5 Sword Arts that ACTUALLY FIGHT

[@randysiordia]

Check out Arnis and Eskrima systems that use sword techniques. It’s mainly trained with a stick which often represents a sword in most cases.

[@OneNvrKnoz]

I was surprised these didn’t make his list. Maybe because the training focuses on batons instead of actual swords

[@JesterOnCrack]

Have to argue in Kendo's defence here: Having practiced both HEMA and Foil Fencing, the fighters coming from Kendo I met were typically in terrific shape, lighting fast and had amazing footwork. I think many principles of Kendos foundations could be very healthy in many HEMA clubs. Additional Weapon MAs: Silat (Indonesia) trains a variety of weapons, including swords, knives and even the sash. Of course, Kali/Eskrima/FilipinoMA is a classic knife and stick fighting system.

[@Vayiram-]

Does silat spar with weapons too?!?!!? (I know they do bare handed)

[@JesterOnCrack]

@@Vayiram- We did light sparring with karambit and long knife. No safety equipment though so hitting the head was off-limits and intensity was low.

[@Vayiram-]

@@JesterOnCrack I see. Tnx for the info!

[@lordmoss8817]

I loved doing fencing back in the day

[@midnightmoviecult7414]

Ok you’ve sold me on it finally, I’m gonna go down to my local HEMA group. I’ve always wanted to know how to use a back sword

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Oh English Backsword is definitely the best art.

[@gatohabana2382]

I do FMA, specifically Kalis Illustrisimo with Brandon Ricketts in the Philippines, but we have a monthly HEMA - FMA gathering and I always appreciate having more sparring partners. We usually have at least one japanese martial arts practitioner , but we've never had someone doing chinese martial arts join our weapon sparring.

[@Vayiram-]

Dude... you made me feel jealous! I really want to create something like what you described here... but confort zones are hard to overcome! hahaha!

[@Tutorp]

I was kind of hoping to see FMA on the list. Admittedly, my style of FMA (Kali Sikaran) doesn't really focus on sword, we're more stick (and knife) based, but that's not indicative of the whole of FMA :-)

[@unitetheright9554]

chinese styles are poo, I know, I saw

[@MK-ev6ov]

I’ve attended a huge HEMA convention as a complete outsider looking for something to do. A speaker presented on Spanish destreza fencing and I found it very interesting. Their concepts on obtaining advantageous angles were very sophisticated and well thought out. I spent time trying to apply the concepts to my boxing practice. As a side note, they had a French foil master who had some excellent things to say about the relationship between distance and time.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Yes, soke of the underpinning theory of HEMA systems is absolutely fascinating!

[@andrewk.5575]

Was this CombatCon by any chance?

[@MK-ev6ov]

@@andrewk.5575 Yes it was. I was living in Las Vegas and I stumbled on it going home from the gym.

[@abrahemsamander3967]

Oh yeah. One of the circular fencing styles. It’s so beautiful to watch.

[@joshmarten-brown7220]

Fiore for the win. The mans works so extensive it even includes horse wrestling

[@Mr-Tibbster]

Now I'm imagining horses wrestling.

[@kalivr1908]

Filipino Martial Arts or Arnis as I'd call it is usually defined as a stick fighting art with movements that could be used for bareknuckle and other weapons. What I didn't know and only discovered recently that actually, it's movements were meant for sword fighting and the sticks are merely training tools for it but can also be used for other weapons. I have to mention this because I was taught specific drills and movements but I kept being repeatedly told and conditioned that they don't work such as grabbing motions and disarms and if you look at Arnis tournaments, it seemed to be the case...until I watched Messer sparring videos and their techniques that used grabbing motions, disarms and grappling. I realized how very close they resemble the techniques I was taught and how likely it was that we share techniques despite being from different parts of the world. So I researched more on the history of Filipino warfare and I started practicing my Arnis in a sword context and everything I learned started to make sense. It's such a shame because I think in a sword context, the art can be very effective especially considering we don't have the mentality of blood first drawn, our mentality is to simultaneously defend yet attack until the other guy truly stops fighting (meaning, they surrender or they are dead or their limbs are cut). Yet we have a bunch of people even within Arnis circles saying none of these techniques would work just because they're too used with having too much protection and using foam sticks that doesn't have the same amount of mass as an actual sword and so is might as well be light as a cloud so really, I wouldn't blame you for not including it in the list because of these people.

[@Mr-Tibbster]

I should recommend some research Jack Chen on YT has done in Chinese weapon arts. Basically it's the Chinese version of HEMA, where they've looked into historical manuscripts. And you'll find things like Chinese longsword, staff and saber, being quite akin to some of the European arts, with some distinctive features. And there are no traces to be seen of the "traditional aspects" one would expect, as they are derived from historical military manuals. There is also Scott M Rodel. He practices both traditional kung fu/Tai Chi sword forms, and practical non-nonsense historical Chinese swordsmanship, and he's one of the few traditionalists who distinguishes between the two arts and is honest about their purposes and real world practicality. He stated once in an interview, when people ask to learn from him his first question is "you want to learn kung fu or do you want to learn how to fight?".

[@Vayiram-]

Mr. Rodell's work is just awesome!

[@Fitz2393]

There is currently a minor revival of gekiken-style sparring in a few kenjutsu lineages reintegrating grappling and striking. Tennen Rishin Ryū has some good videos of their use of the method if you are interested.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Oh that is interesting!

[@junichiroyamashita]

That is very interesting,Kendo is already pretty good as a stick art,adding all the old style jujutsu is bound to make it a powerhouse.

[@Ianmar1]

It is not really a revival in Tennen Rishin-ryū, they never stopped doing gekiken since it was a core element of the curriculum. I believe that the gekiken in Mugai-ryū and Asayama Ichiden-ryū are reconstructions however.

[@Vayiram-]

Yesh! and some are awesome!

[@baldieman64]

I was surprised not to see the various sword/sword and dagger systems from FMA included. Tire machèt and similar systems would also have been interesting.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Can I be honest and say I am trying to work on a schedule (Tuesday and Friday to release videos) and so this one was shorter than I'd originally planned...

[@hailhydreigon2700]

A video came out not too long ago saying that HEMA has evolved into Living Lineages because more people are joining for fun and competition than an interest in the historical sources. They're primarily just learning from their teachers. Would you agree with this? 🤔 Also their willingness to pull from Non-HEMA training/sources to benefit them in their fencing was cited as well. Frog DNA! :)

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Yes, that's a real risk. The hero worship that some instructors seem to crave can't do anything but create lineages too. Then we have the books that are published that somehow become less questioned than the original sources...

[@hailhydreigon2700]

@@EnglishMartialArts I guess whether it's good or bad depends on goals. If the goal is competition wins, then it's just a new (reinvented) form of Sport Fencing. If it's reconstruction of a system, it's HEMA. Nothing wrong with either approach I think.

[@chadherbert18]

I teach in two contexts: 1. The historical, 2. The competition. I study, translate, and transcribe, directly from old sources to try to maintain the old context, but also want to actually get as close as we can in competition without maiming each other…

[@TalesForWhales]

If there is a system in HEMA that excludes techniques not used in the specific art and negatively impacts the violator then yes a living/broken lineage will not work. I would say that a living lineage may beat old text at times due to introducing a new variable that the text did not cover. Using frog dna to fill in blind spots of texts/partial texts can be extremely advantageous if biomechanics are well studied. It depends on the rules really.

[@indeswma4904]

I taught Ringeck focused longsword for several years and believe the tradition I created was more focused on how to train versus this is the one and only true interpretation of the techniques. My students have their own styles but they use the training methodology I developed. I wish they had more focus on the historical manuals but they fight well and have a ton of fun.

[@vesuvius2444]

I did Kendo for years and the school I went to was very strict to the point of being impractical. There was no creativity or room for figuring stuff out. I remember seeing one of the masters block with his sword pointing down and asked why they would shout at me if I did the same. The response was, "Because he's a master and you aren't. When you become a master, you can block that way" Which never seemed like a great answer to me.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Yeah, I remember being taught a specific stance, only to be taught it was different as a 1st Dan.

