How Long Could a Sword Duel Last?

Some of my current thoughts on this frequently asked question. Would a historical fight with longswords, messers, rapiers, or other swords be over in seconds or would it likely drag on for longer?
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[@BozheTsaryaKhrani]

Scalls answer: it depends Matt's answer: CONTEXT Shads answer: What about the dragons

[@joe125ful]

Dragons??Huh?

[@BozheTsaryaKhrani]

@@joe125ful its a shadiversity channel reference

[@JasonMBroyles]

Machicolations!

[@BozheTsaryaKhrani]

@@JasonMBroyles i was thinkin about putting that

[@kovi567]

Metatron's answer: I SMOKE ARMOR!

[@VelliHaven]

Until the hero's theme plays in the background, usually accompanied by flashback or monologue

[@laterreurrouge1917]

... don't forget the almighty training montage !

[@mysteryman9488]

Extra "You're fucked" points if the hero is being cheered on by his friends

[@edgardox.feliciano3127]

Dont forget the POWER OF FRIENDSHIP/LOVE INTEREST

[@GuitarsRockForever]

Or the hero remembered he/she is invincible anyway as having plot armor.

[@Ake-TL]

THE ONLY THING I KNOW FOR REAL!

[@castsmith6783]

Depend on the strength of the plot armor

[@callmad8021]

underrated comment

[@sorryilikeyou9803]

Here before thousand likes

[@taterds7858]

ah yes, the strongest weapon

[@adarheim1013]

@@taterds7858 greater than the power of a thousand pommels thrown at light speed

[@michasokoowski6651]

@@adarheim1013 What about the plot pommel? Like the one that David used in the bible.

[@labbyshepherdpuppy5943]

Short answer: It depends Long answer: It depends

[@DerPinguim]

Short Answer: It depends Long answer: It really depends

[@MrDibara]

THIS. IS. *NUANCE!* >epic kick of Viking legend

[@malango255]

deep ends.

I have seen both Braveheart and Patriot. It's under a second. A few seconds against heavy odds.

[@kevinstachovak8842]

Real answer- It very much does depend on many things. If you are skillful enough to disarm your opponent, do you expect him-her to counter you with effective martial arts techniques? Hand-to-hand fighting techniques can turn an unarmed nobody into a fearless and dangerous force to be reckoned with. Be sure to always be prepared to go at it with fists and feet. In fact, I'd say that ALL weapons training should be grounded in unarmed combat skills!

[@BleakComposure]

Swordmaster: Yes, I will train you, I will teach you the warrior ways of the forefathers . But first, I name thee Noob.

[@IudiciumInfernalum]

Seems fair to me.

[@PACKERMAN2077]

Reality: he who strikes first. Fantasy: he who has The high ground, has the biggest pommel, and is the most chosen one.

[@Br4Ker]

he who has the better armor and is stronger, more skilled at taking his enemy to the ground.

[@ASmartNameForMe]

He who learns from Indiana Jones if you understand me

[@bubbasbigblast8563]

@@Br4Ker He who rolls on the ground with his opponent, giggles, and puts a flower in his hair.

[@zacharybond23]

I do like that joke, but high ground vs low is also very important in a fight. It is a lot easier to cut/poke the head, when you are above them, but it is also easier for them to get your legs.

[@DoubleD-trap]

Tbh the low ground could be better just doge and stab up

[@denisalmeida1221]

3:42 "oh there's the neighbors again playing with their swords"

[@jayblomme5444]

Look at those things bouncing

[@cinvhetin8054]

I would like to say that I really like the direction that the channel is moving towards lately. I especially enjoy this type of video, where you talk about misconceptions about Sword fighting/historical weapons. Good stuff!

[@Skallagrim]

It's not really a new direction, just business as usual. :)

[@Seelenschmiede]

@@Skallagrim but you brought up this topic a bit more often recently what we like a lot!

[@HanSolo__]

@@Skallagrim It's soooo good to see you on trainig drill again. Add stairs running and push-ups and you will never run out of strenght and stamina. Im a former 400m competition runner - I know this shit ..a bit. Also, I think you are in perfect age to fight contests. Will you?

[@philw8049]

The more videos I see of hema training/sparring/tournaments the more amazed I am anyone ever walked away from a sword fight unscathed!

[@thewayofthesword4136]

It is common in tournaments in HEMA and Kendo to be much more aggresive than you'd be in real life since you don't actually risk much.

[@bubbasbigblast8563]

Duels had rules like "first blood" for good reason.

[@InSanic13]

@@thewayofthesword4136 Indeed, the Academy of Historical Fencing channel has videos where they simulate duels more closely, and there's a big difference in conduct. Much more cautious and probing.

