Did SELLSWORD ARTS just blatantly LIE about me?

A reply to ‪@SellswordArts‬ and his video:
shadiversity ATTACKED me over a Misunderstanding? A Response
• @shadiversity ATTACKED...
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[@anomalydestroyer3901]

I know that these comments are going to be an endless sea of love and hate, and that this likely will never meet your eyes. But I feel the urge to apologize. I let David convince me that you were doing exactly what he was twice. I feel as though it is the most idiotic thing I’ve let happen in my recent life. I let him convince me that you were false and disingenuous when he knows not even the slightest inkling of who you are. I’ve been watching your videos for almost a decade, and have many reasons why I remain subscribed to this channel even when I disagree with you at times. And then, I let someone I knew nothing about convince me that you were someone you aren’t. I could so greatly detail how sappy I am over my own gullibility. And yet, you remain transparent and honest, and most of all, accepting of your criticism, and your mistakes. Something that though he claims to do, he clearly isn’t willing to. I for the final time, am deeply sorry for doubting your integrity that I’ve known for so long, because of baseless accusations from someone I do not care about. More than that, thank you for being honest, humble, and genuine in your response, and clarifying the things that confused me and likely others. It really demonstrates that the response you were given was a deflection rather than a defense. And thank you for pinning the comment about the aggressiveness of your defense, and acknowledging that it was in that moment, quite heated. It makes me admire you for how you admit to your own actions, which is something our world has forgotten to do. In all, for the too long didn’t read: I will continue watching your content and supporting you and your team until you migrate or lay down the mantle. Thank you for reminding me why I love Shadiversity, why I respect you, and who was truly being disingenuous.

[@shadiversity]

Thank you, your words are very sincere and encouraging. Hope to see you on the channel a long time into the future.

[@anomalydestroyer3901]

@@shadiversity I’ll be sure to start commenting! Much love Shad and team.

[@danorris5235]

Dude, as someone who has dealt with pits of snakes his entire life well beyond what is normal to experience I have to say even though I have nothing to do with your apology seeing it gave some light to my soul. It makes me feel like there's still people out there who can wake up after being taken advantage of and realize they're getting had. And, just because I'm pretty immature, I've got to say that -David? Daniel?- is definitely hitting white-hot on the "Hello, I'm a Weasel, But Let Me Explain Why I'm Not" scale.

[@anomalydestroyer3901]

@@danorris5235 I’m doing my best. But sometimes we all fall for manipulation… I’m just more gullible than most. Glad to brighten your day, and I hope it stays bright.

[@covahredro8370]

@@shadiversity While I do believe you to be naive on certain things(aren't we all), I do find you very forthright, honest, noble even. Your enthusiasm and what I can only describe as genuine love for what you do, is quite endearing(unlike others who come off as elitist and or snobbish at times). One way I could describe you and some of your content, is like a father playing and having fun with his children(and you being a family man is probably why). Sure it can be silly at times, but that's part of the fun. Yeah yeah I'm blowing a bit of smoke, but just trying to give my honest take.

[@meewarwoowoo]

If only there was a way for two people with swords to settle a disagreement.

[@mincrafter424]

you right

[@eddyronc6240]

Shad does not have the balls

[@wesleyw7908]

​@@eddyronc6240Nor the swordsmanship

[@jamesdelta4065]

I certainly think it'd be fun to watch Edit: I'd like to clarify that I'd like to see performed with good sportsmanship for the purpose of entertainment

[@wacawaka1802]

@@eddyronc6240wanna fight me? Ill wait till your sick because apparently beating you while you’re sick means I’m a better fighter. For those who don’t know shad has trouble standing

[@DystOptimist]

Never in my life did i think i would be watching a video about sword nerd drama.

[@nerdjournal]

bro. watch the original video and then tell me how much crazier it is that this dude here appears to be lying about the drama. Man people have some HUGE egoes

[@Ezekiel_B_Gruntfuttock]

@@nerdjournal Who are you even talking about?

[@JohnAnderson-ev3lp]

​@@Ezekiel_B_Gruntfuttock what's your profile picture from it's familiar but I can't remember.

[@Nockblock]

@@Ezekiel_B_Gruntfuttock Answer the man I’m curious

[@fernandogajo8800]

that doesn't apply to me... I like swords, nerd culture and drama... Seems pretty predicteable for me that i would end up here.

[@kyleochoa9004]

Here's the thing, I don't know these people at all. But anytime someone tries to take a position of superiority and tell you why you SHOULDN'T listen to other people, be VERY wary of that person and anything and everything they say. This is almost a totally unimportant debate that should teach you a SUPER important lesson. Anyone who is knowledgeable, honest and straightforward has ZERO reason to want to stop you from hearing as many different opinions and interpretations of things as possible. Because they know that the more YOU know, the more you will agree with them. People who are ill informed, dishonest or deceptive always want to stop you from getting any information that may contradict them because they know the more you know the LESS you will agree with them. Always beware anyone who wants to silence dissenting opinions.

[@RealKoman]

This comment needs more likes. 100% true.

[@greenman4508]

Amen. The attempt to censor and silence is the path of a coward or deceiver . Just a principle of life. It always comes from a place of weakness

[@AllTheOthers]

The point David is trying to make is one of truthful learning, but he's missing out on a lot of the nuance. And no matter his intentions, what he ended up doing was creating an atmosphere of gatekeeping in his community, isolating people which disagreed with him and silencing them in his comment section by deleting their comments critiquing him.

[@extremepredudice]

Amen brother.

[@AaSs-ln9mm]

Nah, only lesson here is no community above stupid beefs, tribalism and so on. And me thinking that Dota vs LoL was idiotic...

[@Ragatokk]

As a Norman knight from 1200, I find it hillarious how bad these sword people on youtube are.

[@hankhooper1637]

Norman, a really old dude like you knows a lot about swords. But I never imagined you'd figure out youtube. Grats to you!

[@RandomComicEnjoyer]

My good sir I ask if you like waffles or pancakes!!

[@roddangerson2046]

😂😂😂😊

[@spaceknight793]

You, too?! I thought I was the only one….

[@megawaffle612]

@@RandomComicEnjoyerHe better know there is only 1 correct answer here!

[@billmelater6470]

I get the feeling he's redefining what he said because it makes him look like a douche. He was very clear in his words and meaning.

[@als3022]

His comments to anyone who criticized him are rather nasty. I recommend Shad just ignore him from now on. Cause his very toxic fanbase and him are smelling blood. Ignoring him is best as he has shown time and again in his comments, he's an egocentric ass.

[@kronos661]

EXACTLY. It's like a thief trying to gaslight you into thinking that it's not his hand you managed to catch.

[@rhetorical1488]

@@als3022 reminds me of the girl who claims the roman empire didn't exist

[@VK-sz4it]

I think he did meant those things. It is just he might be actually the one. He seems like a person who has specific ideals and standarts. He asumes if they are so much superior (he thinks) - why even bother explaining it. For example he didn't mean worth watching - he meant worth listening to advise (but with assumed idea that "yeah you could watch, but why bother?"). Basically he has superiority complex because of which he said words that he didn't mean to say (But he meatn them anyway).

[@kronos661]

@@VK-sz4it TLDR: Asshole knifeear wasn't able to keep his assholishness to himself and it spewed forth.

[@AZRockslide42]

The fact that I have seen you do entire videos correcting past mistakes you have made in videos speaks volumes about your integrity. Do not let this get you down. Just keep doing what you are doing, and we will keep watching.

[@whitewolf3051]

That’s what I like about Shad when I first started watching his videos. This other guy seems to be doubling down. Even is negative and confrontational with anyone who disagrees with him, can’t even leave a comment saying he’s wrong. Shad is the better person.

[@TheSilverShadow17]

There were multiple instances where Shad has admitted he was wrong, plus the fact that like everyone else he also made mistakes, and doesn't make any attempts to gaslight or hide it. SellswordArts meanwhile was pointing fingers at Shad and falsely berating him whilst playing the 'victim' of a fight he provoked in the first place. You can simply see the type of person he is just by looking at him. Apparently SellswordArts also aggressively denounces anyone who speaks boldly or calls him out in his comments section which is a form of insecurity.

[@Joey_Sabre]

@@TheSilverShadow17and in person according to some who actually met him which is even sadder than berating your followers because they disagreed with you on something.

[@jeusmarcomascarina4102]

No one will ever want to show their mistake. I think that is David trying to do. And His fans retaliate were I am part of. but the difference I am not a fanatic of him.

[@jeusmarcomascarina4102]

his fans mentality also go gate keeping after that vid.

[@DeusEx1977]

Ya know, I don't recall Shad or anyone on his channel claiming to be a HEMA Expert. There are forms of swordsmanship and combat that are not based on the German or Italian tradition. I would be willing to bet that the majority of swordsmen training in human history came in the form of trial and error and ad hoc teaching in the field.

[@CowCommando]

In the past, Shad's actually lamented his inability to participate in HEMA in the past (before he had a family?) because he lived too far away from the closest club to make it feasible. He wanted more practical experience, but didn't have the opportunity. That led him to practice on his own.

[@manyharmons4308]

​@@CowCommando he has since had some experience. Nowhere near David's bit some.

[@snintendog]

@@manyharmons4308 david has no expiernce though he is a full on Guru scammer.

[@zonefreakman]

If he met on the battlefield the average conscripted farmer from the medieval era he would get smoked.

[@jamesyoung7400]

@@zonefreakman I think so to, he strikes me as someone whose last act would be telling the farmer how he's doing it wrong.

[@thrrax]

The problem with this approach is that if you only listen to authority, sometimes you can get in trouble.

[@kolbywilliams7234]

If you only listen to authority, you won’t sometimes get in trouble, you’ll always get in trouble because you are making a tool of yourself. When tools come as easy as they do nowadays, it’s cheaper to leave it broken than fix it. That’s what’s wrong with people today.

[@lukecoffelt5459]

"And remember For what standard you hold other people to, that should b the standard that you hold yourself to." Amen to that brother.

[@paloim]

Nah, you should always hold yourself to higher standards than you do others. This doesn't take away from Shad's point that he's hypocritical

[@paloim]

@@phandaal my point is only on the personal philosophy, it's not meant to attack Shad's point against sellsword being a hypocrite.

[@Nioclas64]

I love how Sellsword has a massive diversity flag behind him as he intentionally keeps comments mocking Shad's religion, so much for inclusivity, Sellsword really makes members of all faiths feel welcome.

[@jeusmarcomascarina4102]

David's viewer said that they will start gate keeping after that video. Also they said because matpat which big creator to call out to defend him and give doubt to shad. Yeah his viewers exactly what is his vid by product. I think pg creators have you tube toxic mentality.

[@Undead_Raven]

I personally hold myself to a higher standard than I do others, as I have the most facts about me, rarely do i have all the facts about others. Above is the bear minimum.

[@AmogusAsbestos]

As a somewhat new technician (3 years in the field) I am constantly learning very valuable information from the master techs. They're invaluable and have shown me so much. I trust their opinion, but I am still willing to think freely with it. HOWEVER, even though I am a much younger and more inexperienced tech, I have still had situations where I've thought THEM a few things, and they go "Wow I never thought of it that way." A fresh opinion is always welcome no matter who it comes from it just needs to land on open ears.

[@Madison-iw8ix]

Whenever someone uses the whole appeal to authority thing, I bring up Josef Mengele. No one can say that bastard wasn't an expert with lots of experience.

[@christophervincent77]

we used to call that "professionalism" :)

[@rohanking12able]

​@@Madison-iw8ix so experience. Like what he said. Shad is literally clipping him instead of debating. It's kinda disingenuous to make a response video. It's not a response it's new content

[@rohanking12able]

But I don't see where the other guy ever said the opposite.

