Fencing advice for KNIFE FIGHTING: CUTTING

[@scholagladiatoria]

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[@Trev794]

Ohh how much do you get monthly from them to promote this shit show of a pay to win fest to us ...

[@kaoskronostyche9939]

Hi Matt. Great stuff as usual. Thought you might be interested in this "There's no such thing as a knife fight" by some Aikido guy. kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y6SadmCGqLJ9iKs&ab_channel=Hein%27sApproachtoAikido Cheers!

[@corneliussulla9963]

Can I play this character? kzbin.info/www/bejne/Zn21Y62ropKeoZo&ab_channel=AcademyofHEMALeontesGeorgeE.Georgas

[@wesleycopeland2572]

Nothing I know b******* we're not see it this guy never cut his way out of a wet paper bag I think he fantasizes about fighting with a knife but if he did it he was a chicken s***

[@skydivingcomrade1648]

What techniques would work best for a cobra knife from Fairburn?

[@jm9371]

As a NONE HEMA person, I super enjoyed this insight into what complexities there are to the discipline. Top sword masters of old would have been like Ace fighter pilots. Having been exposed to so much real time action, they would have been pretty dominant on the battlefield. In both cases, you might only get a chance to get it wrong 'ONCE'. Every time you got it right (and survived) you would have been so much ahead of the next guy. Top quality content.

[@peterwall8191]

*J M* Those who can do, those who can't teach! No top fighter ever wrote a book. They never had to. Their names were known, their employment as weapons masters for noble houses, or as captains to mercenary companies, secured. If they taught, it was some noble's sons. You write a book to get famous, not because you are.

[@TheGreatAmphibian]

@@peterwall8191 No, you're talking nonsense. E.g. One off the most important mercenary captains got into a duel in Italy... So he hired the author of one of the main surviving textbooks as his coach.

[@tiagodacruz2484]

@@peterwall8191 well... If you do it for long enough and survive, you get old enough that all you can do is teach. Then, writing a book (or having someone writing it for you) might be a great way for you to share, advertise and sell you knowledge and teaching services. Also, I'll let you know, I am both an actor, acting teacher and master at arms. I am teaching fencing, stage fight and acting. I am also acting on stage on a play I was invited to, not only perform, but also direct multiple fight scenes; some with about 20 people fighting at the same time. There are those who can do and teach (they just don't get much sleep in). 😅

[@tinman1843]

@@peterwall8191 Tell that to Fairbain or Sykes

[@artawhirler]

​@@tinman1843 Or to Miyamoto Musashi, for that matter. 😅

[@stevep.7970]

Thanks to the power of the internet, I've unfortunately seen video of a real knife fight between two men where one used a large Bowie in a fencing style, while the other used a smaller hunting knife. The "fencer" dominated the fight right off the bat, ultimately ending the fight with a fatal move to the other man that punctured his...um...skull. His movements were very similar to what you described and demonstrated here, using his wrist to make cuts and thrusts using the reach advantage of his knife without stepping into the other man's danger zone or exposing himself.

[@vf6638]

Link?

[@a661992]

Agree link?

[@jimlahey5623]

No problem

[@junichiroyamashita]

How can i find this? Does it have a name?

[@ghiblinerd6196]

Ahhh the dark web

[@christopherseivard8925]

Apologies if I have commented previously, I can’t remember, I am a grand Mal Stroke Survivor. I am a KZbin fan, to help my concentration/ focus. I fenced in college, (Epee) this presentation helped me focus. I learned something. Cheers!

[@mrmicro22]

God's blessings on your recovery.

[@greggonley8110]

I was pretty excited to see knife work. This is a great video, perhaps another time you can show techniques with a 3-4" blade. The things that work with a bowie aren't applicable to a blade with almost no mass. I'm guessing UK laws and the historical nature of the channel may make this harder than with things that are essentially short swords. Would be nice to learn more ways for my fencing to apply to daily use blades. The footwork and timing is helpful, getting in and out, sneaking in little pops and jabs.

[@theonlymegumegu]

seconded to see a video on really short blades!

[@brittakriep2938]

As an armchair expert only, i have somewhere read ,boxing' is knifefight without a knife. Don' t know any thuth about this idea.

