Fencing with the Fokos

The fokos, or long-handed axe, is a common East-Central European weapon, and learning to use it is fun, too!
This channel was created at the request of students who wanted a handy visual reference for techniques, and in order to help us make new SwordFriends to trade whacks with. Come fence with us! We routinely help long-distance students as well, so if you have questions or constructive commentary, please feel free to ask and/or jabber away below. :)
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[@jurtheorc8117]

With Hellish Quart now having a Fokos user, i reckon you guys are happy to see the humble thing get more representation.

[@russmitchellmovement]

Very.

[@oskarratka1305]

That's actually a polish variation of fokosz, named "ciupaga" in our langugae. Typical weapons for highlanders of Podhale.

[@AVGyerra22]

@@oskarratka1305 Forgive my ignorance but what are the differences between fokosz and ciupaga? Are they just different axe types or are they different ways to use the same axe?

[@oskarratka1305]

@@AVGyerra22 fokosz is more in use by Szeklers and other highlanders from southern Carpathians/Transylwania mountains. Ciupaga is typically polish name for that type of axe/staff on the terrain of Tatry, Podhale, northen Karpaty mountains. Is today in use by polish highlanders and as ceremonial weapon of polish mountain troops "Strzelcy Podhalańscy" and polish ciupaga have also use in folk dance. Word "ciupaga" come from polish word "ciupać" which mean a "chop" or something like that. You know, that was also in use for the wood choping. I do not know a Rus and Romanian word for that but I'm sur that Huculs, Slovakians and Romanians have their word for something like that. That's very popular in central Europe mountains.

[@yogerrry]

@@oskarratka1305 Its Fokos not Fokosz

[@gabormerth5174]

An interesting thing: anno, in the World War I, Hungarians taken their fokos' to go in the Big War, and the fokos proved the one of the best option in the face-to-face situations...

[@thevulp1xel387]

"Fokos" was sometimes used as a walking stick among the nobles during Rákóczi's time, so it was literally an arm's length away if needed.

[@marvelleonline]

Seeing this thing in Hellish Quart made me come get more acquainted. Algorithm did well.

[@russmitchellmovement]

Nice to have you! Yes, this channel officially hearts Yendrick. :)

[@freifechterbasel6115]

I loved the fokos ever since watching A Tenkes Kapitànya. Never knew there was still a lineage for it. Thank you for bringing it to my attention!

[@LexMadafaka]

Yeah we, we Hungarians (Magyars), used this great weapon in WW1. It served us well.

[@attila535]

Fun fact people here in Hungary are given a wooden fokos, when they graduate from high school.

[@papanoble8378]

Yo I need to go to Hungary and marry a Hungarian woman and have a child and have them graduate so I can get one for free

[@gozer87]

Awesome, I've been interested in the fokos since the Armour Archive days.

[@asa-punkatsouthvinland7145]

When I bought my first Dane Axe in the late 90's I experimented to guess how they might be used. At the time I'd devised a sword system braised off 'devolving' French stick fighting. (I wasn't ever formally trained in FSF but taught myself braised on pics) Your video & the techniques shown are essentially the same as how I've been using a Dane Axe for more than 25 years. Very glad to get validation on my guess work! Especially since many have told me over the years I was wrong.

[@krystofcisar469]

Its hungarian weapon but you can find a lot of similiar axes/canes is neighboring regions. Just in Bohemia and slovakia theres like 5 variations very similliar to this one :) you may see it as ´´wallaschka´´ named after the people who used them - they were spread for northern romania/hungary all the way to moravia and silesia (near to poland/bohmeian borders)

[@russmitchellmovement]

Valaska, Ciupaga, etc etc. yup yup! It is a very common regional weapon, and all of them have the relatively light ax head and longer halfft in common, which is a staple of axes on the Great plains here in America, but much rare in western europe.

[@BorninPurple]

"It's not an accident that this is flat" An axe-cident, you can say? Please tell me the pun was intentional

[@tommyss4l]

I find off-line steps to be so much more important with weapons with poles than I used to. I started messing around with a partisan a while back and offline steps are an incredible way to defend yourself while getting in a position to offend your opponent. Now I do them in olympic sabre fencing and everyone looks at me like I'm crazy.

[@russmitchellmovement]

Old-school sabre has a bunch of them, too. I teach my lightsaber students a modified Radaellian system, and we do a lot of offline stuff.

[@tommyss4l]

@@russmitchellmovement I'm going to be doing a lightsaber seminar next month, I was definitely going to use offline steps but look more at fiore and cerri. Radelli is a fun idea too.

