Great fun with Greatswords: a workshop on the basics of fighting with two-handed swords

Events are starting up again and I'll be at Winterkamp this weekend. I'll be teaching an introductory workshop on several greatsword sources. Since paper hand-outs are nice, but usually are forgotten in fencing bags, I figured it would be fun to do a video hand-out of the workshop. This video contains all the material I prepared for the workshop with some general notes on the techniques and pieces that I selected.
If you'd be interested in a more detailed write-up or are looking for extra content in general, have a look at Patreon: www.patreon.com/virtualfechts...
0:00 Intro
1:34 Basic rule I: respect the weapon!
2:00 Basic rule II: warm up!
2:17 Basic rule III: check structure!
2:41 Basic rule IV: move big, step small!
3:23 Figueyredo, basic movements
5:45 Figueyredo, battlefield scenario's
6:41 Dürer's 'sword'
7:03 Goliath manuscript: Zornhaw Ortt and Nym es Nyder
Fencers: Mila and Oskar
Music:
Deeper into the woods by Vindsvept is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/... ( • Vindsvept - Deeper int... )
Celtic Fantasy Music - "Traveler" by Alexander Nakarada is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. creativecommons.org/licenses/... ( • Celtic Fantasy Music -... )
#greatsword #montante #zweihander # knife #HEMA #Historical #European #Martial #Arts #Historical #Fencing #Historical #Fencing #Westernmartialarts #Middleages #medieval #Martial #Arts #Martialartist #Instructor #Athlete #Fitness #Fightingfit #Fighter #warriors #knights #Swordplay #machete #technique #Training #lecküchner, #history #historical #research #swordfighting #sparring #context

[@feidtublec]

Now THAT is a hell of an exercise. Also, i like the reference to the odd-coloured thights of the Lansknecht.

[@VirtualFechtschule]

Yeah, it's a small thing, but those who know, know. :)

[@deadlev1207]

This sounds very fun to do with a longsword too. I'll try to incorporate the movements in my warmup. I feel like it shows good handling skills if you can do them fluently.

[@VirtualFechtschule]

It's very sensible to use greatsword to get better at longsword as well. The movement patterns might be slightly different, but it definitely help understand why some mechanics work and why others don't.

[@wendlernb]

Great work

[@isobelz5968]

hell yeah, this was an amazing workshop to follow! Thanks Oskar!

[@VirtualFechtschule]

You're welcome!

[@kurtschultz356]

THANK YOU! This is gold sir!

[@dansanders1935]

Fantastic, thanks. ... more please

[@VirtualFechtschule]

There will definitely. :)

[@dghost1509]

Thank you for your teaching material, I hope I manage to learn a little!

[@VirtualFechtschule]

I'm sure you will! :D

[@stefanroels4960]

I enjoyed the actual workshop today!

[@VirtualFechtschule]

Good to hear!

[@manassrivastava1214]

Namaste🙏

[@roro2053]

Quality content *Chef's kiss

[@VirtualFechtschule]

Thanks!

[@friedrice6281]

Would you do clips of all the 16 rules? both standard and complex

[@VirtualFechtschule]

Already in the making for quite some time. :)

[@friedrice6281]

@@VirtualFechtschule :O you Saint!

[@bobcat4519]

I was hoping you were going to do it in the tweed blazer.

[@VirtualFechtschule]

Well, I could do a video on montante in a full three piece. It is apparently what the internet is craving today. :P

[@superrobotmonkeyhyperteamf3194]

Great Video, really like the Goliath demonstrations will there be more of them in the future? I have a question regarding rule 2 c, shouldn't the horizontal strike be a diagonal one? Because from what i gathered verdadera destreza dislikes horizontal strikes and figueyredo mentions a circling horizontal talho/revez later on. Also he seems to specifies when a cut other than a diagonal is used. My personal interpretation would be a talho with the step ending with the point forward and then moving the sword horizontally (offline lateral ) to the right side while lifting and then over the head to cut a diagonal circling revez without a step since the strike takes a lot of time. Just my idea after trying out several methods since 2 c really is one of the more confusing ones.

