Delivering a proper Descending Cut - Understanding HEMA

[@embarkingolive]

Just recently took my first class on the long sword. Doing the fundamentals correctly just feels good and you will often find when done properly lead into another technique. In our free form practice at the end of class I found starting in fontauge, throw a descending cut, followed by a thrust, then a 5th wind into ochs guard, followed by a false edge cut. It just feels natural and good. My instructor was surprised at how well I was able to pick up on techniques and incorporate them into one fluid set of motions. It just feels right.

[@WilhelmMarsson]

I really enjoy these fundamental instructions! And while I practice and sometimes find myself instructing SCA heavy fighting I point others to this channel for additional instructions since I've found almost every do and don't are the same between HEMA and SCA fighting. Please keep up the amazing work you're doing!

[@Gilmaris]

I learned to power the cuts with my left (lower) hand in Iaido as well, and this is now the only way I am able to cut - works just as well with longswords, as well. But this is the first time I have heard the principle mentioned in a HEMA context.

[@alaskankare]

love these fundamental videos!

[@AKlover]

THIS! Keep building a fundamentals playlist.

[@HEMASimian]

Just because they're called the basics doesn't mean they should be called simple as well :)

[@epicninjaliracingmmaandfps4679]

U guys are honestly the best place on KZbin to go for Longsword fencing. Keep it up

[@silverswordguy4191]

I can't believe there are still only 64 comments on this after all this time. This is a fantastic video, and I make all of my new students watch it.

[@matthewcooper4248]

I'm glad you brought up the arms. A lot of people, even Matt Easton recently, have said that saying push-pull is wrong and the HEMA community is dogmatic. They don't realize that a push-pull isn't as powerful, and it exposes your hand tremendously.

[@ulysesjoos6628]

Awesome video guys, thanks a lot for your great work and for sharing this with us who want to learn. following your instructions form Mexico.

[@ARR0WMANC3R]

I feel like Sean accidentally cut with proper edge alignment at least once before doing the badly aligned cut.

[@seanfranklin1591]

Haha, funny you say that because just last weekend I meant to purposely flub the edge alignment to test a tatami mat from a new supplier and I ended up cutting with proper alignment. For the video I was able to fail on my first try. :)

[@DerakosZrux]

Did my first solo training session today with this included in my material! Uploaded it here too since I'll be recording to review anyway. Thanks for all the work you do! I hope to someday come up there and train with you guys!

[@omari2306]

It's good to come to re-examine these concepts.

[@patrioticrealist6862]

Great stuff. Subbed. We need a better system to arrange people meeting to form groups. These groups may not have an expert to teach at the outset but it will still increase HEMA momentum and interest. It's also going to be better than practicing completely alone. I see a lot of comments stating 'I don't have a club near me, but... '.

[@inawarminister]

you think VR is mature enough for virtual HEMA meeting?

[@kanaku]

I appreciate the video the closest place that does HEMA in my state in the US is 4 hours away.

[@thelonerider5644]

You guys make this look so easy.

[@serene-illusion]

Solo beginner here with no proper way to train (since my country outright bans swords) so just practicing with a broom stick 😂. These tutorials are great and one day I hope I'll be able to train with a proper sword

[@ashendragon2591]

I love these instructional vids. multiple likes from different devices. I thank you for the time and effort. I feel like I learn something new every time I watch a new one. you all are f-ing awesome.

[@galacticwizard5442]

you dudes are awesome

[@williamhoran6644]

Very well done video. Thank you.

[@AKlover]

Informative and thorough. Surprised you haven't gotten a lot more subs than you have.

[@HEMASimian]

KZbin has a ton of competition, best we can do is make the best videos we can and hope to grow :)

[@hoanghainguyen9299]

love this. please keep your great work

[@Yggdracyril]

I have trouble with the timing you talked about 1:20 - 1:30 about moving the sword and body together. You said that we want to impact with the sword and land with the foot at the same time. But I feel that swinging the sword is simply faster than making a step. Therefore I would have to move my legs/body before I start moving my sword forward, but then I have the problem of exposing my body and not have I protected by my sword. Could you tell me what I'm doing wrong here? Should I move my sword slower than I could or is something else wrong?