[@raspreier]

Oh this is wonderful Russ. Thank you!

[@bobmartindelcampo4377]

I had one of these made about 6 years ago from my cold steel rifleman’s hawk for backpacking/self defense. I’ve been waiting for a video like this ever sense.

[@ElDrHouse2010]

this weapon is underrated

[@Zodroo_Tint]

Not in Hungary. :) And those who underrated it in the past got their lesson fast.

[@edi9892]

Got it recommended after watching Hellish Quart new character. I don't know how YT made the connection as the word wasn't mentioned.

[@russmitchellmovement]

Yendrick's great!

[@robo1540]

he actually learnt the pronounciation 🙏

[@russmitchellmovement]

Bp-n laktam 3 ev-ig! :)

[@Zodroo_Tint]

@@russmitchellmovement And nobody told you you are in Central-Europe? :) That city is the least Hungarian hearted city in Hungary. :)

[@MbisonBalrog]

My local gun shop sells a cane fokos that is legal and be used for protection.

[@666toysoldier]

I put a small tomahawk head on an ash shaft to make this useful walking stick.

[@matthewlawrence7056]

This is a really fun video! Makes me want to play with Fokos!

[@kleinjahr]

Made a walking stick/cane with a shingling hatchet for the handle. Works well.

[@xyz8512]

Great stuff! I've been wondering about how to fight with a fokos for years. Just ordered the book!

[@petroandras]

Also, carrying a weapon was not permitted in a quite long period for most people in Hungary. A walking stick is another matter. And, as you have demonstrated, the axe head can be taken off/put on sort of easy, and (unless its a big one) fits in a pocket...

[@Zodroo_Tint]

Chinese are forbidden to carry weapon, they turn their tools to weapon. Hungarians are forbidden to carry weapon they camuflage their weapon as tools. :)

[@karlvongazenberg8398]

Boys (actually youn men) usually get a wooden ceremonial one finishning school or high-school (14 or 18 yo respectively) in Hungary. Also, during the Rákóczi-era (early 18th century) it was a forbidden weapon - so people walked with a stick and a fokos-head in their pocket/pouch.... This and the long "karikás ostor" whip are iconic commoner Hungarian weapons.

[@russmitchellmovement]

But they cannot forbid you from having a walking stick, so you just pull the Ax head out of your pocket and slide it down your cane and step on it with your foot so it's secure and then you go to town on the evil Austrian tax collector. :)

[@bharnden7759]

Reminds me of the CS axe-head walking stick. Just longer

[@Jb3rt_133]

Yendrek: AY!!!

[@ЛюбомирСмерека-п3у]

honestly, the first time I heard that a bartka is still called a fokos, when the Helish quart supplement about Yandrek came out. I have seen this weapon since my childhood, especially when the guard of the tomb of Christ was traditionally arranged in the church before Easter. I was born in Lviv, so we are not far from the Carpathians, I suspect that my ancestors are from there, as my surname is very similar to Carpathian surnames

[@Zodroo_Tint]

What is your surname? Maybe it has a meaning in my language. :)

[@CreativeUsernameHere-r1k]

I have a bunch of Fokos-es at home as decoration, but I'll get a new war spec one to be more EDC.

[@stuffguru]

This is gonna be a great visual aid to go with your book i have. Cheers for that! 🍻 Also, where can i get all those axe heads?

[@russmitchellmovement]

Purpleheart Armory for the metal ones. I have a friend who 3d prints ours who might be willing to provide a few for sale if you're interested. Otherwise, making your own from two sandwiched pieces of leather or a thickish piece of fun cut through to accommodate a stick is not at all hard. If you're seriously in the market for plastic party axes, let me know -- if enough folks are, it might be worth my bud's printer time to create them for y'all.

[@weaselrampant]

@@russmitchellmovement I would be interested in a couple of the axe heads.

[@russmitchellmovement]

@@weaselrampant Okay, I'll talk with my guy.

[@crimsonfox87fluxule62]

This is absolutely incredible, your training equipment is top-notch and I would absolutely love to know more about where I could purchase it and how I could get a hold of these myself because I'm incredibly interested in such a tool / weapon.

[@russmitchellmovement]

Hmu on Patreon -- there's no way to get your deets safety here.

[@crimsonfox87fluxule62]

@@russmitchellmovement I got to go to your patreon in order to check out any products you may sell or recommend? The plastic ones are only available there? No website?

[@crimsonfox87fluxule62]

@@russmitchellmovement I also really appreciate you responding to my comment.

