Learn the Art of Combat - Pike Fundamentals

A weapon that lasted for centuries - the Pike. A video about the basic handling after fencing master Joachim Meyer.
Timemarks:
0:00 Start
0:20 Introduction
1:07 Transport
2:04 Guards
3:26 Thrusting
8:29 Summary
Frequently asked questions:
What kind of pike is that?
The Pike is a three-part simulator from jesterofblades.de/
The prototype of this pike has become a bit too wobbly. However, a certain degree of flexibility is important for safe sparring. We'll see how the final product will be. But it can be a little stiffer.
Is a pike so wobbly?
The pike is a little more wobbly than usual with the original. It is a sparring version for safe practice. The material is ash.
Why are you thrusting way too high? Are the thrusts against horsemen?
The thrusts could go against horsemen but are usually against enemy pikemen. The reason why I thrust so high is because I don't have a target in the solo performance and it doesn't play a role in the presentation. Setting the thrust a little lower or higher is no problem.
Where do you get your pants from?
highhillpants.wixsite.com/ind...
Are your one-hand thrusts suitable for a formation?
Usually not. However, a martial art covers a lot of possibilities. I have also found the one-handed parades to be very useful. Even in dense environment. A weapon-art should always be learned completely, even if rather simple techniques are used in a formation.
Are these techniques you invented?
No. You can find all the techniques in a fencing book from 1570.
wiktenauer.com/wiki/Joachim_M...
You need a pop-filter!
I know xD

[@87NightHunter]

Damn man, good time posting that, im going to defend my village tomorrow against marauder cavalery and needed some lessons in piking

[@konnii1]

its the fuckin cossacks again ain't it!?

[@krileym]

I dismounted three cavalrymen utilizing "thrust from high guard" and mortally wounded one with a subsequent "parry and thrust with one hand" - I'm glad I watched til the end

[@lancehandy6648]

Cavalry

[@Oooweee440]

need some back up? i will only need your prettiest maiden.

[@ethan3757]

Did you win?

[@Yoctopory]

My brain at 2am: "This will come in handy if I'm ever in a medieval battle."

[@billyelliot4141]

Will come in handy when they try to give u the clotshot

[@Yoctopory]

@@billyelliot4141 I'm already vaccinated twice. I think it's the responsible thing to do.

[@ctrlaltdebug]

@@Yoctopory Lol what?? It doesn't protect you or other people! Data from Israel show it's worse than nothing, and even healthcare worker data in the US shows ~10% effectiveness.

[@Dayvit78]

*Renaissance battle....

[@ctrlaltdebug]

@@Dayvit78 Also Hellenistic battle...

[@oltyret]

Pike manual-of-arms is strangely mesmerizing. I imagine some kills were achieved when the opponent simply didn't react in time.

[@umartdagnir]

This is exactly what I needed. Longswords are no longer good enough to keep social distancing with Delta spreading around.

[@ScottGrow117]

Problem: Must social distance, but must also still engage in melee combat… Solution: Pike dueling. 😂😂😂

[@bruisedhelmet8819]

Welp, there you go, convincing me to get a pike.

[@basedcrocodile3477]

Kind of weird that this new plague just feels like a bad cold.

[@vincentlee7359]

Just use a grenade. People won't try to come close lmao.

[@ScottGrow117]

@@basedcrocodile3477 also kind of weird how there were no flu cases last year… 🤔

[@mr_clean91]

Something that surprised me was how much the pike flexed during the movements, even without a heavy metal spearhead attached. I had always imagined pikes being very stiff and straight, but after watching this, it's clear some flexibility is desirable. Are there any period sources that discuss this? I imagine it would be an important factor for anyone detailing the design and construction of these weapons to address, especially for professionals like the Swiss Pikemen or Landsknechts.

[@dingus_doofus]

I'm assuming this is required to keep the pike from breaking due to the extreme forces applied to the tip during fast swinging movements. What doesn't bend, breaks.