[@darrylviljoen6227]

​@@brittakriep2938 yes, in context. certain principles absolutely cross over. using the knife like a jab will be effective. as do certain techniques. parrying a thrust is just like parrying a punch. you can also parry with the knife. and if boxing is all you have access to, you can make it work. there are some adjustments that will make it better. some suggestions. use a standard boxing but move your dominant hand to the forward most position, by keeping it in front of your body you won't accidentally cut your self, also reduces distance to the target. training to stand in a non-dominant stance would be ideal but the middle of a knife fight is not the place for that so use what you know. also turn your hands palm in, do this in front of a mirror, only the outsides of your arms should be visible, this will help protect the vulnerable inner arm. it will probably make your arms cross over, thats fine, you don't want any part of you in front of your knife anyway. and don't forget about your offhand, most people will forget it exists. you can still Parry, block and cover with it taking a slash across the back of your arm sucks, but not as much as a slash to the neck.

[@sixgunsymphony7408]

3" to 4" blade; Use underhand grip and use basic punching techniques, striking with the blade.

[@wehrewulf]

In Bowie fencing the moulinet can be devastating from the guard with a back cut using the sharpened clip. A notorious blow.

[@dragdragon23]

I'm coming from memory! There was u tube vid from a guy who is the leading expert on knife fighting in the U.S. on pioneers in these small settlements who on a regular basis kill one another in the taverns, he seems to come the same way as your said from the wrist. from fencing fighting using bowies and those big tooth pick kind of knives. thanks for the history and info!

[@HunterGargoyle]

I've been in 6 knife fights in my life, of them only one wasn't mainly fought at grappling distance where i was needing to stop them from manipulating my arms and head while i cut and stabbed at the oponant

[@brianmincher716]

What in the world are you doing to get in all these knife fights? That seems like at least five too many.

[@bassemb]

Hi Matt, when mentioning one of your previous videos, such as the Biddle "Take The Hand" video at 5:00 , I encourage you to link to it in the description, and also provide a link to it with a youTube card (which also shows up for mobile viewers), and mention "... which you can find linked in case you haven't seen it yet". This will increase the likelihood that viewers who haven't seen it (like me) will click the link and view it. Removed friction for more viewership, and all that. Mentioning and *linking* your previous videos is a great way to keep your older videos bringing in views.

[@stephanwatson7902]

7:10 This is something former UFC Champion Georges Saint Peirre said that he uses in his MMA style, Georges said he learned it from Bruce Lee and we know Bruce adopted it from European fencing "using the longest distance weapon to the nearest target" In MMA this is the side and oblique kicks, to the kneecap and it is now commonly used

[@daemonharper3928]

Another great presentation, really interesting - keep them coming, I'm 150 miles from any HEMA or sport fencing so these are invaluable, really appreciated. One good thing about Moulinette...... somebody will think twice about pressing an attack if you're lightly standing on your toes, en garde and a Moulinette-ing. It implies a level of ability best avoided.

[@honestindomitus1342]

As a fan of modern MMA, the overlap is fascinating. Mma gloves are much smaller than boxing gloves, meaning the guards and techniques have to change, much like moving from swords to rapiers to knives with variable hand protection. The advantage of beginning an attack with a thrust is like beginning a combo with a jab, and countering with a cut is like countering with a hook. Now that I think of it, just the other day, a fighter named Khalil Rountree was actually using his lead hand to strike at his opponent’s (Chris Daukaus) lead hand.

[@raydrexler5868]

I saw a knife vs ice pick fight in New Orleans, it was essentially a weoponized wrestling match. Both went to the hospital, knife guy, later, was moved to the morgue. Presumably ice pick guy went to jail.

[@TenaciousTentacruel]

These techniques with weapons have a very interesting relationship with unarmed combat. The dichotomy of thrust vs cut is very similar to the question of straight punches vs hooks. A check hook is a very common counter off the straight jab Conceptualizing a fist fight as armed combat is also a very frightening and humbling perspective

[@robertlehnert4148]

The "On Guard Knife Stance" (OGKS) John Styers demonstrated in _Cold Steel: Technique of Close Combat_ (1952) was a masterful knife retracted next to the body position to chamber the knife for either direct, torso-pivoting thrusts (NOT lunges!) or linear wrist-powered snap cuts. The OGKS also had the advantage of drawing an opponent into the range of the OGKS thrusts and cuts without the opponent realizing it, especially because both of these attacks are, when done correctly, extremely non-telegraphed and very fast---often they will land on target and be retracted back out of range before the opponent can react.

[@holyknightthatpwns]

Would love to see some of the differences in test cuts between cutting with the wrist, the elbow, with or without the lunge, etc.