[@AmogusAsbestos]

@rohanking12able Well, experience goes hand in hand with integrity, and "the other guy" SSA has very little of the latter. You have the capability to watch both videos and determine this for yourself. Personally, I agree with Shad that there's no point in debating with someone who is hypocritical and lashing out at larger KZbinrs with "less experience." I don't really think that SSA cares at all either since he continues to antagonize and worsen the situation because it might get him more clicks. As I stated, experience isn't everything. Sometimes, you need a fresh point of view from an inexperienced person. Even if they aren't 100% correct, they may at least give you a new idea to toy with and make your own.

[@NoQuarterNoMercy1]

Reminds me of a time where I had my front coilover shocks replaced in my truck. The mechanic installed the top hat upside down. I immediately realize something was wrong when the trucks ride and handling characteristics were way off I brought it back and he tried me saying he has 25 years of experience and he put them on correct. Well, I did some digging And found the installation guide, took pictures and proved to him that he did in fact install them upside down. He tried to gaslight me and say well that’s because I thought you wanted a lift and it’s supposed to be installed like that when you do a lift. BS. He got caught on his complacency just like David

[@samuraiknightz8067]

This! I strongly feel this way too. This can be apply to literally anything. You can't be going around saying things like "if you don't do the art, you can't talk about the art" or something along those lines. I like sellsword arts but when he first said those lines I knew it was bad. I didn't right away thought of gatekeeping but when I watch Shads reply video I understand right away. I know Sellsword is a cool guy, he offered free teaching lessons at one point and stuff but you just can't go around gatekeeping and making lies or rephrasing it like you didn't say or do anything wrong. There's proof of what he said and did.

[@jamie7472]

Our fitter at work got caught out by that attitude. An air regulating device was pulled from its housing which according to him should have prevented the machine from operating. However because the machine continued to operate but at a reduced capacity this particular valve was never considered and fault was placed on the operator as every other component was checked and in good condition. Another fitter comes in, listens to the operator and decides to check this particular air regulator anyway. 20 minutes later a problem that had been ongoing for weeks had been solved.

[@TrueFork]

@@jamie7472 you ALWAYS check first what you think is definitely not the cause of the problem, because that's often it

[@danielsywalski347]

that mechanic didn't have the maturity to admit when he was wrong; most people don't; it's hard to admit when you are wrong; it takes a great character to do so; those people that can are those you can respect!

[@SoulessGinger-fz7lh]

One thing I have found invaluable, in my experience engineering, is sharing any issues I am having on a project with: a) other engineers that know nothing about the project. b) sharing my issues with people who know nothing about engineering. There are so many times where I get so caught up in the info I know I miss the obvious solutions and sharing it with someone with a broader view on the situation helps remove the blinders. I can see the same thing happening when practicing swordsmanship, especially in functionally uncharted territory like a double bladed sword. Don't disregard someone who is less experienced, they may have spotted something you miss if you had tunnel vision while putting together a project.

[@watch_omega]

As someone who is in college for mechanical engineering, I can confirm that some of the most useful people are the ones who know nothing about the subject/engineering at all. They can often come up with solutions from outside-the-box, because they were never "inside" the box to begin with lol. I totally agree that this could very well be applied to this discourse about swordsmanship, but I still believe that Sellsword Arts is being intentionally misleading.

[@g00gleisgayerthanaids56]

​@@watch_omegayou would say that, im sure it makes you feel good and special, considering youre talking about yourself... you have no experience as youre still in school... Too early to change your major? Mechanical engineering is a dying path. Its been on its way out for at least a decade...

[@Rob_Fordd]

To bad shad has alienated much of the community by ranting about women wearing pants being a sign of the moral degeneracy destroying the west lol.

[@OleDirtyMacSanchez]

Well said. Were you the same username on FB about 6 or 7 years ago?

[@OleDirtyMacSanchez]

On a Satire, Comedic page of sorts?

[@MonkeDLoopy]

So is this the “jock” of the sword nerds, attacking the “nerd” of sword nerds 😂

[@reaganjanaerichard5009]

😂 That is very accurate.

[@brentmoore133]

Dude's no jock. He's too light in the loafers for that title.

[@maxclubhouse9968]

Theater kid that started working out is more accurate

[@reaganjanaerichard5009]

@@maxclubhouse9968 xD That adds up, too.

[@vampire847]

@@brentmoore133 I know it's five months later, but yes he does ping the gaydar...

[@Aero3691]

“Experience is the mother of illusion” - Immanuel Kant Just because someone has a lot of experience in a particular field doesn’t mean they’re always right, or even anywhere near it.

[@dylanmulvaney9912]

Or good in there field of expertise

[@A-Monkman]

He'd be the first to fall in real combat lol

[@davidragan9233]

LOL That quote reminder me of the Evil Overlord List! "One of my advisors will be an average five-year-old child. Any flaws in my plan that he is able to spot will be corrected before implementation."

[@GRVZ28]

How delusional are all u shad fanboys. 1 guy practices regularly and actually knows the techniques . 1 guy play fights his friends in the backyard . People say this when they don't know what tf they're doing

[@ramadhanbenny6640]

the hubris of men

[@FreakazoidRobots]

I've consistently called out even people I like for doing "blind items," where they criticize people without naming them. I hate that middle school girl kind of behavior. If you've got something to say to somebody, you should be able to say it to their face. I also hate people who appeal to themselves as an authority. If you're really that good, you should be able to explain your point of view instead of just saying "trust me, bro."

[@johntheknight3062]

That is what struck me the most about him. His skill in art of gaslighting is better than in swords.

[@JackalMJ]

I actually thought it was respectful. He didn't point at anyone. Didn't try to discredit names. Simply said, don't treat them as experts and here are some people I follow. Hell he even said you djoukf question him to. But no, you need names and a direct attack. It wasn't meant to be am attack.

[@johntheknight3062]

@@JackalMJ Dude. He literally listed 90% of things that were asociable with Shad. He also never confirmed that it wasn't aimed at him and he let his fans go after Shad all the time. So... maybe next time try to use a little logic?

[@gabornemes6932]

​@@JackalMJ Well I don't think it is respectful when it worded this strongly and in this vague manner. It could and will be aplicable to a massive chunk of the community by making the remark they are not credible. I think you need to name people in this instance to avoid blanketing a large amount of channels.

[@JackalMJ]

@@gabornemes6932 I think it was foolish to do for they very reason how it's ended. But I genuinely believe he wanted to say his point without attacking anyone. What should have happened in my opinion is Shad reaching out to him and saying "hey this looks like and attack on me." If it wasn't Sellsword could issue a correction and if it was Shad could then openly call him on it. Instead he just went to the attack. and I get it, Shad has felt attacked a lot lately.

[@Aka-Spade]

I think it's weird to say that someone should only be able to speak with confidence about how a sword is used if you're a fencer, because there are people like those who forge the swords that also need to have a knowledge of how swords are used in order to make a functional one in the first place. I'm someone who likes to observe a lot of things, and while I am definitely aware that I lack training in certain other things like game deisgn, that doesn't mean I can't speak about what I like and dislike about a game's design just because I don't make them. As a graphic designer and artist, I find the opinions of people who aren't skilled in that to be just as important as a trained professional's because as an artist, ordinary people are going to be seeing my work. It doesn't mean I'm trying to make my work appeal to "everyone", it just means that I'm taking their thoughts into consideration before I make a decision. Sometimes, you have to have "fresh eyes" on something before you can be fully done with it, you know?

[@areallybigdwarf4560]

38:08 this guy @theevol29 swears that shad somehow coerced nusensei into doing that apology video about the impossible draw and when i asked for the evidence for that claim he just stopped replying, those are the guys on the sellsword camp vowing for him LMAO

[@kingnhonj954]

Bro, I don't care about internet drama, but I always watch shad's drama because watching people argue on the internet about who should be allowed to talk about literal fantasy swordsmanship is funny as heck.

[@saikaamri5871]

what i got from sellswords vid wasn't "who's allowed to talk about fantasy" just not wanting people to mix fantasy with whats real and thinking it works, not trying to pick sides just stating what i got from him

[@zombiedoggie2732]

@@saikaamri5871 if SHad is using a bad technique and Sellsword picks up on it, perhaps instead of going the route of Internet drama, perhaps show what technique Shad is doing wrong, and then show how he can do it correctly. Shad in reverse, can teach him more with polearms. that way both channels can learn and improve.

[@TengrioftheCrimsonSky]

Ironically I didn't stop watching his videos because of your "attack" but because of his half ass/shady reply.

[@als3022]

His response to any commenter disagreeing with him, while the ones with the most toxic insults on SHad or even threats were ignored shows his character. Rotten to the core.

[@BananaMana69]

The fact that Scholoria Gladitoria and Skallagrim have hearted postive omments right on the top of that reponse is so sad to me. I remember when all of you guys were friends and made video reponses to each other, now they have been blinded by politics and are against you regardless of context. Once again so sad to see from men who all enhanced each others videos in the past.

[@Subutai_Khan]

Skalagrim has repeatedly said that it has nothing to do with politics. Their personalities are just not compatible. Toxic people like you are the ones who are making this political by putting words in the mouths of others.

[@BananaMana69]

@@DorminatorX So boycotting someone for their religious beliefs is better? Do they boycott all Muslims as they believe in much different things that are told in the Quran then that is generally believed by historians? I highly doubt it....

[@giannixx]

@@BananaMana69 Have you ever considered that Shad might also be blinded by politics? Crazy, I know, but maybe his political (and religious as well, to some extent) beliefs might be clouding his judgment and perception of reality in certain topics.

[@aurelian2668]

​@@giannixx like what topics?

[@mizmirvarovlerish8064]

Cmon Just have a duel already

[@gigabyteguru2452]

YOU HAVE INSULTED MY HONOR SIR, AND THIS I CANNOT ABIDE! A DUEL AT SUNDOWN!

[@skrublordnord69]

“I demand a trial by combat.”

[@disgruntledtaco3640]

DO IT

[@normal-dude1015]

Shad would get destroyed lmao

[@rhetorical1488]

ill get the pommel

[@orion5055]

Just an anecdote to try and visualize Shad's point about correct being correct no matter skill or experience: I work as a deckhand for a towing company, it was late at night and we had to build our tow on two empty barges. I have only a few weeks of experience on the job, compared to my coworker whos been with the company for 2 years. After we built our tow, I had an inkling of doubt about its strength, because of a way I was taught by a few different deckhands before I worked with my current crewmate. However, I didn't say anything, because I didn't want to "insult" a more experienced crewmate by making it seem like he didnt know how to do his job. Later that night aftwr we went off watch, our tow busted due to being too weak to resist the high waters. Moral of the story: If you know better, then say so, the worst that could happen is being corrected. Those who dismiss others due to lack of skill are either disingenuous or arrogant enough to think they could never be wrong.

[@CowCommando]

Had a bunch of lawn mowers fall of a trailer because I, the new guy, didn't question the old hand about the tie down being tight enough. Having to push the mowers out of the ditch because it was to steep to drive them out really taught me this lesson the hard way.

[@Great_Wall_of_Text]

My brother tells a fun story about an old timer in the industry (brick laying) explaining that he was right because he'd been doing it for forty years, then immediatly learning he'd been doing it wrong for forty years. It's a fun story. I'll let him tell it.

[@Lttlemoi]

If you asked my late grandfather how to care for and grow plants, he'd happily teach you a very inefficient and intensive method to care for the seedlings that he probably used from his teens during the war until he died 92 years of age. It worked for him for more than 70 years, sure, but that doesn't mean it couldn't be improved upon. That being said, I've also had new colleagues who, without inquiring about our work methods, immediately wanted to change everything, only failing to realize that there were valid reasons why we sometimes did things in a certain way. What I'm trying to say is, established rules and habits definitely need to be questioned, but try to understand first.

[@livinglegond]

I'm getting flashbacks to when Shad had to combat all the "professional archers" that were trying to disprove his style of shooting and the speed, accuracy, and consistency he was accomplishing when he was starting out and building up the skills and muscles of an archer. Many of the other professional archers were criticizing Shad about his test and results of those tests because he wasn't as "experienced" as they were and he was trying something they felt was the wrong way to do archery. The topic around the 19:00 mark is giving me significant flashbacks to that time on the channel.