[@Gothmetalhead13]

Pike were known to suffer from droop when presented, its the sheer weight of the weapon itself. Still, I was a little surprised by all the flexing. It may be the nature of the wood used here.

[@rayray6490]

I think all wood, even the stronger hardwood would flex at such lengths. I would assume some flex would be desired as well since if the shaft is rock solid, all that hand shock is gonna be rough

[@koekiejam18]

I too was suprised by how “flacid” the pike was

[@SteinGauslaaStrindhaug]

Even things that look pretty rigid at normal speed looks rather floppy in slow motion. Everything that feels like it's vibrating is really flopping around really fast.

[@MyCommentsRMaturelol]

HELL YES. I've been looking for good sources on spears for sooo long. Straight from the texts is ideal. I love how it behaves similar to a whip, despite really preferring rigid spears, until now at least. I would looove to see more on this. The one handed techniques are amazing. Before now I would either couch the lance and charge to my doom, or grab a sword.

[@matthewmendoza7417]

Einstein: ...ww4 will be fought with sticks and stones. Pike Bois: *thrusting intensifies

[@Inertia888]

has ww3 already come to an end?

[@GrumpyGremlin.]

@@Inertia888 Yes, didn't you heard? It was on yesterdays news, they announced humans as winners, people lost. Earth stayed as neutral again like it always does. Some of the people died some of the humans also died, one guy said he was very pissed off about the outcome. We still don't know the exactly the future will hold, but it seems things will happen somewhere according to the scientists. President of nation said this isn't over while the king of country promised nothing like this will ever happen, but when asked from professional experts they all said maybe. But hey at least it's official now.

[@NiThZo]

​@@Inertia888 No, WW4 will hit so hard, it will skip the 3rd one.

[@GrumpyGremlin.]

@@NiThZo But wouldn't that mean WW5 is then fought with sticks and stones?

[@Insertnamesz]

Estinien: *jumping and thrusting intensifies*

[@frost8077]

One-handed reverse gripping a 20ft pike to attack an opponent behind while blocking them... I need more of this.

[@yakamen]

In the U.S. Army infantry school at Fort Benning, GA we were taught the modern light infantry had roots in pikemen. Now, in machinegun theory there's a thing called the "beaten zone". That is due to vibration of the barrel the rounds are fired in a conical pattern. The beaten zone is the fall of those rounds as they strike a target area. Not a point target, but many points, on a spot of ground one hopes covers an enemy position. I imagine the kill zone of a pike formation, or the beaten zone of a pike fighter's variable thrust -- was the Rennaissance form of the beaten zone. (A little bit different from the bulls-eye of precision marksmanship.)

[@coldwhitesky]

Reminds me of the way german machinegunners in WWI would shoot in a pattern towards where they thought the enemy was, so that there was a constant "beating zone" over the trench.

[@yakamen]

@@coldwhitesky Yeah, not just the Germans. A good machinegunner "searches" and "traverses" i.e. vertical and horizontal fanning. So the concept of enfilade is the length of your beaten zone corresponds with the length of the enemy formation (you sweep across their entire lateral) which instantly raises the probability of multiple kills. So when I see that pike head wobbling up and down I instantly remember they taught us 1.8 meters was the average length of a "man-sized target" for quickly estimating hits. That pike head moving up and down when he's thrusting is actually raising his probability of hitting a moving torso -- by a lot.

[@RM-ee6lw]

Very interesting, thanks for sharing.

[@stritschar-hfs]

I think your video clarifies very nicely what I also noticed when fooling around with a pike: 1. the incredible reach when doing Meyer's stances. you easily cover 2 Meters when stepping and thrusting. 2. difficulty in aiming is obvious, requires a lot of training. The point is dangling all over the place. 3. not giving away what you are planning is hard since you need to give your pike a little upward momentum when doing something. 4. recovering is not an easy thing. pike handling as such is not just a point stick going stabby-stabby, pikemen need a lot of physical strength and endurance! Thank you for this great video!