[@jonathanshelton4549]

Hello Matt, I have only been fencing for 7 years now, mostly Hema stuff, however I have practiced Pekiti Tirsia for well over 20 years. I learned this circular cut (Moulinet) as a Redondo initially. This circular cut was from the wrist, fastest and weakest, from the elbow, medium, and from the shoulder as the strongest/slowest. Remember that the filipino blade was often used just to get trough the jungle. It served double duty as a tool for defense, as well as other things associated with daily life, because when traveling on foot the kit must be kept light. Therefor the blade you hold at the time of an altercation may be of varying degrees of sharpness due to the duties you had to fulfill that day. That heavily worked blade requires more force to cut than a super sharp edge only used for dueling. The Moulinet was not only restricted to the elbow in my experience. As you seemed confused as to why anyone would choose to do this may I please give my perspective; as you mentioned in your previous video which advises targeting the hand, the hand can also be bait. Remove the hand with the elbow redondo and counter cut for a beat to the opponent's blade or, if your foot work is good, to more critical targets. Try it out while sparing and I hope you can see the time and place where this can be an advantageous method for the circular cut. Thank you for your work in the education and love of all things sharp. Be well. (If someone already has said as much in the comments I apologize. I'm very busy and way too lazy to read every comment lol)

[@wehrewulf]

Pikiti-Tirsia, from my experience, is one of the actual few Filipino disciplines that approach edged combat from a realistic fencing point of view vs. nonsense trapping, and flow drills.

[@goldengoat1737]

Coming from a boxer….You fencing guys have phenomenal foot work!

[@dlmiller7873]

Thanks for the free lesson, Matt. I appreciate it.

[@Falin1989]

Well, I do have SOME experience (not a professional at all), but I can't aggree that the long and short knives are the same. With short blade you can't really block anything, but they are much faster, so in the most of sparrings I did, it was mainly about who cuts whos arm first.

[@Punisher_MrWick]

When I started martial arts karate my karate throws aren't as good when I joined the wrestling team and still practice karate my throats were really good! I myself have always been fascinated by fencing! And I always like to learn something new!

[@fjb4932]

Ry Lcy, "I myself..." Why is it not "Myself i..." ? Or the even more redundant, me myself and i ! . . .

[@kawaiiduck5924]

Please do a video on German university dueling fraternities. Where a facial Scar is a cool thing to have.

[@laurenceperkins7468]

In several systems I've seen the wheeling cuts from the elbow or shoulder are used from the bind. So as the sword comes back the body moves forward maintaining contact, usually with an eye toward ether changing the line or grappling the opponent's hand and then delivering a heavy cut.

[@andypanda4927]

Closest I ever came to learning how to use a knife for fighting was using those "Flair" marker pens. My hand was so marked up that reconciled myself to looking for something to throw while hoping for E&E success if ever in that position.

[@btrenninger1]

Since Matt didn't quite explicitly say it, riposte gives more freedom for big cuts because in addition to cocking your own arm, the opponent has just uncocked his arm and must withdraw it before they can offend again. So, ripostes are safer. Though, one did just go through the danger of an attack that had to be defended against.

[@jurgenkarambit2084]

the spanish "manual del baratero" stands for navaja fighting,exposes even the weapon of choice of gypsies, scissors

[@stitchjones7134]

Used to train with a big felt tip pen. Tells you a lot about how often you're going get cut.

[@timothygourley5690]

Can you do a video on the foot work you'd use, forward, backwards and side to side next ?????

[@solomonkane223]

Have seen, and practiced the wrist snap cut you just taught me is called a "moolinae", and at least now I know what it's called. Learning has occurred. Keep the instructional videos coming.

[@Arkeo36]

Important consideration for knife fighting is that, unless one immediately gets a stab to the throat or heart in, you aren't likely to kill the opponent in one hit. Statistics show the average number of wounds suffered by a victim of a knife attack is somewhere in the dozens. The priority, it would seem, would be to get in a hit as quickly and safely as possible at the outset. And then just go to town. All the hand-trapping and so on seems like a good way to hang out in the danger zone and get sliced up.

[@josephgriffin6552]

The issue that hand-trapping solves is that you won't always be in a "clean" environment (meaning that there might be stuff on the floor or you might be in a hallways etc) so you won't always be able to dance in and out. In fact most times you won't be able to. Hand-trapping and practicing grappling is to try to mitigate that factor.

[@moremusic868]

this was soooo helpful. thank you, this improved my cuts and slashes so much

[@paultemple5042]

Two fun facts, 1. Bruce Lee studied Western Fencing. 2 . Quite a few techniques in Chinese Tai Chi Sword work are wrist cuts. And a freebie, the reasons for going for the wrist or hand is that they are usually the closest target and if your opponent can't hold their knife, they can't hurt you with it.

