AHF Sword and Buckler sparring Esther vs Nick

A Sparring bout between Nick, one of the instructors at the club, and Esther who has been training for just under one year in the AHF. She has been taught longsword and sabre, but favours the sword and buckler.

[@HSnake5]

4:54 WOW that was flawless. Amazing swordplay from both.

[@JimGiant]

Really impressive for one year training. Sword and buckler is my favourite combo too.

[@Est292]

Thank you! I'm really impressed with my progress!

[@gonzomanxx]

Esther Gibson very impressive, congrats!

[@Est292]

gonzomanxx Thank you! I absolutely love it, can't imagine life without hema now!

[@JimGiant]

I'd sub if you started uploading videos.

[@feelz_4_dayz885]

It almost looks like a dance. A dance of death.

[@FossilFishy]

Count me among the impressed with Esther's abilities after just a year. Good stuff. One of the things that I find curious is how Nick begins most passes with his leg on the sword side forward and Esther does the opposite. It strikes me that Nick's choice allows for more use of the point via lunging and maybe is a bit of an advantage, or at least it does against someone who holds the opposite stance, if that makes any sense. Disclaimer: I was trained in sport fencing in the 80's by someone who was very traditional*, my technique (such as it is) is much more like small sword than it is like current sport fencing. But that still means I'm pretty ignorant of cutting techniques, much less ones using a buckler, so forgive me if this is a bit naive. *His instructor had Mensur scars.

[@Nikos3000]

Yep, she has progressed very well indeed. Her handwork and dedication has had her really pushing students that have been at the club a lot longer. In terms of footwork, she has done more longsword (from Meyer) than anything else and thats why she's fallen into the habit of almost always starting left foot forward and using passing steps for most actions. On the other hand, I primarily teach rapier and sabre, and therefore a right foot forward stance utilising lots of lunges is much more instinctive to me. Either can work very well. Counters to mostly low thrusts are the next thing for Esther to work on.

[@FossilFishy]

Cheers for the explanation Nick, makes sense. Passing foot work is completely foreign to me and I find it fascinating to watch.

[@sammcgurran8142]

Thank you for being the first channel with actual sparring I've found all night!

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

No problem. But you have found my old personal channel. Come and checkout the club channel that I am now posting from. It has a lot more and varied content, including a tonne of sparring.

[@rede513]

that was some great sparring.

[@Pamjamelia]

Esther had only been there a year when this was uploaded and she fights like a pro. I would love to get into HEMA properly but right now I only have means of solo training. I'll be getting a Rawlings starter kit soon enough and possibly a second one so if someone wants to act as a training dummy -- I MEAN sparring partner -- then I will have someone to train with... or train them with what I know so far. The closest HEMA school to me is about two hours away and I'm not sure if they teach in what I'm interested in learning: being the arming sword. I understand setting up a group and all that but I don't have the money or means to. Ah, well. I'm only 19 so there's plenty of time for all that later down the line. Watching these helps me pick up on a few things as well so I'm happy with that for now.

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

Haha indeed. Going at it with confidence and aggression really helps you develop quickly with a sword style like sword and buckler. I wish you every luck with it. Some basic kit and two swords is enough for a group of people to get started. You certainly need to find some likeminded people locally and start partnered drills asap.

[@Pamjamelia]

It won't be easy finding like-minded people in a rural area like where I live but I do intend to find some as soon as I can. And thank you.

[@Ty_The_Bonsai_Guy]

I was under the impression that bucklers were used with the arming sword. I thought that once the sidesword and backsword with their caged hilts came into use that the buckler went out of use. Yet I often see HEMA people using bucklers with rapiers, sideswords, backswords and even the Roman gladius. I'm curious if this was actually done historically or if it just a modern HEMA practice to use bucklers with all these various swords? I don't know much about European martial arts but I find it very interesting. Thanks.

[@Lukos0036]

Damn she's fast.

[@joaomelo7538]

Really nice video. And I have a suggestion to make, could you upload a mixed weapons sparring between raiper and dagger vs sword and buckler. If that is possible of course, I just think it would be really interesting the see how the fight evolves.

