Fighting multiple opponents with swords or other weapons

[@polymath7]

I was once attacked by multiple ninjas, and had little trouble fending them off. First, I was alerted to their presence by the sound of a gong and a quick camera zoom. Being trained killers, they made certain to attack me sequentially, and when one of them brandished his shuriken as though it were a badge and yelled "Woooo-aaa!!!"before throwing it at me, it was clear I was dealing with real pros who knew what they were doing. I was able to quickly dispatch the first seven with a series of nose tweaks, eye pokes, and two-leg drop kicks. but I must admit the last two might have got me had they not made the rookie mistake of attacking simultaneously. It was then a simple matter to just duck and let their heads crash together.

[@TimmyTurner421]

LOL!

[@RedSemen420]

Yeah, I hate when this happens...

[@ericv00]

I know the situation all too well. 80's born, here. Are you from black and white feudal Japan, or from the 80's?

[@3rdeye7thdimension]

Well clearly, you took advantage of the inverse ninja law; as explained here. drmcninja.com/archives/comic/17p70/

[@xSpiegelschattenx]

tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/ConservationOfNinjutsu

[@thetubeaccount2015]

8:50 da-da-da-da da-da da-da-daaaaa~ You have learned {Ankle Slash}: Costs 4 mana, Deal 3 damage. 75% to [maim] your opponent.

[@tbeller80]

If you can't retreat, line them up so it's a series of 1v1 fights. This was the first advice given to me in hand to hand martial arts training. I always cheer a little when this is represented properly in film.

[@MalaysianChopsticks]

tbeller80 any recommendation? Other than rurouni Kenshin.

[@tbeller80]

The final fight of Man in the Iron Mask explains the concept, it's done comically in Mask of Zorro where he takes on a whole room two at a time, at one point locks up a couple opponents with their swords and drags them around so a whole line of guys can't get any closer. In Cyrano de Bergerac he takes on a small army of men on a foot bridge where they can only fight him one on each side.

[@MalaysianChopsticks]

tbeller80 thanks a lot

[@JainaSoloB312]

@@tbeller80 Yes! Mask of Zorro is my favourite example of this principle. Excuse me while I go look for the final duel of Man In The Iron Mask

[@ramisabreur7961]

Impressive ! I think this is one of the reasons behind wearing armour in medieveal times . In a melée it is impossible for a single individual who is outnumbered and attacked by several warriors to parry and defend himself against every single blow so an armoured man will have more chances to survive in such encounters . Keep up the good videos :)

[@owlblocksdavid4955]

The real benefit is that if they see you wearing full plate they might fight each other over the ransom money. And then the other's yours! Mwahahaha

[@siestatime4638]

Training to fight a single opponent may not help much with multiple foes, but it seems to me that training for multiple opponents would be good training for single combat, too.

[@viridisxiv766]

only plot armour can save you now!

[@adrixshadow]

Plate armor also works.

[@sherrattpemberton6089]

or a shotgun :)

[@Dummbeest]

One thing I've noticed during a fencing game that my team does that features 1 person against multiple opponents is that members of the group don't always want to press the advantage and all attack at once, especially against a skilled opponent.Basically, just because you have greater odds of winning doesn't mean you're willing to stick out first so that your allies can claim victory. Everyone wants to get out of the swordfight alive, so it's cautious business attacking a cornered and alone opponent.Has anyone else experienced something like that?

[@psychedashell]

Had something similar when I did Karate, we did three vs one scenarios that often turned into one on one with two people hanging about nearby, when I first started I'd often find myself butting in but not much use, as I got better I'd either be trying to drag my teammates into the fight even though I could handle it myself or trying to force my opponents to surround me and work together, it was pretty consistent through styles as well - they were either too proud or too timid to work as a team. Teamwork is a skill and most schools just don't teach it, so how does a person get experience against a team of assailants when they don't have access to a team of assailants? Kind of ironic that you have to teach people to become a team of assailants.

[@Caffeine_And_Seawater]

The second set of bouts highlighted a good tactic. The single fighter seemed to target and beat the weaker of the two he was facing on several occasions thus making it slightly easier against the stronger opponent

[@benm5913]

Taking out the easiest opponent as fast as possible was a tactic I was taught by my martial arts instructors in high school and college. Always worked well for me.