[@brittakriep2938]

But usually you are attacked by persons with two hands.

[@scholagladiatoria]

@Britta Kriep - while that is of course true, having seen a number of people receive hand injuries, they tend to drop what they are holding. And even if they don't, it takes them some time to switch their weapon to the other hand. And even if they do manage to do it quickly, you can of course also injure that hand :-)

[@ramibairi5562]

Matt is it fair to assume that double hits would be more common in knife fighting due to the shortness of reach ?

[@FellsApprentice]

The general saying is that in a knife fight, "The winner goes to the hospital, the loser goes to the morgue". So, yes.

[@scholagladiatoria]

In my observation, the length of the weapon neither increases nor decreases the likelihood of doubles. What does make a difference with real weapons is how quickly the given weapon incapacitates. Obviously an incapacitated person is out of action, so the more superficial the wounds given by a weapon, the greater the chance that the opponent will get you back.

[@rbranham8062]

Told to me by a combat veteran; “If you get into a knife fight, just make peace with the fact that you will get cut, whether you win or not”

[@ramibairi5562]

@@rbranham8062 that's exactly my point

[@jasonbrody8724]

The shortness of the weapon yes but also the weight of the weapon means it can be moved quickly which makes it harder to avoid

[@JoelHuncar]

This was great! Very helpful for this old eskrimador!

[@Joe3pops]

This is a time machine for me. I am a teenager at my parents home. Close to the fireplace reading Encyclopedia Brittanica, page after page on European fencing. Those wonderful engravings. Thank you sir.

[@morlath4767]

Thank you for this, Matt! Two things that popped into my head when watching it: 1 - Is there a chance you can edit the videos to put the spelling of the moves/non-English terms for swords/names of the treatises? It would just make it easier for searching for those of us who have an interest in these subjects but not enough knowledge to know what to search for. 2 - I doubt this is something you're thinking of, but videos like these where you discuss the guards and their weaknesses (especially here where you talk of the mechanics of action) subliminally/unconsciously aid your audience in picking out what is wrong with Hollywood sword fights. Fans of this video will remember it, and then immediately go "hang on" when they see a a swordsman wind up a strike that leaves their body exposed and yet not get attacked for it.

[@nickdavis5420]

Done this in fencing and if you could yes I’d love too see it cut .

[@richardmcginnis5344]

this is cool, when i watch old ww2 veterans speak of their hand to hand training their go to words so to speak are to hold the knife gently with a firm grip like a fencing foil thumb and two fingers forward, especially the old british guy in his old uniform telling how he broke a guys arm because the other guy was trying to say the fairbarin sykes method didn't work, so watching old ww2 training films shows that it does and practicing those moves and practicing over and over until it becomes as normal as tying your shoes

[@jackrice2770]

I fenced for a couple of years in high school and it was terrific education for self-defense. I also found it helped increase my 'thinking speed'. Here in the US, anyway, fencing isn't a very common sport, esp. in high school, and that's a shame. In my school I was the only male (out of a student body of 2K) who did it, the rest of the team were women. I have maintained that this was an excellent sport for women, since it teaches many techniques for defense, gets one used to being hit (really necessary in self-defense), teaches women aggression (being aggressive in self-defense is always better than being passive...duh), as well as self-confidence, situational awareness, etc. Carrying a knife for self-defense, most folks aren't going to walk around with a seven inch plus blade (leaving legal issues aside), so with a shorter blade the importance of closing, blocking, and quick, disabling strikes are vital. Again, fencing teaches one how to close with an opponent safely. I wasn't very tall, so with long-armed, long-legged opponents, my best option was to quickly lunge inside their guard. They could only hit me in the back or some other non-target area, while I was able to 'touche' them easily. I just love Matt's videos, he's a real historian and researcher, not just some testosterone-addled wannabe. PS. In my experience, when one has been stabbed, that tends to discourage one from pursuing the controversy. Getting the first cut in will likely make your attacker think twice, unless they're very determined, or in an altered state of consciousness (i.e., high on something). And yes, I got stabbed, not in a vital area, and not all that deep, but, guess what? It hurts! Old street fighter rule: "Charge a gun. Flee a knife." Nothing like running away to save your butt.

[@OnTheRiver66]

I fenced at my local Y for several years, and you are correct, fencing trains you for a lot of self defense moves, tactics, feints, and I entered tournaments and that taught me even more. I later went into tae Kwan do for a few years, became an instructor for 7 years, and it was like fencing in many ways, but instead of one hand and arm you use both hands and both legs. Both are like a physical chess. And you learn that it is absolutely necessary to practice until the moves and responses are instinctive - you do not have time to think about a move when the action starts, very much like catching a ball thrown to you - you don’t think about it, you have to use what you learned to do instinctively. Fencing should be a more popular sport in the US than it is. It is a lot of fun!