[@boon9329]

When you click a video that says "5 sword arts that actually fight" and it starts with Aikido, and shows no footage of anyone actually sword fighting with Aikido......lol, wut. In all seriousness though...The perspectives on Fencing, Kendo, and Hema were all pretty good. I did sport fencing in my college/early 20 years and got up to a B in foil and a C in saber...then kendo later in life up to 1st dan, and now I do hema and there are definite things that I took from the first two that have helped me alot for hema. Mainly distance and tempo from both, and kendo specifically helped with not hesitating and committing to attacks on openings when they pop up.

[@jonhstonk7998]

ive practiced Kendo and military saber fencing before, Kendo is primarily a sport and while it does have benefits to strength, swordskill and obviously agility and speed of a strike its footwork is a huge underated part of it that helps with footwork for other martial arts such as Judo and Karate however it lacks proper countertechniques that are present in the HEMA systems such as you showcased, HEMA is a system i never actually practiced on a constant manner but aparently i am somewhat talented at it so ill just say that based on my limited experience HEMA Longsword and traditional Kenjutsu style swordsmanship have overlaping techniques(as they obviously would since theres only so many ways to move a sword) but i think HEMA is better suited for proper swordskill due to the fact that it posesses more sparring and as its techniques could be safely pressure tested at the time of development, unlike Kendo/Kenjutsu in which safety equipment only became more aparent after the Edo Period and practice of constant and safe sparring as TRAINING not as competition only really took of in the Meiji era as a common regular thing...this means HEMA has had actually more chances to pressure test the techniques of the practitioners of the style while the japanese Kenjustsu lacked constant sparring due to the absence of easy and acessible safety gear and the later Kendo sport was developed with safety rules in mind due to the limitations of the traditional safety gear that was then developed at the time: for example striking at the Neck is not that well seen and can even lead to penalties...but striking at the head is completely allowed due to the presence of the helmet protection being stronger there then in the neck guard, the Shinai Bamboo blade was a common thing in the middle to late Edo period but it could still sting and bruise as well as scratch your body since there was a major absence of the helmet and gloves as a common normalized training gear for a long time, so basically Kendos equipment evolved but the Rules didnt evolved as fast with it which gives the Edge to HEMA systems since they made their rules with modern safety gear in mind and those rules are under constant revision and are updated more often then in the sport of Kendo, this allows HEMA to have more freedom of technique testing and application which makes it a more realistic and pressure tested style, Kendo is still an amazing choice tho, as for saber? i was taught by my grandfather and it was a military style of fencing he learned as a Brazilian air force official(he was also a brown belt in Judo and enjoyed Boxing so i guess those run in the family) the model of fencing he taught me had strikes which are considered rule violations in Olympic Fencing but the broader techniques and their use combined with the constant sparring and stance training he and me performed with actual sharp sabers, we used safety gear leather aprons and helmets but even then...miracurously neither him or me ever got cut, on my end it was because he was so good at it he managed to never cut me and on my end because i absolutely never won against him so i dont think i could have at that point in my life ever even landed a hit on the old man, the system of historical military saber works very well and i personally believe the guards and positions are easy to understand, uppon further inspections they seem to have their roots in French AND German schools of Fencing which means my grandfather either mixed the two or the Military saber of Brazil taught in the military in the 50s all the way to the 80s was unlike any other system i know off by teaching both the German and French styles...this mild profecience in fencing eventually culminated in a fun event when i was about 15-16 and i entered my high schools fencing club room out of curiosity and they all wanted to fence with me...i agreed and that was how i defeated almost every single member of the fencing club(i lost 2 bouts against very talented fencers) in fencing, their coach asked me if i had ever fenced before and i answered i trained a bit with my grandfather and she then asked me if i wished to join the club but sadly at the time i didnt had time for it, Brazilian schools generally dont have a club system so it was a rare find for me to be able to have this experience, that being said the sports area was the only good thing i can say about that school.

[@mcjon77]

Good video. i would have included Kali/FMA to that list, since the arts derive from the blade (short sword to be specific). While the stick is more popular today, many schools still teach the short sword as part of their curriculum. I would say that it is definitely more explicitly in Kali than Aikido. I am really interested in studying the Haitian and Colombian Machete based arts.

[@Vayiram-]

Man yes!!! I forgot the machete in all central america in my rant! HAHA

[@seasickviking]

Interesting choices, as always. I myself have explored both Fencing (Saber, to be specific) and Kendo. I was admittedly surprised that Akidio & Tai Chi made the list when Iaido did not. I was also somewhat amused that SingleStick was mentioned (Aim for the Pate) even if you didn't bother exploring it in detail. Colonel Thomas H. Monstery would undoubtedly be proud.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

When it comes to Singlestick I'm an Allanson Winn boy through and through.

[@spicketspaghet7773]

Why would Iaido make the list? Pretending to defend against a nonexistant opponent will always fail against even partner drills. Besides, Iaido isn't even meant to teach swordfighting nor anything like it. The modern tradition is simply as a type of yoga.

[@renegadebrit2648]

Battojutsu, kenjutsu, various styles of Kung fu, eskrima/Arnis, various styles Of pencak Silat, Maculele, various Korean systems, Viet vo dao, Krabi krabong and various other Thai systems, Burmese/ Laos and Cambodian systems etc etc. much as I enjoyed your video there are a lot of systems I would argue that have sword as far more of a focus for the typical practitioner than most aikido or tai chi as practiced today especially in the west. (You did ask for suggestion on what you missed. Great videos I enjoy watching them...

[@Vayiram-]

yeah but do all of them practice some type of sparring?

[@renegadebrit2648]

@@Vayiram- aikido was mentioned in the video and I bet you can’t find a single aikido organization that actively promotes free sparing with weapons. Tai chi too for that matter. In the video we are challenged to offer suggestions of other styles and that’s what I did. I have personal experience of free sparring ( no choreography whatsoever) in both Krabi krabong and pencak Silat with various weapons. I have sparred with swords with a Kung fu practitioner, but I can’t vouch for the intensity of any sparring training his school does, only what he did with me.

[@bamberlamb6512]

I did Jigen ryu for a few years (I'm a 2nd dan) and I loved it, the training was incredibly hard and i got to do a ton of cool stuff including doing a demonstration at the Japanese embassy in Seattle, if you watch videos of it on youtube it probably looks hilarious and we never actually fought each other either. But it's a system that was taught to farmers and infantry troops and was considered to be brutally effective, we only ever used wooden swords or literal sticks to practice, but your entire training is based around hitting stuff as hard as you can for as long as you can, whilst screaming as loudly as possible(with technique ). It was all about conditioning and creating a kind of relentless berserker mindset there's nothing showy or fancy about it at least the way I was trained, it's not everyone's cup of tea but I like it.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Really liking it is by far the most important part!

[@circlewalkingcat]

Did you learn at Kagoshima with the Togo family?

[@bamberlamb6512]

@@circlewalkingcat I did learn in Kagoshima but with the Higashi brothers, we trained at the Nanshu shrine on Sunday mornings and at the beach during the week.

[@junichiroyamashita]

Satsuma warriors were known for their great strenght,to the point that it was recommended to not block their vertical strike,because it would lodge the back of your sword in your skull,so i say it is tried and tested. Sometimes i think about the styles of kenjutsu that are known for their simplicity and effectiveness,free from an eccess of cerimonial and flowery techniques,such as Jigen Ryu,Toyama Ryu,Niten Ichi Ryu,and so on,and think if it is possible to condense them all in one single practical style. Only if they flow well together though

[@Vayiram-]

Everything I've seen in Niten Ichi, would be really really interesting to see sparring.

[@kevionrogers2605]

What I actually still practice are Espada y Daga drills from Inosanto Kali, Ilustrisimo Eskrima Kali, and Lameco Kali. What I sporadically practice is Hutton's, Iaido, FCS, PTK, & Xingyiquan Dao drills. The sword systems I have the most years doing are Jinmukai International, Bakbakan international, & JKD blend (Inosanto-Lacoste-Lameco).

[@carllindsey160]

Lameco eskrima has all that, it was already blended.

[@kevionrogers2605]

@@carllindsey160 the JKD groups I trained with taught it all together not as separate systems. In New Jersey I trained the Ilustrisimo through Bakbakan International as a stand alone system & when I moved to Georgia was able to arrange some seminars & private lessons. While Inosanto-Lacoste-Lameco I learned together through JKD practioners & only had a few specific Lameco seminars & private lessons.

[@carllindsey160]

@@kevionrogers2605 we learned ours through guru David Gould. It's all in the curriculum already. Decompo, illustrimo, and pkt are all part of lameco. Empty hand trapping all of it is in lameco.