[@ravener96]

not sure if the giving away is that big a deal since there are so many pikes in the air, and there are a lot of people in your strike zone. it's concievably way too many pointy things flying around in front of you to see the one aimed for you.

[@stritschar-hfs]

Hey @@ravener96 , I completely agree in a formation situation. However, pike combat after Meyer, as depicted here, is, as odd as it seems, for a dueling situation. Meyer writes about formation and battlefields at a later point.

[@jesgaijen823]

* Sad stabby-stabby noises*

[@Olav_Hansen]

@@ravener96 Against someone with good reflexes with some training to it will be able to dodge quite a lot of attacks. Looking at this video, thrusts are more likely to go a bit high, so ducking when an attack is approaching could help a lot already.

[@Olav_Hansen]

@@stritschar-hfs I think that in battlefield situations it might be better not to commit in a thrust to much, because if you commit you end up out of formation and end up taking thrusts.

[@eecubical]

Me and other ppl played around with the pike formations long time ago, at least 20 years have passed. Its not to easy to deal with the pikes at all. Authors make it it sound simple to cut it with a big heavy sword, but reality was less cherishable. The pike is in the air, and mostly likely the person holding the pike will not cooperate with the cutting process. Limited success was achieved by hooking the pike upwards with the polearm. If the hook is sharp enough to cut into the wood and bind with it for a moment, someone else was able to go past the pike point forward. "Limited success" here is because other pikemen in the formation will make a hedgehog out of that halberdier pretty fast. But, I think its how its been done in the past: mixed group with halberds and great swords. Halberds dealing with pulling or redirecting pikes and great swords moving past the pike's points to cut closer to hands or hands themselves. But again, it was really long time ago, maybe there was something else, I forgot about.

do you read my article about Schlachtschwerter?The topic about the pike-cutting is shortly discussed there :)

[@eecubical]

@ No, not yet, will look into it.

​@@eecubical hroarr.com/article/the-use-of-the-german-battle-sword-in-the-late-16th-and-early-17th-century/

[@eecubical]

@ Thank you!

[@dawidkujawski3340]

Suddenly the hussars’ lance could be over 6 metres long - longer than a pikeman’s pike (which averaged about 5 metres in length). ... then the winged hussars arrived.

[@TopGunSnake]

It's great seeing videos on some of the less-covered weapons in modern HEMA. Saw that you linked jesterofblades for the pike in the description. I don't seem to see a model in their shop. Was it a custom order?

Yes it was...but i think you can contanct him anyway. It was a prototype and it will be improved atm.

[@highviewbarbell]

i dont wanna be a barbarian here...but ya know...you could just cut, shave and sand a sapling of appropriate length, at least for practice

[@dan_the_dj]

@@highviewbarbell And also spend quite a lot of time straightening, drying and restraightening, by which time the maker would have improved his design, made and sent you a new one xD

[@RadicalEdward_115]

@@dan_the_dj if you dont respect the weapon craft dont bother using it. Pikes need alot of maintenance and you sound incompetent

[@dan_the_dj]

@@RadicalEdward_115 Beg your pardon?

[@NoName-lo9ym]

Bjorn - showing YOU the weapons no-one wants to talk about. BIG BOY TOOLS

[@wayneparker9331]

This is an excellent video that displays how very difficult a weapon the pike was to use and master. I've been studying military history since the 1970s and in particular the warfare of the period 1450-1660. Your video really shows how the pike was a weapon that was part of a system, i.e. pikemen had to be organized in mass formations to be effective tactically. This was a lesson the ancient Greeks and Macedonians knew intimately and Europeans rediscovered these lessons in the late medieval period. Great camera work was also a big plus. Nice work!!!

[@WMfin]

Yes! I have grown huge interest in spears, pikes and poles lately. Great video!

[@Khrene]

3:00 Ahhh! Thanks so much for this! I dont have access to manuals, an instructor, or a staff this long and I was curious if key guard from German longsword would function using a pike or another very long weapon. I felt it out and decided it was goofy not use more of the pole, and extended my hand back and recognized how much point control having 3 points of contact made.

