HEMA at Home - Feints (British Military Swordsmanship)

The ongoing series teaching British Military Swordsmanship from home. This is working from Roworth (1798-1824), and is for all military swords used on foot, including Broad sword, sabre, spadroon, hanger and cutlass.

[@Psiberzerker]

I love how you differentiated between Beginners, Experienced fencers, and "Crazies." Keep in mind that in modern Fencing, there's minimal risk. You're not really going to be run through, and killed. If you do get cut (First blood) it's not going to abscess, go to gangrene, and get that limb amputated after months of agony, it's basically a plaster, and onto the next bout. So, some fighters, even experienced Fencers can just abandon the fascade, or momentarily ignore it to do something that would be suicidal in a swordfight, but this is Fencing, so at most they risk a point. You may not be prepared for that, because it would be "Crazy" in a real fight. I've lost to this, because an experienced Crazy used that mindset against me. Granted, he told me earlier that "Nobody does this:" Then he did it, to teach me a lesson. Nobody in his right mind would, but you can, because at most, you're risking a point.

[@cameronnedrow9353]

Hello nick, because of your fencing videos especially ones from this hema at home series I am incredibly interested in British military saber now. I find the upright posture and a focus on having a wide range of motion as well as proper body mechanics to be very effective and elegant to watch thank you for this knowledge that seems to be forgotten by most people in modern times

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

Great, glad you are enjoying it, good luck with your training

[@DamonYoungYT]

Lovely discussion, especially the dangers of the feints with foolhardy opponents.

[@BladeFitAcademy]

Excellent video, Nick! I always appreciate your methodical style of teaching with just the right amount of context. I also like how you break it down to the "street" level citing personal experience. This series is probably one of your best.

[@SmigGames]

Good point about the mass at the tip

[@18ps3anos]

that's why if you use a wooden stick, without added counterbalance near the "handle", leaving its point of balance pretty much at the center of the stick, it will be harder to control the point, therefore your feints will also be slower.

[@ochs-hema]

I wrote a Essay about Feints

[@stewartgaudin2023]

Really interesting video. Thanks for posting.

[@Psiberzerker]

A feint doesn't have to start out as a Feint. You might go for a real attack, and treat it as a feint, depending on how the opponent reacts (instead of parrying, he goes for Footwork, or whatever.) Ultimately, you're expecting some sort of reaction from the opponent, otherwise, it's not really effective. You're trying to draw a parry, or just keep them moving around if it's not a static stance. (Depends on the style, and the opponent.) So, you can circle around, and feint feint feint... Strike! Another thing that feints can do is wear down the opponent, or his concentration, once they stop taking a series of feints seriously. It also keeps the tempo up, like the taps of the hammer on the anvil from a blacksmith. (I'm more of an armorer than a fighter, honestly.) This is another thing the opponent may, or may not be reacting to, your tempo, so you can change it up in the Feint Feint Feintstrike! Series.

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

Yeh, this is outlined in the double feint section. Where you adjust from attack to feint depending on their reactions. Just as if you feint and they don't react, or don't react enough to defend the theoretical strike, you can continue and strike using the forcing and battering principles.

[@Psiberzerker]

@@AcademyofHistoricalFencing Right, or follow through on a Feint when it's not reacted to... I've had that happen, especially in Sabre (Olympic style, but not Olympic level fencing) because it's basically sword-tag. A tap counts for a point, so if you don't react to the Feint, they can follow through, and still score a point. IDK if this applies to Singlestick, or British Military Fencing, however. I have a Singlestick, but I haven't been trained formally.

[@markvick6138]

you should do as Zachary wylde tell you to do ,keep your are stiff without bowing the elbow joint your point at opposer right eye ,dexter outside and your body , hollow as you can and all you need to do is turn your knuckles in to come into sinister inside so the feints will not work and you don't also get hit by the 3 & 4 cut . and broad sword play is "circularly" .why do you think that the old 1711 was replaced by Roworth ? as the old wylde is a better for combat

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

If you like Wylde then that's nice for you, but this series is about understanding military swordsmanship in the Napoleonic era, so Wylde has no part to play in it. Not that it's therefore relevant here, but Wylde wasn't replaced by Roworth and better than. It's simply a different manual from a different period. Methods change, sometimes they improve, and sometimes they adjust because of the teacher, weapons or context. But as almost anyone who studies systems from a range of periods will tell you, there are a range of methods that can work effectively if you train them well.

[@markvick6138]

@@AcademyofHistoricalFencing sorry didn't mean to up set you just tying to find out why the complete charge in the way the back- broad sword use ? did the old system die out ? how from 1711 wylde to 1795 henry angelo new method, it could not be because of the small sword as its the first weapon the wylde teaches along with the quarter staff & wrestling was this a class thing ? or had it just died out in 84 years .I have trained in both and there is a big difference and I have never found out why ?

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

It doesn't upset me, it is just frustrating when people want to judge a method of instruction by a method from a different period or style. It's simply not relevant. Comparing styles can be interesting, but not on instructional videos about a specific style/period. Now why do things change over time? All sorts of reasons. They don't necessarily get better or worse. You might personally find one works better than another, but once again, many methods can work exceptionally well. There is no "one true way". It's completely human and normal for people to change methods of training and instruction as they find what works better for themselves, for changing weapons and circumstances. I think you'll find that is all there is to it. Instructors adapting things as they best saw fit. This isn't even just about the passage of time either, as you'll find contemporary masters/manuals with hugely different views and methods.