[@kevionrogers2605]

@@carllindsey160 I did a few seminars with him before. My FMA training was mainly on the East Coast in NJ & GA. In NJ I trained with Amato's Karate & Weapons in Keansburg, Bakbakan International in Lodi, Kuntaw Kali Kruzada in Red Bank, & Princeton Academy of Martial Arts from late 1980s to 2000 when I moved to Georgia. While in Atlanta I trained with several from the Francis Fong Academy in Alpharetta now Johns Creek & at the ArtsXchange with Baba Taji Nanji. In short I'm not a style or lineage purest though most of my FMA training comes mainly from Ilustrisimo & Inosanto systems. My first Lameco instruction was through Sifu Rick Tucci in NJ back in the 1990s & had had some seminars & privates with Edgar Sulite back in the 1990s. Sifu Rick Tucci is a JKD instructor. Also I had private instruction with Christopher Ricketts in the 1990s & 2000s. Basically from childhood to adulthood I always conveniently lived in areas that happened to have Ilustrisimo & Inosanto practioners; if it wasn't for those two systems I wouldn't have done Lameco or the several other FMA styles I've had a chance to practice.

[@nickkondratenko470]

I support your comments. I train in bakbakan kalis and palisan eagles daite kalus illustrisimo. (You pick up techniques as well from lameco and bahad zubu as well doing these respective styles due to cross training and familiarsation)

[@TheHybridHunter307]

There are blade based Filipino Martial Arts systems that actively fight like Pekiti Tirsia Kali. Dog Brothers Martial Arts could even be considered a sword based system that fights. Kalis Illustrisimo although not necessarily a competition based system absolutely encourages sparring. Especially when Tatang Illustrisimo was alive. Of course Tatang himself is famous for fighting in bladed combat "death matches" throughout his life and guerilla warfare against the Japanese in WWII. Leo Giron, who also fought in bladed combat against the Japanese founded the Bahala Na Martial Arts Association. I believe they also test their skills in real time. I believe they spar against multiple opponents based on GM Giron's experiences in jungle warfare during WWII.

[@Vayiram-]

🍻

[@TheTruthseeker1231]

You should look at Pekiti Tersia Kali. It is a sword system that appears unmatched to me. I have dabbled in Kendo & fencing but only when I started PTK did I feel I was learning real sword fighting.

[@harjutapa]

Also, my personal sword fighting journey was kendo to kenjutsu to HEMA saber (mostly Roworth) and longsword (mostly Fiore). Kendo gave me the basics of understanding timing and distance, along with getting my reflexes trained up, but it also taught me a lot of bad habits I had to unlearn.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

That's a lot of arts!

[@johnforeman6620]

bad habits or different ones?

[@relativisticvel]

@@johnforeman6620 bad habits. In kendo your spirit and attitude count for a lot, and things like backsteps + a counterstrike will cause you to lose.

[@johnforeman6620]

@@relativisticvel I suppose you have highlighted the difference in types of Kendo practitioners. Some like to practice, where winning is not the goal, and those that like to win.

[@Nerukenshi1233]

@@relativisticvel that's silly. The past few world championships were won via hikiwaza, which is backing up and countering.

[@annoyed707]

I have seen some interest work with Cossack sabers.

[@Naki728]

I went from Olympic Fencing to HEMA and now HEMA and HCMA (Historical Chinese Martial Arts), what I found is that many of the kung fu forms actually contains real technique applicable in sparring, but it has been exaggerated for performance.

[@toddellner5283]

Not just for performance but as a teaching aid. At beginning and some intermediate levels it is appropriate to do larger motions than one would in application. With skill the movements get smaller and more subtle, but if you started that way nobody except for a handful of geniuses would see what was going on.

[@Naki728]

@@toddellner5283 personally, from my teaching experience in HEMA and Olympic Fencing, I have to disagree, simplifying movements is often helpful but exaggerating it to the degree in forms would often foster bad habits

[@toddellner5283]

@@Naki728 Then the degree in the forms is poor teaching. But teaching movements that are bigger and breaking them down then gradually making them smaller and more connected is a common training method in a vast number of complex physical skills including martial ones. I am learning a new trade at the moment and am being taught by that method. It works and works very well. That was also how I was taught Western fencing many years ago, and I benefited from it greatly. I simply did not have the ability to comprehend the subtleties as a novice that I was as a more experienced fencer.

[@junjun_8070]

As a kendoka, I was eagerly waiting to hear what you had to say about the art. Couldn't agree more - in terms of sword fighting it's not the most realistic, but it sure as hell is a lot more realistic than aikido's sword work. I did aikido for a bit too, aikiken included, and it bothered me how we were taught to use swords. The more kendo I learn, the more I start to realize that no one would really strike you the way one would in aikido. Still though, I believe that aikido has its place as an introduction to studying the various Japanese koryu (shinkage ryu, daito ryu, etc). The old practices are mostly all stagnant, and rely on partner compliance - making aikido a great starter art for those who want to dabble in historical arts.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I'm glad you agree, it's the one I've probably had the least exposure to personally!

[@williamsaintamour8731]

I hope you and the family are well! Great video. Having done sport fencing and German longsword, well done. One system worth considering is kali, especially with the living lineage of early modern Spanish sword and dagger techniques from the good old colonial days. The footwork and focus on hitting the hands and arms, disarms, counter attacks, and using dual weapons is refined and effective. Drawback is too little focus on thrusting techniques. Look up Dan Innosanto. Cheers!

[@EnglishMartialArts]

The video was originally going to be several arts longer, but I'm working to a publication schedule currently and so had to cut it short! I suspect we might get a dedicated one for FMA.

[@seneca1932]

When I studied FMA, I asked my Guro why there were so few thrusts. He said slashing was quicker because when you’re fighting with edged weapons, especially in battle, you just don’t have time to pull your blade out if it it gets stuck. By the time you get your sword free, somebody will have already sent you to the afterlife.

[@williamsaintamour8731]

@@seneca1932 that makes a lot of sense, and the trama of a cut can put your opponent down faster too, as thrusts may be more lethal but may not have the same stopping power. In an individual fight or where there is more distance/time between opponents, the thrust can open a very effective set of tools. Context I suppose. Good comment.

[@ecth97]

A lot of the machetes and other blades used by Filipino fighters were banned from having a tip of any sort, so their only choice was to adapt their systems to cutting. Even then some systems still focus on using the thrust especially as an entry move.

[@michaelclark978]

I appreciate the position you put Olympic fencing in. As a student of foil the right of way system can be frustrating. If you watch older fencing videos of the Aldo Nadi era, it’s quite obvious the emphasis is on form. The electrical equipment changed the game significantly. Always enjoy your videos

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Thank you! I fenced foil for a little while and really enjoyed it. At least I did when we fenced steam and not electric. It always felt a bit silly when things were so fast you needed electric and right of way.

[@dorkatarmsetcetera9468]

The classical works, including Gaugler's "The Science of Fencing" demonstrate that this form also doesn't necessarily have to come at the price of speed. For foil, for instance, the Classical style demands three inches of bend both to puncture the heart and to add extra protection via the foil's arc. Moreover, whereas modern sport saber can emphasize whipping with the flat of the saber and cutting with the fingers and wrist; the classical is closer to the older military manuals, asking for cutting from the elbow, most often. The problem with "form vs speed" comes up when you see the Martinez chain of schools here on the west coast-- they give points in competitions based on style, and they end up favoring their own students, of course. The reason they go so slow, I think, is that they actually haven't drilled enough. It's demeaning to say, but if your form breaks down when going at sparring speeds then perhaps you haven't drilled enough. The matter of right of way is indeed frustrating-- I left sport fencing because of it. However, the experience was enriching, to a certain extent, and I left just as much because of the elitism of the Olympic style club as the sport's rule set. [sorry for the length. woke up early and needed to vent a bit hope y'all do well]

[@williamsaintamour8731]

I hope there is a re-emergence of single stick. It was much simpler, plus it is more affordable and accessible for students and clubs, plus it has more of the bash-your-cousin-in-the-backyard feel, but with actual technique. There is no right of way in epee, which is a nice aspect of the weapon. It has a very different mentality as a result.