[@thewayofthesword4136]

@@InSanic13 It is the same when you watch the highest level in Kendo. 8th dan today have matches that have minutes without a single cut, just pressure and binding. It is even more apparent when you look at 90 years ago's matches between 10th dan. They are extremely cautious, and do not attack without creating a decisive opportunity.

[@MrBottlecapBill]

If you've seen many modern street fights, sometimes one guy gets lucky and ends it instantly, sometimes they beat eachother black and blue before there is a winner, sometimes they just grabble until everyone is exhausted and get broken up.....mutually agreeing to end it. I figure it was pretty much the same back then.

[@theassente]

Glad he put a clip of the saber fencing about Lee Smith and Richard Marsden in. THOSE TWO ARE MASTERS.

[@Sk0lzky]

I can't not love their sparrings. If I didn't know the context I'd assume they're all scripted and practiced to death lol

[@Sableagle]

So _The Princess Bride_ got it right with The Man In Black and The Swordsman fighting for ages without hitting each other and got it right again with The Swordsman taking out those four guards in four seconds? As you wish.

[@edi9892]

Street violence does tell us several things in that matter: 1) many times the attacker picks a victim where he has a clear advantage and thus the fight ends very fast 2) in case two evenly matched opponents square off, both the skilled and the non-skilled tend to take some time. The prior because they are more careful, the latter because they fail to land decisive blows 3) The number of deaths is surprisingly low every time both sides are armed with melee weapons. Most of the time, both sides just hit air and don't dare to get in range... This goes on until one side chickens out, or makes a bad mistake...

[@fadhli179]

I think for number 3, there are difference between peacetime duel and wartime duel. The latter are used to prevent bloodbath, with guaranteed death for losing side in duel.

[@edi9892]

@@fadhli179 3) refers mostly to ethnic clashes seen in Europe. Many of them are in between clans that are deeply involved in organized crime, however, compared to Italians and Russians, they aren't that organized and have no intention of remaining low profile. Heck, many of them think in all seriousness that spending time in prison makes a man!

[@Wright805]

Personally I am delighted to hear "it depends." I've always loved watching movie/TV swordfights (and I love writing my own even more), so hearing that it doesn't always end in seconds and longer duels DO have a basis in fact has made my day. Thank you very much Skall.

[@SirPlusOfCamelot]

I agree with you

[@Wright805]

@@SirPlusOfCamelot Thanks.

[@SirPlusOfCamelot]

@@Wright805 No problem, it is a pleasure meeting someone who agrees with me!

[@JeffPenaify]

the thing about fighting, any type of fighting, is it contains so many complex nuances concerning psychology and physiology that virtually everyone fights differently and every fight is inherently different. duels could be boring cagey affairs, duels could be brutal one sided murders, from the same duelist, a shallow cut may deter one person in the moment and make him psychologically falter while similar instance with a different individual makes him sharper and more relaxed and reactive in the moment.

[@Wright805]

@@JeffPenaify Good points.

[@Carlos-ko9zy]

Fun game, take a sip every time Skall says depends

[@laterreurrouge1917]

... or "context" over at Scola Gladiatoria ^^

[@alextrill5829]

@@laterreurrouge1917 that one is for experienced drinkers only!

[@laterreurrouge1917]

@@alextrill5829 that one is pretty closer to a suicide attempt ^^

[@HanSolo__]

You son of a... Im drunk because of your "funny game" 🤪

[@PalleRasmussen]

@@laterreurrouge1917 that game is only for Finns and Russians.

[@ReaperCH90]

"it depends," is also the answer to every economics and Age of Empires 2 question.

[@Ranstone]

I think context is important in every answer. Truth is absolute, but there are a lot of factors to account for.

[@petersmythe6462]

"should I use a unit comp of flaming camels, demo ships, petards, and nothing else?" It depe- *ABSOLUTELY NOT!*

[@ReaperCH90]

@@petersmythe6462 it depends, do you play regicide?

[@NedtureTVT]

The viper say the same everytime

[@skyborne80]

As former hockey executive, Brian Burke would say: "I'll give a lawyers answer, 'that depends.'"

[@lucasavelli2945]

Hands and arms measure is different from heads measure, that is why (I think) sometimes people think attacks are out of measure when in reality they are in measure.

[@Skallagrim]

Yes, exactly. People seem to often miss attempts to attack the arms that are evaded (and sometimes even ones that hit).

