How to Flourish a Sword

[@fetch95]

"Do not scoff at the fundamentals" is an advice more people who want to achieve excellence should take to heart.

[@quaz_r]

I do not scoff at the fundamentals I struggle at them

[@DisturbedGeneration]

Literally, my dad taught me the basics when I was 5. I'm pretty decent, but I still hit myself in the face every now and then. Not fun😂

[@Matsudai]

People often underestimate a good flourish, cool and sometimes very practical, always good to learn. As always, great video and really good tutorial, with those basics almost any flourish can be learned.

[@LivingAnachronism]

I agree, their not only fun, but useful too! I think the pendulum swung quite hard because of movies and overly flashy fight choreo. To now where if you flourish, people assume that you don't know how to use a sword, rather than that you do.

[@GenX-Rising]

I'm always reminded of a flourish that the sword dude does that Ned kills in a flashback. I think he was called the sword of the morning but he used two sword and he's holding them by hilt and spinning both swords

[@JumpinJackSlash2023]

What are some examples where flourishes are useful? I love flourishing but I'm just asking@@LivingAnachronism

[@ThePageTurnerPT]

Shoutout to: 1.) The teaching technique. It's simple, to the point, and starts from the basics that are ABSOLUTELY ESSENTIAL and then builds into the cool stuff after 2.) Kramer's hair. Looking fabulous my dude

[@LivingAnachronism]

Thank you, my friend

[@AnotherDuck]

Long hair looks great no matter gender.

[@Randall_Kildare]

You know that quote that claims: *" The definition of madness is: Trying the same thing over & over again, & expecting differnt results. "* That's actually the definition of *Practice.*

[@supplespecimen725]

I KNOW! This saying has always pissed me off lmao, it simply isn’t the definition of insanity in any sense, dictionary or public opinion-wise, and belittles people for just trying again. It so obviously ignores the fact that people try things again and again for perfectly good reason, to achieve a desired result you didn’t achieve last time. We all know this, we’ve all done this, but people still say this quote like it holds any water at all. Truly just thoughtless word salad. I call people on this whenever i hear it, and yes, it makes me less fun at parties, and no, I’m not sorry

[@fizz576]

I have been trying to practice flourishing with my left hand so it's great to have a resource going over the basics to be honest I forgot about the basic principles since I have been able to do flourishes with my right hand so long it was all just muscle memory.

[@kstarwalker4905]

. Same here

[@zatrusofnietzche2281]

Try drawing with the left hand etc , Tàijíquán half the rules are useless against Tàijíquán

[@Glorfindel_117]

THANK YOU. I learned from Shad's video, and your tip about going behind the back for the Snake is incredible. Shad didnt really have any voiceover so I had to try and piece together what he was doing, and I keep hitting the blade directly into my armpit every time. Problem solved, thanks to you!

[@LivingAnachronism]

Sounds like you have it figured out! Really glad I could help. Anyone else hitting yourself in the arm or back, start rotating your hips sooner, so that the blade follows your shoulder rather than being stopped by it ;)

[@user-kb9zh5ce2g]

“You already know that”, “I thought you that”… I love how encouraging you are! Those reminders are very motivating!

[@thedoubleboiler6971]

Sir.. I just want to say thank you. AI really enjoy your videos and teachings as well as teaching styles. No flashing from frame to frame, or unnecessary headaches. It's just focus. I really, REALLY appreciate you, your teachings and teaching styles and THANK YOU for being a KZbinr. I genuinely appreciate your efforts. There's so much value here, especially with that fundamentals quote. It means so much.

[@LivingAnachronism]

Thanks so much! I'm really glad you'd enjoying my videos and finding them helpful!

[@Marcellus74]

Best tutorial ever, the light, the music, the clear narrative voice matching the level of the live one so it's impossible to tell the difference. Thank you Syrio Forel, dancing Master for this!