[@brittakriep2938]

l, Brittas boyfriend, am german, and belong to the socalled ,armchair experts'. My opinion to Olympic Fencing. The basics of real fencing are still alive , but the rules are for competition only, no more for realistic selfdefence. So the solution is rather simple: The students and practitioners of Olympic Fencing simply have to add a , monthly selfdefence evening' to their training, no ,Planche' , no rules, only defending themselfes against attacks. May bee ten years ago i visited an antiques and weapons event. There was a ,Show Performance' of a fencing group dressed as ,Three musketeers'. The speaker of this group showed some defence movements, no more allowed in Olympic Fencing of today, but used in ,old days'. So being trained and expierienced in ,modern' fencing, it can' t be to difficult, train old defence things as addition to regulated modern fencing. Grabbing the blade of opponent, kicking, boxing, wrestling, o r trying to pin opponents blade by taking opponents blade to the ground with your feet and shoes.

[@zaneivy]

I was on a Japanese university's kendo team back in the seventies, and also participated in kendo tournaments in Seattle and Vancouver back in the day. I must say, it does have some cross-over advantages...I've since studied escrima/kali, and numerous styles of karate and kung fu... My early kendo training has helped me in all of these studies...footwork, head movement, agressiveness, speed of attack, etc. Don't sell it short.

[@Kaloian_Ivanov]

Great video! Really loved it!By the way polish sabre for me is the most esthetically pleasing sword fighting style/system.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Yes I can see that. Its a cracking system to watch!

[@Vayiram-]

🍻

[@haffoc]

great shout out for HEMA fencing. I've been involved with HEMA since the early days. In attempting to recreate the techniques described in the fight books, we required that all interpretations had to be validated. That is, somebody proposed an interpretation and then the rest of us tried to see if we could pull it off in freeplay. If the interpretation could be pulled off in freeplay, it was rated as more likely right than not. This concept of validation is something ignored in many martial arts, like karate. Karate kata are, at bottom, just moving textbooks of techniques and concepts. Yet so many karate people offer interpretations of kata that are not subject to testing and validation and there are more fanciful than practical. Feedback from fighting or pressure testing that is as close to combat as you can safely get is essential if a martial art is to avoid empty formalism.

[@Ariastrong5524]

Thanks for the video. I recommend checking out SCA heavy combat. It's more of a ruleset than a style, but it's pretty heavy contact, and aggressive to the point where there's only full force sparring ( where training sessions are called "fight practices"). I've done it all my life, and while I don't do it regularly anymore I feel like it's probably one of the more intense ones.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Oh agreed. It's definitely intense, but is it a system yet? I don't know...

[@thebobbytytesvarrietyhour4168]

@@EnglishMartialArts I feel like with the SCA Heavy, there is a ruleset that produces a recognizable and relatively consistent fight between practitioners. While I think it is a system without any historical precedent, I'm curious how you would define a "system".

[@Vayiram-]

I really need to check that!

[@brianknezevich9894]

I've been hoping for a more blade related video for probably years now! Now, to watch it! *Fight Team*

[@brianknezevich9894]

I've got some experience, varied, with a few sword, or blade arts... For notable missed arts, I'd say Krabi-Krabong or Pencak Silat. From what I can tell, they're very similar and of venerable tradition. I took some Krabi-Krabong classes at least a gym I did Muay Thai at, long ago. I found it effective as and informative. I know there are a number of Indian bladed arts, but I cannot recall the name of any of them, although I've seen demonstrations and attended one - off "visiting" classes. Myself, for the last 15 years or so, I've focused extensively on HEMA when it comes to blades. I'm not very good at longsword - poor enough that my daughter is the one who has the expensive gear and nice sword and competes. I do sword and buckler or dagger (or shield, if we want to go earlier)... Sabre and side sword. That's what I'm good at and sticking with so far, at least. I found the mention of removing singlestick from Olympic fencing a very interesting point, worthy of more discussion (my initial thoughts on which will appear in the next reply on my comment)

[@brianknezevich9894]

Sticks, and the removal of singlestick from Olympic fencing... I've always played with sticks - when I was a kid, I used to pretend they were swords and stuff.... And now I generally need a cane for much walking, so it's kinda come full circle. I've never done any formal training in any stick based martial art, unless you count staves, which I'm apparently a natural with anyhow. *BUT* having to walk with a cane has given me a few years of research and practice in everything I can find online, and I have a willing light sparring partner. Could see a video on stick based martial arts, as well... And quite a few of them are of historical interest.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

@@brianknezevich9894 Singlestick is definitely getting a video of it's own.

[@brianknezevich9894]

@@EnglishMartialArts after some thought, I realize I skipped the closest to home stick art other than staff for me... Batairecht. I'm not great at much of it, the slap type strikes just don't come naturally for me, but I'm vaguely proficient, and combined with singlestick, it seems to work well, needing a cane to walk properly any distance, anyhow. I make canes and staves for side money, I've got a wood lot that needs continual maintenance, so I've got a very choice hickory shillelagh for a cane.

[@sukotsutoCSSR]

I've "learned" a lot of weapons simply by taking a lot of traditional Okinawan karate kata and self defense techniques - with a weapon on my hand. People thought I've taken up a weapon martial art, seeing as I'm coordinated enough to wield swords with both hands. I was just testing a theory on how these traditional techniques were formulated to deal with weapons, not fists. And it works very well - it feels very natural, unlike how they tried to use those same techniques for fist fighting (and fail). Aikido is trash for fighting, just take up a traditional budo jujutsu to learn how armored samurai would fight up close, when the spears and swords are crossed and entangled

[@NM-tl6pe]

I've competed with handguns, TKD when I was young, and now kickboxing with bjj. I find Hema to be the most realistic and fun to watch.

[@peteazouz6072]

Have you looked at Mensur? My Dad was part of a German fraternity at the University of Freiburg, who despite the ban in place still practiced it - my understanding is that this was saber dueling that for sure resulted in injuries.

[@danielmaciver5307]

For me, kendo has a nice balance of focusing on proper technique that works while still having a sense of flow. It's not like HEMA where grappling and close quarters fighting is required to win the point every time, but it's also not like fencing where all form goes out the window to land the point

[@benstoyles1297]

I think you could probably add British Military fencing (sabre, broadsword, spadroon) as another HEMA choice that is pretty consistently done to a high standard.

[@michaeldavies47]

I originally began swordsmanship with kenjutsu and iaido while also delving into Filipino arts for stick and empty hand. But once I bought a pair of cheap short-swords and tried using them for my escrima work I instantly fell in love with wielding short-swords. I still enjoy the feel of a katana, but to me the speed and agility a short-sword offers is an indescribable feeling. If you ever decide to give some sword arts a try on order to make an updated video, I highly recommend some escrima with short-swords.

[@ComicBookMalc]

Hi just found your channel. For the last 3 years I've been studying Kummooyeh which is a traditional Korean sword and archery style. We practice cutting drills, forms and sparring with foam swords and helmets/gloves also meditation as well as archery in general. Again I'm not sure how "real" it is but as an all round art there are a lot of benifits

[@zachleprieur2871]

Me and my best friend used to do all that stuff from japan like wushu was real interesting as all draw based strikes. Watching Zatoichi the blind swordsman holding our swords underhand

[@Rasgonras]

Georgian fencing is a very interesting style that works surprisingly well.

[@conorfiggs234]

As an unarmed martial arts specialist who’s dabbled in weapons arts, I’ve noticed that if a WMA doesn’t have any sort of grappling along with it, then it more than likely doesn’t work since if there’s no grappling then that’s likely because it has a limiting rule system and methodology. Look at Kali or Tai Chi (which without a sword is more or less choreographed shadow wrestling), both weapons arts that historically were also grappling based

[@kanucks9]

As much as I like grappling with weapons, most of the time you won't need to grapple if you're fighting with swords.

[@Wolf-Wolfman]

@@kanucks9 in most HEMA sword sparring (regardless of the system) you will certainly be grappling!

[@Vayiram-]

Rly? Kali AND tai chi in the same place?

[@ruiseartalcorn]

Great video! :) When I was a kid (way back in the 60s) I used to train at a fencing school. I loved it but was eventually kicked out due to a rather unfortunate swashbuckling incident - I blame Errol Flynn ;) Since those days, I have found that the movements can apply, in some way, to empty hand fighting (Bruce Lee and others have said the same thing). Thanks again for another interesting video :)

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I fenced foil for a while, I had a tendency to try to step off line and hit people. The person I tried it on the most times eventually took up HEMA and now runs a big event in the UK...