[@Jimalcoatl]

Yeah. That whole archery drama was funny. People seem to overvalue experience without qualification. If you've been doing something wrong for 20 years, it doesn't make you better, it just means your bad practice has become solidified.

[@kaltaron1284]

@@Jimalcoatl IIRC both ways have their pros and cons. You just need to be aware of them and choose the technique and equipment that works for what you're trying to do.

[@Jimalcoatl]

@kaltaron1284 Fair enough. My comment about experience was intended to be broader than just the two archery methods, but I see how that can be unclear in context. I've just found so many instances in life where people expect you to respect their experience and then when I watch and analyze what they are doing, they are riddled with bad practices and won't listen to criticism of any kind.

[@kaltaron1284]

@@Jimalcoatl Yeah. Best argument ever: "We've always done it this way."

[@tf2g44]

OMG i feel the same!

[@Roosauec]

I tried to point out the flaws of his own argument in his video in the comment section. He accused me of not listening to him, and just dismissed my entire list of points which discredit him. I feel like he's very intellectually dishonest. And I also feel he's projecting what he's doing onto others. I don't think he watched your entire video at all, and instead he just imagined the arguments you made, while simultaneously making counter arguments against those arguments. Which is called a strawman fallacy.

[@02Machiavelli]

The juvenile responses do not help his case at all

[@Amin-al-Husseini_1941picture]

didnt see your comment, half the comments are pretty much gone. can you confirm he deleted yours? I remember a year ago I saw him responding here and there to critics, but now I see barely any response from him

[@Roosauec]

@Amin-al-Husseini_1941picture I don't think he deleted mine, to my knowledge. He just blew me off and decided not to deal with me anymore.

[@roberthill5549]

It's the arrow on the left or right side of the bow debate all over again. "You can't be accurate shooting from the right side of the bow! I've done this all my life!" _"It's _*_because_*_ you've shot all your life from the left that you can't do the right. Other people learned the opposite and shoot just as well."_

[@matchesburn]

Sellsword is the NUSensei of swords. Prove me wrong.

[@TalesForWhales]

You 2 keep arguing and FIE will step in and purchase the HEMA alliance. Hope you like longsword with ROW.

[@rbwbr]

Funny enough even before Shad's video when I was a kid- I shot a self made "bows" having the arrow on the right side, it was natural to me. Which transfered to the actual archery with an actual bow And I was like: what a pile of bullshit that topic even was

[@Senatios]

What happened back then exactly?

[@HalLongsword]

Ironically there's a lot of comment under Sellsword's video bringing that up to show how ignorant Shad is on archery. You can check the comments under Skallagrim's comment for example, where one claim that physic itself disagrees with Shad.

[@joesjoeys]

FYI: I love your Mythbusters'esque approach to trying unique and interesting content that I wouldnt see elsewhere. Yes, sometimes its not realistic, but you're pretty open with it, like with your massive 'Buster Sword'. Everyone knows its unrealistic, but seeing Shad and the boys try to make one that is as close to actually representation while still usable is great fun! I dont see how "A fundamental misunderstanding of how these things (swords) work" leads to "experiments, demonstrations, and videos that are misinformed". Those two statements seem extremely disconnected. The way we learn how the world works is through experiments and demonstrations. I dont know what level of swordsmanship Shad or the boys have, but it is clear they have studied and engaged in at the minimum *SOME* sword training and practice. The desire to attempt to recreate medieval fighting from manuscripts is exactly that: "Experimentation and demonstration". That is a fundamental and base part of learning.

[@Soinetwa]

i want an expert in nonexistant weapons to show me how they are best used .. by that standard noone could do these videos

[@kaltaron1284]

I'd argue that the point of that project is to see what modern materials can accomplish. There's a decent chance that it won't work or that the process is too involved or expensive to be feasible. Or it might be impossible to get the properties you need for a functional sword while staying light-weight enough. But I'm very curious to see where the experiment goes.

[@maxdanielj]

I thought it was basically an engineering student with no real world experience telling Jamie Hyneman he was doing mythbusters wrong

[@kaimagnus5760]

The biggest fallacy to these "I was trained in so I know how to fight better than you" types is that not a single Martial Art, historic or otherwise, tells you what to do AFTER a guy twice your size kicks you in the nads and throws you on the ground. Nothing but real life or death combat gives you "experience" in a battle. Everything else is experimentation, replication, and reverse engineering. That's what Shad and everyone else does. And anyone who claims they "do more" is a pompous fool who places to much faith in their own abilities.

[@Danspy501st]

Mythbusters are also great at holding their experiments as to what would be realistic. Then after they had found out that a certen myth is busted, then they do the unrealistic where you almost have to be a superman (Like the myth about giving someone a under cut that would knock them flying out of their socks) They then afterwards talk about it, and choose if the myth is true or not. Those episodes for me arent misinformed, but rather entertaining and still helped me to teach me some things about physic and stuff when I was a child watching them. One such episode that I remember about them saying anything physically is when they forgot Newton's 3rd Law of some cannon ish type they were testing in a small scale

[@Phoboskomboa]

"Pride is not the opposite of shame, but its source. True humility is the only antidote to shame." -uncle Iroh

[@heathercampbell6059]

Absolutely brilliant application for an absolutely brilliant (and true) quote.

[@EnwardSnowman]

Nobody should quote cartoons unless they have personally been a cartoon character. My followers are advised to only listen to ME, who is an expert cartoon character.

[@Madison-iw8ix]

There's a reason pride is considered the father of all sins.

[@rohanking12able]

Shame made pride. How was I prideful because I was ashamed?

[@rohanking12able]

​@@EnwardSnowmanwhat

[@TheMarineDoctor]

I dunno...as far as swordsmanship goes...would it not be a totally different battle if one was trying to eliminate the other opponent for real...so are there really actually swordsman now?

[@watch7966]

I think it would. The biggest difference would probably be caution on the part of the opponents. A lot of the HEMA duels end so quickly because they make these rather risky moves to hit the opponent. There aren't any real, permanent consequences for taking a hit.

[@Nachtkalmar]

not really no

[@potatoman2565]

Yes but no. You can still strike with intent if someone is wearing protection. Like just because a dull sword isn't going to end someone doesn't mean that the strike wouldn't end them if it was sharp. That's why there's always a chance of injury.

[@FilmFlam-8008]

“If you don’t do the art, you can’t talk about the art” Movies are an art. Art is an art. Music is an art. Cooking is an art. I can assess dissonance in a song without ever picking up a flute. I can assess a fillet of steak without ever touching a grill. I can call out Echo as a bad miniseries without ever picking up a camera.

[@colinrobertson7580]

You can talk about film, but if you don't make films you shouldn't talk about how to make films. Not knowing what you are talking about makes for poor quality content.

[@maxdanielj]

That last one is probably going to get some unpleasant comments from people who can't handle fair criticism of the MCU 😂

[@greentitan0262]

​@colinrobertson7580 I may not be a chef, but I can tell you ain't cooking

[@thnecromaniac]

Hi, Lost Echo here, a bassist; I'm a what now!?

[@Don-Scrima]

@@colinrobertson7580 You can know what you’re talking about without having done it before, but that’s not even relevant to the situation because Shad can and does fence; he’s allowed to talk about it.

[@RealSeanithan]

"Truth is truth whether it comes from a king or a beggar." I'm reminded of Aaron Franklin talking about trimming a brisket because it makes it more "aerodynamic": there aren't a lot of more experienced people when it comes to barbecue than Aaron Franklin, but he was wrong about that (about the need to be aerodynamic, that is; not about trimming in that way being superior). Being a novice doesn't make true statements false, and being an expert doesn't make false statements true. I would say the expert does tend to have a higher ratio of true statements, but that's not absolute.

[@edwardcullen1739]

This is the very definition of humility. Humility is a virtue for a reason.

[@bloody4558]

Pretty much, there are many points in which I completely disagree with him. Especially his videos on some techniques which clearly show he does not understand the technique he is claiming to be useless. I have literally seen people win fights using those techniques, because they used them correctly. One thing these experts need to learn is that just because they don't see a use for a certain technique, it doesn't mean that technique is impossible to use. Being an expert in martial arts doesn't make you the defender of all truth. Each fencer/fighter has their own approach to it, so even something as restrictive as reverse grip can be a useful tool in the right hands. Something a more offensive fighter cannot see and will probably never understand how to use.

[@edwardcullen1739]

@@bloody4558 Or "just because you've done a lot of it, doesn't mean you're any good." 10 year old prodigies beat 60 year olds who've played chess their entire lives...

[@edwardcullen1739]

@@bloody4558 Or "just because you've done a lot of it, doesn't mean you're any good." 10 year old prodigies beat 60 year olds who've played chess their entire lives...

[@BananaMana69]

My Grandfather like may people of his day was interested in medieval stuff but had no real experience with it other then movies. He made a sword out of a car leaf spring that i love but its extremely badly designed. The handle is massive even though the blade is short and all the metal is way to thick, its like a heavy iron bar. This is the only sword i have ever held but thanks to Shad and other content creators i known its designed terribly. When my friends pick it up and exclaim how great of a weapon it would be because its heavy and would do lots of damage i correct them saying well actually most swords were just a few pounds and very nimble. Should i not be correcting my friends about the sword because i dont have experience with a properly designed sword?

[@Tikuros]

The time comes to mind, when a heckler told a comedian, he can't form an opinion about parenting, because he himself does not have a child. His response comes to mind a lot: "Miss... I am not a helicopter pilot either. But if I walk around and I see one crashed in a tree, I know somebody fucked up"

[@GanjaCoyote]

That was Steve Hoffstader (spelling probably wrong). Ginger Jewish-American Comedian who routinely destroys hecklers.

[@glentight]

​@@tobiaslundqvist3209Depends if you're Diego Sanchez or not😂.

[@Tikuros]

​​@@tobiaslundqvist3209This is not about who can teach others how to fight. But you can form an opinion, based on limited knowledge or just common sense as well. Sure you have the higher chance to get it wrong. But it doesn't mean you have no right for your opinion or you will automatically get it wrong. This David guy could have stayed in his lane and produce quality content that brings in the masses. Instead he chose to lash out and try to climb over others. That is just shitty. Period.

[@glentight]

@@tobiaslundqvist3209 Sanchez is an MMA fighter, was training at Jackson-Wink, and was on the UFC roster. He left Jackson-Wink, then paired with Joshua Fabia, the "worst coach in MMA history", who has little to no MMA experience, then lost his way off the UFC roster... all in 2 years.

[@Terrivel119]

That’s such a stupid argument too because we all had at least SOME form of guardian growing up, unless we literally grew up on the streets as a baby. I don’t have to be a parent to know that if my parent were to throw a sibling down a staircase or something, that that is not ok.

[@scottyj986]

Remember Shad, it's difficult to argue with a smart person. It's impossible to argue with a stupid person.

[@DeanJMU]

Anecdotally, I find people saying that they are trying to "keep everything positive" is code for "I will censor everything that I deem as not positive."

[@trulsrohk1]

it's the typical verbal bully reaction do not being able to take what they dish out

[@PickleLipsMiguel]

Yeah, it puts on a show of goodwill and piety, but the reality is anything that they perceive as proving them wrong is "negativity". It's the badge of collectivism.

[@shocktnc]

Sellsword literally spent three days deleting comments he didn't like, and admitted to doing it maliciously in his responses to people. Not only was he purposely creating hateful feelings towards shad, he lied and said he wanted everyone to be nice.