[@werejuststupid]

You actually don't have to move move fast. It helps to work on timing your footwork so that every time your foot lands your sword is at the contact point. I like to think of it as your sword acting with each foot. I'm right hand dominant so my right hand is closes to the guard while my left is on the pommel. Every time I get in my stance sword start on my shoulder and i have my left leg forward and right leg back. When I take a step forward I move my right leg along with my right arm using my left arm as a pivot point or as the axis which my sword rotates on. Then i take a step back to return to my starting position, moving my right leg back along with my right arm. Just a small exercise to get your movements in sync.

[@HEMASimian]

The trick is getting your step itself to power the attack. Don't think of them as two separate entities that need to be timed.

[@Yggdracyril]

So that would mean, that I'm actually moving my sword too fast (powered mainly by the arms)?

[@werejuststupid]

If they aren't in sync you won't get the power from the hip rotation. You will either expose your body by stepping to early or you will not have power because you haven't rotated your hip fully by the time the cut strikes. Like Julian implied, think of it all as one. Everything has to move together.

[@StairwayToAsgard]

Yeah your arms must be moving to fast at first

[@leopoldsamsonite1750]

Well done vid. Thank you

[@AGermanFencer]

Albion Crecy eh ?

[@Johnston212]

Do I need to invert this if I am left handed

[@renren221]

Good video thanks!

[@michaelpitt783]

What sword is that? I feel the sword I'm practicing with is just too long.

[@HEMASimian]

That guy is the Albion Crecy.

[@iamscoutstfu]

Where are the rest of the cuts? schielhau and schietelhau pls.

[@vmfjru47]

Dat Albion Crecy tho.....

[@NewTypeIII]

What sword do you use in this Video?

[@seanfranklin1591]

Albion Crecy.

[@NewTypeIII]

Thanks for the response!

[@kyleman605]

+Sean Franklin I wanted to ask, the Crecy seems to be the go-to sword for training students to cut. Why is that?

[@seanfranklin1591]

Kyle Edwards Good price point. It performs better than any sub $1000 sword for cutting, and better than just about all swords above that price. That and Albion gave away a bunch of them as cutting tournament prizes, so it was the one that many of the top cutters managed to get their hands on.

[@kyleman605]

+Sean Franklin thanks Sean, that certainly clears it up.

[@haloe2233]

Aboot to deliver a descending cut, ey?

[@deathsythelui]

Dude, this video is fully *_one half_* of Mike Edelson's book on cutting right here...

[@zayanwatchel8780]

He just called a fucking rapier "light"

[@forevergimmly7343]

The video is very good but the music is so... I do t know remembers me on ocarina of time 😅

[@Tyler_Lalonde-]

see why is this so hard to saw? most people with stick to one grip because they think its the best when no move is perfect. weak cuts but longer reach. Strong cuts but short reach. same with footwork lunging compared to stepping. which is why i can't stand martialart/self defence "expert" claim one is the best.

[@stephenotvos2842]

the stance is horrible and way to wide. There should be no stance only natural movement and the handle should almost float in the hand and the true way is to wield the long sword in one hand.

[@Gilmaris]

Basic instructions are always basic, and stances are essential. Just like learning the scales when playing a musical instrument. You're not playing the scales when playing actual music, but if you haven't learned the scales, you won't learn the music either.

[@mintmag8748]

Is this for cutting a piece of furniture or a person. I've been doing HEMA for 2 years now and if you lunged at me like that on the battlefield I'd have you on the floor without a head before you could blink.

[@elvenkind6072]

Not a good idea to wave around with a sharp sword in the first place, what's the idea of that, are you planning to cut yourself or someone else? Where I live, if police found you had such a sword, they would take it. I'd been lucky doing HEMA on the parking lot with a 4mm edge and a rounded tip, when confronted by the cops, gladly I also was dressed as a viking. What's the sword called if it got a one-hand grip?

[@Gilmaris]

There are different rules when out in public than when in a training studio. If you openly carry a sword in public, the police will detain you and at the very least ask you some questions. As for what one-handed swords are called (and I believe you are referring to one-handed swords in the same style as the longswords here), they are generally called arming swords.