[@DocEonChannel]

Also, a couple of times he tries grappling one to use as a shield against the other. That seems like it might be more viable in a no-holds-barred situation?

[@RealLuckless]

At the very least moving from a triangle to a line formation appears to have had better outcomes for the single fighter than falling back and keeping an equal distance from either attacker. In a 2v1 fight in an open space with no obstacles the only real advantage the single fighter has is that they can at least make one of the attackers an obstacle for the other.

[@koalastyled7694]

guy in black with patches never put his hand up when he was killed. Guy with silver mask was the most honest. Respect

[@johnbr59]

"you find that one really good person can beat two noobs" lol

[@Cthippo1]

Some day, with ehough advanced technology, they'll invent knee pads that actually stay where they are supposed to!

[@jacobstaten2366]

I was thinking of sewing them onto greaves.

[@SputnikRX]

In the army we had Velcro pockets on our trousers that held our knee pads

[@nitzky8920]

9:08 Give this man a job at Game of Thrones...

[@Reloaded2111]

He'd get fired on the first day because the fights wouldn't be flashy enough. In fact, none of these would get approved for GoT or any other movies because they are too short.

[@silversurfer8818]

Weirdly enough they quit after even a minor hit, i have been tapped on my balls harder than that and continued!

[@nitzky8920]

Reloaded2111 9:12 Actually that move looked flashy enough. I liked it. And it's plausible.

[@LordoftheFleas]

@Silversurfer You've been tapped on your balls with a sharp saber and continued fighting?

[@killersalmon4359]

They're fighting with training swords - they're not "quitting", they're acknowledging that they got hit. They're acknowledging, hey, if that had been a real sword, I'd be on the ground, trying to breath through a hole in my chest, and failing miserably.

[@robertweidner2480]

Every martial arts instructor I've had (Kenpo, BJJ, Krav Maga, Arnis...) has given me the same advice for fighting multiple people: Run Away.

[@son_guhun]

Running away (or disengaging) is usually the best option when you want to keep yourself alive and your assailant doesn't have ranged weapons. Fighting multiple opponents just makes it an even more compelling strartegy xD Resorting to physical combat should be among the last back-up plans when you're looking to preserve your life. It may only take 1 puch or stab to bite the dust, after all. Better not risk it.

[@dansea6686]

unless they're familiar with the tactic of closing the door in a sealed room. then i guess toss a coin and try to take one of them with you before the others finish the job. ^^

[@asteriskcolon]

I've had BJJ instructors say that for even just one opponent Nobody should ever fight without a very good reason -- running away shouldn't be seen as cowardly, it should be seen as responsible. Even if you think you can win... even if you are far more skilled... BJJ falls to pieces fast against a hidden blade you weren't accounting for.

[@lilcow1809]

Seems legit

[@tohopes]

Matt! This is when you pull out the revolver! Gosh. Way to drop the ball..

[@kamilszadkowski8864]

I have this feeling that this is the context in which polish cross-cutting could shine

[@scholagladiatoria]

Generally I think that is true and it is similar to Indian gatka.

[@Snow-ds2ud]

+scholagladiatoria Please tell me the name of the song in the video. Thank you.

[@stellarytc1629]

+scholagladiatoria Matt how often do you use a sabre in battle in Mount and Blade Nepolianic wars?

[@grunty333]

+Snow Kevin Macleod - Future Gladiator

[@Snow-ds2ud]

DerGrunty Thank you!

[@MichaelJenkins910]

I like how the student in the first clip continually contests space--keeping their blades busy keeps them away from him/her. And some pretty decent footwork when they do run out of room. Thanks for sharing this, it's fascinating!

[@23YZ250f]

Hey Matt, Could you do a video about grappling in plate armor. I do BJJ and would love to see if any of these techniques were applied in Historical combat. I think this would be a great topic to cover! Ex Chockes armbars/ kneebars and jointlocks.

[@TheSwordsPathChannel]

Ask not how many, but where they are!

[@DrGetgood]

Do a Witcher Tutorial video on fighting multiple opponents lol

[@TheSwordsPathChannel]

Phoenicius Infinius Infensas spin2win

[@DrGetgood]

The Sword's Path nice meme

[@yoshgokita4993]

I love your videos mate! keep being awesome :)

[@chrisofnottingham]

Fascinating! It appeared to me as completely untrained observer that dual wielding actually seemed like the more successful choice here, maybe because unlike one-on-one fights there isn't a single direction that puts the body well behind the sword and inline with the opponent.