[@ScottGrow117]

Him: “Would you punch this 40 times?” Me: “Depends on who you are. I know the kind of people who would because “reasons.”

[@TheZerech]

Love any and all Shepard's Ace content! Saw a bunch of copper headed "bartky" when I was in Ukraine's Hutsulshchyna. Unfortunately if there exists living lineages and memories of martial techniques from that region, they're not well known, and more likely they went exinct a while ago.

[@xyz8512]

Another video on more advanced techniques, other binds etc. would be great.

[@russmitchellmovement]

Fokos isn't codified even to the extent that sabre is, so we don't have a synoptic table full of cool moves. It's very much a "play around and use it" sort of organic learning weapons form. Have you checked the next fokos video? It gives a bit more.

[@xyz8512]

@@russmitchellmovement I did! Yes, thanks. Can't help but ask for more, even if it's "new" or cross-cultural.

[@PoorMansHEMA]

THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT I NEEDED, THANK YOU

[@janpelech1882]

it was very practical weapon not only in fight again enemy, but in the past dogs have a free movie in villages and fields and when somebody had to need to defence themself it was very practise. in the past (16, 17 century) hajdusi (hungarian hajdúk), anti turkey soldiers, used shorts muskets, sabres and typical second cold weapon was fokos.

[@voltekthecyborg7898]

Also called a shepherd's ax, cause it was very popular with East-Central European shepherds. Never heard it called the Long Handled Tomahawk before. (Also, quick fun fact, tomahawk in Algonquin means "ax".)

[@russmitchellmovement]

Yes, but if I were to JUST call it a long-handled axe, people would think of the big Danish jobs. :)

[@voltekthecyborg7898]

@@russmitchellmovement Yeah

[@dawidwojacki5049]

Intrestigly polish version of this axe - "ciupaga", does not have a spike on the other side.

[@ducksman7954]

Them hutsul never mess

[@axessdenyd]

What are you using for a trainer? I would like to acquire a couple because these seem pretty awesome.

[@russmitchellmovement]

Plastic party axes. :)

[@axessdenyd]

@@russmitchellmovement...is that just what you can the printed ones you make? I plan to buy some when you have them up for sale. I'm working on getting some leather together to make some trainers right now.

[@thisisliterallymemaybe9260]

Where can I buy one of these fokos? I already know Hungarian saber and want to mix up my weapon match ups in my sparring matches!

[@strikingglintproduction6817]

Amazing video! Me and some club mates have been looking at Hungarian saber and fokos lately, so this is a wonderful video for bolstering our understanding. What wood did you use for the axe haft? We've been trying to construct a pair for training purposes and we can't agree on a wood type.

[@russmitchellmovement]

These are built exceptionally LIGHTLY so that the lighter plastic axe head isn't overwhelmed by the weight of the handle. So they're basically just poplar dowels.

[@fargobryce8193]

This is something that I was told a few decades ago by an old peasant /farmer in Hungary: "We cut a nice hazel wood cane and remove the bark, then we hide it in the (cow) dung heap for a year, so it gets saturated by those juices. Then we pull it out, wipe it dry and hang it on the attic for another year, often weighed down with a stone at the bottom end, so it becomes perfectly straight, dries out completely. That's how we make the canes we have, this way they become very strong, resilient, able to suffer tribulation without cracking. And by the way, that's how we make the haft of the fokos too." Just remembered this when reading your question regarding the haft. :)

[@Axiom0912]

Hi Master Mitchel, good evening! Just got your book and going over your videos, where can I get a training sabre like that of your student's? Thank you in advance!

[@russmitchellmovement]

They are made by Michal Sadowski of Medieval Armory. While not suited for tournaments due to lack of flex, they are very effective beaters.

[@Axiom0912]

@@russmitchellmovement Thank you very much, master! I will check it out!

[@benchase7537]

Were light axe heads like this used exclusively as weapons? Or were they also tools?

[@russmitchellmovement]

Yes. Fokos is weapon first tool second, unlike a hawk which is the opposite.

[@benchase7537]

@@russmitchellmovement that's interesting. The shepherds axe and tomahawk seem to have very similar blade dimensions. A lot of the guys in the bushcraft community seem to think the hawk is almost useless. Maybe some context is missing.

[@Sirmodzel]

This is CIUPAGA in Poland

[@fwi1298]

one could also use these movements with a walking stick

[@paradoxworkshop4659]

Axes tickle.