[@noctisthehumanslayer777]

Wow, honestly I had no idea people had a hard time doing flourishes with both hands. I've always done it as a fun pass-time with canes and homemade spears/clubs and stuff. Thank you for making me aware of my own strengths and weaknesses.

[@Justin_Black]

I appreciate the systematic teaching style. makes it easy to follow and learn. I'll defiantly be practicing some of these! (of course, some of the simple ones I have unconsciously figured out, from...just playing around with swords I guess. figure eights, snakes and grip changes, but its great to have their dynamics explained all the same. and the more complex ones I have yet to master.

[@LivingAnachronism]

Thanks Justin! It's probably much better in the long run when you have learned the basics on your own, because you have a better familiarity with your weapon and movements

[@bookshistoryandHEMA]

Thank you for providing this video! It is more valuable than some realize. I will be watching this video several more times. Please keep up the great work

[@johnproctor6438]

Very well thought out and thoroughly explained warmup video. Thank you.

[@rhett6946]

Very cool! As someone who had muscle memory with my right hand and now has seen noticeable difference in how my left was and now it’s feels like my left hand can be a good sword arm and definitely helps with ambidexterity. I think you missed something however! It’s nothing drastic and the building blocks are definitely more important, but I think there is something to note for two handing a sword or staff for flourishing. The limits of not being able to circle on the other side (with your wrists) means you can’t do figure eights as easily, so it gets more restricted but I’ve found you can still do snakes which at first was pretty hard but now feels natural, because of left hand intuition training. Very cool video, look forward to the next!

[@LivingAnachronism]

Thanks! Yeah, I view most two handed flourishes the same way I do 1 handed, so I rarely have both hands glued to the weapon, but rather a series of grip changes. If I do a quarter staff tutorial, I'll briefly mention other 2 handed weapons as well!

[@rhett6946]

@@LivingAnachronism Thanks. Honestly look forward to any content you make!

[@CreepyMF]

I do so thouroughly enjoy a good instructional video. Will i be doing any of these not likely, but its never a waste to watch instructional videos cause the brain retains some of that knowledge and that knowledge is never a waste.

[@theMindwalker]

Yeah one thing I'll point out is in class, those who practiced flourishing regularly would A) often attack with more than 1 strike when sparring, B) were better prepared when fighting 2-3 opponents. Flourishing is just as important as any other technique or skill you need to be a competent swordsman. Great video as always. I've always used two handed weapons when flourishing, this video has been a great help in learning the snake with my left hand. (I have a couple requests, though with almost 40k subs I won't feel bad if you never get to this comment) 1. Do you/would you perform a full flourish routine, uninterrupted or edited, to some music you'd be willing to share? 2. If you do a video like this again, could you color each side of one of the blades you use? (If it ruins the blades in anyway don't worry about it) The reason I ask is that for me anyway, it helps when I need to know where the false and true edge should be when I'm in a guard. Just a suggestion. Again, thanks for the video and the time put into it. Much appreciated.

[@CharNatorn]

He could probably color a larp sword, but I think it would ruin the blade of a real swordl

[@prowlerie2347]

Great tutorial I am currently studying it, so thank you very much for doing this video and breaking it down step by step. Nice sword too btw.

[@markfergerson2145]

BOOKMARKED. That was exactly what I was hoping for without knowing it, breaking everything into small easily assimilated pieces that can be Lego-ed together pretty much infinitely. The thing you keep emphasizing, doing what feels natural, seems key to me. If you're fighting your own body mechanics or the sword's momentum you can't help but fail. Stance, footwork, off arm position and awareness of surroundings and where observers are watching from are obviously important but in the end you have to use your own body the way it wants to work. And also thank you for mentioning the warmup. We all know of sports injuries due to failure to warm up. I regret that I have but one upvote to give!

