Some practitioners of HEMA and other armed martial arts insist that the edge of a blade should not be used for defensive purposes, and a few even advocate avoiding blade contact altogether. But is it really a matter of parrying exclusively with either the edge or the flat? How about certain angles that fall in between? How about situations, techniques, and intended outcomes that favor one over the other, but not all the time?
In this video I discuss my current view on this topic, based on available evidence (archaeological and scriptural), experiments with sharp swords, and practical experience from sparring. I’m focusing mainly on the longsword and the messer, but the mechanics are the same with a wide variety of edged weapons.
*** Sources ***
Bronze Age Swordsmanship: New Insights from Experiments and Wear Analysis
Connected Histories: the Dynamics of Bronze Age Interaction and Trade 1500–1100
Medieval / Renaissance manuscripts about sword fighting:
:Weapons
*** Support the channel ***
Help fund future videos, get bonus content and other rewards:
Books about history and/or martial arts, swords, knives, video/audio equipment, and other stuff I recommend (as an Amazon Affiliate I earn commission through these links):
US -
Canada -
Other ways to support the channel by shopping through affiliate links:
Kult of Athena, my favorite online store for reproductions of historical arms and armor, fantasy swords, etc:
Where to get HEMA gear and practice swords:
*** Social media & merch ***
How to contact me:
See a list of my video uploads:
Channel-related shirts and other merch:
My side channel (for rambles, vlogs, opinions, gaming, etc):
*** Music ***
Intro song:
“Illuminate“ by Vindsvept
Outro:
“Highland Storm“ by The Slanted Room Records
30 views
66
14
4 weeks ago 00:05:17 1
The Ultimate Email Extractor in 2024: YellowPages Scraper 🌎
4 weeks ago 00:03:55 1
Pokemon GO Joystick, Teleport, Auto Walk - How to Get Pokemon GO Spoofer iOS & Android 2024 FREE
4 weeks ago 00:12:05 1
ZenBusiness Review 2024: What Makes It Stand Out?
4 weeks ago 00:04:14 1
Paramore: Decode [OFFICIAL VIDEO]
4 weeks ago 02:01:18 1
Half-Life 2: 20th Anniversary Documentary
4 weeks ago 00:36:24 2
Best of the Worst Trivia!
4 weeks ago 00:03:07 1
Delta Executor iOS iPhone Android NO KEY - Roblox Script Executor Mobile NEW UPDATE 2024
4 weeks ago 00:03:04 1
Bach, Organ Sonata No. 4 in E minor (BWV 528) 3. Un poco Allegro.
4 weeks ago 00:04:49 1
Play To Earn🔥This New Play to Earn Game is About to Make a Lot of People RICH
4 weeks ago 00:03:04 1
Arena Of Valor Hack - How to Get Unlimited Vouchers! iOS Android