[@alanhirjak7287]

Where did you get your plastic fokos? I've been running around like a headless chicken looking for a HEMA sparring safe fokos. Obviously very little is gonna be safe for full intent sparring but i want to get as safe as i can. Also, is the handle a hardwood or something with some flex like pine?

[@russmitchellmovement]

I have a student who has 3D printed some ax heads and they are squishy and pretty darn safe for sparring. Certainly more safe than your feder. Eventually he will offer some for sale to help underwrite the school. In the meantime, the hafts are either popular which is not very good or rattan which is excellent

[@alanhirjak7287]

@@russmitchellmovement Ah, ok, I figured something like that. Do you think I could make a 3d printed fokos more safe for sparring by making a leather jacket for the ax head?

[@ederozgonyi5335]

Fokos means exactly spiked. Greetings from Hungary

[@russmitchellmovement]

Backed, not spiked, olyan mit fokel szablyaval.

[@garynaccarato4606]

If things like this existed far back enough into the past particularly more so the medieval period then I picture that something like this could have possibly been used on a medieval as sort of a hand half weapon and would have possibly been used either one handed with a shield or sort of two handed without a shield even though it still would have necessarily ideal for doing either of those things if it was hypothetically brought onto a battlefield.

[@russmitchellmovement]

We have examples back to the 9th century.

[@Zodroo_Tint]

There are videos on KZbin what shows it is actually a very good weapon against Sword and Sabre. It is a good battle weapon on its own right. Now imagine every peasent knows how to use it! And imagine thousands of peasant in a battle. It works.

[@Zodroo_Tint]

@@russmitchellmovement I think we have clear evidence the Huns used it so do the Scythians. So the weapon is probably several millenia old now.

[@googlommolgoog2313]

where do you get the plastic axes?? i bought your book and really want to try the fokos but trainers are harder to come by

[@russmitchellmovement]

I have had them 3D printed, and I have some available for Patreon patrons but we do not have them generally available for sale yet. That is hopefully coming in the next few months.

[@yesman8564]

Where did you get the rubber heads? I absolutely need them!

[@russmitchellmovement]

3d printed. The guy doing our will offer some for sale this coming year if all works well.

[@conor6607]

Is there any relation to this family of axes to the variety of axes utilized by the Norse in the Viking Age and previous periods like the Wendol Period? I know the Norse were very much present in Eastern Europe, making settlements like Kiev and Novgorod, as well as fighting and allying themselves depending on the day and groups involved with Slavs and Hungarians, as well as other steppe nomads present at the time. In particular the Norse were infamous for their use of axes as primary sidearms and/or weapons, and their axes seemed to be used in very similar ways by reconstruction artists.

[@russmitchellmovement]

The aggravating answer is that we have absolutely no idea. There is a stark lack of the kind of evidence we would need in order to begin answering that question on a historical basis.

[@conor6607]

@@russmitchellmovement That's certainly true, there is a lack of written records from early Middle Ages for Scandinavia; I think Eastern Europe is on a similar standing in some regions, but I am certainly not as familiar there as Scandinavia. The Byzantines would be where most Viking Age scholars find written records related to the Norse in the east, or some Arab sources. I don't think those people are likely to care though about the northern barbarians trading tool/weapon ideas with each other.. I only asked as the living examples of the Fokos are similar to many archeological finds, which are the only evidence available for this kind of question. Then there was the Geographical relation through Norse exploration in the late eighth to twelfth centuries. Even if we are unable to find an answer for this question, sorry about that, I think it is still fascinating to think about! Thanks for entertaining my question for a bit, and for the videos; they've been incredibly informative, wish I had found them when I was just starting with axe work and saber work.

[@akos9751]

the fokos already appeared among the Scythians and spread among the peoples who lived a horse-archery lifestyle

[@PoorMansHEMA]

Do you have any good sparring with fokos or your sabre to go along with the book? Thanks

[@russmitchellmovement]

"Good sparring" is a fraught term, particularly on the interwebs. We're fokosed ( hehe ) on instructional content at the moment, but bouting video will eventually come along, too.

[@domingos8214]

Where you got your training fokos?

[@russmitchellmovement]

Student made them. We'll offer some for sale soonish

[@domingos8214]

@@russmitchellmovement thanks, i was looking fowards to train it

[@AndorJuracsik-vl6hx]

Jó ilyet is látni

[@russmitchellmovement]

Remek. Tobbet?

[@AndorJuracsik-vl6hx]

Jó volna mester

[@joejoelesh1197]

Where do you get plastic party axe heads?