[@rryuan]

I think (coming from a LARPing and MMA back ground) that dual wielding is a completely valid style for dueling. On the battlefield you wouldn't want to give up the passive defense of a shield, reach and ease of a spear, or penetrating power of a poleaxe etc for an off hand weapon. But in an unarmored dual? That's why I think 2 weapon fighting was more common in dueling era's (rapier and dagger, some samurai). Personally in 1 on 1 fights 2 stick is my favorite weapon combo.

[@7dayspking]

Actually you may notice the big change was initiative, with the two blades the person was inherently more aggressive often showering their opponent with strikes...where as earlier they were mostly defending. However they did more poorly at defending themselves...and were often hit by the very first oncoming strike.

[@7dayspking]

In a 1v1 fight you're better off with a single weapon, much easier to defend yourself with and precisely attack. The dual wielding did however help their initiative and make them significantly less predictable.

[@rryuan]

+7dayspking I mean I guess. I've been doing my larp competitively for 15 years and would always choose 2 32-36 inch swords vs any size 1 handed sword if given the choice. This might come down to the diffences between larp weapons (very light) and a historically weighted weapon. Now if we are talking armored fighting (plate etc) then a 2 handed longsword makes more sense for penetrative power.

[@rryuan]

+rryuan excuse me. Any sized 2 handed sword. Not 1

[@flyboymike111357]

Spot on about not getting in each other's way and how large groups can become a liability in some dueling contexts. I remember watching the edutainment series about the eponymous style of air-dueling called "Dogfights". In one segment they were discussing how a pilot from an English-speaking army had several German planes trying to swarm around him, but they couldn't rarely get the chance to make a clean attack on him without endangering their allies. I imagine this kind of thing would be much more of an issues dueling with contact weapons like swords and spears, as a missed blow could be deflected to block one of your buddies from being able to safely move in for an attack.

[@_j.v.st._7367]

For mulitiple opponents you should carry a small bag full of unsrewed pommels!

[@yaminowa]

This was amazingly fun to watch, even as a person who has no experience with fencing except for what I've heard secondhand. Super tense with two against one.

[@Toadcop98]

I'd rather fight a group of idiots rather than one good fighter.

[@asteriskcolon]

You can throw one idiot into another like a bowling ball if you're good enough (and they're idiot enough).

[@noahsotolongo]

Love the music accompanying the fights in this vid!

[@domosrage5434]

I saw a video of like 10 fencing masters versus 100 average fencers. The 10 masters lost, however, there were only like 3 of the average fencers left

[@kurodo9926]

I remember 100 vs 3 there were one with camera that took all of them out sure they had a rule that you must blow balloon but it's still cool

[@colterjohnson1525]

While I do love epic fight scenes where someone takes on a group of people this definitely makes more sense. Also this was very fun and interesting to watch.

[@TheAhamm94]

could you do a video where you demonstrate how spins and other flashy moves that movies often do would fare in a real fight?

[@OperativeWord1]

It always got me, that how hard it seems to deal wit all that chaos, that a saber creates during sparring. And now, with 4 swords with 3 guys, I just realised that there is no such a thing... These guys cannot deal with this chaos, because the speed, the strange angles that you can use with this weapon, and everything together are just overwhelming... What I wanna say, is that this weapon gives so much extra advantage to the two against the one... And if he tries to use two sabers at the same time, it is just working against him again, because the opponents already using the fact, that he struggles to keep an eye on 3 swords, so putting a 4. one into the game just so unfair..even if it is in his hand. It was a very nice one, thank you!

[@baldrickthedungspreader3107]

Damn, matey with the two sabres kicked ass when up against two opponents

[@StonnieDennis]

Great work!

[@tylorianfan8873]

Referring to one of your past videos (you may have already mentioned it), this would be where a hardcore style of LARPing might help (no magic or HP systems kind of like Dagorhir). In one battle, you could get in multitude of different scenarios to test your skill; multiple opponents, multiple allies, sun in your eyes, height advantage, spear vs sword, shield and one handed weapon vs two handed weapon, etc. One battle could give you plenty of insights on where and how to improve while making for a really fun wargame.