[@Nikos3000]

Yep, good suggestion, we haven't done it in a while and not ever got a video of it. Will get one done asap.

[@joaomelo7538]

Thank you

[@Nikos3000]

João Melo I uploaded a Rapier and Dagger vs Sword and Buckler video last night. It is an almost 15 minute fight, you will find it as my most recent upload.

[@joaomelo7538]

Thank you, will watch when possible

[@johnbr59]

Nick really is a master swordsman! its a pleasure watching his technique in both defense and attack. this fight would have been over in the first minute with those brutal upward thrusts to the neck. At that stage in the fight poor Esther had barely got a hit in!

[@loyalsausages]

Awesome videos! Aspiring authors looking for realistic swordplay to draw inspiration from need look no further than KZbin and top notch videos like this one :).

[@MontChevalier]

After 5:00 I realised that was it. It was over. He had her number. He was anticipating every single move from her completely. He realised her weakness was the belly and then he took advantage of that. The sad thing is: I don't think she ever learned from that.

[@Darthbelal]

Of all the swords and sword techniques I've seen, (Kendo, rapier, rapier and dagger, longsword) I think I'd choose the sword and buckler for personal defense.

[@Pamjamelia]

I know this is the second comment I've made but I forgot to ask something: what brand of bucklers are they using in this video?

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

Cold Steel.

[@Pamjamelia]

Alright. Thank you.

[@chancemaster]

Hi! Imperssive video! Could you please tell what kind of bracers is Nick wearing?

[@Nikos3000]

They are police riot arm guards, made by UK company Deenside. I prefer them to those models made for what we do, and they also are very cheap in military surplus stores, meaning I can usually keep stocks to sell on to students.

[@chancemaster]

HEMA Instructor Nick Thomas Thanks! I'll try to find a way to buy it outside of UK.

[@mikasosa1]

where can i join something like this here in vancouver wa or portland? I would love to know

[@dashiellharrison4070]

+Carlos Sosa The Portland OR area has three quite good HEMA schools. Look up Indes Western Martial Arts, North West Armizare, or, my personal favorite, Sword Guild Portland.

[@steelpanther88]

I must applaud on the strategic choice of pants on the part of the female fighter... Gaze is drawn away from the dangerous swordpoint, to other area... xD

[@Est292]

Why, thank you! Haha they're just so easy to move in and if it causes a distraction then win win!

[@braviary7212]

Man I really want to get involved with this kind of stuff... it Looks fun and exciting it is unfortunate that the nearest HEMA school is 3 hours away :////

[@Nikos3000]

That is a shame. Best thing you can do Is attend some national or international weekend events whenever you can to get lessons from good instructors, and start your own study group in your area. All you need to get going is one like minded person, a few bits of gear and some books or video guides. It's a slow and long process without an instructor, but the only way if you don't have regular access to one.

[@setiawansetiawan5103]

The closest hema community y - not school, there's none where I live - is 5 hours away

[@TheVanguardFighter]

What treatise is this from? I am jnterestesd in swI rd and buckler, but not sure which source to look at

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

As a club we only teach longsword, rapier (and companion weapons), and sabre from distinct treatise. That is all we have time for. We do the odd session on sword and buckler/rapier and dagger combined with universal principals (as Giganti tells us the sword and dagger and sword and buckler are used the same). Lots of people in our club enjoy and use buckler, and are therefore using the principals of rapier and dagger (from Capo Ferro and Giganti), and Sabre (Rowarth/Taylor).

[@TheVanguardFighter]

Cool, I have fenced rapier and dagger for several years. Good to know a sword and buckler is not so different from that

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

N Arri Nope, you can apply everything you know from rapier and dagger to sword and buckler. The only thing really to consider is to increase the ratio of cuts to thrusts, but using all the same principals and techniques, and depends on the rapier system, you might want to introduce left foot (or lead foot) forward stances as well as right foot. I teach rapier from Capo Ferro who is adamant that the lead foot should be forward in guard, but this doesn't have to be the case with sword and buckler.