[@ZeroSalvator]

Great tutorial video for beginners Kramer Excellent job. A lot of people get overwhelmed by the spectacle of flourishing and don't know that they are trying to over complicate the process because they don't understand the basic motions and natural body movement and end up hurting themselves in a variety of ways. Keep up the great work man, nice gambeson by the way. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@FireCrack83]

I tried ist for month with 100s of Videos.....No fucking way. The Moment i Open my Hand everything flys away.

[@drmisbad]

I love how you go through even the warmup. I love the pointer about opening the hand, I'm always watching the sword when someone flourishes and I never noticed that their hand was actually opening. Great explanations great tips great video 👍

[@Castawayassassin]

At 10:31 when he turns around and his hand behind faceing towards me, i have an irresistible urge to run up and hifive it! :D

[@LivingAnachronism]

🖐️

[@csbuster02]

I'm watching this because I'm a housecleaner and want to learn to flourish my duster wand. It would make the job so much better.

[@benjaminblack4345]

Yes! I've been looking forward to this one.

[@Bulazs250]

Awesome presentation and guide, thank you! I'll definitely give it a try!

[@texasbeast239]

At a much younger age, I used to effectively do the frontward and rearward circle with items on a lanyard, like a Maglite flashlight, sharpening stone, hammer, etc. It was almost like flourishing with a threshing flail, in that there wasn't only the lag at the loosened hand, but also another lag at the junction between the cord and the weighted item. I had to stop the wrist flick really early in order to allow the item's momentum to take over and then slow itself enough just in time to land comfortably back in my hand. It wasn't any kind of attempt to pull off a fighting move. I just thought it seemed like a challenging thing to do to fight boredom, and I felt pretty good after doing it successfully.

[@MrAlmightyRa]

This is a great reference for a scene I'm writing for my book, great stuff!

[@andreassamoreno4252]

Very nice tutorial, thanks.

[@jonanderson3050]

Great video! My favorite flourishing scene of all time was Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday, flourishing a tin cup as if it was a six shooter. That makes yours my second favorite!

[@LivingAnachronism]

Different movie of his, but I now have "Tutti Frutti" from Top Secret stuck in my head

[@jonanderson3050]

@@LivingAnachronism love that one too! And Real Genius

[@jameslewis4255]

Hands down the best video I've ever seen on sword flourishing. Thank you,.

[@guilhermesalvo9849]

I already learned how to do basics flourish but i never used the momentum of the sword, it always felt a little weird when i did the flourish but now o learned why, i have to learn to use the momentum. Thanks for the video, it will help me a lot

[@journeyman7189]

Good instruction and good demos. Well done Kramer. Nate

[@LivingAnachronism]

Thanks Nate!

[@GenX-Rising]

I was able to pick this up pretty quickly. I think knowing how to use nunchucks really helped with the wrist movements and angles

[@TheSwedishRanger]

I've been trying to learn the snake for a long, long time, but I haven't been able to do it. This shows it in a much simpler way, a way I understand better. Thanks, Kramer, awesome video! Let's all make Geralt proud with our spins and flourishes, eh?

[@LivingAnachronism]

Glad I can help out Linus! Got another video coming in a few weeks I hope will make Geralt proud too! Best sword for a fantasy adventurer.

[@TheSwedishRanger]

@@LivingAnachronism Already looking forward to it!

[@vakhtangkiziria7820]

I used to practice morqia kichilovia which is as I understand now is a flourish. Flourish with a diferent lighter sword or rather Saber without a guard. But basics are all the same. It's been a long ago. But watching you brought good memories. You are a great teacher. Your pace and delivery is so encouraging and steady. I realized now what I lacked as a teacher. Thank you very much.

[@sakurasepuku4374]

Wow, the way this is explained, is really clear and perfect, the movements are also very clean and easy to follow, very talented at teaching.

[@blademaster_the_one]

Good one! I like the way you explain this. And still you are keeping all five fingers on a hilt while spinning the blade :) They are just flexible, it's not a hard grip. And I think this is the best approach, it gives you control and power together with mobility.