[@ruiseartalcorn]

@@EnglishMartialArts I too have a problem with conforming to rules. Re stepping offline, that just makes sense from a self defence perspective. It seems that your practical approach has been positive for HEMA :)

[@Nerukenshi1233]

As an unranked American Kenshi, let me share a few things about kendo that werent in the video for whatever (likely very valid) reason(s). 1 Dojo Kendo vs Shiai Kendo: The comment about Kendo being only good against kendo seems odd to me due to the many excellent demonstrations of Kenshi going against Olympic style fencers each wielding their respective weapons, with the Kenshis men altered to receive the fiber point of European thrusting weapons more safely, and the Kenshi usually dominates the match until their opponent uses a shield, at which point the match evens out significantly, which makes sense given that Kendo is a wartime art, where Iaido, Aikido, and Fencing are civilian or peace time arts. The Kata taught in Kendo extends the list of techniques beyond the four simple strikes we use for Shiai, and round out the Kenshi to be able to actually take on those not beholden to the Shiai rules. The controversy in our community comes from the fact that our strikes are optimized for the shinai now, and allegedly tend to be lighter and less committed than those with a katana, but this is arguable and sometimes just untrue, depending on the Kenshi of course. 2 multiple internal styles: All Kenshi start weilding the "Daito" Shinai, which simulates a slightly oversized Katana which is a relatively short two handed slashing weapon with some effectiveness at thrusting. We all begin with中段の構え or "Chudan" which is the middle stance, which is as defensive as it gets for Modern Kendo, though historically there was a lower stance and there is still a seldom used side stance (which is popular in anime, it's the one where the tsuba or hilt is held to the right side of the face) but there is another popular stance "Jodan", or upper stance that is used by higher ranked Kenshi for a more aggressive style. There is also another style reserved for those who've got the experience and patience which incorporates the "shoto" or small shinai, which simulates an off hand Wakasashi. Dual weilding is always legal,but seldom used as it is significantly more difficult (keep in mind, the "Daito" is not even a different shinai, it's just a normal one usually used with two hands, and the "Shoto" is still about half as big) though shock value can give the Nito (two handed style) user a confusion and surprise advantage, especially in America, though surprising the referees is a negative that arguably outweighs any advantage. 3 Kendo is by definition "for the purpose of improving ones character **by means of** the way of the katana" and thus is more concerned with the philosophically and spiritually ( and because of Kendos view of unity of body mind and blade, physically) correct and effective strike over deadliness or brutality. For example, the first three Kata, according to my sensei at least, encompass all of the spirit of Kendo. The first has the teacher strike, with the student dodging and returning the blow directly to the head to kill. The second has the teacher strike, and the student dodge and return a blow to the wrist to disarm by means of dismemberment, and the third, considered the most noble, has the student block a thrust to the chest and using sheer force of will, push the teacher into surrender.

[@mintai2003]

As a tai chi sword player, I've become very interested in French smallsword recently. The techniques and blade size are similar; albeit the smallsword lacks a cutting edge. The smallsword seems to have a surviving system of practical usage as live bladed duels were carried out into the 1960's.

[@BrooksVlad]

I actually do a light saber based fighting. That basically has elements of all the forms you just talked about. One thing you didn’t talk about is kali and escrema (forgive the spelling) these are Philippines marshal arts. Which are amazing to watch. You can look up the lightsaber videos from either TSL or saber light knights. I would love to see what you think of some of our fights.

[@joanstone6740]

dog brothers. the only real way forward

[@gingercore69]

I practice 3 styles with sword techniques.... First one is wushu, ive been doong it for just a little while and never saw sparring yet... Second one is sipalki, it has even tournaments, rules are varied, from kendo style fighting, to continuous sparring that also allows throws and kicks... Third one is bujinkan, we dont do sparring that often, but we do it some times, and it allows all strikes and throws but trying not to harm the oponent... Also, in some gotonpo we do capture the flag with swords

[@AlexanderGent]

Maybe your voice change is a sign of leveling up in Catch as you are sounding more like Billy! 😁 As an Aikidoka I think there is a lot that can been taken from Aikido with regards to weapons. I remember when I first started in HEMA I was suprised how many skills actually transitioned across, I've even pulled off a couple of sword disarms in sparring with a longsword using Aikido techniques! However, you are right, there is traditionally no sparring in Aikido. In my opinion this is a shame as the art has a lot to offer. I've tried to introduce it into my club which has been interesting. I think Jo (short staff) techniques are really good and transition really well to sparring. Have you tried the weapons based iwama style before?

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I've not come across Iwama style before. What little I did was under Kanetsuka sensei who I believe learned from Shioda who was the founder of Yoshinkan, but after recovering from cancer Kanetsuka moved away from the hard style.

[@AlexanderGent]

@@EnglishMartialArts Iwama style has resistance although it is static rather than dynamic if you know what I mean. The weapons are pretty good, although like HEMA, clubs vary. Iwama is slowly because more and more static and decent club is difficult to find.

[@AlexanderGent]

@@EnglishMartialArts If you are every up in Yorkshire let me know if you fancy doing a bit of Aikijo!

[@EnglishMartialArts]

@@AlexanderGent thank you, I will! Whereabouts in Yorkshire are you?

[@AlexanderGent]

@@EnglishMartialArts Do you know Bingley, north of Bradford? I used to train at SG6 many moons ago.

[@poky888nuju]

I’d be interested in a review of wing Chun weapon systems. Before you doubt, it does exist

[@MrRayWolf]

Weird, this last sword art mentioned in this video I never heared of it in all my years, not one single time lol. Im so confused now. Anyway another great video, keep up the good work!

[@toddellner5283]

To be fair to Aikido and sword, back in the day anyone who studied it would have already had a background in Kendo through the Japanese educational system and would have at least the fundamentals of hitting a resisting opponent. Or so one would hope. It's impossible to cover everything, but by concentrating on two very limited modern Japanese arts (ZNKR Kendo and Aikido), one Chinese one completely divorced from combative application, one highly stylized sport, and one reconstructed European version of one weapon you may be doing a disservice to the field. In some cases the older tradition was abandoned in favor of an explicitly modern version centered sport or self-improvement (Aikido, Association Kendo, sport fencing). Political repression or war ended the careers of the senior practitioners or the system as a whole in others (WWI destroyed a lot of HEMA, the Boxer Rebellion, WWII and Mao did for much of CMA, Japanese Koryu Bujutsu were suppressed for over a decade after WWII, etc.). Older HEMA? Changes in warfare led to the abandonment of things which were no longer relevant to the battlefield or the back alley. This gives a rather odd window into the use of bladed weapons. There are plenty of systems of sword fighting from South and Southeast Asia which have excellent sword with an emphasis is on fighting, there are living traditions, and people still with us have used them to survive lethal attacks. The Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia have many such systems often lumped under catch-all names like Kali or Silat. The Subcontinent has God alone knows how many martial arts from the Sikh battlefield art of Gatka to Southern Indian Kalaripayittu to name only a couple of the more famous. Thai Krabi Krabong and Burmese Banshay need no defense. They are superb and encompass several traditional weapons as well as boxing and grappling. Some of the martial traditions of Cambodia survived Pol Pot. Vietnam and Laos have vibrant martial cultures which include a number of swords and unlike China are often less performative and more closely tied to their combative roots. One thing we note about all of these is that like many of the Indian and the older Japanese systems they are comprehensive including a variety of weapons which practitioners were or are likely to encounter depending on whether the art still sees use in a combative context. Longer swords, shorter swords, knives, impact weapons, striking and (generally stand-up) grappling, often ranged weapons and longer weapons like walking sticks, staffs and spears. In many of them work against a resisting opponent who may be using the same or a completely different weapon is routine. South America and the Caribbean are home to some very deadly systems of bladed martial arts practiced by people who - like their SE Asian counterparts - use the tools for work. Sometimes sticks are present in their own right or as safer standins for the short sword. Garrote Larense, Maculele, and others, some of which only have names like "What my uncle showed me" may not have the formalism and trappings we have come to expect of a "true martial art", but they are formidable and, once again, have significant real-world credibility. People still use machetes and sticks to do crime, to defend against crime, and in other life-or-death contexts such as political unrest. I have little to no direct experience with African martial arts, but again, there are living traditions where people use swords along with spears, shields, knives, clubs, and other weapons. Nelson Mandela was a skilled practitioner in at least one South African sword/stick and parrying weapon style. To this day the Maasai regularly carry and are skilled in the use of spears, shields, clubs, and short swords and use them both as self defense weapons and in cattle raiding as well as killing lions. They might not have belts and titles, but you would have to be very, very good to be confident fighting one of their warriors.