[@lucasavelli2945]

@@Skallagrim I agree. It depends on the parry: if the opponent aims for my head and I Parry with a step back we are in Punta di spada (crossed at the point of the sword) and the opponent either tries to hit my hands and arms or attacks again at the head, with another step. If I Parry without doing a step we are at Mezza spada (crossed at the middle of the sword), and the opponent can try to counter my parry with another blow to my head, but it is very dangerous: he must be sure not to lose the centerline catastrophically, because the time he has to go around my sword is longer than the time I have to thrust him (if the does not evade laterally), If I (boldly) parry with a step forward we are now at the Stretto (close play). So, to conclude, with the longsword the best target for the cuts are the arms, for the thrust is the body. Cuts to the head are very good, but they necessarily need more Tempo to be performed because the head is far away from the sword, if we are crossed (so if the first blow fails, as it is common). All of this is my opinion obviously.

[@HanSolo__]

@@Skallagrim My HEMA friend is 195cm tall but his arms are wider/longer (when wide open) to freaking 197cm. And his one-and-a-half sword is to me (187cm) like a great sword... aaand he is way younger and more "fit".

[@UpDaKnock]

Wow quarantine has really helped me pick up my quickness to Skall’s videos

[@sir8204]

Same

[@Steak-a1h]

110% coincidence for me. Still nice though c:

[@Ranstone]

Are you still freaking quarantining? -_-

[@HanSolo__]

Hey folks, take a look at this guy. He is still not infected! 😆

[@Overtorange]

Are people really still quarantining? As a matter of fact, are people even made to do such a thing? My work schedule hasn't changed at all. Still working 50 hour work weeks. Been this way for two years now.

[@KirkWilliams300]

I feel like things like skill, armor, and shields are important factors, but like you mentioned, knowing things like master cuts is also a game changer if you know how to use them properly.

[@HanSolo__]

With shield and armor both stamina and strenght move to the front line fast.

[@El_Chompo]

I like your comparisons with MMA. Short of some real sword fights that's about the best real world experience we can look to.

[@TheChromeRonin]

Especially in the context of two trained and skilled fighters. If you see video footage or brawls, they are completely different.

[@alanashley6097]

On a one on one dual, it seems like if an opponent can get inside the perimeter of sword reach and grab the opponent’s body and take him down then the sword becomes useless. A knife would be very effective.

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

MMA is not much of an analogue to unarmored swordfight. Hardly any MMA attacks will rapidly incapacitate a competent combatant, & there's low danger of death or serious injury. By contrast, even a weak thrust with a sharp blade might well fatally wound the strongest & toughest human who's ever lived. Because of these dynamics, MMA fights tend to more aggressive than sword duels. (However, cultural factors did make some historical duelists astonishingly reckless. We have accounts of men who ran each other through or cut each other at once.)

[@El_Chompo]

@@b.h.abbott-motley2427 Funny you mention that, I was just thinking about that too. I think the overall nature would be similar but obviously one or two sword connections is very different than one or two punch connections, so the duration of the fight would be shorter. You can punch somebody for 8 rounds sometimes but not slice them that long. I've heard bladed fights are some of the least pleasant because a lot of the time the slices don't incapacitate you right away and basically you both end up landing blows and then bleeding out hours later. Fun stuff.

[@humblehat4347]

@@alanashley6097 this isn't the case, people can reach their arms away from themselves and keep the tip pointed at you, if you try to push their arm away you're only putting it in the proper position for them to make you stab yourself on their sword when you walk forward. Edit: In fact it happens in this video at 5:20

[@scottmacgregor3444]

In my own personal sparring, the longest a match went without someone scoring a good hit was about 2 min 30s. I've had maybe a couple other exchanges that went 2ish minutes. The vast majority of exchanges were somewhere in the 5-20s range.

[@Ranstone]

Most duels described that I have found last 2-4 minutes, to which the writer considered "intense", whatever that's to be interpreted as.

[@metallboy25]

So its not 15 minutes of fighting while the "bad guy" gives a monologue about why he is right? 🫤

[@jamesquinton29]

This is probably one of, if not the best, explanation video you've done. Perfectly illustrates the complexities that are inherent of hand to hand fighting.

[@guilherme5094]

It depends on your motivation! Bury the light starts playing.

[@phantomix5693]

That only applies if you have the blood of Sparda running through your veins

[@afinoxi]

It depends on whether one of them pull out a sack of pommels and just starts yeeting them onto their opponent.

[@drlukewhite]

Apparently, in the middle ages KZbin videos were over almost instantly. It's a modern misrepresentation that they might go on as long as 6 minutes and 12 seconds.

[@StormBringare]

The biggest reason that fights could have dragged on is that people aren't as easy to kill as people think. Inflicting the kind of trauma necessary to immediately drop someone is very difficult and people who are motivated and is having an adrenaline rush doesn't even necessarily notice lighter injuries. Fights to the death would have been a pretty messy affair.