[@jackrice2770]

@@OnTheRiver66 You're absolutely right about practice. In fencing you don't really use vision as much as feel. You have to maintain contact with your opponent's blade to feel what he's doing. In a fight, however, most people are going to react instinctively. You can use those instinctive reactions to your advantage.

[@randyallen2771]

Thanks Matt, very well done and informative.

[@kravstema6287]

Put on your eye protection, mouthpiece, and do a full speed and power knife spar, with training knives of course, you will find that fencing footwork is the only thing that keeps you alive

[@sh4969]

I like the cold steel machete range they have from bowie knives to katanas, cutlass, tanto, wakizashi

[@Guiscardo777]

Mulinelli di Cortello is a pretty popular italian knife fighting technique

[@robertschuitema6242]

A beefy bowie blade can whip out a nice moulinet, i swear i can take some fingers/wrist with just a flick of the wrist

[@TheEudaemonicPlague]

Though I'm sure I'll never have to fight with a knife, I've always been interested in how proper knife fighting is done. Unfortunately, too many people making videos on the topic are much too optimistic about the likely outcome given their methods...but, fortunately, there's also Matt Easton (not to mention a fair number of other no-bullshit channels). I strongly suspect that the things I've learned from this channel will help me stay in one piece better than most of what I've learned from other sources previously. Largely because martial arts instructors I've had were of the overly optimistic type...you know, the ones who're confident they can easily take a knife away from someone who intends to use it.

[@yourhighschoolenglishteach8405]

the moulinet technique reminds me of a lot of tip-cutting techniques. for a shorter blade (thumb dagger) or blade with poor cutting ability (fairbairn-sykes), you can cut strongly by flicking the wrist and arm downwards, and using the tip to “scratch” the opponent. with the right blade it is very effective, and doesn’t really require a wind-up

[@danielchapman5142]

As a reenactor with somewhat basic skills in dagger, spear and sword fighting I have learnt that a low starting retreating(stepping backward one step just to get out of the way although not essentially needed in all situations of this instance) upward swing from 6 o'clock to 10 o'clock to the enemies wrist (bearing in mind I am right handed and this is usually a defense from chop to the head and a stab /thrust to the chest/abdomen and only effective with larger knifes such as the ones shown)/ end of spear and then a lunging drop to the neck is one of the most effective counters I have used in my time as a fighter fighting with bladed weaponry. My second favourite counter is just a straight up backwards lunge when the try swing in a manner toward the left shoulder or neck area and a forward lunge assisting a push cut toward their neck.. In the case you have a shield and cutting instrument/bludgeon(the same strikes apply in both stick whacking and edge cutting) one of the most rattling attacks i have encountered was a shield thrust/punching forward with a shield and chopping straight down on the head simultaneously. It is not really enjoyed by the person receiving it and anybody witnessing it. These things being said a shield isn't really carried around and people who usually attack you with a knife (in Australia where knives are generally a big no-no to carry in public)the offender/ person attacking you whether pre-empted or not usually carry a concealable knife so if you have a longer knife you're already in the winning position. Also this being said the most legal self defense tool a person can have in modern day "any country" is a good hefty headed walking stick.. there are lots of diy tutorials on how to make your own and the same aforementioned first technique i have written can be used and the second one I have written too can be used or even just a quick bash to the wrist.. I plan on making a good "cane" next week ( we all know that a piece of steel water pipe cap on a 45cm stick help on by a larger nail makes a formidable clubbing weapon but if it's a Metre/3 feet long how much more is it effective? Heaps more. Just whack a rubber end on the other end so you can say it's for walking with cos of ya "sore lower back" or what the hack ever. A great saying I often hear is if you can carry a sword carry one but if you can't carry one Carry a hefty stick with a weighted end and that'll usually be the call for last drinks.

[@MrMZaccone]

Cuts are a great way to disable the opponent so you can achieve the thrust. If my opponent also has a blade, eliminating his ability to hold it is a decent goal to achieve. Once I'm there, I can get much closer and complete my attack with a finishing thrust.

[@sirseigan]

When push cuts was mentioned I come to think about that in the Japanese styles I have trained it has been taught that a stab should be done with a horizontal blade so one can cut on the way out, as a prevention of the blade getting stuck. Some however do a push-cut then straight stab (but with the point penetrating first) to make the wound bigger already on the way in. One has also to keep in mind that japanese blades tend to be think and broad and single edged which creates a slightly different behaviour then a thin double edged blade.