[@hosseinturner3792]

This is rediculously hard in reality. I would genuinely respect those who can pull off beating 3 skilled opponents without too many injuries.

[@1066BigDaddy]

This reminds of those wise words from Fezzik: "Well, I haven't fought one person for so long. I've been specialised in groups, battling gangs for local charities, that kind of thing...You use different moves when you're fighting half a dozen people, then when you only have to be worried about one" True wisdom indeed.

[@genuinejoe2103]

You killed my father, perpare to die!

[@1066BigDaddy]

You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means...

[@JainaSoloB312]

"Rest well, and dream of large women"

[@albinotatertot]

In my experience with sparring and/or fighting multiple opponents, the mind set/emotions of the opponents is very important. If people are having to gang up on you, then logically one can assume that they're trying to achieve their objective with the least amount of injury, thus the increase in numbers. While numbers are their strength, it is also their weakness mentally, because they become over reliant on their numbers hoping to allow intimidation to do most of the work. Do not show that you are intimidated, that will plant a seed in the mind of the attackers causing worry. Next, it is important to remember that regardless of how crappy they are, they are still people too and most people don't like to be hurt, especially cowards (high possibility that they are given their number advantage). I digress, essentially while they are trying to surround/corner you, if you can land a good blow on at least one attacker it will cause hesitation among the other, thus giving you an opening to either attack another or run away. It is much like with armies, if moral is lost the men begin to crumble and fall back. To summarize, if there are six dudes and you whip two or three of them, then the ones that are left are going to really be reconsidering their decision to fight you.

[@Viewbob_True]

One thing I found funny in my larp combat practice group there were two guys that would regularly beat in one on one but if I were to go against them 2 on 1 I'd often win.

[@subbss]

Good choice of music to put over the fights!

[@Mastikator]

Six on one, you're pretty much doomed at that point. Right?

[@MylesKillis]

Yes because if they are coordinated it will be 3 attacking while 3 pretty much are waiting to fill in for someone you take down. So you would have to kill one person 4 times before you get a 2v1. Doing that unscathed would be really hard. We both saw how hard the 2v1 was imagine that injured after somehow managing to kill 4 guys straight while 2 of their friends horrase you.

[@Nardypants]

Unless you're Tom Cruise in The Last Samurai...

[@scholagladiatoria]

6 v 1, the solo person still has a very small chance, but very small unless there is an environmental advantage that can force the attackers to split up or funnel. One way to force them to funnel is to run away then suddenly turn around and attack, then do that again and again until you reduce their numbers. But obviously you can only do that if you have space to.

[@acaristic93]

If you've got a really big weapon-some sort of polearm like bill,halberd,partisan etc. or let's say a really big two hander(spadone/montante/zweihander) and they've got stuff like arming swords or are utter and complete noobs and you're a master....than yeah you're pretty much done for in most cases. :)

[@Physwe]

And the endurance. One of the (few) advantages of lighter armor

[@FlubbersQuid]

Very interesting to watch and it additionally proves that just a single instance where you are not able to as an attack is all that's needed to wound someone and then as they say, end them rightly.

[@imstupid880]

One day, could you give us a seminar on fighting multiple opponents or dual wielding? Both seem interesting, but you've never actually gone in depth into the actual details or techniques.

[@dridontcare5782]

I like your videos always historicaly accurate

[@Giagantus]

The music is Future Gladiator by Kevin MacLeod. You are welcome. Thanks Shazam :D

[@RandyTheSavage5150]

I train in the filipino martial arts and we spend a lot of time dealing with multiple opponents. It takes a lot of practice and requires a great deal of situational awareness.

[@LordBenjaminSalt]

Cramped little halls, curtained stages, (terrible) stacking plastic chairs... So much nostalgia :P

[@kenibnanak5554]

I would like to see this redone with one of the students using a shield or buckler with his sword rather than a second sword. I am wondering if good use of the shield with the sword tilts the odds more in favor of the shield wielder.

[@Marcusjnmc]

probably would significantly, a lot easier to be aggressive with a shield

[@zhengbq]

Matt, I swear you look so much like shaved Stannis Baratheon. Every time I watch your videos I get flashbacks of Stannis.