[@theoyoung8438]

Woah last time I was this early people ended others rightly with rocks instead of pommels

[@gabevietor3685]

I am so late that I am using the M60 MBT

[@miketacos9034]

Depends on how fast you can unscrew your pommel.

[@loganbly1071]

Another huge and significant factor is how most of the time people refer to specifically fencing as there alibi for fights lasting only seconds, however there are HUNDREDS of different sword fighting styles originating from hundreds of different areas of the world at different times using different kinds of swords. You can't fence with a claymore, it's too big and requires both hands to wield, a long sword is able to be weld with one hand but doesn't have the finesse of a rapier, point being most people on the internet are ignorant of various fighting styles and equate everything to fencing. A good example of how long it other fighting styles lasted is how english knights would often have trouble cutting through opponents armor with a longsword and would resort to grabbing it by the blade and hammering each other with the pommel, an act that would take quite a long time to do considering the armor they wore.

[@stranger6822]

Glad for the clear explanation in the video. I don't remember which pair it was, but I remember reading about a duel that went on for a long time before the combatants realized that neither had the advantage or could win the duel without risking their own death, so they just gave up and called it a draw. And there would obviously be situations where one person just decided to give up before the duel could become lethal.

[@Sk0lzky]

Now that's a top notch youtuber - says something's a topic for a separate video and provides it! Truly unprecedented :v

[@Leubast]

Instructor: Who all here is new to HEMA? *Two people raise their hands* Skall: Oh, have those two spar! Instructor: Why? They need to learn first. Skall: It's for a video. *Pulls out stopwatch*

[@ricardoronaldo837]

HEMA fights with money on the line, could be a good representation of how self preserving swordsmen might act.

[@mayalackman7581]

Great idea.

[@Zestrayswede]

God, imagine the toxicity. What, every double decreases the pot for the winner?

[@iarroganti]

We have joked about setting it up that every track is recorded, and after fencing, you have to do a shot of the nastiest drink around. We are close enough to Chicago that we can get Malort, and while I don't fear 3 shots of it as much as being stabbed, it is close enough that my defense will get a lot tighter if that is the penalty for being hit.

[@andriusmars2409]

By watching your videos I found my self being interested in sword fighting more then I initially expected. I realized how much there is to it. Thank you.

[@duchi882]

A Duel can last only seconds if you throw a pommel at your opponent

[@hansmeier5617]

Combat of the Thirty (March 26, 1351) (English against French) Fought 30 against 30 knights (men at arms) on foot. The fight lasted several hours with a break. The English lost 10 men to the French 4. 60 heavily armed professional warriors fight each other for hours and "only" 14 men died. a really interesting topic, unfortunately nobody has made a video about it!

[@plant_leaf]

Very interesting. Will read abt it

[@jaystrickland4151]

I like how your neighbor doesn't even look up while you sword fight as she leaves her home.

[@johndododoe1411]

She might have seen nothing because of the fence and camera position.

[@skribeworks]

'It depends' is always the best answer for any creative. It means as long as we remain internally consistent we're not bound by any hard-and-fast specifics. It gives us a lot of leeway to craft tension and reveal character.

[@b.h.abbott-motley2427]

Based on accounts, many historical duels took quite a while. George Silver thought two masters should simply stalemate each other, fighting on indefinitely. On the other hand, plenty of battlefield accounts have brief exchanges that leave one or both parties dead or badly hurt. As you say, it depends on aggression/intensity. The cautious dueling approach might not work well in a military context. If it's critical for you & your comrades to take a position swiftly, you're going to be more aggressive than in a structured duel. Etc.

[@bcn1gh7h4wk]

some time ago I worked out the basics of any confrontation down to three factors: Exposure, Potential, and Sustainability. Exposure represents whatever factor of the confrontation, which could or would come under contest at any given time: a certain point in an argument, a physical position in a battlefield, a part of a fighter's body in a duel, etc. Potential represents the ability of any side of the confrontation to produce any significant change in that confrontation: is your weapon ready? is the opponent's weapon ready? is the enemy at shooting range? are *you* at shooting range of the opponent? can *you* strike where the enemy can not? are *you* in any advantageous position? etc. Sustainability is the time any given factor of the confrontation could remain as is, before being affected by any countering factor: amount of ammo in one's gun, safety of supply lines, time before a given message is sent, physical exhaustion of the fighters, time before the hearing ends, etc. in a 1v1 duel, with regulated equipment, on even terrain, on equal grounds 100%, Sustainability is the deciding factor. ..... so, the duel will last as much as the weakest contender can put up a fight, up to and including last-resort tactics by their part: if they employ a last-resort lunge at an exposed part of the opponent's body, and it connects, then too is the fight decided by the weakest opponent.