[@elijahoconnell]

i like doing push cuts to limbs and to block the weapon hand wrist. also ofc when i mess up a thrust and a push cut followed then by a draw cut is the only other option. i think i know what youre talking about with making the wound bigger when you do get the thrust, i think ive seen that on some cutting mediums

[@DamienNeverwinter]

Matt you beat me to it! I was about to mention that I have seen ghurkas use the moulinette rather extensively.

[@leemcgann6470]

Matt, have you done any basics videos? Like on a CD or downloadable? I would love to practice saber & Bowie from you! But plane tickets would be problematic form the US.😁

[@harrykouwen1426]

Fantastic how you explain and show the how and why, very educative and understandable. However, from personal experiences in dangerous harbours, You mention and show to starty a slashing cut with a kn ife or dagger while you raise your whole arm, and the underarm up and backwards, which obviously takes valuable time and opens your defence. If you bring back your upperarm while hanging low with your underarm in the same forward defnesive/offensive position, take a short step back, then you can start a fast offence cut & thrust, even strong parry while taking a step forward, off balancing the opponent 9 out of 10 times. Not uncommon for sailors to have 2 daggers at hand, very hard to break through that.

[@robertvondarth1730]

This is precisely how B. Lee saw the usefulness of the eye jab, as he abandoned WingChun and adopted fencing theory.

[@manfredconnor3194]

I have found that one generally needs less power than one thinks on cuts. The weapon does the work. More important is drawing or pushing.

[@stormiewutzke4190]

Awesome. I have been waiting for this sort of thing. Any chance you can do some sort of list of manuals for knives?

[@jack_batterson]

Matt, Sir RIchard Burton was a huge advocate of "the point". He discussed the superiority of the point in several books, etc.... Are you familiar with Burton? Any criticism?

[@scholagladiatoria]

If you search for Burton in my videos, I have done at least one video about him. I have quite a few issues with his sabre manual, but his bayonet manual is okay. Some of his travel books are great reads, but I am extremely doubtful about some of the stories he told.

[@jack_batterson]

@@scholagladiatoria Now...you wouldn't let the truth get in the way of a good story, would you? 😆

[@Matthew-xz8bj]

QUESTION: What make and model is the Bowie @0:15? It looks to be sharpened on the backside of the clip point?

[@richardzapata357]

Great video, I’ve been looking for something showing techniques for fighting with Bowie like knives specifically using saber techniques. I’d love to see more!

[@JDStone20]

Man, you have super strong hands and wrists, the blades are not flopping around not even a millimeter!!!

[@kennybrunton9389]

Very good Makes me want to join a HEMA school lots of fun

[@lunacorvus3585]

Insightful video, especially to those who are interested in both modern fencing and knife fighting (like myself). Really wish to learn more about this topic. Personally, I want to hear some suggestions for the solo training which would be beneficial to both fencing and knife fighting :)

[@scholagladiatoria]

That would be a good topic for a future video - off the top of my head, I'd advise lots and lots of footwork drills - knees bent, moving around, lunging and recovering. IMHO, the shorter the weapon gets, the more important the footwork is. A person needs to reach you to hit you and the longer your lunge is, the more you can out-range them.

[@Alefiend]

Matt, a question related to this topic from literature, specifically Dune. A character, a famous swordmaster and trainer, says "killing with the tip lacks artistry." While the advice given is to kill with edge or point as the opportunity presents itself, I wonder if this sentiment existed in any real-world system. (Since Dune is science fiction, there are other factors that might affect the character's attitude -- in this case, ridiculously high levels of training combined with personal defelctor shields.)

[@dimsomniac]

Thanks for the video, been watching you for a while. I'm writing a fantasy story where in the city carrying a sword is generally illegal, which has resulted in a culture of knife fighting, especially in the underworld side. So glad that you have been cowering a lot of shorter blade topics recently. Related to the topic, does anyone have any suggestions on any knife focused systems I should be looking at?

[@kentallard8852]

A bowie knife is 12-18 inchs. At the start of WWII the US Army was still using the 16-inch long M1905 bayonet, many soldiers found this length cumberson and unit armorers often cut it down to around about 10-inch, this became official in 1943 with the M1 bayonet being introduced remachining the 1905. upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/13/World-War-II-US-Military-Bayonets.jpg - first one is M1905, second is M1, third is a cutdown 1905, and the final is an M4 on an M1 Carbine

[@erichibler2112]

You're always very interesting to listen to Matt. Great strategies and tactics and techniques presented along with your insights into your personal usage is cool too. I think I would like to see more pressure trapping hand control or blade on blade control and how it is used inside for a HEMA perspective on fighting or self-defense sometime. I have Filipino stick & Knife background but a lot of it was influenced by Western fencing from Spain, Portugal, Dutch, etc...