[@toddellner5283]

Contact me privately for the unintentionally humorous and somewhat off-color time when my wife and I were taught Taiji sword by a famous Wu Shu practitioner.

[@toddellner5283]

Full disclosure: I have practiced Western sport fencing, Aikido, Taiji and Kendo in the past but no longer do. I have spent a fair number of years doing Filipino and Indonesian martial arts.

[@andrewk.5575]

Alright, obviously any video of this type is not going to be comprehensive but here are some of my thoughts: 1. I know it is well known, and an art you trained in, but I don't think Aikido was the best representative of Japanese swords arts here. Ko-ryū (literally "old school") arts like Tenshin Shōden Katori Shintō Ryū or Komagawa Kaishin Ryū are more traditional, more combative, and feature a wider variety of weapons than Aikido. 2. I agree with what you said about Kendō but would just like to add for those that don't know that the reason it struggles against other arts is that Kendō has a highly restricted area that practitioners are allowed to attack. 3. Olympic fencers do have long lunges and very fast footwork but I am not sure that I would call their footwork "second to none" because many Olympic fencers damage their joints in the process. Hyper-competitive mentalities can often lead to athletes being reckless with their bodies. 4. Yes, love it or hate German longsword is the most well known system from Europe. 5. I have observed that the Chinese arts can be bewildering in their variety, both in the way different people teach them and the sheer number different arts. You have probably heard of Tai Chi, but what about Wing Chun? Baguazhang? Xinyiquan? Bajiquan? Hung Gar? Pak Mei? Hop Gar? Piguazhang? Lama Pai? Choy Lee Fut? Lets not even talk about any of the dozens of Shaolin styles. I have sometimes wondered if their is a Chinese martial art out their that is truly phenomenal but nobody has found it yet because their too busy sorting through the several thousand other permutations. 5. The elephant in the room is the fact that Kali wasn't included on this list despite being one of the most well known sword arts. Other possibilities from around the world could be Krabi Krabong, Tire Machèt, Shastar Vidya, any of the other European systems, Silat, Razmafazar, Systema (you can find video of Mikhail Ryabko with a shashka), or Khridoli/Khevureti sword and buckler.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

The video was originally going to be somewhat longer, but I'm trying to publish on a schedule and ran out of time!

[@edwardbriones100]

Great content! This channel has quickly become one of my top three martial art channels

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Yay! Thank you.

[@MisterKisk]

If you want to get into "tai chi sword" where you're learning Yang style taijiquan, historical Chinese swordsmanship; I'd suggest looking up Scott M. Rodell's school. There's several branches around the world, and he also does an online course too.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Somewhere in the region of 20 years ago I used to hang out on Swordforum with Scott Rodell.

[@johngr1747]

Idea: A ranking/rating of martial arts but with obsecure ones this time. Vovinam (Vietnam's national martial art), Jow Gar Kuen (Kung Fu style no one ever talks about), Laamb (Senegal's wrestling style), Dambe (Nigerian Boxing), Lethwei ("mUAy thAI With hEADButTs") just to name a few.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Love it! Top 5 martial arts you've never heard of!

[@Zz7722zZ]

The last one was a real surprise, I feel as if I'm engaging in a drinking game where I take a swig whenever 'tai chi' is mentioned in your videos (in the context of real martial arts)

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Oh we should so do that. How about a swig for Aikido, and chug it for Tai Chi?

[@Zz7722zZ]

@@EnglishMartialArts yeah let’s do that. 😅

[@paulrouleau1972]

A good overview of systems and styles. I've studied quite a bit of sword work, but primarily focus on rapier and dagger, as well as Saber fencing and how they apply to knife work.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Thank you, sabre is undeniably effective as a system, and rapier and dagger looks beautiful when done well!

[@johnforeman6620]

I started out at school doing Olympic style sword fighting, though it did not look like it does now. I then went and did 30+ years of Kendo, that also brought me in contact with the other Japanese based martial arts. I also did Tai Chi, but not much sword stuff, and it was all single person with no "testing". I have also done the odd bit of historical European style with a friend who does it. I think your assessment is pretty well spot-on, but of course there are exceptions. Japanese martial arts were demilitarised after WW2 and any obvious part that it was actually about fighting was de-emphasised by the Japanese. All about personal development. However, there were some styles that did continue (behind closed doors) doing non-sporting stuff, including grappling, and they can still be found. In a fight would a Kendo person come out on top? Well, if they followed the rules of Kendo, probably not, but if they did not follow the rules, and possibly had a bit of cross art experience, they would make a formidable opponent with a suitable stick. Without a stick, not so much, but part of Kendo is projecting an aura of don't mess with me that anecdotally has stopped a few real fights starting.

[@harjutapa]

You talking about swordfighting = a good day.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

😁

[@robertvondarth1730]

HEMA is a broad category, and no doubt the Longsword is the most popular. The 1595 Club practices historically informed systems of CutlassSabreDussack influenced by Angelo, and Broadsword/War Rapier by Saviolo. The emphasis is on pressure tested fight realism, a cut and thrust game, Chess with Steel

[@chadherbert18]

I practice and teach German Longsword, and most of the other medieval and Renaissance weapons. Our primary focus is tournament fighting and general sparring, but there is so much learning and practice to do in order to be good at it. Lots of little injuries and tons of bruises because the fighting techniques are meant to finish your opponent. The people involved are generally very concerned with being in good standing with each other - lots of hugs, respect, and support - partially because this is so niche, but also because you are trusting your training partners with your well-being. How good is it? I’ve never done it outside of protective gear, I wouldn’t want to, and hopefully I’ll never have to! 😅⚔️😂 Most relevant modern situations would be stick, knife, or machete attacks, and if you can get your hands on a similar item, the result would likely be very messy. 😢

[@BorninPurple]

Hi, firstly I didn't comment on your previous video about the the best martial art so I will insert a comment here about it: I think rather than aesthetics, technique should have been used as a martial art system needs to imply some measure of resistance; technique is better because it contextualises how the move works within the framework of it's application. Additionally, it needs to be assumed that the art isn't being judged by the observer who doesn't practice any martial art (who may in all cases, find each a bit confusing. though some may be flashy to be aesthetic); a fair assessment should be by the people who practice some form of contact based sports-combat because they're "closer to the source" per se. Secondly, a few things (some of which have been commented already) may be of interest to you: - Gekkiken/gekken = Full contact sparring (pre-kendo kendo). - Traditional ju jitsu (which deals with weapons use and combating against them and is probably the basis of Judo and Akido) - Kali/escrima (which has sparring and drill work) - Gatka (which has some sparring as well) The only thing I would have some doubt about mentioned in the video is kendo because, despite originally being about the sword (the term means "way of the sword"), that's no longer the case and instead is about the improvement of the self. Even in sparring, there's no measure against defending or keeping oneself intact once a hit has been landed. My understanding is it's about having the perfect hit landed in a very styalised way. This also means kendo detracts from it's roots, which coincides with it's historical baggage associated with Japan prior and during the Second World War; in short, though from swordfighting, it doesn't want to adopt that manner out of fear of falling in the same mentality (that of ultra-nationalism in the Japanese Empire).

[@Braindazzled]

I've got decades of fencing experience, but I've also spent some time studying other arts. Much as I love all the classical arts, fencing has the greatest attraction because the level of skill is the highest, simply because there are the most practitioners, a heavy emphasis on competition and an unbroken chain going back hundreds of years. Granted, it's highly stylized and not directly applicable to normal fighting, but the principles can be applied to any other art. If you have the stamina, you can fence full-contact for three or four hours. You can't do that with a punching or kicking art. I studied some Japanese sword and it's surprising how easily and effectively it adapts to other forms of competitive sword fighting once it's well trained into your reactions. The broad, uncomplicated blade actions in Iaido and kenjutsu can be really effective against an unsure opponent, or one who does a lot of testing and jabbing. It trains you to enter with confidence and lead the action. I love the concept of HEMA, but it's a zombie art. It's been resurrected from the dead, and we have no living masters or even video tapes to go by. It will take several generations of continual practice to build up the kind of store of generational wisdom and experience that other arts have. I once studied with a Chinese practitioner who had won a bunch of full contact competitions in China, and as a kid, it was common for the young martial artists to brawl in the parks in the morning. Even though he called himself a Tai Chi teacher, he was one of the fasted guys I've ever seen. He used to say that the soft, slow Tai Chi was only half the practice the "Yin" side, for developing sensitivity and leverage. "Complete Tai Chi" included hard fast techniques, too, but since teachers in old China were legally responsible for any harm that their students caused or that happened to them, they sometimes avoided teaching dangerous techniques to all but their most trusted students. Sorry to run long!