[@misterbooga6466]

I remember asking this question on his temperamental morning livestream! i’m so happy i got a whole video about the topic. I know he’s not doing this bc of me, but still lol

[@kevinstachovak8842]

I increasingly like your videos, O Skallagrim. A swordfight lasts as only as long as it needs to. Incapacitate (Not kill) your opponent, then move on to the next, real battles were all about being adaptive and not getting stuck in the same drills and focusing on only one opponent. My best friend is a southpaw, and a lefty in a melee changes things in some ways

[@LuxisAlukard]

It would be nice to know the longest and shortest historical duel

[@michasokoowski6651]

The shortest is probably a few seconds... not possible to say what the record is.

[@DoubleD-trap]

@@michasokoowski6651 0.0.0.0.0.0.0.0.11 seconds

[@tarille1043]

Shortest would have likely been a few seconds, from expert duelists challenging novices in "First blood" duels. Longest I've come across is one in Italy between Benito Mussolini and Fransisco Circcotti in 1921 which lasted ~1 hour and 15 minutes.

[@LuxisAlukard]

@@tarille1043 Yes, that was sort of information I was hoping to hear! Thank you!

[@TheHorribleCreature]

Shortest is when the other guy dies before the duel.

[@wixworks]

I had the experience of a mismatch of skills at the Minnesota RenFest. They had a booth with the Sherriff offering to take on anyone in a duel, best two out of three; you got a kewpie dragon or something. We suited up, I signed waivers, and we tapped blades. I immediately went for a full-on lunge and touched him mid-chest. He was apparently had been dulled by a long series of lubber-cows and didn't react quickly enough. Needless to say, his eyes took on an angry glint, and I didn't come anywhere near him while he quickly disposed of me.

[@bluesdad54]

Good answer. As you said, it depends on so many factors, skill, equipment, etc. Each fight would be a different combination of those things. As always, enjoying your channel.

[@tomasbragagnolo1230]

Greetings from Argentina Skala! Keep it going! I love your videos!

[@pokemon1895]

I really appreciate this upload. This is something I've been curious about for a while.

[@maniacmatt7340]

Great content. Loved watching your sparring!

[@Gyrodyssey]

Agreed. In sparring I also like to strike slightly out of distance to test my opponent's reaction. Great Video!

[@TrueMentorGuidingMoonlight]

I've heard legends within the SCA community of two drastically different fighters that clashed during tourneys: one was the ultimate tactician who always planned out his fights with extreme precision and decisiveness, and the other was the ultimate purely-instinctive warrior who fought with no mind and only highly-refined cued reactions to anything he saw coming his way. I wish I was there to watch their fights, but I'd assume that the former fighter's decisiveness would've made him extremely cautious and hesitant to make any moves until he saw the right moment of opportunity. And the latter fight's best strength being his reactivity would've also made him not proactively attack a lot. TL;DR it was like seeing the unstoppable force meet the immovable object, as per the stories I've heard, and I can only guess that the fights would've been dragged out because of each fighter's respective methods.

[@watch7966]

Best video that I have seen so far on this subject.

[@maorliron16]

When he talks about throwing a cut towards the blade it's like when boxers don't immediately start swinging for the knockout but firs they use the jab to find distance and measure the opponent's reaction. P.S love your videos man.

[@cahallo5964]

Just randomly duel people to the death and win so you can have a reality based answer to this, Skall.

[@colleptic]

Just to clarify for non-fencers watching, cutting short vs out measure are two different things, and require more explaining imo. All sword fights start when/where...always out of measure. What you do out of measure, or as you move into measure, like as Skall states here, is part of fighting provocations. Examples of provocations are attacks to miss, feints, guard changes, entering or changing of measure, hits to the hands (part of feints as well), earnst attacks, stingere etc. So as he said...it depends, and with more context, it depend on "how BOTH" fencers are approaching the fight.

[@Chris-fo2fi]

Would be interesting to see how long some historical ones have lasted, and your thoughts on those.

[@HanSolo__]

They would agree but also could bring the acctual examples life/death fights in certain points.

[@hueyiroquois3839]

3:11 I keep hearing the sound of two cats growling at each other.

[@MachineMan-mj4gj]

When I took fencing in college, we were constantly admonished for dragging out the fight. I wanted to make the foil to make the cool clack-clack sound, but the instructor just bellowed "FINISH HIM!"

[@nathanl6401]

With winter quickly approaching I think you should try shield sledding.

[@Tkoutlosh]

So you are talking about cutting into Sprechfenster, awesome!

[@tristankendrick2582]

"How long can a sword fight last" "Yes"

[@CharlieThunder24]

this is helpful for my fantasy fiction and historical fiction stories.