[@GERdeathstar]

Very interesting and well-explained, thanks. I like seeing weapons other than swords covered in great detail like this. Also, pike goes wobble wobble

[@Ocker3]

I am always jealous of this lovely hedge as a backdrop :)

[@asterisk606]

This is fantastic! Great information. Thank you for doing the research and demonstrating these.

[@sethlifelong4250]

Nice work Bjorn. This would not be my weapon of choice but i can see how effective it can be. The single hand movements can also be deceptive within a large group of pikemen. We learn from every weapon and this was a good video. Well done man!

[@DamienDemiGod]

I save so many of these videos to come back and rewatch them. Your videos are the best !

[@BachataKnight]

Never knew they were so wobbly. Nice video! First pike tutorial I've ever seen.

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

They weren't, at least not the good ones. Sir John Smythe wrote in his 1594 treatise: "Also I would that the staues of the piques should bee of a tite and stiffe ashe, and not of ashe that dooth sagge, and bend when the piquers doo carrie their piques breast high before hand couched, because that such sagging and bending ashe, although it be verie tough yet it is more heauie then the other ashe: besides that the piquers cannot carry the points of such sagging, and bending piques so euen and straight in their Enemies faces, as they may carrie the other piques that doo not bend nor sagge, but are tite and straight."

[@doyouwanttogivemelekiss3097]

Almost any material of pike length will bend and flex noticeably (even carbon) - because the pike has a relatively small diameter compared to its length. Of course, an improper choice of woods will worsen the matter, but for reasons of physics, the issue will persist even with the best choice of material. However, an additional effect is something of an optical illusion: given how long the pike is, this video has probably been shot with a (relatively) wide angle lens, which may distort the angles around the image corners.

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

@@doyouwanttogivemelekiss3097The video description says the pike here is a three-part simulator. That sort of construction presumably increases the wobble. Renaissance pikes were typically made from a single piece of ash. I'm not saying they were perfectly rigid. The fact that Smythe criticized sagging pikes shows that it was an issue in period. But at least some of them wanted to minimize it, considering wobble detrimental to the pike's purpose.

[@chemicaldruid4591]

talking about maybe getting to do pike at HEMA club like two days ago Björn: i gotchu homie

[@bruisedhelmet8819]

I love that you added narration. Your voice sounds exactly as I'd expect. Although a comical high pitched one would have had me laughing while learning.

I'm sorry for disappointing you xD

[@bruisedhelmet8819]

@ Your channel is too professional for this, or at least you are: but it would be hilarious if you did one video where you breathed helium and still narrated like nothing changed. Sorry, working thru mundane nonsense so I am watching KZbin to keep my brain from melting.

[@gorr3275]

great tutorial- full profi, easy to grasp and then practice. Thanks Bjorn- this will be useful! :)

[@ryujy9683]

Nice mastering of that wobbeling thing! * - * Excellent video btw!

[@alejodavies]

Amazing how steady you can keep the point!

[@claudiocarrera9552]

You Sir, are a Gentlman & a Scholar, I salute you from Aotearoa - New Zealand.

[@thillerson]

Great as always, thank you, Björn. BTW, I found your voice a lot easier to hear than on previous videos, thanks for paying attention to that. There are some hard pops, which are noticeable, but it's definitely a lot easier to hear.

Thank you. I also noticed the pops... hope I can fix it somehow, maybe a filter...

[@thillerson]

@ Without knowing your setup, I'd suggest a compressor or limiter early in the signal chain, but that may not be something you can do.

[@ArcticWolfGod]

Damn, I had no idea something like Pike could be used with one hand.

[@krystofcisar469]

I t could. Although I¨d never hire a one handed guy to be pikeman :D

[@GrumpyGremlin.]

Akimbo?