[@aasdqwwcacfwavdsvwe6013]

I have never heard that Tai Chi could have technicques that were lost due to legal reasons. Should they revive the "Dark Side" from the dead the same way HEMA has been a subject of necromancy?

[@souppiyas6987]

There are "form(or Kata)" side and "combat" side of these arts that should describe separately. Kendo, Aikido, Kenjutsu, HEMA as I know have some forms that describe the movements and the best way of action (as the master thought) apart from the real contact combat part that differ in rules.

[@goatkiller666]

I had a friend in college who studied the Indonesian martial art Silat. He summarized it to me as being kind of like Filipino escrima, except escrima starts with the stick forms and then grows to unarmed fighting, while Silat started unarmed and added weapons once you had that foundation. I am quoting a conversation from like 20yrs ago, so… anybody with actual experience in either art should be trusted before anything I say. I’m almost certainly mangling most of this. However, my friend did own an actual metal bladed sword from his style, not the two sticks you’d see from Escrima. (He also had the sticks, but I’m saying that he had what I would call an actual sword also.) On the other hand, I’m actually more interested in weapons that aren’t exactly swords. Central American Macuahuitl were wooden “swords” with obsidian bits embedded into the cutting edges. And the New Zealand Māori had Taiaha, which are wooden… Wikipedia’s calls them staves, but more like wooden maces than quarter staffs. Neither culture had metal, though. Either for weapons or for armor, it’ll result in a different paradigm. Japan’s iron was so bad, they had to get REALLY good at forging swords, but samurai armor was wood and resin… so they’d end up weaponizing chains to disarm enemies, instead of inventing plate mail.

[@frozenxgls3708]

When applied to Jiu Jitsu and grappling sports Aikido is actually really effective for ground game and grappling. You probably don't believe me but think of all the different wrist locks and holds that Aikido teaches you. Then try it when sparring in Jiu Jitsu and you'll find its actually quite effective.

[@SatsumaTengu14]

Very interesting list, as a practitioner of Japanese Sword Art I would suggest you failed to mention that there are several styles at least of Iaido/Iaijutsu including several styles of battojutsu and some of the older traditional schools. Hema looks very interesting snd highly practical. 🤔

[@cesarag0723]

Not bad! I think you’re half true about aikido. It’s gotta great weapons system, lots of different practices with it, but it needs sparring and progressional resistance. Once you add that the simplicity of the practice becomes very practical. Especially if you can cross train to remove the fear of handling different scenarios. I’ve done this at my dojo, we added sparring with weapons and empty hand sparring and it does work! But it needs sparring to make it work. It helps open up that creativity that most aikido practitioners are looking for in the long term.

[@cesarag0723]

The only downside of kendo is it’s very sportive and reduced targets that don’t give major points to win. They also don’t have a curved blade that you can use to defend or slash. So it also needs modification. Usually they practice iaido to balance that out.

[@Ianmar1]

@@cesarag0723 Many older kenjutsu styles, particularly those with armored combat in their curricula consider kendo's limited target areas to be a feature rather than a bug. Rather than being a combat simulation, kendo instills the discipline to take intentional action under pressure. Indeed gyaku-do, a cut to the stomach through the spleen, a non vital organ which bleeds a lot, was only introduced in the leadup to WWII so that kendo could meaningfully compete with jukendo or bayonet fencing.

[@bankuei]

I know everyone thinks of sticks for Escrima/Kali but there's quite a few sword focal styles that do practice with resisted sparring.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Yes, I really should have included it!

[@amazed2341]

I did Epee for about 10 years, until I quit in uni because I found the uni didn’t really support the club and I wanted to get into some like kickboxing. In my uni club we used to remark that the people who did foil were sportsmen, those who did sabre were athletes, but it was only Epeeists who were martial artists. A while ago I looked into “traditional Olympic fencing” which is supposedly a revival on how sport fencing was done before electric scoring (my biggest complaint about the art) but I never found anyone at my club willing to spar with me in that way. I think the electric point at any cost aspect really ruined the martial aspect of fencing, but I can’t say I don’t enjoy it

[@peregrinatus]

I do still spend some time in True Guardant even after all these years.

[@connordillon6493]

As a guy who has trained HEMA, and the less historical “Mixed Weapons Martial Art”, it’s got an interesting aspect because it’s one of the few martial arts pushing technology boundaries to be ‘as real as it gets’ (plz don’t sue me Dana White).

[@azazelreficulmefistofelicu7158]

Fight Team!

[@olegmishchenko6588]

Kendo is a sport, just like fencing. And all the things you said about footwork, etc. can apply to kendo. I did kendo for 7 years before my achilles injury, and it was a hell lot of fun. But does you no good in hand to hand combat, and you know fighting with a bamboo stick is nothing like fighting with an actual sword. So when I tried to mess around with a real katana it was nothing like I expected. Like I said its real fun, and suits someone who wants to get in a fighting sport that's relatively safe, the worst that can happen to you is you can get a splitting head ache at the end of a day from to many blows to the head (which is the most used strike in kendo, it's also called "men"), or if someone misses a strike to the torso and it goes above the torso protector and hits your ribs, oh and wrist strikes are painful also, but you can add extra protection to get passed that. Interesting about kendo is that it is also very fast they don't use electric equipment to measure if the hit actually landed, but rather the position of the fighter before and after the strike as well as if the hit made a correct sound.

[@fredazcarate4818]

Lad I am not a swordman but if given a choice. I will choose the German long sword method. In my humble opinion it the most practical compared to the other methods. Kudos for producing another gem, and thank you for sharing your martial combat wisdom. 🤔🧐👊👍🙏

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Thanks Fred, I can see you with a Longsword...

[@fredazcarate4818]

@@EnglishMartialArts Once again lad thank you and may I ask if it is appropriate to say " be on your guard". 🤔🧐👍🙏

[@andrewalexander1086]

What about a video on “ Olde English “ heard so much about the the art of muscle manipulation and destruction

[@Maatdrummer1]

Kenjutsu, what you see in the Last Samurai, definitely fights. Akido is a descrndant. Escrima, Philipino stick fighting, often substitutes blades. Then there is Polish and Cossak versions of sabre, I'll send you a link to the KZbin channel's expert of sword and blade fighting.

[@kindermord]

European military sabre. Pre-1900 it’s specifically for armed combat and survival. I like Major Wayne’s West Point system from 1842 (I may be of on the year) because it’s the one I trained for. Fairbairn on knife fighting also has the same advantages.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Oh the list is far from complete!

[@duncanmcevoy9014]

Interesting vid Oz, I’ll share it on my Practical HEMA page. Bound to cause an argument 😉

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Marvelous! Thanks mate.

[@ricardoaquino6708]

You forgot Maculelê. A brazilian dance/fighting machete-based hybrid style. It is quite fast and seems unpredictable, a bit like capoeira actually. These days it's more of a culture thing, but personally, I wouldn´t like facing a semi-naked dual wielding machete lunatic.

[@jaytomioka3137]

I agree with your assessments in general; however, I wonder why you didn’t talk about other HEMA weapons like rapier or broadsword/back sword? The biggest problem with Aikido (and although I have a lot of respect for it, I am not an aikidoka) is three fold: since the post WWII era), many modern Budo have been intentionally broken as methods of effective combat. Some say that this is to promote a peaceful society and atone for the militarism of the war. Others will point out that only the most trusted inner circle students are taught the older and “deadlier” techniques; however, I believe that the original Koryu traditions that aikido was based on was very insular and difficult to effectively apply even 120 years ago. I believe that it required a level of expertise in armed and grappling Koryu that have little direct application or explicit self defense value in our contemporary context.

