while fighting spears tend to be longer. Both spear only and shield and spear combos seem pretty common.

Check this out.

edited 19th Jan '15 8:06:59 PM by TuefelHundenIV

What setting is there? I personally like the way Korean martial arts handle spears.

So! My Katana (Outrora) has arrived and it's quite magnificent. Red sheath, red hilt, black guard with the seven virtues of Bushido written on it, made of carbon steel.

I was wondering if you guys would have any advice regarding how to take care of it.