[@affanhasby822]

They learn one handed to anticipate if they got injured in the battle

[@nekrataali]

Did pikemen also carry parry weapons in the other hand? I notice he had is less dominate hand close to his face. Seems like having a parry dagger or small buckler in the off-hand could be useful in case you ran into rodeleros or Landsknechte. Of course, you're at a serious disadvantage with your pike trying to use it one-handed with a buckler vs. a guy who specializes in killing pikemen using a sword n' board, so it probably isn't as useful as just maintaining a formation.

[@ryhannag1599]

you'd likely have neither a "parry" dagger and/or buckler. maybe you'd have a shortsword, an axe, or a club depending how rich you were, but the point of a pike and a spear is to maintain distance. if you're getting overrun as a pikeman you have bigger issues to worry about like surviving, not necessarily fighting

[@waseatenbyagrue]

This is really good to know. I am enlisting in the US Army pike/shot regiment in a few months and want to know some basics beforehand.

What kind of Regiment is that? Can you provide some details?

[@waseatenbyagrue]

@ Sorry I was joking, I should have made it clearer. I still love your content though! I was just practicing in the yard with a long paddle. Parry and thrust with one hand is unbelievably cool!

[@keepitsteel1993]

I just bought a mobility stick due to impulsiveness and have no idea how to use it..so this video is really helping

[@adranscyth1556]

fantastic stuff! already i trained some of the thrusts in the backyard, this to full delight of my neighbours

[@JamesLaserpimpWalsh]

Excellent video. Cheers for the upload. Subbed

[@ducagace1390]

Amazing video! I wish you the best! Take care.

[@Bundalaba]

That tip barely moved.Kudos on that instructor !

[@eugeonshaman2237]

Thank you my friend! Now my village survived!!!

[@alexkfridges]

woah, this is so cool. I've never seen a video covering how pikes like this were used

[@hootooncoi4199]

Excellent footwork and coordination on slow motion while one handed technics, I can see how much work you've done for us to see all that, thank you P.S. Hello from Russia 👍

[@sockpuppets7256]

I can only imagine how skilled the pikemen of the past were..soldiers who trained from a young age would be a sight to behold. great demonstration!

[@rod2d2rs]

I didn't know about this channel. Pretty good!

[@Fransens]

Media on Covid: Social Distancing! People: But how far is enough? Björn: PIKE!!

[@hugjuffs]

This is quite a beautiful dance. I had no idea pikes were used like this.

[@chinashorts1491]

That was quite informative.

[@Rhike]

Thank you for creating such good videos.

[@dwolfe2907]

that looks like an amazing work out routine

[@RestlessWandererOriginal]

Hab deinen channel frisch entdeckt, sehr nice

[@leone.6190]

"Es warb ein schöner Jüngling" ist ein tolles Introlied. 👍

[@OwenDW]

Omg thank you I’ve been looking for a tutorial on how to use my Pike for ages..

[@ayylmao3779]

Outstanding work!

[@RoverBlasto]

Thanks, great precious work.

[@Gellenter]

Great video, and the sound is also good :D

[@btCharlie_]

I like how the pike in the hands of an expert looks just as elegant as a sword.

[@favkisnexerade]

Absolutely want to see it in duels against other weapons! Never saw proper pike in a fight!

[@emptank]

It's amazing how much the staff bends as you move it. It's almost whip like in a lot of it's movement. You think of pikes as more ridged than that.

[@princeofcupspoc9073]

Huh? There's a ton of wiggle. It's amazing how stable he can keep the point.

[@Thechannel-yk7wp]

This guy's probably a BEAST at pool!

[@orthodox-mp6hv]

The video is amazingly well crafted. I found I am fascinated with pikemen and their arms and armour. The only peeve I have is that the prop is wiggling about like a noodle and it somewhat diminishes all the effort put into this presentation.

[@davidwells7279]

The old Pike ploy...yes, very helpful in my trips to the Supermarket.

[@comiksmaker9758]

Thanks for tutorial! I will use that forbidden knowledge to win in my dnd session!