[@dragonfell5078]

I remember having a sparring match with a friend of mind at school. We used old badminton rackets as swords (not the best analogue, I know), and we were going at each other for awhile. We were rather unskilled, admittedly, so we were quite cautious. At the time I was basically Roleplaying as a raid boss or something, and three hits anywhere meant I was down. The battle went on for hours, and I didn't even get a single hit on him lol. Most of the strikes were on my hands as opposed to my body, but it still counted.

[@Zarback658]

Have not watched for a while. Dropping by to tell you that while I was on my phone, a "new" mobile game was using one of your videos for their ads.

[@cullenhutchison6528]

What was the relative frequency of the sorts of fights you mentioned, namely amateur vs amateur, amateur vs master, and master vs master? That is, how often did people fight each other, and who were those fights usually between?

[@seductive_Octopus]

I‘m in a 2nd Lock down so I use the Time to learn something new and I just got into Hema/ Swort Fighting Books and train with a Broomstick 😂 so the Neighbors don’t get nervous... and because i don’t have the Money for a swort at the moment. Yesterday the Neighbor Boy be like : hey Dad, the Crazy Neighbor with his Broomstick is back and he is beating the living shit out of a shirt on a line 😂 Thx Skallgrim for this wonderful Hema Training Experience 😂

[@phileas007]

nervous neighbours are good and obedient neighbours! keep it up.

[@seductive_Octopus]

@@phileas007 later just need to lern how to ride a Horse and then I will conquer my Entire Neighbor 😂

[@ifer6761]

Hollywood: 30 minute fights Real life: awkward swording

[@Psiberzerker]

Ideally? Until one gets tired, but I've seen them over in a couple seconds, because one was tricky, and snuck something in unexpected. It's one of those questions. It depends, even with 2 duelists of high skill, but if they know each other, I've noticed that it can last a lot longer. (I mean they spar together a lot, not that they go out for beers 2, or 3 times a week.) Also, what's the Quarter? That's a fairly common stipulation, how far will it take for the Challenger to be satisfied? The win-condition makes a big difference, because if it's to the Death, it can take a several minutes for someone to bleed out from a puncture wound. Even to the heart.

[@Psiberzerker]

"Cuts out of measure...You're not supposed to cut at their sword..." This is more like a Feint. They're feeling each other out, maybe trying to draw an opening, before they commit to closing into you can cut Me distance (Or measure) This is actually a sign of a defensive fighter, they don't want to be TOO defensive, so they jab out of measure, trying to draw an attack. If both sides just defend, then the duel can last forever. Somebody has to attack for you to counter. In gaming terms, it's both sides playing Black on a chess, or Checkerboard. You'd think it would get confusing "Is that your king, or mine?" but the reality is that by the rules, black reacts to White/Red. If white/red isn't playing, and doesn't go, nobody gets a turn. They just sit there, staring at the board, for hours. Or, grab some white/red pieces, and Rochambeaux for who goes first.

[@tyjohnston8573]

Speaking of master with the sword ... Skall, I got a video idea for you: Who is the greatest living sword fighter? Yes, yes, I realize it's all subjective and "greatest" could mean a number of different things, but I could see this potentially being a fun video.

[@FedericoMalagutti]

Very good analysis!

[@douglasyoung927]

It always amazes me when new Martial arts students make the step from basic level drills to intermediate level drills. It's a point where thier understanding, muscle memory, instincts, and fitness levels start to catch up to the basic techniques, lines, angles, timing, distance, footwork, breathing. The difference they show in proficiency/ competency, and confidence is night and day. You can swing a stick at a friend in your back yard for 10 years and you will probably lose 70 percent or more of your encounters with any intermediate level student. You can teach yourself to turn a wrench but it won't make you a mechanic.

[@Ake-TL]

Were there ever duelists that liked to stall the fight and wait for enemy to tire and lose concentration?

[@almondmelk5830]

Would love for you to do something relating to how good a rapier of fencing foil is in a fight

[@scottmacgregor3444]

A rapier is pretty good in a duel. A fencing foil is not, because they were never actual weapons at any point. They were created for fencing, which is the sportive side of sword fighting. They were meant to be small sword simulators. Small swords are pretty OK in a duel.

[@Cysubtor_8vb]

Definitely agree with the "it depends" stance and would add matchups to the variables. Being tall, I generally outreach my opponents by a noticeable amount, which makes out of measure movements less threatening towards me as they'd have to commit to advancing much further to reach me, especially if I'm in stances that keeps my arms safe. Outcomes would still vary dependent on the skill and mindsets, of course, but it could be an unfamiliar scenario for some, which could potentially leads to atypical mistakes being made by the less experienced.