[@kwilliams5260]

A game called kingdom under fire is a sword fighting simulator. You start as a 16 year old blacksmith son, you literally have to spend hours practicing to get (literally) before you go into the open road to avenge your father. 500 yards later, you get ambushed by 3.bandits and suffice to say all training goes out of window. Especially when 3 AI people are trying to fatally stab you. One thing I learnt from that game, when facing multiple opponents circle around them consistently whilst backing away. It closes the gap and allows you to deal with one at a time, and pretty much poke holes where you can.

[@beachmaster3486]

Very exciting to watch.

[@jacobs9083]

Is fighting together with someone else against a single person a skill? Do you need to have some great coordination?

[@scholagladiatoria]

Two people are certainly a lot more effective if they understand and practice how to close down single opponents, so yes I would say it is a skill.

[@jacobs9083]

+scholagladiatoria what if two people aren't that skilled at fighting but know each other well enough, and are facing an extremely skilled duelist who has no experience whatsoever facing multiple opponents? Just in a flat, open environment.

[@Snow-ds2ud]

+scholagladiatoria Name of the soundtrack please?

[@TheSquidPro]

Most of these matches were decided by first hit, while some of these glancing hits wouldn't have ended the fight in actual combat, getting struck across the face or body can incapacitate an opponent long enough for two guys to jump in and start shanking you to death. I also noticed that while one man would command the attention of the single fighter and take a killing blow at worst or an injury at best, the second could easily line up a killing strike to an area you don't want to get hit in. Like I myself experience in experienced opponent knife fighting is that you should generally expect to get hurt really really badly and that avoiding fights like these is smarter than fighting them.

[@Taeerom]

These students, altough skilled swordsmen, had no training in 2 on 1 fighting and it shows. They have not practiced the communication (both verbal and non-verbal) to effectively put the one person out (they get better at it throughout the video) and is prone to making the fight into a running 1 on 1 while the loner circles one of the opponents. The guy getting rushed (kudos on identifying that the loner needs to rush one down first) needs to back off to let the other guy close to keep it a 2v1 (rather than a series of 1v1s). They essentially needs to keep the triangle even. I also must disagree with Matt on the virtue of coming from opposite sides. This lets the loner attack one of them, getting an (altough brief) 1v1 duel, and thus (if equally skilled) getting 50/50 odds, when he should be dead to rights. In answer to your question: Yes, taking down one enemy as two is an aquired skill. I could go on about tricks, aims and feints - but that would drag on longer than a youtube comment section. Oh, I mean no disrespect towards these fighters. As Matt said, they did this without much (if any) prior instruction and tutelage, and I could still see much improvement in tactics and mindset throughout. Not to mention that the swordplay is good, especially considering the unfamiliarity with the situation.

[@lilbaeo3654]

This is so true even in videogames, ppl dont understand how to 2v1 or be 2v1ed

[@Dryaspis]

I've always been a fun of rogue tactics, having 2 small quick blades would be my style of combat

[@kairyumina6407]

Not having a shield or long polearm seems to make it really difficult to fight more than one opponent.

[@alexsitaras6508]

probably why they were the weapon of choice from most armies across the planet until firearms

[@KIZILLORD]

Love the channel. Wanna bring up something new(probably asked before) . I am a gamer and i would love to see you analyze some sword fighting in games like you do in some movies. Assassin's Creed is first to pop in my mind.

[@acaristic93]

Would second this :D

[@romanlegionhare2262]

Good idea with the two swords, overwhelm one opponent quickly with a flurry of dual-blade attacks to even the odds. However, if they coordinate it is harder. Don't know if Matt has a video on facing one attacker with two weapons when you have one, I will have to search his playlists.

[@stuartocarroll]

interesting to note how some of the martial footwork shown mirrors classical dance steps of the periods

[@michaelgreve1052]

Can you make a video about the spanish fencing style, or "la destretza"? I'd be interested to know more about it, and why it has a reputation.

[@candowonpressup6962]

Hi Mat I came to one of your classes once and really enjoyed it, however it is a 5hr round trip since I live in Kent. I was wondering if you knew of any hema classes like yours in Kent? Any advice would be appreciated, thanks.