[@mnk9073]

I'm going to assume all of these movements (apart from the more practice oriented ones) are supposed to happen in formation and most definitely not 1 v 1?

[@Siafk]

ofc

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

Joachim Meyer's techniques were for single combat & some require too much space to use in a formation. Meyer suggested a middle grip for the battlefield, which is a bit curious given how you rarely see pikers shown holding their pikes in the middle in formation & other military writers indicate holding the pike at the end. However, we do see a few other references to the middle grip on pikes.

[@RPclone]

I can see how a few of the rank would outright got stabbed after these wide flexing move. I suppose these must be done by the aft ranks on individual level, otherwise there would be a huge opening when the opponent could easily retaliate

[@greengarnet7534]

@@RPclone they can't stab you if they can't reach you... That thing is long enough.

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

@s wind I would think so, but Blaise de Monluc described the middle grip as the Swiss method & recommended it in one case of French pikers facing German ones, who Monluc said were better at fencing at the length of the pike. It worked in that instance. (The translation of this passage is contested; I need to check the original French again, but I believe the part about the middle grip is in there.) I don't know of any Swiss sources that corroborate this. With Meyer, I don't recall whether it was in the context of formation fighting on the field or earnest combat but not necessarily in formation. Giacomo di Grassi did mentioned how some folks liked the middle grip for dueling with the pike. (He recommended a sort of quarter grip between middle & end.) Antonio Manciolino recommended a middle grip for the lancia (12-14+ft?) against the spiedo (8ft?), also for single combat.

[@pistoneteo]

Someday you could make a video about push of pike or bad war. Very good video and very good chanel!! Congrats!

[@Juiceboxdan72]

At first glance, this looks like it would work best in formation with a forest of other pikes, like in those images you showed. I don't know the history behind these weapons, but I'm guessing that once used correctly within formation, it would be very impressive. I have always liked heavy weapons like this. The whole-body movements are reminiscent of the Chinese Guandao, at least when used on foot. The Guandao is a relatively rigid weapon, but you get the idea. These weapons are difficult to maneuver, total-body commitment is a must! Thanks for the video, it's very cool.

[@edenender]

Those pikes worked very well in formation, a lonely pikemen was a good prey

[@sternleiche]

They most likely were equipped with a sidearm

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

That's not necessarily true. George Silver gave the full 18ft pike the advantage over any weapon shorter than his perfect length of 8-9ft for single unarmored combat in the open. & people carried pikes of at least 13-14ft on the roads in late-16th-century England, either alone or small groups. Likewise, folks dueled with pikes extensively & armies had irregular pikers to support the shot who fought in loose order. The weight of evidence indicates that pikes were effective alone, in small groups in open order, & in massive close formations. The tight press of battle did the most make the pike unusable. Lots of 16th-century military writers noted this. Regular pikers in large units had to drop their pikes & fight with sidearms at times, during tough battles.

[@garroyo23]

Love your videos brother.

[@michaelmcatee221]

I love this!

[@midgetsow]

The thrusting portion would make such a good Geddan meme.

[@svesnimajmun2731]

An interesting thought has always gone through my mind. The pike not only being the most common couse its cheap and effective, but because back then, noblemen were actually taller on average than the commoners. And just watching the mechanics of pike using and the mechanics of a polearm or a sword shows that the pike is actually more useful used by a shorter man than a tall man. Because of the pike's lenght, the extra reach provieded by the longer arms is negligible, and a shorter man find it easier and less cumbersome to do the maneuvers, also taking up less space, allowing for a more tightly packed formation. On the other hand, a taller guy can make bigger swings, resulting in more force to better shove the pikes. Not only that, the taller man is also heavier, so his own weight is helping him. And his size while being an issue in formation, helps him breaking up the formation of the opposition.

[@yivrne]

Brilliant... thank you very much.