[@EpicOfChillgamesh]

A comment from Sellsword I just noticed: "So yes, I will continue to delete comments from people who have already convicted me in their minds of things that I have not done based on a video misrepresenting my ideas." First, deleting comments not because they are toxic but because their perspective is different? WTF? Because let's be honest, if someone is claiming he is doing something he doesn't believe he did, it's more likely its because that's how they took it, not because they are witch hunting. But ironically, how many of the comments he deleted are from people who are trying to have an honest discussion and had open minds, but he convicted them in his mind of something they aren't doing just because he's misunderstood their intent. It's like a mobius loop of disingenuousness... my head is starting to hurt.

[@Madison-iw8ix]

When tolerance is your main virtue, you become intolerant of those you seem intolerant. Therefore, you are a hypocrite. (Not you as in YOU, but the general you.)

[@FarFromtheSuns]

I don't know if this was ever pointed out, but the appeal to authority with regard to the double bladed sword is self defeating... because a double bladed sword is not a sword. Let's imagine Sellsword was a channel about halberds and he was a halberd expert. Let's imagine someone hands him a throwing axe and he starts trying to use it as a halberd and declares it to be useless. That's what we're looking at. A guy who has a weapon he's never touched before saying that the weapon is useless based on his experience with a completely different weapon. To reiterate: a double bladed sword is not a sword. Now, having said that, I think it's a totally impractical weapon that is outshined by weapons that are cheaper, easier to use, and more effective. Which I think is, in large part, what Shadiversity's conclusion was as the halberd was clearly shown to mop the floor with it.

[@GanjaCoyote]

Seems no one can argue with that. 😁 He was not wrong that it was useless, specifically in his hands. His mistake is the arrogance to assume that his experience is universal, and his unwillingness to give it a fair shot, by simply looking to confirm his assumptions, rather than attempt to accurately assess the weapon's strengths as well as its weaknesses. No one ever claimed it was an ideal form for a weapon to take, they were simply trying to assess whether it was better or worse than you would assume it to be. There is a big difference between testing your assumptions versus looking to confirm your own assumption that you are always right.

[@FlexxibleFree]

​@@GanjaCoyoteI'd say in the hands of a master and all that. It's somewhat obvious that double-bladed sword has upper hand over the usual sword in some areas and it was proven. That's all that needed to be said and if Sellsword pride was hurt he could make it a challenge of martial type not the useless internet boxing that we have here

[@Inspectorzinn2]

I was going to same the same thing, Sellsword's keeps talking about swordsmanship and fencing but he's reviewing/opining on a pole arm. Going to disagree on the 2nd point after watching Shad's sparring session. It smoked the sword in a 1v1. It definitely has more punch than just the stick end of a halberd.

[@ShinFahima]

This post sounds like halberd propaganda.

[@curtisimhof7738]

I would describe the double-bladed sword as a long-bladed short spear with two heads

[@stevefranks9873]

"If you don't do the art, you can't talk about the art" Sorry all you historians with PHDs in your field. Internet sword guy says your research and brains count for nothing. "You can't talk about human sacrifice if you don't practice the art!"

[@kaltaron1284]

Why do you assume historians don't?

[@jagw4832]

That’s a bad faith argument, he literally specifically calls this out. Historians can absolutely talk about the history, but if I read a book on how Hun bows work, does that mean I can shoot them? Does that mean I should talk about how to best fire an arrow from their bow accurately? No, I’d leave that to someone who uses it, and stick to my knowledge.

[@norrecvizharan1177]

Eh, half and half. People who research something can still make assessments and statements about something, but it's just preferably better if they try to get in some level of experience (though sadly that's literally not possible when it comes to certain topics). It's just simply kinda stupid for someone to say that any and all theories 'n thoughts aren't allowed unless one practices a very specific form of said topic (even though in this case, fencing doesn't encapsulate the entirety of realistic swordplay, or medieval combat for that matter).@@jagw4832

[@stevefranks9873]

Guys, he literally spends every day exploring and testing and USING weapons. He did the research, studied the history AND practiced with the artifacts. But that's not enough apparently. How many hours of pretend battle are required to be able to speak about it? How many fake battles does one need to take part in to understand the intricate, highly mechanical complexities of....a sword? One guy who plays make believe, putting down another guy who plays make believe because he doesn't play make believe in the"right" way is laughable. How about this? "Unless you actually lived and warred in the time when these weapons were actually used, you can"t talk about it?" Sound stupid? It should, because it is. The only difference between the arguments is the benchmark.

[@stanisawzokiewski3308]

@@kaltaron1284 As far as im aware majority of modern day historians never took part in battles, or in historical battles. And yet, SOMEHOW they are still able to learn AND teach others about them.

[@simonsimons1252]

I didn't know Linus Tech Tips was a sword guy.

[@Dr.Kenobi264]

I watched David's first video, and didn't think much of it. Your response was long and maybe a touch too "aggressive" for my taste (Shad can come across as very combative sometimes, and I personally would prefer calmer videos like this one when he feels the need to say something potentially controversial.) Overall though, I thought you clearly made your points without misrepresenting David's comments at all, I even appreciated that Shad told people to keep watching David's channel. I called it aggressive, but to clarify, it was aggressively defensive, but I didn't think it was an attack on David and his channel. At this point I didn't think less of either channel, I figured David might just have phrased some things poorly, and Shad maybe was maybe being a little too sensitive. Overall though, it just seemed like a little bit of a misunderstanding. Then I watched David's response video. It was calm and polite, which I appreciated. I didn't think he represented you fairly though, and that didn't sit well with me, but I figured, "Hey, Shad's video was super long, maybe he just didn't pay that much attention when watching it, and Shad can come of as combative so that probably didn't help either." Then against my better judgment, I decided to read through the comments section of David's response. I was surprised to see that David's comments and reactions were completely incongruous with the tone of his video. It did not reflect well on him or his arguments (to put it mildly.) In fact, the whole comment section was so toxic and upsetting that I decided I couldn't follow David's channel anymore without associating that negativity with it (despite enjoying his content.) To my extreme disappointment Matt Easton joined in the fray (I had heard rumors that you guys had a falling out, and then you confirmed it in your video, but I expected better from him.) I haven't unsubscribed from Matt (His channel is probably my favorite when it comes to "sword history" sorry), but I also haven't been able to bring myself to watch any of his videos since. The whole saga had become very off-putting to me, and so I wasn't sure that I wanted to watch this video. I am glad that I did. This was very well done. I imagine it won't be received well, but that isn't your fault. One positive of all this is that you and your channel have risen significantly in my esteem. I'm glad I returned to watching your content again (I took a break before you separated your "Knight's Watch" stuff to a different channel because that was not my cup of tea.) There are still things that I don't agree with you on, and some things I would prefer to see less of, but this video has convinced me to support you on patreon (which I haven't yet done for any other channel.) Well done.

[@HalLongsword]

I thank you for being someone able to separate political/personal views to really engage in a topic and try to be fair to all sides.

[@gallifreyarchives4434]

Thank you for recognizing that his political views are separated so people can ignore them if they choose. This is swords and sword stuff.

[@mechwarrior7278]

Basically this whole debacle: “So uncivilized” ~throws away blaster~

[@theottergames]

I love stories like this. It really shows how much integrity and being able to understand others (especially people that may disagree with you) is important to viewers.

[@neoaliphant]

@@gallifreyarchives4434 it was very sensible of shad to move political/religious content to KW, it helps keep up subscribers here

[@The.Nasty.]

Dudes the fuckin Reddit mod of the sword community. Now of course he’s backtracking his words and saying it was a misinterpretation, when he left it intentionally vague just in case something like this happened. Grade A goober

[@VadeInSpiritu]

Goober is a near perfect description. More mean spirited and egocentric than a typical goober though

[@brettjohnson536]

You can disagree witn Sellsword Arts but objectively he is legit

[@keithfrederick877]

​@@guywholikesheelies3231 when, where

[@The.Nasty.]

@@brettjohnson536 he’s objectively legit but that doesn’t mean hes worth subbing to. I can appreciate his skill as a swordsman while not liking him as a personality.

[@The.Nasty.]

@@guywholikesheelies3231 you’re being disingenuous dude c’mon

[@k101_]

I think that person may not be worth interacting with after this point. They appear to be more concerned with their own image than they do with progressing the subject matter.

[@als3022]

After the attacks he made against anyone who disagreed with him, I think ignoring him from this point on is best.

[@Nitro1000]

Yes but it’s a good way to keep him in the argument points without being able to curate a response or deflect.

[@fin9281]

Is there a particular part of the video that made you feel that way?

[@Olav_Hansen]

2:47 "a true swordsman" Really subtle way to call out a use of the true scotsman fallacy.

[@fluppet2350]

I really wonder what a man at arms in almost any other period of history would feel about this guy. I have a slight feeling that he would no longer be a “true” swordsman

[@Olav_Hansen]

@@fluppet2350 aside from that someone with that amount of practice could only be a noble, never having had a real fight makes him 'mid' most likely. Not a farmer with 3 months of training, but definitely not a seasoned warrior. First blood would likely make him lose face, as aspect that shad has probably put more thought into then he ever has.

[@accelerator8929]

@@Olav_Hansen This doesn't even make sense. How would you presume that Shad put more thought into sword play than the actual, real fencer? And the first point is just irrelevant to anything. Not every man at arms or expert in swordsmanship was fucking Fiore or Musashi. And even today, it's not even relevant. Because who is going to war with swords in 2024. Fencing exists today as a practical application of history and the legacy of the art. The true swordsman of today has a very competent understanding of the concepts illustrated in the manuals, and how to adapt and use them. Anyone else should stay within their means.

[@Olav_Hansen]

@@Draconianoverlord55 he's not a true swordsman, he's never had a battle to the death with a sword. Only people that have a battle to the death with a sword have a valid opinion. Since those aren't around a lot in the modern day, the readings of those that have have become the best standin for that authority. Shad knows more about the sources then he does... The people that attack the person rather than the argument tend to be wrong more often than not.

[@cynicalpsycho5574]

I really do believe he makes the same mistake as NUSensei but instead of "modern target shooting" he applies "fencing" to everything in all contexts and situations half of which it shouldn't.

[@xato3796]

Also add “modern target shooting with pistols” because swords were sidearms.

[@xato3796]

And the double bladed sword was more akin to a failed rifle prototype that never saw a military contract. So he wants the authority to say: I’m an expert in modern target shooting with pistols and therefore the HS-10 Model B shotgun would definitely lose in a gunfight against my 9mm race gun. Military and firearms historians need not comment on this because they aren’t practicing the art of shooting.

[@kyle18934]

​@@xato3796 he's a tactical shooting guy attacking forgotten weapons. that is an excellent comparison you made.

[@ShadeSlayer1911]

What did Nusensei do? I don't watch him much.

[@edwardcullen1739]

@@kyle18934 I don't know NUSensei, but I do know Gun Jesus. I know Garand Thumb, Paul Harrell and many, many others. I never heard of NUSensei until now. My instinct is that this is not coincidence/information enough. 🤷‍♂️

[@alan_sylver]

I loved the interaction of Shad making a video about double-bladed swords, Sellsword making a test as well, prompting Shad to do further tests on the points raised by Sellsword. I think I learned a lot more about the topic than just by Shad's initial video, for example the importance of the length of the handle and how you hold it. If there were no further drama happening, I would hold that up as a good example of how different creators tackling the same topic benefits everyone.

[@seanp8220]

It's not the length it's what you do with it

[@TheJaegerfeld]

I think the problem is that nobody is a real Swordsman in this day and age. Nobody fights to the death. Nobody trains to fight to the death. So nobody knows what it's like to do exactly that. A Hans Talhoffer knew this, but nobody does today. Nor does a self-proclaimed fencing master. We are all trying to learn and evolve. A true master knows this and respects the path of others. (and also tries to learn from it) Just keep doing what you are doing, it is a pleasure to listen to you.

[@FoxtrotFleet]

I dunno, i'm seeing lots of machete culture building in the UK.

[@TheJaegerfeld]

@@FoxtrotFleet i don't think a fancy machete wielder in london would last more than a few seconds against any 14th century fighter.