[@carlcantrell4781]

The solo fighter in the first video did better than the solo fighter in the second video because the solo fighter in the first video kept the duo turning, which helps keep one person just out of the fight, and the solo fighter in the second video kept fighting more straight back permitting both to continue to attack at the same time. The dual wielding person did much better because he kept attacking into one person while moving away from the other person, effectively keep the second person out of the fight most of the time. A key in fighting two or more people at once on open ground is to keep fighting a tactical retreat away from the opponents while moving laterally to keep one opponent between you and the other opponents so you don't have to fight more than one person at a time. If someone else moves past the person you are fighting and into you, you move to get them between you and the others. You are using one person to block the others out of the fight while you fight the one person. It is like fighting a rear guard while tactically moving to keep as few of your opponents as possible in the fight, preferably only one at a time. Note that, in a confined area like the gym, the required tactical maneuvering was seriously restricted. In such a situation, his best bet would have been to back through a normal or narrow door to better control the fight. Good videos.

[@neuralkernel]

We used to do similar sparring when I was younger... two people with wooden swords would fight one person with a wooden sword and dagger, whoever scored a hit took the dagger and faced off against the other two. If you can keep the dagger you "win".

[@laurenceperkins7468]

In my personal experience (boffer team melee used to be a major passtime) once you get past about five, they can often be tricked into getting into each other's way more than helping each other (assuming they haven't actually practised fighting together as a group.) The tactics are definitely very different than one-on-one, and you definitely need to practice specifically for it.

[@SpecArch96]

For having no experience with fighting multiple foes, the student with the white shin guards in the beginning didn't do to badly at all, got out of some risky scenarios pretty well :)

[@3rdeye7thdimension]

All the squeaking of the floor, with the addition of using your environment against multiple opponents, made me think; what did training grounds look like back in the day? Did they intentionally train in difficult terrain, or try to simulate the situation they'd typically fight in? Did fighters actually run drills and exercises like our military does today? I also recall a castle who's staircases wound a certain way because the family was almost all left handed fencers. True or not, I loved this idea, if only because I too am left handed.

[@TrollDragomir]

The basic principle is the guy that is single wants to position himself in a way where he can fight 1v1, and the two guys try to always be a threat simultaneously. Also, it plays much cooler when you have a shield, as you can survive a few more situations with it covering an area of your body.

[@SuperSoldierIV]

This is a fun and informative video. It's good to know that the outnumbered fighter can at least take someone with them before dying most of the time. And dual wielding is definitely the way to go if such a situation occurs, it actually turned the odds around if one of the multiple opponents is quickly dispatched. Question: If the single fighter has a sword and shield would it better to wear the shield on the back and dual wield a sword with a secondary weapon like a dagger or knife?

[@labbyshepherdpuppy5943]

All I know from what I was taught is that your foot work and angling better be mastered

[@benjaminchen8857]

I think the best strategy is to parry, then follow the blade, then halfsword, closing the distance in an angle that moves you away from the other opponent. It'd be essentially turning it into a shorter staff, with a point on one end and a pummel on the other. You then end the fight quickly by point, pummel, or elbow to the face. Then immediately, in motion, point the blade directly behind you in a crescent motion and thrust or guard in that general direction, while preparing to move backwards in footwork.

[@praisethefish8720]

In my experience, the best method is actually quite simple, in theory if not in practice. Just keep the blade moving, keep your opponents fighting defensively (e.g, cross cutting), and *do not thrust*. It extends your blade and can't follow into another attack or guard, and as such gives a crucial opening which is very easy for two opponents to exploit. But then again, my experiences may vary from those of others.

[@benjaminchen8857]

Yeah it really depends on your objective. If you're stalling, keeping the blade moving is a must, especially if the tip tapers off, making it more nimble. But you need to win and not just not lose, turning it into a series of 1 on 1 would be best, and by closing the distance, you have the option of moving outside the group altogether. If you never engage one of them, you give them time for them all to engage you together.

[@praisethefish8720]

Yeah, turning it into as close to a 1v1 as you can get is of course necessary. I find that people with good footwork tend to preform comparatively well against two opponents, because they're able to keep their opponents in a manageable position and avoid getting surrounded. And I agree that being aggressive is necessary, hence why I said keeping your opponents fighting defensively is a must. I would argue that, in a 1v2 scenario (or any proper fighting scenario really), not losing should be your primary objective. Your own safety is the most important thing if you intend to get out of there alive. Hence why something like cross-cutting is, IMO, a good idea. It's hard to take advantage of openings presented by a rapidly moving blade, and as such, when combined with good footwork, can stall your opponents for enough time to get a good cut on one before turning to face the other. Obviously, it's by no means a *reliable* tactic, but in a 2v1 scenario, there really aren't any to begin with.