[@KoinzellGaming]

The thing is that I like the tactical aspect combined with having the size advantage. I haven't joined HEMA yet (Interested, but not sure if there are any clubs nearby), so most likely I will be the type once I join to constantly charge into someones sword because I feel like once you close the distance you can focus on deflecting someone's sword, while also minimizing its lethality, and also move in quicker than enemies can back off. Moving back first isn't that easy, it's easier to advance than to retreat.. Most likely skilled masters will be able to retreat and get a stab in from a blindspot, but it just feels like in low-mid level fights the most useful method is to advance, force people into a corner, and just grapple/stab. Most effective for taller/bigger people. But that's me just fantasizing about stuff I haven't done.

[@Kuchenwurst]

Be aware, though, that as soon as you're behind the opponent's sword tip, both of you are in the danger zone. A sword cuts along its whole length, which makes it really dangerous to be next to its blade. Compare that to polearm fencing: As soon as you're past opponent's blade, you're quite safe as the lethal part of his weapon is out of the way.

[@ROMANTIKILLER2]

Reading historical accounts of duels, I was surprised by how much damage some of those people took before passing out.

[@kylejolly7751]

Duelling with polearms may be interesting. Since I am interested in learning how to use Naginatas properly with my martial arts discipline. Especially if you set it up to have a few weapons in the surroundings like swords, shields, daggers, axes and so on as you would see in a real battlefield. In which case if you are dissarmed of your main weapon and have to use your side arm with both being in full plate armour but, with bluntnened weapons of course. Then when you use your backup you have to use what's closest to you in order to defend yourself. You could even make it more interesting to have a different friend play dead and if you get near he could attept to distract you while your opponent tries to skewer you while the opposite could happen as well. Just an idea.

[@MrSuper65]

what i would give to see two masters in a fight to the death, without anyone actually dying though

[@marblemarble7113]

One thing I've learned from just messing around with friends is that the more tired you are the closer you get and the looser you fight. Could be something to factor in

[@hailhydreigon2700]

Caught a 2 minute and 30 second Sidesword round in January of 2020 :P over at a tournament in Texas.

[@reybladen3068]

I feel like a sword fight would be 90% staring and walking each other down then 10% actual exchanges. Idk

[@nessa-parmentier]

I'd say 50/50, but yeah just staring at each other and changing positions is an important part of a duel

[@aurelienlambert6456]

Very interesting topic. Answering "It depends" is the only one you can give, but covering scenarios is the actual point of this question, imho. But I think that you are forgetting one very important variable : the adrenaline rush during a real, life threatening fight. You won't feel wounds, and keep going until you, your opponent, or both are dead. Fights can end quickly if there is a beheading, a good skull crush, or a spine wound (just examples), but cutting an artery or piercing to the heart won't stop the fight immediately. Death from a blade usually comes from blood loss, so you can have a mortal strike, but still 2 or 3 minutes of fight left (in the best/worst case scenario, a good cut to the femoral artery would end things in 20-30s max, for example. Everything will depend in the end of how deep and how strong you hit the vital area). Well, just my 2 cents... Anyway, love your channel, keep up the good work man, take care and stay safe :)

[@franciscodanconia3551]

I've never been in an actual sword fight, but even just boxing is exhausting. My first time in the ring, if my opponent had gotten back up again I would have tapped about 2:20 into it. I couldn't hold my hands up to protect my face any more. I only won because he hit that point at about 2:15 and I caught him in the ear with my last gas. My second time we fought a 3 minute round, then about a minute and a half into the second round my hands dropped and he landed a weak jab to my nose and I was so exhausted it put me flat on my back and I had to say tap because I couldn't lift my arm to do it. I figured out about five minutes later that he went down when he hit me and he tapped too. Having sparred with lightsabers against my family in the backyard, I can see duels going between 6 and 10 minutes with people of modest skill and a bigger desire to not get hit than to land a kill-shot.

[@blacktemplar2323]

Another Factor influencing the duration of a duel are the agreed upon rules, for example you might be limited in which parts of the body you are allowed to target which also influences the duration, since scoring hits can be more difficult.

[@thekaxmax]

I watched one that lasted a little over 1 hr and 40 min. Sword and shield and in plate, though. They had a rehydration pause in the middle. Both very highly skilled.

[@hoangphinguyen1732]

I lost it at 'feeling each other out' 😆

[@sorryilikeyou9803]

I want an anime that shows how real sword fight is

[@griffithdidnothingwrong77]

Mary the virgin does a great job of depicting combat in the middle ages. I would check that out if I were you

[@sumosquirtlrekt2340]

If you don’t mind exaggerated realism, then Check out Sword of the stranger. It features a lot of realistic combat, and the fights in it vary a lot in time, some being seconds and the longest being three minutes. It does a pretty good job showing realistic fighting styles and techniques. The fights don’t last long because people do fake fighting, but because people take time to set up proper attacks, don’t only throw kill strikes, and don’t just fight consistently for the whole time in some type of straight brawl.