[@destrobatman5640]

👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

[@zigzaghyena]

@@FoxtrotFleet Yes, but the deadliest machete wielders, much like the deadliest gunslingers of the old west, are the sneaky thugs and punks that jump their targets on a dark night when they're back is turned, and not the hobbyists attempting to formalise it.

[@brushe8025]

True sellsword did a vid wherein he said that modern hema practitioners would defeat the middle ages Knights . Load of bull fighting on the battlefield vs fighting in a gym . I'll back the battlefield experienced Knights over a pussey in a gym . Any day of the week

[@NeinBreaker]

This response from Sellsword just reinforces the impression I got when this mess started. But he's not just a holier-than-thou purist, but a liar and a hypocrite as well.

[@rohanking12able]

Because he wants to discuss it and not have discussion

[@mrjtfang2]

@@Gordie650 Stop fanboying.

[@buttkingsley1403]

@@Gordie650we are getting a higher level of preparedness from response ping pong than we do from a live argument.

[@Hansik_squigWH]

​@@Gordie650 you are saying a grown man wouldn't win an argument against a child-man 😂

[@chasemckay7442]

Taking people's words out of context and cutting footage short is Shad's usual method, he did that with Jacksaint as well, he has no real substantial arguments so he has to cut around other people's videos to make himself look smarter, even though he's deliberately cutting out important context to make an argument. He knows what he's doing and it's all for meaningless clout.

[@brandanpalmer]

That’s why sellsword refused to name names specifically. Even though he made it abundantly clear who he was talking about. Plausible deniability and the opportunity to cry victim. Pretty standard behavior for egotistical narcissists like himself.

[@whiteeye3453]

Then why sells swords name those who he mean specifically?

[@whiteeye3453]

Sell swords is narcissistic since he has lgbt flag in gym

[@elijahlee3610]

​@guywholikesheelies3231 he could have given examples. When you are warning your audience about potential intellectual dangers, you want to be as clear as possible. That means you don't resort to ambiguity or else, you'll be misunderstood by a great deal of people. In that case, what was the point in warning them in the first place?

[@BerserkerLuke]

​@guywholikesheelies3231 Even were that the case, he should have been specific on who he was talking about. It's cowardly at best, and downright malicious at worst. You can't blame people for being suspicious when he cushions his arguments in incredibly vague ways. That's generally a sign that someone is a bad actor, or otherwise is incredibly dumb.

[@Chraan]

@@guywholikesheelies3231 How many channels analyzed the double bladed sword? You are exactly doing what @brandanpalmer9712 is talking about - diverting with very poor denying. I can see misunderstandings on both sides, however this is not one of them. This is crystal clear, and even David never denied that he was talking about Shad. You should know that too. Blatantly lying just to attack Shad is distasteful.

[@rahn45]

"My superior experience allows me to be extra wrong in how I prove things are wrong!" "That's... not a good thing."

[@rhetorical1488]

basically my history and proficiency with deceit allows me to be an expert on the matter yes.

[@aj.j5833]

Exactly, far to many have just enough experience to be wrong and not enough experience to know how and why they are wrong.

[@santi_super_stunts2573]

@@aj.j5833dunning Krueger?

[@aj.j5833]

@@santi_super_stunts2573 Not quite same, not over estimation of their skill or ability. It is more they think they are doing something correctly or the tool they using is best for them and job they are doing when it isn't because they got comfortable with using said tool and lack experience to know any better.

[@santi_super_stunts2573]

@@aj.j5833 no I read a little bit about dunning Kruger I think I know more about it than you.

[@thomaslacroix6011]

Honestly, it was his mistake to try a middling critique of other channels. He's being vague enough that there can be no definite conclusion about what he truly means, and therefore he can defend his vague accusations as being whatever he wants them to be.

[@sakesaurus]

That's the funny thing. Even while being a pussy and not saying anything of substance he fails to back up what little he says. He literally lies and goes back on what he did say. That's not defending that's just face saving. I would prefer it if he just threw some undiluted toxic vitriol at others and was not afraid to name drop that, that I wouid enjoy. It's just boring tho, nothing redeeming about another optics obsessed pathologic liar. It's boring.

[@ewanfinlayson3520]

you can clearly tell he thinks he's the "kool kid" of sword content because he thinks he's the highest level of skill on the internet of swordmanship, even though he practices a very niece version of sword fighting. if he was the" world champ of medievil MMA" i might want to listen to him more.

[@xenosayain1506]

Those guys are brutal. ​@@ewanfinlayson3520

[@AaSs-ln9mm]

No, actually it was quite smart. 1. He didn't point at anyone so if, for example, it turns out that Shad is some sort of Hema champ, sellsword can easily says that it was not about Shad. And if Shad just do what he did... He will looks like drama queen. 2. He say something obvious, that can be seen as attack. Like when i says "sky is blue" nobody cares. But he says that if you want to learn sword, you should watch people who do sword and people go mad. 😂

[@TheDraco877]

something Shad called out in the original video he made

[@travesty-studios]

Telling people you can't use foam swords, is like telling someone to not punch a punching bag.

[@TheHornedKing]

Hold on, we're a cult? Damn, I have missed so many meetings...

[@aerynor]

i also must have missed the memo XD

[@chigidychad9738]

Wait…. We have a meeting?! XD

[@Mehno97]

Nobody ever said that but ok.

[@jamesmoniz5263]

no one is a cult, its just a thin skinned man baby trying to bully a smaller creator

[@TheHornedKing]

@@Mehno97 One of the comments he showed called us a cult.

[@kingtexan6621]

DID YOU GUYS KNOW LEGO MAKES SETS FOR ADULTS. I just finished putting together a Japanese garden set and it’s probably the most fun I’ve had in a long time. Btw I like sword videos and don’t want to get told “you can’t tell your friends about the new things You learned because You don’t fence.”

[@dominikwilliams1703]

I deem you best comment of january

[@miroheartech4231]

you can’t tell your friends about the new things You learned because You play lego. Btw you cant just say that the japanese lego garden is cool without dropping a link to buy, I want it too

[@als3022]

I will admit I went to the last 10 minutes of the video, and I know Shad likes to go on a bit. But, I am very glad he could see the trap that the invite was. That it wasn't in good faith, and he is finishing off on that. Now for regular scheduled programs. And I want to see more medieval culture and how it would influence fantasy type stuff again.

[@shefalichow7917]

@@guywholikesheelies3231 Nice to see you here in Shad's comments, David. So sorry, but we're not quite as dim-witted over here as your audience over there.

[@als3022]

​@@shefalichow7917 At first I doubted if he really was coming on here under other names, BUT to be honest I have noticed that it is within his character.

[@RigobertoRoque-nb4nw]

Shad Dont give this guy the time of day.

[@nicholasrandolph6967]

I thought the sword community had moved past mediocre HEMA boys being the only people allowed to have valid opinions on swordsmanship, like in 2017.

[@EnwardSnowman]

Nope. There will ALWAYS be a "i was studying the blade" dweeb ready to tell you how much more he knows than you. Here's my piece of advice: always be wary of a man who doesn't wear sleeves. Vanity will make a viper out of anyone.

[@makimaki500]

the mediocre HEMA boys are having a tantrum for attention

[@rohanking12able]

And he isnt

[@EnwardSnowman]

Wait... which one is the hemo?

[@johndortheknight4802]

Especially funny to me because David made a few shorts about HEMA guys being well HEMA guys

[@rtype112000]

Sellsword also doesn't really seem to understand that, "approximate" does not mean "exact." No, of course foam swords wont give an exact replication, but they let you get a feel for the technique. Edit: clarity and grammar

[@ElijahForLong]

18:02 Nah their conclusions are wrong because they are inexperienced. Has the same energy of: "No you didn't just stab me, I am a master and can't be stabbed by a rookie."

[@Agent_Frank_Horrigan]

Yes, dude. He kinda gives me the vibe that he will say your strike didnt count in a fencing match because you didnt use proper form. Even though it clearly landed and wasnt an illegal move.

[@vladdracul2379]

36:54 Someone missed the opportunity to say, "You can't tape two bollocks daggers together and equal a double-bladed sword, Frodo."

[@jmi967]

Since this video was put out, he did a Short that talks about him trying to get a hold of Shad and at the end says he’s not going to continue this until he hears from Shad. That's like a child saying “I’m not talking to you”. Making a video to respond IS responding! Also, he does the childish ‘Shad just said blah, blah this’. (Sorry, not taking the time for the exact quote)

[@BrownGoatEnthusiast]

He made an invite to have an unedited live discussion, because he felt his words were being twisted

[@Ryaurezh]

My problem with SellSwords was his pathetically elitist responses towards valid criticisms. His double-bladed video was trash, and instead of acknowledging his mistakes, he played the "I'm the expert" card. There are plenty of good channels out there without the attitude.

[@als3022]

He is also rather vicious with his responses to comments that cirtisize him or even imply that he wasn't perfect in his videos. Read his response comment section and see the truth.

[@sowianskizonierz2693]

pretty much all his response comments to people are "STFU i am the REAL expert not you peasants"

[@joshtiscareno1312]

It's SO much worse though, since he comes off as a snivelling, helium-voiced, manlet trying to pull rank over people with vastly more experience and class.

[@sowianskizonierz2693]

@@joshtiscareno1312 Sellsword's videos usually get 10k or below views. Shad gets 100k+ usually. It's not hard to see why he is making videos about Shad. His anti-shad videos have more views than his regular videos.

[@Nioclas64]

It's all ego, some people just wanna have fun, others wanna feel like they are better than everybody else.

[@NightLexic]

One takeaway i always get about Sellsword Arts is he is talking about one subset of swordsmanship. Fencing. Fencing is not the whole scope of swords. Its a way to fight using swords but its not the be all end all way to fight. I should clarify a bit, Swordsmanship and Fencing are used interchangeably even though they really shouldn't. Fencing in of itself is a style as it does imply the use of certain swords and sword techniques.

[@zaco-km3su]

His fencing won't work against an axe.

[@Subutai_Khan]

Fencing refers to all forms of melee fighting with weapons and the historical masters referred to everything from poleaxe fighting to rapier and saber fencing as variations of fencing Some of our sources even address group fighting directly like greatsword among others. Or what to do if you face multiple opponents (often the advice is to secure an escape route, simply run away, or cut as much as you can to escape.) it applies to just about any situation you can think of. It is not wrong to refer to the whole scope of sword combat as fencing and its all over the place in the historical evidence. Even Miyamoto Musashi's book of five rings refers to fencing in the translation.

[@JohnM34404]

@@Subutai_Khan As of the modern term, yes. This is just an argument about definitions of current vs original meaning of the word Fencing at this point. "Miyamoto Musashi's book of five rings refers to fencing in the translation", a translation that i assume is translating into current English instead of Old English. I believe in terms of swordsmanship Old English was less broad, for that is how i use Old English when i talk with it, though i may be wrong and if so would like proof so i can improve my Old English skills.

[@EpicOfChillgamesh]

@@Subutai_Khan When facing multiple opponents, run away. Having done a bit of SCA rapier I can attest, this is solid advice. 😆 Seriously though, I have read Book of FIve Rings and if I recall correctly he does talk about overcoming multiple enemies, so it's not the only possible strategy. But, unless you are worlds better than the amassed opponents, it's a good place to start.

[@Subutai_Khan]

@@EpicOfChillgamesh Yeah exactly. Psychology is very important too which is why the greatsword manuals give a lot of attention to this topic thanks to their ability to clear space.

[@YTPrule]

Honestly, I've seen Sellsword Arts go blatantly against historical manuals and other sources. Even going as far to hide or delete opposing comments from fellow HEMA people with rebuttals in his videos. He has experience but he's got an attitude problem well beyond his expertise. He's way too likely to rely on his own experiences, even if other experienced people (even more experienced too), and call others experience illegitimate, implicit or explicitly.