[@benjaminchen8857]

The reach advantage is nullified when you have contact with the blade. So make contact with a parry, then keep moving forward while keeping contact like you would a staff. If the blade moves, move yours at a perpendicular angle to it.

[@OrcinusDrake]

Music is tense.

[@TokugawaLP]

Very nice and informative video! I will show it to my friends. Btw what's the name of the music piece playing in the background? Keep up the good work, Matt!

[@CronyneWARE]

That grey mask boy REALLY likes grappling.

[@rodger4609]

it seems like when the guy only had one saber he was playing defense, but when he got a second he was playing offense

[@Second247]

First guy was. Second guy attacked (seemingly) less skillful opponent very aggressively even with one saber.

[@lopezalehandro1666]

although it does seem foolhardy to engage multiple opponents, the noted swordsman Miyamoto Musahi touches upon this subject in his book of five rings with a similar explanation as yours with further elaborations on seizing the initiative and being fierce. His duel at ichijoji temple is a good example.

[@henrygrip8486]

Two sabers won really nicely at 9:08.

[@jwochroch94]

First of all, very informative videos. I was wondering, in a one v one fight, would one be better off with a sword and sheild, a two handed sword, or a sword and dagger/shoto combination etc? Thanks.

[@jthewelshwarlord6331]

Maybe next time you should do multiple opponents with different weapons e.g. a greatsword vs longsword and messer or longsword against halberd and smallsword.

[@richiemontero3880]

Could you do a video on height and how/if it effects one's fighting skill?

[@cadeyrndragheim22]

Thing is, this is also kinda made like a duel. In a 2v1 or more, one person can act like a decoy and the others can just attack the single person. Here it's done after 1 hit, but it should continue i think after that, because that's when the others can take advantage. I think it can also be a case of the group being used to 1v1 as well and not used to fighting as a group against one person. In which case, even if you they all have the same 1v1 skills, the single person, if he knows how to handle groups more, might win often even.

[@FloppyxPancake]

Hello Matt, not sure if you are a gamer, but if you are check our a game called Absolver. It's basically a martial arts based rpg fighting game that has weapons like swords and staffs. Anyway great video as always.

[@MegaLars10]

that's some dope music!

[@petrkinkal1509]

Would you say that it is easier to fight against multiple opponents in unarmored scenario than it is in lets say full plate? I think at least with swords it is since it is easier to "sneak in" a blow. In armor you pretty much need to wrestle and once you start doing that it will be very hard to defend from the other opponents (and if one of them grabs you, you pretty much lost).

[@rasaecnai]

I think the idea is to get one as quickly as possible by rushing him. if you get lucky you have one on one situation

[@illan731]

These were pretty light fencing hits for the most part. I wonder if it would play out slightly differently if a distinction was made between killing blows and small wounds. The multiple attackers, if they know they are less skilled, might be reluctant to commit to a heavy blow.

[@illan731]

And these didn't which is the point - less realistic. If they were two people swinging very hard, one of the hits would be more likely to go through as to parry a hard hit you need to commit more to the parry.

[@WordBearer86]

Do you find any difference if you just go at it more aggressively from the start when facing two opponents?

[@TheOhgodineedaname]

Could you tell us a bit more about fighting in formation?

[@migkillerphantom]

If you're using your sword in battle, formations have generally disintegrated to a large extent.

[@Crazeddude1000]

Bbbut...the Game of Thrones

[@myfirstnamemylastname1395]

He made a cool video about Arthur Dayne fight of season 6 if you want

[@Nightsbringer1]

Hey Scholagladiatoria. need some advice. Recently bought a swiss bayonet for a tenner from an antique shop as they didn't know what it was. However, the blade feels oily,there are two scratches either side of the blade that are minor but, when removing it from the scabbard (metal), it leaves these black traces. How would you recommend cleaning out the scabbard and maintaining the blade?

[@asdfgidji879]

I know skallagrim has a video about sword maintenance but from what you described I'm not sure that's exactly what you need still might be worth checking out

[@HereticalKitsune]

In my active LARP time I have had a couple of encounters against multiple opponents... thankfully I had a great sword and the three attackers were new to fighting, which gave me an easy game. Now that I know about Montante fighting, it would have been even easier, I guess.