[@sorryilikeyou9803]

Thank you for your time

[@ful5160]

Hey I dont know if you still do movie fight reviews but if you do you should check out Macbeth final duel from 1977 I think

[@animalxINSTINCT89]

You should link your video of Lee Smith and Richard Marsden duelling. 2 Very competent swordsmen sparring at medium-ish intensity, some of those exchanges went on for quite a while, and some ended after only one or two strikes

[@greenseagull9611]

Hey Skall, would you be willing to react to/rate the historical accuracies of Vinland Saga? I'd really love to hear your thoughts on it.

[@gergokerekes4550]

it is similar to boxing in a way here. Those light jabs that are not even aimed much really, they are just tasting each other, looking for habits, patterns, at the same time they are eyeing any opening that might present itself thus end the fight in a flash of skill.

[@barrybarlowe5640]

In open warfare, a personal engagement is over in seconds because you rarely get to focus on a single target. In duels, it can take a while as each tries to maneuver for their advantage. Once the swords fully engage in thrust, parry, slash or counter, it is usually over quickly.

[@windhelmguard5295]

i think the original star wars trilogy is a good example, if not for the actual sword play, but for the strategy involved, a character engages in a short, but intense, series of blows, disengages, assesses the situation and then repeats the process until they see an opportunity to overpower the opponent through skill, or sheer physical might. then they keep the pressure on to finish it.

[@Honnneeee]

Make a video about DC's Legends of Tomorrow. It's about time travel and it has so many historical inaccuracies (for example a boob armor). There's also that one episode where they went to Vinland Saga. That was probably the dumbest episode ever. Not only was there fantasy vikings, there was also this literal toy from 1990s and they treated it like a God. One funny thing about that show is that one of the Legends is historian and it's pretty ironic since it has so much inaccuracies but he doesn't even notice them :D

[@camilovega9843]

As a hand to hand martial artist (Muay Thai, JKD and a few others) I've had non-sport street fights having to defend myself from an aggression from noobs and it has ended pretty quickly -and badly for them-. However, when competing against highly trained and skilled fighters (competing, not sparring) I've had some really long fights in which no one gets ko'd. I have some experience with weapons (Kendo, Eskrima) and even though I've never had to fight with them neither competing nor in self defense, I believe it would be a very similar result.

[@danieloreskovic4365]

Hey Skall,I just had a question pop up in my head, in those times,when people fought , got themselves cut,bruised or whatever....How was it treated? What were the techniques and sciences in dealing with slashes to the wrist,leg or other non-lethal areas?

[@WillowThomkin]

Why I was making the damage formula simple(ATK - DEF), to make it a bit more realistic, to make fights risky or suicidal for those who couldn’t use weapons nor the skills to. Unarmed fighting would go a long while amongst humans as it’s literally strength reduced by constitution, but now that you have bludgeoning weapons, you can just override their base defenses to warrant them to wear armor, but piercing weapons like swords and spears will just override them as humans have no resistances towards them.

[@ihaveterriblerolls9531]

The Longest Bout I ever had was 3 minutes. Me and another buddy at my club were doing some sidesword and we were both at similar levels at that point. We kept cutting and thrusting at each other and we were always either agile enough to either dodge the blade or parry. We even grappled a few times and I think we even ended switching swords at one point. Towards the end we were both incredibly sore and tired and our strikes were getting slower and clumsier. The fight only ended after I decided I was done with this and took a suicidal shot at his inner thigh and landed it, he responded with and after blow but he was so tired that I was able to parry and step back. Needless to say we both needed a breather afterwards.

[@scottmacgregor3444]

And just think, in professional fighting (boxing, mma, kickboxing, etc) 3 minute rounds are the norm. Seems crazy to be able to do that.

[@IPostSwords]

I get SO many people making that "real fights lasted 5 seconds" comment.

[@mikep8071]

Something else that should be taken into consideration is 'protection.' Yes, taps and 'touches' count as 'kills' in fencing and other duel related sports, but in reality 'tapping' or 'touching' an opponent with even moderate armor - such as gambeson, chainmail, etc - such light 'taps' or 'cuts' likely wouldn't do 'anything' let alone score a kill or duel ending wound.

[@obeastness]

there is some cctv footage that shows a man wielding a machete, he takes a swing on one unskilled defender and drops him in a single swing, he than goes up against a experienced martial artist who despite being unarmed puts up quite a fight but ends up getting his legs sniped by the machete, but he keeps fighting for a while and then the guy with the machete eventually runs off. It's a pretty crazy real world example that shows both potential scenarios in their extremes.