[@markziff7234]

I remember someone said if you're in a fight, you're going to get hit. If you get hit with a knife you're going to bleed. Has anyone seen The Hunted? Interestingly, Benicio Del Toro's costume had ropes/string all over it, this was for use as a make-shift tourniquet. Get cut and pull on the nearest rope. Also catching his own blood & flicking it at his opponents eyes. Worth a watch.

[@jaygraham5554]

Regarding Sword position hand back close to torso, hand not out in front: I have a different view: simply adjust your proximity with your legs both linearly and laterally so your hand is out of range. This goes to the strategy of using the legs to be optimally Positioned ( syncopated dance is good training) My background: boxing and fencing

[@keithallardice6139]

That's a really beautiful-looking Bowie you've got there, Matt ;-) The "points" you make are, as always, informative and interesting ... keep 'em coming, please!

[@rm8874]

Fools guard? Low outside line with point down? Loved that position in modern fencing. Maybe a future video on its uses, risks and history? Also I fenced modern Olympic style under a couple of French fencing masters(one lvl 1 master and cadet national team members and the other a lvl2 master who trained national teams) and I had no idea my favorite parry + repost was called a "moulinet"! Sometimes I turned it into a flick by utilizing the momentum with the snap of the fingers. It's amazing how much modern foil fencing can be applied to a knife! Slight modifications to the motions, targets and distance but all in all its seems very workable. Will you be doing one on the ice pick grip at some point?

[@yowatup9329]

Yo! Love learning HEMA from your channel! I see that your knife grip is the same as the Filipino "kitchen" knife grip. Is that also the same for HEMA?

[@NigelMacDonald-mt9wn]

Colour me interested in a 7 hour kukri demonstration weekly podcast.

[@xthetenth]

I'd absolutely want to see some kukri cutting. I've got two very nice kukris I'd be very interested in knowing techniques for.

[@Matt_Alaric]

As a counter point i once saw a video of an attempted triad hit in China that was done with knives. There about 4-5 guys with various knives cornered their target in an office and he pulled out a butcher's knife (the heavy bladed pointless type) and began swinging for the fences at them in an all out attack, and succeeded in injuring 1 or more of them and completely scaring them off. So not to say your point is wrong at all in a purely fencing manner, but in an actual fight there's a lot to be said for aggression and speed at the expense of technical correctness.

[@fixthisdog]

Matt, in your HEMA knife sparring do you engage in grappling as well? It seems like knife sparring would be wrestling-heavy

[@scholagladiatoria]

We do, but we also stop when a person takes what would probably be an incapacitating stab or cut, because there doesn't seem an awful lot of point grappling after taking a hit like that... which means that most grappling doesn't come to much, because most people get stabbed or cut badly before they are able to grapple much. That's not me saying that grappling is in any way not useful, it is, but knife against knife, it seems to usually be mostly about the knife.

[@Eckister]

Honestly - I believe that opening oneself up does have its place in historical fencing, albeit mostly as a part of the theatrical portion of said discipline (HEMA may be a different story). The way I was taught was, that opening oneself is a challenge, which you can very much use during practice (e.g. you move your weapon into terce to imply that the opponent is to cut you in prima. sorry if my terminology is not the best, I was taught in Slovak and am too tired to look up what these terms are in English). It CAN be useful in sparring, however there would probably have to be a disparity in skill between the two opponents.

[@yeahnaaa292]

Matt, Thorough & excellent, sir. As Usual.

[@JingShenKuoshu]

Do you have info on short palm and folder blades. I would love to meet you

[@johnshite4656]

Matt: "Here's how we can improve our knife fighting!" _Cell Block D has entered the chat_

[@kiwiprouddavids724]

This is a subject I'm really interested in

[@tbjtbj4786]

I have had a man that has won a few knife fights. He told me if the other person knew they were in a knife fight before the blade was in them he had done something wrong.

[@kurtschmidt5005]

This is great info! Do most hema groups study this kind of thing?

[@chrisbartlett5291]

Hi I have really been enjoying your videos. It good to see researched and sourced facts rather than just opinions. Do you have any recommendations for modern weapons in particular to house invasion / self defense. What woukd/do you keep at home to protect yourself e.g sword, machete, etc?