[@junichiroyamashita]

I was thinking these days about which swordmanship styles were also effective stickfighting styles,seeing someone training with a Dadao. Kendo and Singlestick are immediatly apparent,other than the aforementioned Daofa,Kali is maybe disqualified from this,since it is more based on sticks than blades(i know the moves are the same). Other than those,there must be more,but i cannot think of any at the moment.

[@knightmareza9478]

Dussack can also translate very well to a stick

[@sebozz2046]

Your voice is due to the way you say "hi hi there!" in the begining of your videos

[@EnglishMartialArts]

I wish it was that simple. The last two days I've been sounding like I smoke 40 a day.

[@sebozz2046]

@@EnglishMartialArts btw it is amazing sometime ago i was checking wish martial art was the best and you made a video about that and some days ago i started getting interested in kendo and swords and you make a video about that. Seems like you are reading my mind ! Thanks for your work it is very interesting

[@paulbecket7399]

you left off (from the "olympic" side) sabre fencing also escrima is a sword form (done with sticks)

[@MartinGreywolf]

I'm, as my picture implies, a re-enactment and HEMA sort of guy, but I did get to do some Aikido sword katas when a friend of mine who ran an aikido school had one of his guys bail on him a week before the demonstration. And the thing is, the techniques in those katas were not bad, or overly complicated - it was more or less variations of Zornahu-Ort and hanger parries to oberhau. The issue is that 1) the aikido people usually don't know why and when they should be doing those techniques and just run through the kata, and 2) they don't train their application. The first point is especially bad, aforementioned friend no longer even teaches sword in his aikido classes because no one could explain to him why the movements in them are what they are. Also, the bo katas are WW2 Imperial Japanese bayonet drills, which has no bearing on anything here, but is a neat fact to know. Kenod, well, I've run into some kendoka on LARPs. They tended to get summarily destroyed by experienced LARPers in a way HEMA people weren't (there may be some statistical bias there, this was ~15 years ago when HEMA wasn't as popular), but were usually fairly quick to adapt and after that were among the best fighters there - well, with a longsword. They had extreme difficulty fighting against shields and spears, but let's be honest, which person armed with a two handed sword doesn't? I must engage in "well actually" here because you misplaced Lichtenauer by some 100 years - the so-called Codex Dobringer was first book the mentions Lichtenauer as the teacher of the author (although it is not clear whether he still lives) and was written somewhere in 1390-1490 period (the earlier you go in that span, the likelier it is), making the man himself late 14th century (if we very generously assume Lichtenauer was a master worth writing about at 30 at the time of writing, that gives us 1360-1460 at the latest). Tai Chi - I started with this one before moving in to more European pastures. It has much the same issue as aikido, the people rarely know which techniques are used when, or which ones are the bread and butter and which ones are situational. I mean, Tai Chi simplified sword form has 32 techniques, almost as much as the entirety of Fiore, and the longer forms have 100+, you need to cut that down to a much smaller number to learn how to fight effectively.

[@jeetyrrell]

Sadly what you say about Aikido and Tai Chi is true, the true arts have merit but almost no-one practices them with intention. The main exception to this rule in Aikido is the French, Christian Tissier has always taught intention and it shows. Go to pretty much any Aikido Dojo in France and you will see plenty of “intention” and quite a few members of the CRS/Gendarmerie.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Interesting my assumption with Lichtenauer was C14th, but after a quick check on Wiktenaur I went with C15th.

[@MartinGreywolf]

@@EnglishMartialArts Yeah, dating the damn thing is kinda difficult. Some people, who really, really want it to be older than I.33 even argue for early 1300s, but the best argument hinges on the calendar in the book. It goes from 1390-1490, so the argument is that there is little reason for a Hausbuch to have an old calendar, putting the date of writing at 1389. The counterargument to that is that because it is a Hausbuch, that calendar could well be something made earlier that just got included in the book later - which is possible, but again, there is little reason for someone to include that kind of calendar when it only has three years left before it becomes obsolete, so earlier dates are still more likely. Considering that Fiore was at the very least 40 when he wrote his first treatise (he moved a city, implying he was of age, in 1381), Lichtenauer is dated to late 14th century with a hefty asterisk. Treatises themselves do sort of support this, because I.33 makes no mention of the man in 1300, but Fiore sort of does in 1400, using a Lichtenauer tradition name as an alternate name for one of his guards.

[@tommygun333]

You mentioned long sword fencing but unfortunately other old fencing systems are quite different. For example Polish sabre fencing (with winged hussars so called black sabre, being able to join western and eastern kinds of cuts). It's a different animal. Laido and Indian styles are missing too. Still, a nice video with a thumb up! Regards

[@EnglishMartialArts]

The video was originally intended to be significantly longer, but I'm trying to work to a schedule and ran out of time!

[@tommygun333]

@@EnglishMartialArts Thank you for your response. I respect your efforts to answer so many comments 🙂

[@EnglishMartialArts]

@@tommygun333 I genuinely believe that if someone takes the time to comment on my video the least I can do is try to reply. I love the people I've met from this place!

[@tommygun333]

@@EnglishMartialArts so, I'm waiting for your next video as I enjoy them a lot.

[@WhatIfBrigade]

We had fencing in high school (meh) and I did empty hand Tai Chi but didn't do it long enough to try with a sword. Currently starting Kendo. I agree Kendo is maybe too invested in form over results, but the emphasis is on full force strikes to the head, neck and wrists and defending against the same. I think a fencer vs. Kendo practitioner in a real duel the most likely result would be the fencer gives the kendo fighter a stab wound and then has their head split in two. Don't want to get hit with a kendo after blow.

[@DjTractus]

Aikido is a supplemental art basically Hamburger helper 😉

[@maximusmeridius3380]

I grant you that for sword on sword Hema is probably superior. I trained in Aikido for 10 years. In my class alone the stories of having to use Aikido for self defense were numerous. There are few martial arts that on a consistent basis have someone attacking you and you have to do something. As much as we would like to walk around sporting a long sword, it just doesn't happen.

[@xXTUCXx1]

I practice "empty hand Tai chi" that comes from Earl Montague and I practice a sword form that contains a lot of the same movements. The sword form is nothing like the videos you showed here. It's very aggressive and contains a lot of powerful strikes as well as defensive postures and evasion. The big thing is definitely it's aggression and big hits with movement solely in there to generate power. It's quite a different mindset to the tai chi I do despite containing so many similar movements. There is also some focus on multiple enemy movements. How useful it is I'm not sure of but that's not why I do it, I have other martial arts under my belt for that purpose.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Earl Montague used to be a regular writer in my favourite MA mag when I was a teenager. Not a name I've heard in ages!

[@xXTUCXx1]

@@EnglishMartialArts my teacher was a student of his hence that's why I learn that form. I know little of the chap outside of the stories I'm told by my teacher. I gather he had a high belief in its martial application rather than what it's generally seen as today which is more a health thing. Having done other martial arts I'm not sure I agree however the thought behind some of the postures and movements are pretty brutal when they're broken down. I think his son has some KZbin videos up but I could be mistaken. I have seen Earl has some on here.

[@wanderingstranger8944]

Interesting. I do like 3 of the 1 on 1 sword sports. I do find that number 1 and 5 ( though contact) not much for fighting. Though we don't need swords in the modern day.

[@tommystefani8005]

You missed Lightsaber combat, Krabi Krabong and Kalaripayattu.

[@TaijiFencing]

What an awesome video! Thanks for including tai chi sword in your review! If you ever want to do a video or series on taiji fencing, I'd love to work on something together; maybe even hop the pond! Great channel you have going. ~New Subscriber Xia

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Thank you. Welcome to the fight team!

[@100dfrost]

Fight team indeed.

[@Tanjutsu4420]

Buddy Aiki is part of what you know of as jujitsu

[@jorgemiguelfalcao9644]

I would like for you to mention your thoughts on "tire machèt" an haitian martial art practiced with machetes. Hope im not bothering you.

[@EnglishMartialArts]

Not bothering at all. You're the second person to mention that to me this week, it must be a sign!

[@edkushnerick2090]

well, I personally know they guy you have in the opening tai chi sword..

[@davidwayne9982]

Well, with your voice as is now-- you can master a good CLINT EASTWOOD impersonation. !HA-- hope it gets better-- might want to do a covid home test kit.. to be SAFE.