[@DreynHarry]

super Video Björn, vor allem der dezente Griffwechsel beim zweifachen Versatz/Stich ist Hammer(borg) :-) Wirklich genial! Ich hoffe da bald mehr zu sehen :-) grüße aus Wien! lg.

Mensch Harry, schön das es Dir gefällt :) Hoffe auch das ich mehr abfilmen kann...aber das Wetterfenster wird sich im hohen Norden bald schliessen xD

[@DreynHarry]

@ Nicht nur im hohen Norden - bei uns beginnt schon wieder die Heizsaison :-( - ist echt lächerlich dieses Jahr. Die dem auch sei - falls nicht lange Stange, dann halt noch mehr Schwert, weil ein Schwert is was wert und die Stange hält nicht lange. :-D

[@Diego51592]

im just sad i didnt find this channel before its awesome :D

[@zedooncadhz]

Thank God for this video

[@fabricio-agrippa-zarate]

this is great, just great!

[@drrandom2639]

You never know when you might need this

[@Simtar123]

I was just about to be drafted into a war campaign ⚔ so this is really fortunate timing, thank the lord. If I survive I'll thumbs up for sure. 😊👍

[@schibleh531]

I would love to see more stuff about axes (poleaxes, dane axe, one handed, 2h, whateva axe).

[@PalleRasmussen]

We do not have much, though I believe Fiore has some Poleax. Matt Easton theorises that they were used much like the big two-handed swords, and that is definitely a possibility.

[@kakabukkake0]

Finally something useful on youtube

[@user-kz8tn3zz2k]

It's very good. It's very different from the Chinese long gun, but there are similarities in some postures and techniques

[@samzion6605]

NICE! love it

[@talinpeacy7222]

With how much flex and sway that pike has, it seems like you could do some interesting movements to rapidly alter the angle and direction of attack. Sort of how some bow trick shooters can curve arrows around things, you could "whip and dip" the point around someone's guard and the pike springing back into shape from it's curve would be like a slash or stab from a wildly different direction.

[@AmarothEng]

Cool, now I need pike dual wielding. Got to give big props to the man. I trained in full 1300 mail set with 3m spear and that thing gets damn heavy when held at its end. All of this pike stuff is a serious workout, especially if you position your body in even slightly erroneous way.

[@noutram1000]

This is an interesting video that 'popped up' on my recommended page. I have to say it looks utterly exhausting and the handler looks like he has done a lot of gym work and been constantly well fed to get this fit. Is it realistic to believe that soldiers had the strength and endurance for lengthy battles even if they had time to do lots of training? It would be interesting to know if pike soldiers had commands to do formation attacks -surely so? I don't see a cavalry charge suppressing guard -perhaps with the rear end dug into the floor?

[@sejtano]

this is very different from what i expected

[@MohamadAmerulZufar]

Dear sir, your voice remind me of Darth Vader/James Earl Jones. I got to say your content is historical and such a niche. How does people in ancient/feudal times goes to war and in combat? You got me instantly as a subscriber.

[@BeatdownRevival]

100% Excellent!!!

[@tboudewijns113]

Bjõn, Love your content, but stil i have a few pointers on this topic. I understand your choice to hold 2 hands on the pike during transport. Although looking at historical images and from my own experiance this is not needed, if the pike is held in the correct way. Jacob de Ghein II also mentions a 4th way to transport the pike. In Dutch we call it "door de poort" (threw the gate) and it is almost in the middle of the feald guard and the upward carry position. The dragging position you show has the point a bit to far in front. I can understand your reasoning for this. But de Gheyn shows the pike draged just behind the point. A 17th century Italian source notes that this is often done near checkpoints so that the point can be manipulated in a relatively enclosed space. (And yes im a bit jealous, since i've been planning to do a simular video or video series on the Allemansend re-enactment channal) But stil love the knowledge and comtent you provide.

all your points are valid...the 4th position is so similar to the others that I left it out. You are absolutely right about the drawn transport. Unfortunately I noticed too late and everything was filmed. You can see it on the copper engraving quite well how to do it correctly :D

[@Daylon91]

VERY INTERESTING!