[@HalLongsword]

Do you have a specific case in mind?

[@YTPrule]

@@HalLongsword His rather terrible dual wielding video. Beyond the usual badness with his clear skill issue demonstration, his conclusions just plain contradict historic manuals AND modern reenactors. For example, he overemphasizes on length but the swords he uses in the video are Regenyei short feders. We have a rough guess of dimensions of those swords and even longer swords have been historically dualwielded. Next, he says the longer swords are all about stabbing and no hack and slashing. Absolutely wrong. I trust Achille Marozzo far more than I trust SA. Marozzo would facepalm at him. Especially the bottom sparring video with swords the description openly names, thus we can find lengths and blade lengths to compare his swords with and they don't support his point. A very polite reply by Schildwache Potsdam was also deleted. Honestly, SA just needs to shut up and read some historic manuals. I trust people who fought and killed, or trained people to fight and kill and became famous for it, more than I trust him.

[@YTPrule]

Oh crap, KZbin deletes links even from KZbin videos? Seriously? Well here's their names instead. Godinho - Dos Espadas - Capítulo I Dual Swords of Achille Marozzo and last but not least, a sparring video with the names of the swords mentioned in the description, and you can see those short feders aren't giga-huge compared to the video swords. Rather, they're maybe even longer than Sellsword's. Dual Wield Sidesword vs Single Sidesword - Jordan v Nick

[@HalLongsword]

@@YTPrule Thank you for the information. I'll check that when I have the time

[@YTPrule]

@@HalLongsword No problem. The worst thing about SA to me is his sheer asshole attitude. Dude deletes comments that disagree including polite disagreers. Do HEMA and disagree? Delete. Read history? Reply gone. This echo chamber shit sucks.

[@aced4fun]

there's something so satisfying just listening to Shad's fair and incredibly well thought-out breakdowns of arguments Every other minute I'm like "mm yes yes, quite."

[@TMNTfever]

Hmmm. Yes, I concur. Splendid rebuttal.

[@aced4fun]

@@TMNTfever Exquisite taste, my good sir

[@J3CGAM1NG]

Only one option Left to do. Time for a Duel.

[@The.Nasty.]

Let’s goooo ⚔️

[@Tkoutlosh]

The superawesome thing about fighting is, that you can easily test it....

[@xato3796]

Shad gets a double bladed sword and David gets a fencing rapier. It’s only fair.

[@BrownGoatEnthusiast]

Its pretty obvious david would win though

[@Servellion]

@@xato3796 And Skallagrim shows up with a deck of cards.

[@TwistedTeaRex]

That guy is really living up to the vibe he gives off... real hipster elitist.

[@Armored_Muskrat]

That sums it up. And he found a channel more popular than his and attacked it, in order to try to get more subscriptions and views.

[@FrostTheRedeemed]

So David is literally doing nothing but projecting the entirety of the video, sounds pretty narcissistic to me.

[@ItsjustAdam1165]

Someone who dismisses anything that questions what they believe is a narcissist

[@janeenschultz8502]

Talking with the guy is up to you. I personally think you should focus on the content you love. You've made your points.

[@als3022]

I agree

[@MrTehNoms]

Don't even waste your energy with that... 'Member that video he made about his health somn time ago? Shad's said all he needed to.

[@destrobatman5640]

U keep doing what u do we even enjoy your (beef)and correction vidoes.😆

[@destrobatman5640]

We'll shad has the nobility part 👑.does this guy?🤔

[@jonafen5504]

Agree. I don’t see how there’s anything to gain from that kind of conversation.

[@Terrivel119]

David was very obviously making a bunch of arguments in bad faith, including things like intentionally sabotaging the process/results of the double ended sword test among other things. He was being cowardly by not directly addressing individuals, because he knew he was being arrogant gatekeeping douchebag about it, and is backpedaling because he was too full of himself to anticipate backlash.

[@thomasphillips885]

He did a really good job of proving the double bladed sword is a bad sword, maybe he should have framed it that way. Though that would have been obvious to everyone. It's a polearm

[@Madison-iw8ix]

He's shown himself to be catty, overemotional, and passive-aggressive. In other words, someone I'm not interested in looking into further.

[@Terrivel119]

@@Madison-iw8ix I can’t say that I’m not biased toward the Shadiversity team, since I’ve never heard of Sellsword Arts before this I tend to just go to where the algorithm leads me for these sort of things. Had I run into them the other way around, it’s possible I’d be of the opposite opinion, but as a intermediate level swordsman/kendoka myself, I can’t say I agree with some of his opinions.

[@Terrivel119]

@@thomasphillips885 Agreed. His conclusions are entirely valid for the angles that it covers, it just wasn’t a comprehensive enough test.

[@maxwellvonderwell3974]

Okay, so I'm a vocalist in a metal band. I struggle to do clean singing. So I'm not a "Singer." Does this mean I cannot say that someone who should be singing in, say, G# is flat because I don't practice singing as much as they do? I can tell when someone is flat or sharp without needing to do it myself. I can see when a swordsman is using a wrong stance, or a weak stance rather. I can tell bad choreograph without being a dancer. Like, that argument is absurd because most critics don't participate in the things they critique.

[@Tkoutlosh]

No it is not absurd because those are completely different things. YOu can criticize stage combat as same as you can criticize someone's singing, but fighting is not stage combat... it is like making advices about boxing, while you never did it. Do you really think it will work? It will inevitably lead to what is called bullshido.

[@hashthestampede873]

@@Tkoutloshbut shad has studied and practiced fencing and has even participated in it. It’s not like he’s just some random guy with no experience

[@AaSs-ln9mm]

​@@hashthestampede873 well, i don't remember, is that sellsword claim that Shad have no experience or not? Wait. He didn't mentioned him, did he? Well, who cares. Personally, i feel that it was about Shad, Shad feels the same so, i guess that is how it goes. Facts used to not caring bout our feeling btw.

[@docstockandbarrel]

@@Tkoutloshso because he's an expert in fake fighting that makes him an expert on combat? 👀.

[@GanjaCoyote]

@@Tkoutlosh People make this dumb argument all the time. Oh this one thing is different because of reasons of greater consequences or whatever. Philosophically there is no difference no matter what example you come up with. What you are talking about is credibility. Which is basically how to tell if someone is telling you the truth, or giving you good information, versus lying, embellishing, scamming, etc. When trying to establish credibility we rely heavily on traditional gatekeeping systems such as reputation, certification, qualifications, experience, and so forth. These are all good ways of talking a measure of if someone really knows what they are talking about. It is also possible to deceive oneself or to be deceived, despite having all of the right qualifications. You can still be right about something even if you have zero credibility, and you can still be wrong about something when you have all of the credibility in the world. Ultimately the only way that we can arrive at the truth is to continually and repeatedly test our hypothesis in every way imaginable, until the only reasonable conclusion presents itself. That is the distinction that is being lost when all of the armchair experts like you and me are so quick to make dumb comments like 'that would never work in a real fight.' We are essentially saying that they have to credibility to make such a claim, while completely ignoring that we have not established any of our own. So who are we to challenge them in the first place? Why comment on anything ever unless you have an arbitrary amount of experience with it? and it better be hands on, and not just theoretical, or none of that book learnin' nonsense!

[@Forscythe80]

Nurse here. I've seen 25-year experience nurses be less than good. I've seen new graduates' nurses be absolutely brilliant. More years doing something doesn't always mean you get better. And some people can be good at something without being a veteran at it.

[@j_d.darrenhunter5803]

Okay but that's missing the initial point. The point originally being made is "If you don't practice the art, you can't tell other people how to do the art properly." All the groups in your example all practice the occupation. A random Joe who's only experience comes from reading a a few text books and watching Grey's anatomy has no right how to tell a real nurse (veteran or not) how they should be doing their job. Even better is just to ask who would you rather want treating you? A veteran nurse, a new nurse, or a guy who only watches House MD. I'll take my bets with either Actual nurse before I let armchair doctor anywhere near me. That's the point. If you're looking for ways to learn how to do something, the best place to look is people who do the thing you want to learn.

[@moonpolarmoon]

@@j_d.darrenhunter5803 What if random Joe correct tho?

[@kemp9842]

Some people have 25 years on the job, while others have one year twenty-five times.

[@SangoProductions213]

It's very funny the difference in video titles. "Wah I'm attacked." and "Did I lie?" Meanwhile one person actively attacks the other. Can't imagine who it might be though.

[@VictorKane115]

I believe that gatekeeping in and of itself is not a bad thing. It must be done correctly, but gatekeeping is simply a means of defending something from being diluted or destroyed. That being said, it must be done in good faith, and with clear intent and definition, not vagaries. That also being said, I assume most people can reasonably tell the difference between honestly presented fencing instruction, speculation/experimentation, and the simple fun of making Cloud's Buster Sword.

[@shocktnc]

I agree that we need some level of gatekeeping, if you let in trash then your community turns to trash. Sellswords has now clearly shown he is not willing to be honest or civil- so there is no longer reason to keep him in the community.

[@Madison-iw8ix]

Gatekeeping isn't bad when there's a consistent standard. You can't have a nation if you don't guard the border, after all.

[@wolfflamekindl9339]

I've been diligently practiting Karate since I was 4; I'm now 26 and have multiple podium placements in various world level interdisciplinary tournaments, both in forms and combat, and often get requested to help tune up sessions for various Mid to high tier MMA and UFC fighters. Ive still been able to be corrected on how to do something by someone who's never practuced a linch, but becauze they had a sharp eye and a suggestion based on how they saw my body move.

[@LPNBKeith]

True martial artist! 🤜🤛

[@vladimirgertner3960]

They may be able to correct you, but you now, as a karate guy, would you just agree that people should listen to a dude that "watched some karate movies"? Would that person be a legitimate source of information about Karate? Would they be able to learn how to properly use Karate in combat from that person? Would you say that person should attempt to tackle the topic of "how to properly fight using Karate"? Or would you say "You have to practice the art to teach the art"?

[@wolfflamekindl9339]

@@vladimirgertner3960 Your comment is designed to back me into a corner where no matter what I answer you'll find fault. But I'll answer anyways, and answer as a martial artist should: all things in moderation and discretion. "A liar can teach a fool to hope for nothing," as my teacher used to say. There's a very large difference between teaching something and offering advice on something based on previous experience, and anyone with even some experience can often tell what is viable advice and what isn't. But only a fool doesn't try it before their conclusion. A teacher in longsword can spend countless hours drilling you until your body knows it just as instinctively as the mind... But it's still related to how you swing the sword. Meanwhile, an intermediate sport sprinter can advise you on how to improve your lunge based on their expefience with explosive force. However, if a doctor takes advice on surgery from a high school dropout who binge watched Grey's Anatomy, well...

[@JohnDoe80808]

​@vladimirgertner3960 yea the world's strongest men have even stronger men as trainers... they say you just need "enough" to teach. Then your practical experience or theoretical experience can pick up the slack. Theoretical and practical knowledge are both useful. Practical is moreso but it doesn't rule out theoretical. So to answer your question, the second option is better but it doesn't mean the first option is useless.

[@galetine5253]

I don't need to be a painter to say "that's a shitty paint-job"

[@j_d.darrenhunter5803]

Yeah, but you'd need to be a painter before you can tell someone HOW to do it better. Here's a question. Who would you rather take medic advice from? Doctor, or a guy who gets all his knowledge from Grey's anatomy? Better yet, who would you rather have operate on you? Surgeon, or a guy who's only source of knowledge comes from House M.D?

[@galetine5253]

@@j_d.darrenhunter5803 that’s a false equivalency. Greg’s anatomy is not a source of legitimate information on medical care. A more accurate comparison is a doctor who is not a surgeon telling you that you need a surgery. Because it’s absolutely possible for a doctor of internal medicine to be educated on the best course of action without having practice in the procedure. Or, a doctor who isn’t a surgeon may tell you that a surgical consult is wrong to suggest surgery, even though they aren’t a surgeon. Similarly, it’s absolutely possible to educate yourself on how best to paint a wall without ever picking up a roller or brush.