[@russmitchellmovement]

3d-printed. We're testing them under sparring conditions and then may make a few available for sale to folks who'd like some to play with. Leather also works.

[@DustyPazner]

The oldest weapon in time! A stick with something on the end of it. From peasants killing platoons of soldiers to slavic horseman with the doom eyes in chain mail!

[@andorharanyi5962]

Érdekes... :3

[@russmitchellmovement]

Nagyon jo ez a fegyver!

[@andorharanyi5962]

@@russmitchellmovement In the right hands, any weapon is perfect. ^^

[@janhubjak9833]

Ahoj valaška have mehr funkcion for example ring an backsyde

[@russmitchellmovement]

Ahoj! ....ale nerozumim!

[@Zodroo_Tint]

Central-Europe not East-Central-Europe! It is easy to understand, if we see the geography Central-Europe is in the middle of Europe. If we see the culture Central-Europe is inbetween the Germans, the Russians and the Turkish owned Balkan. So basically Hungary, Czechia, Poland, sometimes Croatia and basically this is all. In the east from this there are mostly countries under russian influence, in the west it is mostly german influence. In the north there is a sea and in the south there is the Balkan what is a different world. Central-Europe has a different culture than any other part of Europe because the culture was defined by its location what is unique therefore can't be given to any other nation. Germany is not Central-Europe it is West, they have ties to the West, they have roots in the West, they are related to the West they only tried to expand to the East, never tried to come as a friend. It was called Eastern-Europe by the western people during the Cold War and it is called Eastern-Europe or East-Central-Europe today because Central-Europe is historically independent from the West and Western-Europe don't want independent Central-Europe anymore. They want cheap manufacturing force.

[@russmitchellmovement]

I am well aware of the geographical distinction, but since Alpine cultures also have "rough fokos equivalents," I used the broader term.

[@2384]

As someone who dances with valaska (fokos), comes from a Carpathian family and also trains with a long sword, I find these moves pretty unrealistic. Blocking a hand before the swing? C'mon, what a nonsense. Especially considering Eastern European schools of saber fighting. This tutorial reminds me of Steven Seagal training aikido:)) You're forgetting crucial aspects: 1) every OG valaska is longer than most sabers (110-120cm), 2) your blow will be more lethal than that of an opponent with a sabre, unless he strikes the head, 3) most valaskas would have an iron spike in the other end. Imo, it is the best idea to hold guard such that your opponent doesn't know wether you're gonna cut or thrust. Other than that, you pray god and try to take the other guy to hell with you. These things were made for defense against other axes, not sabres. Now obviously, the one you have is a Hungarian fokoś, which is much more similar to normal medieval axes then other types from the area. The argument stands tho...

[@russmitchellmovement]

I've done every technique in this video during bouts, but it may be that me and my bouting partners just aren't any good. Cheers from TX. :)

[@2384]

@@russmitchellmovementhonestly I think you left out the most important ones. For valaska, The core defense move when you get approached by a bad folk is to raise it as if you were holding a cane (which it is) holding onto the head of the axe, aiming the spike on the other end at your opponent, while simultaneously grabbing your "mountain dagger". Second most plausible way is to pretend it's a longsword and go full Fiore, which you showed with your partner sort of, although I would choose different guards (I'm being a d*ck I know haha). Again though, fokoś has a completely different history and purpose than valaska or the black headed ćakan (probably) you showed at the end of the video. Fokoś is an axe to be used from a horse back against armor, valaska is an 18th ct. self defense walking stick of the size of a cane, ćakan is a 150-200 cm long battle axe for infantry that somehow survived in parts of Czechia and around. I just wouldn't mix them together at least, it's a bit like making parallels between a daneaxe and renaissance halberd.

[@vulpestraining8862]

Need a training fokos? kzbin.info/www/bejne/b4fIeJltbsSDatU

[@russmitchellmovement]

Spoke with your Tuhan. Your stuff *may* be heavier than we'd need, would need to check it out. That said, I'm always trying to help folks refine their products whether I have a stake in that success or not -- I'd be happy to run one of yours through its paces if you're interested.

[@gurchtschalllly]

omg amrican who knows how to pronounce s sz))))

[@killforfunandmoney69]

Awesome video! Did Csaba go into into particular techniques when it’s fokos v. fokos?

[@russmitchellmovement]

Hooking and trapping primarily, but he primarily taught fokos vs sword/sabre while I was there. Bear in mind that it's been 20 years since I lived in Hungary, so neither of us are going to be doing a perfect mirror image of the specific snapshot-in-time when I was there.