[@BRAXSlS]

This is well done and good information to have. I just discovered your channel 2 hours ago and have been non-stop watching your vids for those two hours and ista subscribed after the third video. I was gonna go to bed but now it's like 4 in the morning

[@firestar29]

One of the best flourish training videos! Great job mate, very good and clear instructions. Can't believe YT didn't propose it to me earlier!

[@GenX-Rising]

The best thing a flourish is for, in my opinion, is when someone shows you their sword, but they don't know how to use it and it's for decorations, and all it takes is one of two spins and you will look like someone that's comfortable with a sword.

[@sawomirlesniewski4448]

So beautiful combination at the end - for me it is better when dancing than fighting, so many moves are just awesome - like turning around 270 to rotate the hips to give power to the forearm and the wrist at the end... My broken once bones start to feel shaky stevens kind of joy. I can do some eights without understanding how exactly. When you show it - that is my 3D lack of imagination skill. PS. Beautiful scenery and that is why I feel so great watching my teacher who is a modern guy with 20-years old face, but with over 70 years of experience, hidden behind the face of 40-years old warrior of the past century. It is just so great!

[@ahmednaveedalam6385]

The Witcher theme do be hitting hard for this Absolutely love it Witcher training 101

[@beltlevel]

This is so helpful! We're all going to look so cool this summer

[@jamespedigo3391]

I love this. Thank you. Your sword art is amazing.

[@LivingAnachronism]

Thank you very much

[@kellysouter4381]

You must have strong arms to do that! And shoulders and neck. This is a peek into a new world for me. Fascinating and a breath of fresh air.

[@paulvanoosten2077]

Nice to see your flourishing here. 😁

[@kstarwalker4905]

I've been practicing my flourishing for a while now and thanks to this video, I've been able to refine and adapt mine. With my when I'm not able to move my stiff joint off-hand to reverse the grip to not drop my defenses when I have an opponent. And I'm still able to practice my wrist movement alone or without a weapon.

[@meldraghart]

hell yeah!! I tried to selflearn flourishing few times and I could never understand what exactly should I do behind my back, I tried to watch Shad's vid in slow motion, yet still couldn't quite figure it out, specially since I'm left handed... What you showed with that snake spin, blew my mind away... Not only I catched this one instantly, I didn't even need to try hard, couse as you said fiew times, the sword's momentum allready wanted to go this way... I'm honestly shocked how easy it actually is... Thank's a lot mate! Keep up the great work!

[@LivingAnachronism]

Really glad I could help out, Mel!

[@kstarwalker4905]

Thanks for showing this video to us. My off-hand is stiff and not as flexible as my main however, with the warm-ups is helping me with wrist moments, thanks again, this is the first step by step video to have warm-ups that make a difference in my off-hand practice.

[@Naldoroth]

Thank you for making excellent content like this! I'm not sure if you've thought about this video's utility with regards to playful lightsaber sparring, but I'm sure that this little lesson will help make my next "duel" so much more entertaining!

[@IGathron]

Very informative video, thank you very much.

[@matthewkaplan4212]

great breakdown

[@misein2466]

That intro was absolutely incredible. I could never manage those complicated tricks. Instead, I focused on one or two movements and trained them to the upmost possible limit. I use a dueling saber. My trick is that I can strike faster than the eye can see. See, my trick is that the moment my opponent starts to blink, I moved forward to hit. I can actually strike 2-3 times before they can even open their eyes. It's a simple trick but nigh unbeatable. Even if they see it coming, they can't react in time. My second trick is a disarmament. It looks dope as hell but isn't very complicated. I slam my blade three times into theirs pushing their wrist slightly off their body, I then lock my blade against their hilt, push down on my elbow and twist the blade out of their grub. It's just using body mechanics to my advantage. Either they drop the sword or dislocate their arm.