[@chukyuniqul]

But you do need to be a painter to say what makes a good paint job. In this analogy, a bad paint-job is a swordfighting style that gets you killed. For obvious reasons, this can't be seen so the closest thing to it is seeing which one gets hit more, all other factors being equal. And I'm pretty sure shad doesn't fence as frequently as david, ergo the sample size is comparably poor ergo his credentials are more doubtful-WHEN IT COMES TO "realistic" swordfighting.

[@charles_pensamentocritico]

Shad I'll be honest, sometimes I don't have time to watch, but every time I see your video I open it, like it, and let it play without volume on the background. Hope you're doing well :)

[@Dogg238]

When he pulls out the regular jacket and ascot you know it's serious

[@aramisgazzola3160]

The thing about his response video is that he doesn't respond to the key criticisms

[@oswinhull4203]

I think its important to realize modern fencing is not at all analogous to medieval sword fighting.

[@Smashface_McBourbondick]

He practices HEMA, not modern sport fencing.

[@kaimagnus5760]

Sounds to me like the scrub got called out and now he's trying to backpedal to save face.

[@joshtiscareno1312]

Exactly. He came off as a COLLOSSAL douchebag trying to bully his followers into not watching other youtubers (the fact the he thought this was a good idea should tell you just how clueless he really is). Unfortunately for Sellsword Arts, he picked a fight with somebody who was WAY out of his league. Shad brutally (but fairly), crushed him in his rebuttal, and exposed his douchebaggery to everyone. Sellsword Arts can't even delete the video to save face, since Shad has embedded the video in his rebuttal. This is going to haunt him for a LONG time.

[@dylansylvester4719]

Is that why he made a 45 minute video about it 😂😂😂

[@greenman4508]

Is that a tlc reference 😂

[@kaimagnus5760]

@@dylansylvester4719 That's why that skinny looking Nerd made TWO videos.

[@phoenix211245]

​@@dylansylvester4719Lol, the scrub that made the original video. He was rather mean spirited, petty, and pathetic in his comments against "unspecified channels"

[@richardbowman7116]

So wait.....this Sellsword is attempting to speak from a position of an active real steel swordsman? I currently participate with some of the finest, verified by victories and deeds, armoured combat fighters and duelists in the world and none of them would say this. I am going to have to know what named fighters this gentleman has bested in a full contact bout before I can take this argument seriously, at all.

[@ChristianBeckerKapraun]

I'd be surprised if he does full contact...

[@xenosayain1506]

Yoo what's the league. Been curious about the sport and how do get into it. And even if I can't get into it I'd love a league to follow!

[@zetsumeimaru]

I have gone Head to head with some of the Highest ranked Hema Longsword fighters in the country doing full armored combat. I have also fought battle of the nations participants. My performance is a bit of a mixed bag, and I absolutely forgot where I was going with this, but it is always great to see other armored combatants floating in the comments.

[@monkeyloofy2076]

16:44 I agree with shade. There are some world-class boxing coaches in history who have never boxed in their life. Secondly their are many incidents where people who never participate in certain art forms, have inhanced and made an art form evolve because they aren't trapped in a certain way of thinking/training.

[@TrueFork]

"only Disney directors are allowed to express opinions on Disney movies"

[@TheRedThirst]

thats precisely why people have developed a wide array of fighting styles, adaptation and improvisation is a key component to all martial arts... if everything was static and rigid it would be easily countered

[@Mohenjo_Daro_]

Yeah, and sometimes the novice is better at explaining things than the master. I found out how to explain my tile mapping choices from a pixel art guide. While the guide writer may have been a great artist, I doubt they were a good mapper, but they helped me understand what I knew from experience, but couldn't put to words.

[@chillycharizard5985]

It’s really telling how there is Shad hate in his comments and barely any David hate in these comments

[@thomaslacroix6011]

I was just scrolling here to see if it was my personal bias or if it was somewhat true. I've seen as many commenters hate Shad as David here, and those targeting David are pretty mild. The whole thing is overblown, but at the end of the day I believe David was looking for trouble with his gatekeeping approach that he can't defend any other way than redefining the meaning of words and ignoring the impression he clearly intended to create.

[@legirondin2077]

If Sellsword were a Sengoku samurai he'd be the type to get run through by 3 naginata after challenging a formation of armored japanese peasants to a katana duel mid-battle. "B-b-but they didn't study swords!"

[@RiverSwimmer2254]

Okay, my brother calm down

[@coolman5106]

what makes you think that

[@shocktnc]

​@@coolman5106he has a massive superiority complex

[@GanjaCoyote]

@@shocktnc No cap as they say. I had a 'friend' for a while growing up who had a massive superiority/inferiority complex so I can spot it a mile away. Sellsword seems to be doing a good job of compensating for all that he perceives to be wrong with himself. Fragile ego is usually an understatement. Don't you dare challenge them on anything. They are never wrong!

[@Even_N.D.]

Wrong

[@diehard82]

The idea that people who are not politically or religiously aligned cant be friends or even interact with each other civilly is wild to me. I personally am not religious or do a agree fully with shads politically stance, but that does not stop me for enjoying your content or respecting your beliefs and opinions. Intolerance has become a real issue in this day and age and the way you have handled this whole situation tells me a lot about your character. Shad you are a good man and great content creator.

[@Madison-iw8ix]

When tolerance is your primary virtue, you become intolerant of anyone you deem to be intolerant, and therefore you become a hypocrite. That's why tolerance isn't my primary virtue. (I don't mean you as is YOU specifically, btw. The general you.)

[@machaiarcanum]

@@Madison-iw8ix Time to bring back the use of “one”? Ie. “When tolerance is one’s primary virtue…”

[@takisk.7698]

Yeah I was baffled to see other youtubers unfriending (or w/e you want to call it) Shadiversity just because of different political/religious views (not even that extreme views.. I don't get it! They almost sounded like Shad was supporting hitler or something lol). Just ridiculous stuff imo.

[@ActionRexMan]

I will also never understand why some people are ike this. I have several friends in real life who are the exact opposite in political beliefs. The same goes for friends of different religious beliefs. Why should something as stupid as politics determine your personal relationship with someone? Not associating with someone of different political or religious beliefs is just something extremists would do. But most of the times it actually comes from those who claim to be the most tolerant...

[@bloody4558]

People who think that political sides are enemy to each other are people who think they know politics, but don't really understand it. There are lots of things from both left and right that would greatly benefit from a shared implementation, but that never happens because everyone is too egomaniacal to accept that the other side may have good points too

[@Species1571]

Trying to get my head around the idea that someone would spend their time to go and watch a video of someone they didn't think was worth listening to.

[@mooocowcowcowmooo]

OMG I made it into his video for being "disrespectful" for pointing out he is 5 foot nothing, plays with "lightsabers" while getting mad at others talking about fantasy weapons. SSA has a Napoleon complex.

[@samoilenko3887]

If you are judging person’s content by his height you are not only disrespectful, but probably mentally retarded

[@EnwardSnowman]

short nerd trying to get pussy by making youtube videos what a dipshit

[@theduckthatsits]

Seeing scholagladiatoria throw his support to sellsword after that video makes me somewhat worried about a political divide beginning in the sword community.

[@EnwardSnowman]

Birds of a pozzed feather flock together

[@shefalichow7917]

Matt has long ago ridden himself of his honor, by how he treated Shad in the past. That divide is not beginning. It's been there for quite some time now, just under the surface, popping out to betray people when they least expect it.

[@renegysenbergs3171]

I could only see Skalls one, where's schola's?

[@Underworlddream]

I talk to some people about this. How it seam political divides are spreading into various communities where it was not seen before. People were mentioning these things were happening for a while now but it just finally making it way to the very niche community like the swords and history communities. Even being from a different country with it own politics is not saving people from having people in another country be angry about it. Things going to get alot worse before it gets better.

[@MartySantiago350]

@@EnwardSnowman saying shit like this isn’t helping your case scumbags

[@col.festus]

All you have to do is see his type of personality. You know immediately he thinks he’s better than everyone else. You can tell by Shad accurately debating and refuting him is making him FURIOUS.

[@als3022]

And his comments to anyone with the mildest of criticism he goes rage on. This obviously is hitting his ego, and his political leanings are mentioned and are part of why he did it in the ifrst place.

[@michaelsmith8028]

Omw colonel Festus. Also yeah you can see his attitude when you watch his videos.

[@crispinsday]

let's just say it how it is, he's a north american lib. too bad too, because he's a pretty great show fencer at the very least

[@shocktnc]

Dude sent three days deleting any negative comments on his video, he openly admitted to trying to antagonize people. Frankly I think people should start documenting his behaviors and making it public so everyone sees just how evil his actions are.

[@andrewli6606]

Think the first clue should’ve been the fake bear claw scars.

[@WillFredward7167]

I can’t imagine Shad ever lying. He might make a mistake or misunderstand, but never deliberately.

[@ThatPinkOtter]

​@@guywholikesheelies3231 Whether or not that was the intent, if it was "Tit for tat" you do realize Sell Swords started the whole mess by attacking other creators, no? He just wants attention, so he got what he wanted I guess.

[@walrusknight9670]

if you wanna see some lying go look at his Ai stuff its hilarious how he copes about having "artist skill and a keen eye of anatomy"(he is delusional)

[@jm0112]

@@guywholikesheelies3231 This guy is commenting every. Keep in mind this is the same genius thay said from soft has bad story telling. I guess we can see you are the least reliable person in shads comment section.

[@ThatPinkOtter]

@@jm0112 FromSoft does have terrible storytelling in the Souls franchise, it's because they don't tell a story directly. All of the story is hidden in descriptions of items and weapons. Sekiro's story is told very well. I don't think having that opinion discredits a person on an entirely separate matter.

[@ThatPinkOtter]

@@walrusknight9670 Haven't seen it, but I'm also of the opinion that people are making a mountain out of a mole hill on the topic of AI. AI has been used in the professional space for a long time, and AI adjacent programs like Antares have been used for even longer. We had people lose jobs due to industrialization, we've been using binary algorithms such as pitch correction and other forms of automation in music as well for decades, and as for the 'stealing' bit prefabs have been used in game development for years. AI is just taking an algorithm and giving it the capacity to 'learn', to be more versatile in it's use. That said, it's how the tool is used that matters. In the case of something like Copilot it can cut down your workload as a programmer substantially, besides that if you know anything about programming very little belongs to a single programmer, there's thousands of forks because people-- professionals mind you do just copy paste off of git repositories and make adjustments as needed. AI is a complicated subject, it's not something that as a whole is good or bad, it's how people use it that can be good or bad. Think of it like a car, it gets you places faster than walking, but it can also be used to kill a whole lot of people. I just think that people don't want nuanced discussion and to have governmental entities step in to regulate the use of AI, I think they just want something to be angry about.

[@nemoexnuqual3643]

Oh no! All my engineering professors were employed as professors not as engineers! 😂 I love swords, like all real men. However I recognize that I’m unlikely to find myself fencing, fighting in a medieval shield wall, or using a giant sword to fight a dragon. Also fencing has rules and those rules don’t involve testing the lethality any neither does chopping a tree. Unfortunately the unions won’t allow us to use interns in this way, so testing edge durability on wood is a better test to show damage, fatigue, and durability.

[@kaas2597]

Sell continues to delete comments that disagree with him on this new responce. Even constructive and polite once. Pathetic.

[@Señor-Donjusticia]

I appreciate videos like this not for the drama, but because I learn a lot about how to respectfully disagree when facing criticism or even outright false claims.

[@TimaHzTV]

This video is so much about drama, that it consists of bad faith arguments (interpreting David's words in a way opposite to what he says about his words). The way to resolve misunderstandings and conflicts - is to communicate and not calling someone dishonest. Shad is the one who is dishonest.