[@TheVanguardFighter]

Thank you.

[@judgeholden6761]

The classic place to start is I.33 i think

[@Duchess_Van_Hoof]

I do notice a large difference in style. I have been taught to have a forward leaning stance with shield in front of me and sword in contact with the buckler. And to combine the two: two handed parries and two handed thrusts. And you seem to use some sort of messer/backsword, we usually use viking swords. With me being a notable exception, weilding a long italian sidesword.

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

Forward leaning stances and the combining of the weapons is popular because of the number of people studying from the i.33 manuscript. But we work from renaissance and onwards sources where stances are typically (though not always) more upright, and the weapons separated. This works much better for complex hilted swords, though I find it works much better for open hilted ones too. To combine weapons gives strong parries on first engagement, but slow responses and less options on the counter. Also leaving openings against those who do not combine.

[@Duchess_Van_Hoof]

Good explenation and good points. I personally struggle to keep the forward leaning stance due to previous karate training where my favoured stance is the same as in a lot of rapier manuals.

[@BrownBessOwner]

What does AHF mean? I already tried google and cant seem to get an answer there

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

It is our club name. You are posting on one of our old channels, now the instructors share the club channel I am now posting from.

[@jj987987987]

Esther is the one on the left? Was he more familiar training with a broadsword and saber?

[@ryanmeade1423]

(2 years late) she dueled with longsword primarily.

[@MrRohran]

Is the weight of these swords too different from actual steel ones?

[@Nikos3000]

Depending on what type of original sword you are comparing them to, they come out anywhere from 4/5th to 2/3rds original weight. We have quite a mix of training weapons in the club, these are a nice safe trainer. Our steel sabres in recent videos for example are matched exactly to original swords for weight and handling, same as the basket hilt/schiavona fight.

[@MrRohran]

Yes I have watched quite a lot of your basket hilt and schianova fights (nice job on those btw!), I guess the sound of metal clashing with metal is just a little more exciting for me. Where I train people are hesitant of trying anything other than rapiers for fear of getting hurt due to the slashing motions other weapons have; I keep telling them it can't be much worse than with the rapiers (with the necessary protection) but oh well, people don't listen. Maybe if I show them these training alternatives it could change their minds.

[@MrRohran]

Oh and on a second note could you please tell me what protective equipment you use for these fights?

[@Nikos3000]

TheTrueRohran It can be much worss trust me. The rapier is a weapon that can be used at full contact with the sort of gear we wear, as they flex well and hit comparatively lightly in terms of blunt force trauma in the cuts. Sabres and basket hilts hit a lot harder. Biggest concern is the hand and wrist, depending on the hilt type, as they all provide a nice amount of protection, but still with plenty of gaps. I would definitely recommend going on to other weapons, but some gear will likely have to be changed and their is an increased risk of injury. I am wearing our standard setup here. SPES fencing jacket, Leon Paul coaching mask with SPES back of the head protector. Brushcutter leg guards, police riot arms and gloves. There are more purpose built HEMA options now, but I like this setup. For open hilts we would add heavier gloves, such as the Arcensis, Knight Shop, SPES or Sparring glove company models.

[@MrRohran]

Thank you very much, I have been trying to find directions on what protective gear to buy for a long time. It's very hard to get this type of stuff here in Brazil (since tariffs more than triple their price and nobody produces it domestically), but I will see if I can bring some of these items next time I go traveling (they shouldn't be that hard to find in the US right?), it would be great to add some variety to our club. Also, when you say that you can't/shouldn't use basket hilts and sabres at full contact you mean that you should not use full strength on strikes right? Again, thank you

[@dukeofburgundy4229]

Was the guy in white wearing a gamberson of some sort?

[@Nikos3000]

Yes, a battle re-enactor who came along to his first session with us that night.

[@dukeofburgundy4229]

Ahh thanks for the reply. :)

[@Duchess_Van_Hoof]

So it is called a gambeson in English as well? The large padded coat thing?

[@doctor7752]

3:20 Aboose

[@jonnyy4088]

Think i'd put money on Esther in a real fight.