[@serwhit2490]

I enjoy your instruction on techniques

[@pedjatosic2644]

Good day, I've been following you for a while, I have an Austro-Hungarian cavalry saber, so I'd like to fix it and give it a shine. I don't know how to take it apart so I can clean everything nicely, so I need help if possible. I'll also send you a picture if you can tell the procedure how to disassemble the handle.

[@ariadanzig434]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge with us,I really appreciate it. Ur covering our past and eventually bullets will run out :)

[@ianrosie4431]

I thoroughly enjoyed that, thanks. MORE!

[@ayrnovem9028]

I remember this channel doing some good reviews of movie fights. I wonder if Matt could be interested in doing the reviews of the use of blades in the recent "Dune" movie. I am quite curious about his thoughts. "Dune" universe has a very interesting fictional concept of how personal shields, which stop objects moving at dangerous speed from reaching the body, influence the fighting style (these shields are also the reason why close combat is prevalent as opposed to shooting each other). Visualizing that in a movie must've been challenging. And I was pleasantly surprised as it looked decent.

[@Fatespinner]

Man, I hope they pay well for a solid two-minute ad reel. Shit, man, that was a full commercial break.

[@leemcgann6470]

I have the D’Capitain Companion from Zombietools… it’s a short knuckle bow cutlass with a great 12” blade.

[@roguebynature4163]

I have practiced Filipino martial arts for around 5 years. We tend to keep hands more withdrawn. My question is if older systems of hema kept the hands back due to less hand protection why would fighting with knives that also had minimal hand protection take the stance of saber and other point forward systems ?

[@nullifye7816]

What Matt doesn't really go into here is the change caused by the extreme shortness of the weapon and it's lightness (and thus speed) in relation to reaction times and the human body (arm length remaining constant). Keeping way back means a long obvious wind-up, which can me made to voided (made to miss) by a small motion (the blade is small). Similarly a snipe to the knife hand can be voided by a quick motion backwards with the arm. Knife sparring in my experience involves offering the arm as a target and parrying by cutting the arm or voiding and riposting, both necessitating a forward guard. The hand motions can be much larger than fencing with a sabre, where the same guard is made possible by the basket-hilt. Keeping the knife back fails to present a threat and keep enemies at bay (important, you're unlikely to be duelling, you want to avoid a fight) and also makes it more obvious how your arm can come in (so an enemy willing to use his off hand can cover it more easily).

[@martinsiesto3541]

Do you have a list of books that you recommend for reading? I really appreciate your content. Finances being what they are, leave me with the inability to support your channel- wish I could do so again soon.

[@nobodyrissole1921]

Firstly, Matt would be terrifying at 200 kilograms of body weight. Furthermore, if half a dozen years ago Matt had of just eaten up to 200 kilograms of body weight he would be running at full speed right now. He would be able to do obstacle courses at the same speed he does them now. Therefore, if Matt were 200 kilograms he would be an absolute Titan to fight in melee with as much as two times the muscle he has now. Matt would also have twice the grip strength he has at the moment. And more than twice the counter balance. As a result, at 200kg Matt would be using the biggest war hammers on his wall. Reference: My speed after 4 years at 200kg up from 75kg. kzbin.info/www/bejne/n3zQm5p9l5l1abs

[@nobodyrissole1921]

kzbin.info/www/bejne/o6G7mpaLZ8-maLc

[@andrewboyce2703]

That was very informative and interesting.

[@politicalpotato9855]

Now what guard would be applicable for a sword or long knife that has a blunt tip E.G. sugar cane knife, parong machete, certain types of katzbalger?

[@ziggydog5091]

Wonderful stuff! Thank you ❤️

[@iasonaskoutsoumis61]

He pulls a knife, you pull a gun, fight's over. Just kidding of course. Yet another excellent video, @scholaglatiatoria. I do enjoy your sober, meticulous and academic approach.

[@seanbirtwistle649]

i'd rather a knife up close unless i'm using a shotgun

[@TalesForWhales]

Any tests done with a sabre of cutting efficiency with a lunge and no moulinet vs one with moulinet? Could be a nice vid showing the damage of different degrees of blade rotation while investigating the lunge itself.

[@johngilbert974]

Excellent topic and insights !

[@rubenskiii]

Very informative video but your creativity in trying to describe all the nasty things a blade is capable off in a KZbin friendly way is what fascinated me deeply.

[@alancranford3398]

Would you believe that "The Happiest Millionaire" was a Disney musical about A. J. Drexel Biddle?