[@MrPablosek]

​@@TimaHzTVDid you even watch a minute of this video or are you just here because david told you so?

[@JackalMJ]

I'm here because I casually saw Sellswords. Then I stumbled on Shads response. Shad was wrong. What sellseord did was unwise. Though not maliciously meant. Shad has decided he was tge victim and gone for blood. Look at Skalagrims response. Shad I really like your content but this is wrong.

[@TimaHzTV]

@@MrPablosek I've watched the whole thing. Can you debunk my claim? Or claiming maliciousness is the only thing you are able to do? Shad does the same, tho.

[@MrPablosek]

@@TimaHzTV Lmao dude you are the one claiming maliciousness here. Nobody was twisting David's words. You have exact clips of his in here. If anything, it is David himself that is now backpedaling because his plan has backfired. He intentionally kept things vague in his double bladed sword video so that now he could easily backpedal and say "nuh uh, I am the one being attacked" Learn to read between the lines dude. Your responses lead me to believe that no, you in fact haven't watched a single bit of this video. If you did, you would know David is a lying bastard as he got exposed at the very end where he claims he only wants positivity on his channel, but deletes comments from shad's fanbase (even the ones that are not insulting), hearts comments that insult shad and insults his own viewers with childish phrases.

[@victorstr9396]

"I should only watch video that correctly teach how to use swords properly made by true swordsman." Hmm... I don't even own a sword which means a chance of me using a sword properly would be none and by that fact I have no need to watch a channel made to teach true sportsmanship. Good advice.

[@CountSpartula]

"Dont listen to them" Is the same thing as "Dont watch them" This drama llama also has to gall to make a clear attack on others, no matter how politely said an insult is still an insult and so too it goes for attacks, and then go crying about people attacking him when they inevitably respond? Sellsword really did just sell his soul to the crybully gods.

[@troo_6656]

There's one thing that's been rattling in my head about this whole situation since I saw David's original video. Does he himself have his thoughts on this whole thing sorted out? A lot of arguments he makes are that of someone very opinionated but with those opinions not really sorted out and tested against more than strawman in your head. It seems to me that he thinks he is in the right, but doesn't really know why, so he struggles to make coherent arguments without openly attacking people. It is an opinion that sounds right when you say it, but doesn't really hold up when faced with reality and the ever dreaded nuance. Now I don't like playing psychologist or throw accusations around, but from my very personal experience (yes it happened to me a lot when I was younger and I'm by a long shot not alone) that is often a sign of jealousy influencing your judgement. Your brain is constructing uninformed arguments that don't really hold up to keep you from facing some sort of insecurity or frustration. For David that seems to be that his content just isn't as popular if I were to guess.

[@Danspy501st]

Funny enough, I remember in school when we at times in lessons having arguments or trying to make arguments over a topic, then I was fast to think up on one, but I wasnt that good to get the right words out. So to speak. I dont think it is jealousy, as you meanted here, but rather I dont think I had a broad of words to choose from. My point being, David might had the same problems as he thinks he knows what to say, but cant form the right words and sentences to get the meaning of the argument out correctly as he first thought up

[@xaalcarlsonanimations1539]

Had a friend I fell out with because he got jealous and you just explained things in such a perfect way that I have never thought about.

[@JohnM34404]

I have found that "It seems to me that he thinks he is in the right, but doesn't really know why, so he struggles to make coherent arguments without openly attacking people. " has accurately described most of the political discourse in the current times. When you prove better politically or morally you start being called racist, homophobic, or some other slur. From those who do that political behavior, I have found it starts to bleed into all other areas of their life including more civil and polite spaces. This may be an example of such when combined with the disparaging comments about holding political stances he has espoused.

[@Danspy501st]

@@JohnM34404 I think I had heard about this before as well, and yeah. I do see that around. Mostly in the political and belief part. I just glad I keeping my political, religious and beliefs (Or is it written as believes?) close to myself and not saying any of those. Meanwhile, I do like to stay neutral and in the middle of a topic and try to listen from both sides before making my opinion

[@Madison-iw8ix]

He reminds me of a catty woman passive-aggressively making life hell for those he doesn't like, and then when someone confronted him, he says "well, I didn't SAAAY it was blah blah blah". (And, yes, I've noticed it's mostly women who do this, and I'm a woman, too. And I can define what that is.)

[@Fantob99]

The thing that is good is that you take the time to explain and defend yourself but it looks like he doesn't and that not good for him. Taking the time to respond even if that take 1h is better than just going quick

[@connorsmith7850]

You know if you think about it, he had no formal training in using a dibble bladed sword. So where is his "Position of Authority"? He has not received years of training in that type of swordsmanship. So where is it?

[@MrJinglejanglejingle]

@@guywholikesheelies3231 Training doesn't equal expertise. He's an arrogant prick, is what he is, and letting his ego conflate with his knowledge.

[@chaosapple7771]

@@guywholikesheelies3231 I've trained in HEMA for 7 and a half years. I have friends who have been doing it for much longer, and I even know one who does actual full armored combat competitively. ALL of us blocked David's channel months ago because half of what he says is taken out of context, disingenuous and misleading, or just straight wrong. He is the mcdojo of KZbin hema practitioners. He does not know enough to try and claim he is a leading authority. Now, I'll admit I only watch shad for his test videos because they are fun and interesting like mythbusters was, so I can't say if he is or isn't. But I've also never heard shad try and claim he is lol.

[@A_Moustached_Sock]

When I met him at a sword retreat he said he got his start in Olympic fencing (I believe, this was over a year ago so Im paraphrasing) around 2004. He took up HEMA (fighting with longsword primarily) late 2000s to early 2010s.) So David does have history and experience. What concerned me is that when I wanted to go spar him after the classes were done at this sword retreat, he had stepped away for some time and came back with his nose having been dislocated due to a sparring match that night. I cancelled sparring with him as I no longer felt it safe due to his injury and he said he was still good to do it. I continued to cancel it and went to bed. Come to find out when he posted his video, he dislocated his nose from a thrust to his mask. This happened because his mask was way too big for him and somehow he didnt know that, despite the mesh being able to touch his face if pushed. To me, if you have all those years of experience then you should know full well how your safety equipment should fit you. Im quite glad I did not spar him knowing that now. Other than that, seeing him spar he seems to be somewhat competent in it, no more than just about any other practitioner who has a few years under their belt. Edit: I misread point of authority on double bladed sword as just swordsmanship in general. Still leaving this comment up anyway as I feel its relevant

[@chaosapple7771]

@guywholikesheelies3231 I haven't watched any of his videos in a while, so I can't give any direct references. Again, I blocked his channel months ago. I'm not looking to disqualify your beliefs of David. If you enjoy his content, that's fine! I was responding to the other guy because he made the claim that him practicing the art alone gives him creditionals to critique other practitioners. Which I disagree with for anyone. I just specifically don't like David lol. If you don't want to read an essay, let's just leave it at that, and I hope you have a good day! That being said, I will answer your questions and statements. At least the ones that I can, but it will be a bit of a read lol. I skipped through Shad's video, but in the later section, he specifically showed examples of David hypocritically allowing and participating in toxic conversations that he supposedly "doesn't tolerate." And I've had comments of mine deleted on his channel back when I posted on it. So did my friends. If that is his way to promotes HEMA and it's community, he can go promote something else lol. As for not claiming to be an authority. He claimed, from my understanding of Shad's first video, that you shouldn't watch people who don't practice the art, and you should only watch people who actively participate in it. This claim is only viable if you believe yourself to be an authority figure because you actively participate in something. He also tries to teach people things... which you shouldn't do if you aren't an active authority with teaching qualifications. Not saying you shouldn't practice your art. But saying you have to actively be doing it is stupid. I've done martial arts since I was 4. I'm 28. I have competed in amateur kickboxing and amateur wrestling tournaments. I've been stabbed in a real world self defense situation. I've taught "self-defense." (It was really just dumbed down wrestling and boxing techniques. We focused much more on preparation and awareness, but it gets my point across.) Even with all of that. I am not a leading expert. Not even close. Because there are people who know way more than me, even though I've been "practicing the art" for longer than them. The greatest coach I have ever had is a Muay Thai coach who has been in a wheelchair for 11 years. He can't actively practice. But he is an amazing teacher who understands the techniques better than anyone. My friend teaches piano, even though she has never been able to play like a normal person. She is missing 4 of her fingers and has since birth. She can't teach people the way she learned. But she can still teach. Because she understands how the instrument is meant to be played. Saying only people who actively participate in something should teach it is asinine and moronic in my opinion. And the only reason someone would say it is to either seem like they know more than other people so as to draw in customers. Or because they truly believe it and they probably don't have enough knowledge themselves to realize that all their expierence only means so much. Your experience is just that. Yours. It is no more valuable than the next person's. But someone who truly understands how something functions. And WHY it functions, will always be more knowledgeable, and will almost always be a better teacher. And that kind of knowledge comes not from practicing the art, but from studying it. But that's just my take. Hope you have a good day.

[@A_Moustached_Sock]

@guywholikesheelies3231 Ok. My reply wasnt directed at you. When it comes to the mask this happened in 2023 with him saying he started back in 2004. So definitely not new to the hobby and really should ought to know better.

[@123mandown]

He has a supremacist attitude, its always this " I have all the knowledge and skill you need to believe, and must trust me over others". That's what I saw, and its very arrogant to think your better just because x and y. Just like with guns here in America, just because you experience it doesn't mean you know a damn thing. If your under 50 and think you know good and well about something... YOU DON'T!

[@hihilow56]

Shad still can't figure out if it's David or Daniel 😂

[@TheGoat1939]

It's David

[@Joecraft02]

​@@TheGoat1939I'm pretty sure it's Daniel

[@TheGoat1939]

@@Joecraft02 lOOK ON THE WEBSITE YOU DUMMY

[@TheGoat1939]

@@Joecraft02 nop

[@foberdud7576]

Lol yea can’t tell if he’s trolling or not 😂

[@Unpainted_Huffhines]

When you publicly call out another channel with a huge audience, you're criticisms better be airtight, or else you're going to hear about it, thousands of times.

[@kaas2597]

@@guywholikesheelies3231 he didn't name names, but he casualy swept Every popular sword content creator under the rug of armchair warrior, disregarding their experience and "practice or the art", all while putting himself on a pedestal of "true swordsman". Shad is simply the only one speaking out (as far as I have seen).

[@Unpainted_Huffhines]

@@guywholikesheelies3231 I did say _only_ one specific channel. It still applies if you call out a group of channels with huge audiences; in fact, that's bound to make the potential blowback even worse eventually.

[@eggbun]

@@guywholikesheelies3231how many comments have you made defending this guy 😂 and all you say that he didn’t do such thing or didn’t call out anybody, as if that validates all of his points on the subject matter

[@keithfrederick877]

​@guywholikesheelies3231 you're an idiot, get lost. Your acting just like the hipster. I really don't like those people. Arrogant and insufferable

[@hectorhernandezaleman3836]

​@@guywholikesheelies3231So if I said that all people whose name start with g are idiots, by your logic, you shouldn't say anything nor have any right to answer back at me because I never mentioned your name, despite it starting on g. Do you realize the grim results derived from such a claim, right? No individual should defend the group they belong to until specifically called out, is that it?

[@NicholasproclaimerofMessiah]

For me personally, David's shorts generally came across as very arrogant and as rather shallow in regard to factuality, so he lost me a long time ago. I only comment on it now, because he sees fit to start a public debate claiming himself to be a superior and Shadiversity to be an inferior. There's that Robin guy who makes similar content in genre, but his content is humble and very respectful of factuality. When it comes to Shadiversity's genre, they're the best at it. Shadiversity's approach is humble, sincere, enthusiastic, insightful, and fun. Hopefully David will learn his lessons from this. If not, then this won't be the last symptom of whatever has caused him to lash out like this. He'll do well to learn.