[@LearnedSome]

Pretty good video.

[@JosefGustovc]

Awesome stuff! Can I ask you what kind of wood is your pike made of? And where did you get it? And also it's measurements (weight, lenght, thickness at the base and point)? Danke!

Ash...the vendor is mentioned in the vid description.

[@vast634]

@ The pike looks quite flexible, is that a thing of the modern replica, or was than normal?

[@heavybolter6396]

I'd like to see your take on short spear and shield. There aren't any literature on this as far as I know, but you seem to have a good grasp on usage of weaponry.

[@demomanchaos]

From my experience there is a rather large difference between single combat and groups. In groups you want to use your reach to ward off the enemy, prod for an opening, and then strike (Rarely at the lad opposite you, most of your hits will be on those not directly watching you). In single combat your reach is an easily exploitable disadvantage so you must keep your point retracted, keeping it just a bit ahead of your shield and focusing on exploiting openings the opponent gives you tends to be the key. One thing to note is that when retracted the bit of the haft behind your hand can be used to manipulate the spear by using your torso and elbow as points of a lever. Another interesting thing is that due to the nature of the spear and shield enemies with shields are extremely difficult to beat (It is very difficult to create your own openings, thus you rely on them giving you one) but people that lack shields are free snacks. Normally two-handed weapons are a menace for sword and board users, but the spear means you don't have to close nearly as much (Though keeping your point retracted is still advised). The spear when used with a shield is best suited for counter-hits and without a shield to worry about trying to get around the baddies with two-handed weapons are going to have a very hard time. That said single handed spears tend to not be the best choice against armor, so have a back-up ready.

[@enriquejavier8056]

A lot of people seem to miss the fact that this weapon was used mass formations, and not a one v one killing tool. It doesnt matter if it bounces around, with hundreds of pikes pointed in your direction theres not much you can do. It severely limits your options. You either try and go through them (very difficult) or you move away (which may be the entire purpose).

[@afoninja121]

Damn that looks heavy

[@Tiger74147]

First, what is that beautiful opening music from! Second, awesome video. Much more nuance to the pike than I previously appreciated. Specifically, what would the Side Guard and Change be used for? Would love seeing more!

[@sanquiniusdeus7807]

Top, danke dafür 🤘

[@basp-ef7jx]

I would be really neat to see a thousand or more hema practitioners moving against each other in formation with pikes.

[@TheLegendaryGentleman]

*desire to know more intensifies*

[@flyingdeathcatsgo]

Crazy how much time the pike stays on the ground. Though it makes sense considering it's weight and length.

[@heroiccombatengineer6018]

Nice thx, now I know how to stop the riot cavalry 😎

[@chauchemares]

Ok, now I know what the biggest challenge in learning the pike will be, where will I store a 5m long stick :)

[@Einwetok]

Made them on the spot! They just cut down a handy forest before the battle...

[@chauchemares]

@@EinwetokYeah, I know. I meant where I would store a pike for training purposes, I mean that thing is literally too large to be stored anywhere at my house :)

[@Einwetok]

@@chauchemares T'was a joke. You could lash it up under an eave if wrapped in oilcloth, with a risk of warpage. Not sure what kind of buildings you have to work with. If you have an open (attic) shed, you could store them on top of the cross members. This would be an excellent question for a HEMA forum.

[@chauchemares]

​@@Einwetok Sorry, that one went right over my head and thanks for the suggestions :)

[@Laleluna89]

@@chauchemares this Pike björn has can actually be dismembered into 3 smaller sticks. Otherwise he won't be able to put it in his car to drive to the park for filming xD

[@thelifeandtimesofjames4273]

Fascinating and very well done sir. Cannot help but wonder where one buys that weapon in the modern age. Let alone fit it into a hatchback to take it anywhere. 😁

[@cloneno3859]

Dealing with a pike ONE handed! Incredible!