[@VirtualFechtschule]

There will definitely be more Goliath in the future! I'm planning at least a video on how fencing with Greatsword according to Goliath differs from regular longsword. :)

[@VirtualFechtschule]

As for 2c: I have interpreted a circling talho/revez as horizontal, because I felt this to have the best flow to it, and teach a valuable movement skill. I did this in the full knowledge that this is difficult to know for certain though. On one hand he does specify horizontal in 11, which makes it odd he doesn't here. But then thinking that 'circling' would refer to how you step is weird when thinking about 13 (since the footwork there is very much circling). Bottom line, your guess is as good as mine and I just went for something that doesn't completely contradict the text and something that works. :)

[@superrobotmonkeyhyperteamf3194]

@@VirtualFechtschule Makes sense just wondered if i had overlooked something and tbh i think here several variations could work(sometimes i do it with a horizontal talho too). My idea was that there are two versions of circling. one circling is the circular cut(circling revez etc) of the sword and the other is the movement of the body(circling around). Could also somewhat explain the fly swatter in 13 since its some kind of circling movement but who knows. Its interesting how unclear some things are despite him being quite descriptive. Looking forward to it ! Do you think same goliath techniques would be possible with drastically heavier swords for example 3,5-4 kg?

[@TheBaconWizard]

I think ima just hit ye olde subscribe buttonne.

[@KuddlesbergTheFirst]

How fast do I need to swing a 1095 steel or clay tempered sword to snap it without hitting anything? I remember a wooden baseball bat being held by a machine and spinning like a helicopter before it broke.

[@VirtualFechtschule]

Oooooh! That will involve a whole lot more math than I'm comfortable with, but I'm guessing it will take a lot more to break the sword. It's after all a stronger material than wood and also more aerodynamic. What generally messes up blades is sudden deceleration (more commonly known as hitting something :P )I definitely think that no human can swing a sword fast enough to just snap it, unless it has been really poorly made (thin tang for instance).

[@serrion1394]

Anyone got a tip where to get one of those swords as a training variant? Like the cold steel ones made of plastic ish material?

[@VirtualFechtschule]

There's blackfencer or purpleheart armoury that make nylon versions, and Go Now makes a foam version for sparring. :)

[@melskroon]

Boeiende technieken! Waar trainen jullie?

[@VirtualFechtschule]

In Leiden en omstreken. Voor andere clubs in NL kun je ook de website hemabond.nl checken. :)

[@melskroon]

@@VirtualFechtschule bedankt! Dat is gelukkig niet ver. Succes!

[@sjoerdvanasseldonk502]

i really struggle with the upwards short edge strikes going left to right with the greatsword. for some reason i cannot get any amount of force in it

[@VirtualFechtschule]

That's interesting, and it could have a number of reasons. Will you be at any HEMA event in the Netherlands? We could have a look at it there?

[@sjoerdvanasseldonk502]

@@VirtualFechtschule i'm still slowly integrating myself into the dutch HEMA community. so i would love too. don't know where or when yet though. don't even know what the options are.

[@VirtualFechtschule]

@@sjoerdvanasseldonk502 There's workshops organised by HVN periodically. For next year Bunnybash and Winterkamp are a great place to start. In September/October, there will be a montante symposium somewhere in Germany, which might be nice to go to as well. :)

[@sjoerdvanasseldonk502]

@@VirtualFechtschule oeh! i might try and go to one of those then!

[@NukSooKow-yp9py]

I'm trying to translate this into Blade & Sorcery.....I realise now how unfit I am!

[@Tantemify]

Do you guys play Elden Ring ?

[@VirtualFechtschule]

No, but I enjoy watching people play it. I'm not sure if I would live through the frustration of sucking at something I can sorta do well in real life. Kingdom come Deliverance was bad enough in that regard. 😅

[@imfromiraq8843]

Thank you , now i can start elden ring

[@VirtualFechtschule]

Hehehe, nice.

[@colapundarn]

man... i wish calimacil made a greatsword for landsknechts with a round pommel... i only do larp fighting but it would be awsome if i could use these tecniques there!

[@VirtualFechtschule]

I think it would be pretty useful. Generally people don't even need to roleplay wanting to get out of the way of one of these swords. 😅

[@colapundarn]

@@VirtualFechtschule yeah i have One of their doppelsoldners and People are terified of it 😁 but when i must use it it behaves like a large wierd scythe 😂

[@markusschmitt8013]

+

[@ajithsidhu7183]

Longsword please

[@VirtualFechtschule]

There will be some longsword content in the future. :)

[@jasperzanjani]

I was expecting you to do that shit while wearing a suit like the thumbnail, I feel catfished

[@VirtualFechtschule]

Well, maybe soon more greatsword in a full three piece then! :P

[@user-el4qk5em4u]

Видно,что работает мечём только руками,основная биомеханика тела почьти не подключена,оттого и движения натянутые ,скованные.

[@cookie_416]

why is this in my recommended i never ha anything related with swords lmao

[@VirtualFechtschule]

No idea, but now that you commented you can be sure the algorithm will send quite a few more your way. :P