Troper Fencing Academy

Just a quick question: What kind of swords are this◊ and these◊?

edited 10th Nov '15 9:58:12 PM by Elfhunter

They look like fictionalized long swords.

Hm, I'm kinda new here, but I was just wondering if the use of punches, kicks, knee, and elbow strikes might have some use to them in swordfights. Do they work? Is it advisable to use?

You don't want to stick out anything except your sword.

Fighting in armour is different though, although I've only had experience with Samurai armour. A trick is to restrict someone's sword movement with your own sword and grabble him to the ground. Then stab him. And take his head.

Then again different sword styles over the world have different approaches.

If you can punch the opponent its more effective to just step back and hit them with your sword. If you close enough to use elbows its safer to grapple, this lets you control your opponents ability to hit you with their sword, plus using the pommel of your sword to hit them will likely hurt much worse than your elbow. Kicks are about the only one you'll ready see used with a sword and often only as a way to unbalance an opponent to create an opening when the swords are locked together. There is really no reason to settle for second rate attacks when a sword could end the fight much faster with even a single hit.

Also, when using kicks, you'd probably wouldn't want to use anything higher than low kicks.

Ok, well in the past I've started out reading about the German Longsword. Currently the new place that I've moved to is cramped and I don't have a stick so I might not be able to practice, but I will however be able to read on it.

The first one I ever read - https://myarmoury.com/feature_arms_gls.html

Hm, I guess I'll read this one as well - http://www.thearma.org/essays/StancesIntro.htm#.VkPRttIrK70

Now that I've seen this thread, I'm now interested in swordfighting again.

This site has translations of a number of European manuals if you want some more reading material.

I'll peruse this later, gotta run to school!

So The Force Awakens is coming out tonight. Think the saber battle with Kylo Ren's crossguard lightsaber will be at least half-decent?

I'll be shocked.

In Star Wars? Nope. Definitely colorful, though.

I will admit to marking out for most lightsaber duels.

Random question.

Does anyone know any fictional sword fights that involves lots and lots of "dirty" moves, like using grappling in close quarter, stomping on the opponent's foot, push him so he would trip over something, throw dirt in the eyes, etc?

Not really. The Four Musketeers (1974) comes to mind. As the fight progresses, it gets dirtier and dirtier: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE3TbBwSVe8

From a fencing manual standpoint, grappling is decribed (a lot! it's very effective if you get close enough). This includes a kick to the nuts.

Pushing isn't, since if you're that close you'd grapple. Better to go for a hip throw anyway in that case.

Throwing sand is not mentioned, but throwing caustic powder into their eyes is, famously in this bit from Fiore, where a trick poleaxe is used to throw the powder: http://wiktenauer.com/wiki/Fiore_de'i_Liberi/Poleaxe (scroll all the way down).

Someone using poison powder in a judicial duel would not be held in high regard and might be punished. However, outside of a judicial duel you can certainly imagine a scoundrel doing just that. How they'd apply the poison is left to your imagination, but throwing powder is certainly historically valid.

I know pushing isn't a standard part of fencing, but if one is fighting in a cluttered and uneven terrain with a lot of things one can trip over, pushing your opponent could work pretty well methinks.

So, The Force Awakens. Finally saw it, and was pleasantly surprised by the saber fights. They looked more raw and authentic, not like the overchoreographed flippy twaddle from the prequels. None of that ridiculous twirling sabers in placefor five seconds. I attribute it to Finn/Rey not being trained at all, and Kylo Ren being waaaay off his game. Kylo doesn't strike me as someone who has a lot of lightsaber skill and finesse at the best of times anyway.

Kylo seems to know how to handle a saber but not really duel with one. The concept art for the Knights of Ren seem to indicate that Kylo is not the only one with a lightsaber. He might not even be the best overall fighter.

When it comes to overchoreographed fights in the prequels...I liked them. They made sense in-universe. Except the weird dance battle in Rot S. PARTY!

The moment a space wizard touches a lightsaber, sense makes none.

edited 30th Jan '16 12:21:42 PM by TerminusEst

Speaking of which, I really loved how Kylo Ren used the crossguard part of his lightsabre to burn Finn. I thought it was very clever, and one of the few badass things he did.

I do agree that lightsaber fights are completely absurd but that's exactly how they should be. Jedi and Sith are meant to be people with precognitive powers and superhuman speed, it makes sense their fights make no sense.

Yeah, I was hoping it'd come into play. It'd be an anticlimactic ending to the duel, though, if the crossguard got locked right next to Finn's throat and Kylo just twisted the saber to slice his throat with the crossguard.

I wonder if Rey's going to get a different lightsaber to make her stand out, even if for a brief time. Like a lightstaff that's wielded more like a quarterstaff than the bo that Darth Maul's double-bladed saber was.

Hold on, aren't the lightsaber duels loved for the emotions rather the choreography? The Original Trilogy choreography is horrible but it did get the point across.

edited 1st Feb '16 6:39:54 AM by GAP

Why can't they be good at both? It's not like they are mutually exclusive.

I suppose they could try that but the main problem with lightsaber duels in the prequels is that they were surprisingly soulless.

To me Star Wars is people trying to kill each other in cool ways. I've never watched it for any other reason.