[@levifontaine8186]

9:07 was epic

[@camwyn256]

I'm don't do well at fighting one on one. I dominate in one on four or five. Stay near the middle so you can't be swarmed. But one vs many has been what I've practiced the most.

[@Frogs859]

Is there a good video where he talks about the pluses and minuses of the sabre as a weapon?

[@mikesummers-smith4091]

Triangular sport fencing on a Y-shaped mat never caught on; National Olympic Committees are such fuddy-duddies. The fact that judges and referees frequently broke out into unseemly fights between themselves, or were confined to institutions after officiating in only a handful of bouts, was no more than a sign of their general weakness of character.

[@-John-Doe-]

You’re pretty much screwed but it comes down to getting to the outside as quickly as possible. That’s why two officers will move to 12 and 5/7 o’clock positions _(people can be very strong moving linearly)_ and take down almost any individual with little effort. If you’re alone, you basically have to circle and get one in front of the other as quickly as possible... ...but eventually that boils down to rushing one attacker, especially with limited space and the fact that they can be defensive and circle away. That’s also why the military’s advice is literally to just try to kill or incapacitate one person as quickly as possible. If it’s a brawl, just blindside as many people as possible and keep moving. And good luck.

[@Barberserk]

What's the music playing during the fighting?

[@DehJarlorNoob]

I disagree a bit with the statement that the group should always surround the single opponent. From the perspective of my own experience, here's why: Let's say it's a 1v2 and the 2 guys get to the opposite sides of the one guy. If they don't put immense pressure on the one guy, the one guy can easily just rush one of the two, and quite likely, if he should knock that guy out of the game, manage to face the other in a single combat. Remember, a never corner your opponent, as then they have nothing to lose at that point and will try everything to get out of the situation, whereas if you don't surround the opponent but stick together, he can't attack one of you without getting to the reach of both. This is especially true with a situation where the two guys have a spear and shield/sword combo. Having lesser numbers than your opponent means that you must win them by being a lot more mobile and knowing when to strike. Of course it's a big disadvantage, but then again, context.

[@nikitaonassis6090]

Wearing lederhosen is good against individually and for group shock.. secret of the masters..and head petting, 0710 minutes into it, getting cozy is right..the guy with two sword has the right idea..

[@ellentheeducator]

What's the music? I didn't see anything for it in the description

[@MrVvulf]

I think to have effective training, there needs to be a penalty for getting hit. Perhaps it's not feasible depending on class size, but a 5 minute time-out or some other undesirable outcome every time you "lose" an encounter would put some stakes into each encounter. Maybe it's the grumpy old man coming out in me, but the students don't seem concerned enough about survival. On a positive note, I thought the outnumbered students did a pretty good job of trying to flank the opponents so only 1 could get at them at a given time.

[@antonintresl1761]

Ubisoft should look at this. So the next AC has some interesting combat.

[@egeoeris]

Antonín Trešl more ways and reasons to spam counter button? Sign me in!

[@almusquotch9872]

I'd argue that two fighters against one have more than twice the advantage of 1v1, i.e they'll win more than 66% of fights. The returns are only diminishing for more than two fighters.

[@Tequn9q]

"defender" seems to be too defensive and passive. If you let them pressure at the same time and senter you - you will have 2 weapons against your one. Cannot block two angles at the same time. So I think you need to force both opponents fear you and hesitate in their attacks by pressuring them immediately . Also the footwork seems to static at times.. not being able to change direction in the step - and thus unable to misalign the enemy. Nevertheless... this is really difficult- especially if you dont have a shield...

[@justsomeguy3931]

If you want to see true "Gun Fu" with using firearms to fight multiple opponents at once, search Sonny Puzikas "The Blooming Death." Gunsite was the first "gun dojo" in the world, and it was founded in the US by Massaad Ayoob (on KZbin, LEGENDARY source!) and Col. Jim Cooper (author of The Art of War for guns, Principles of Personal Defense, a quick and easy must for anyone who takes their security seriously). After seeing what Sonny does there, and that he tells the story of the Spetsnaz operator (not him) who invented it under fire (after his entire team was wiped out) and used it to prevail, I can only imagine what a bunch of Shaolin Monks with guns would become capable of. But then again, that's what 3 months of USMC training looks like to me lolz

[@doghmanthegreat]

What's the music you used during the fighting?