[@Stephetheon]

my favorite flourish opportunities are from a sheathed position and while doing a spinning disengage. makes me feel like I actually have some martial expertise

[@workingmothercatlover6699]

Thank you so much for this video. I have a couple of swords and haven't been practicing with them because I haven't known where to start. Now I can go outside and start swinging one of my sticks around.

[@workingmothercatlover6699]

Well, I started spinning my stick around. I was trying to learn the snake, and I got bit. The end of my stick got my ankle. Ouch. Maybe I should have used my sword. It has a pummel.

[@loveswords2000]

I love it when you mentioned Shad 🤣

[@bigstonez1125]

The mark of a great teacher is the recognition of the limits of their own knowledge

[@beksc9209]

Went out to practice flourishing with my 11 yo nephew. That was boring to him, so we had sword fights with the PVC pipes, instead. I am so bad at it...nephew drew first (and only) blood. I was proud. We had lots of fun! But now I'm going to start learning for myself. I know nothing else about this yet, but I figure building the muscle and muscle memory for flourishes will still be very valuable.

[@eliasbram3710]

Ive been waiting for this video for a very long. Subscribed

[@LivingAnachronism]

Thank you Ellas, glad you enjoyed!

[@seankingwell3692]

lots of people think its just swinging things around, but its practicing grabbing back onto things when they get loose from your hand or loose in the air. Just as martial arts makes it harder to be injured from slipping on ice. Its about control of our temple, not of the outside world.

[@c03evans]

Nice. Good video. Always enjoyed watching your swordsmanship whenever you show it.

[@beornthebear.8220]

I just got a real and a practice hand and a half sword. I used to practice doing these motions with a 40" x 1" oak staff, and I found that, for me at least, always power down toward the gravity, and use that momentum to let it up again. That way I was never fighting the weight. I pushed toward the gravity to speed up the staff, so I was always working with gravity instead fighting against it.

[@charlotte6309]

Thank you so much Kramer for eksplaning this. Step 2: Find a stik to praktic xD

[@LivingAnachronism]

Have fun!

[@charlotte6309]

@@LivingAnachronism I will (if I don't get myself killed first😅)

[@chrisgreen6955]

Good video... The upward strike with the sword held back in the grip change part, where you say you are not sure why someone would do that: Throw it right over, behind you and into a stabbing stop motion It can be used to block/attack someone in front with the upswing and attack another person behind... Or just swing it totally over, round and up again, change grip and into upward circles.

[@chrisgreen6955]

At 16:50.

[@teenagepuma]

So helpful thanks! Stuck on how on earth the snake works, my mind can't seem to understand how it can be fluid into the circles lol. I'll keep practicing!

[@torstwolf8742]

this warm up reminded me of my old theatre days lol

[@tonystoops7802]

I don't know if that intro was new, but if it is, I like it.

[@LivingAnachronism]

It is new, made by a friend of the channel

[@TheAlfarasjohn]

It's look like club bell swing or stick swinging. That's my favourite exercises. I use to do with my tennis racket

[@BrassCatcher365]

Every video impresses me. Keep up this excellent work. I look forward to every video! Best regards, and good luck on your adventures!

[@jishnupn199]

OSS ! You are a good teacher ♥️

[@daedalus3050]

You're a great teacher bro

[@LivingAnachronism]

Thank you Daedalus!

[@KingPhill87]

"Do not scoff at the fundamentals" gave me Sindri from God of War vibes 😄😄😄

Nice tutorial! Looks pretty good!

[@LivingAnachronism]

Thank you so much Bjorn! I've watched many of your videos, find them very helpful since I don't have a hema school near me!

[@Victor-dm4qv]

Learn the basics, master the basics. This is common sense, something I have always been aware of, as I heard it many times and would shrug my shoulders at, thinking that it's such basic knowledge that it wasn't really worth repeating. However, I will say that recently I have undergone a revelation to its significance, so much so that it somewhat depresses me, as I had not been properly educated of its true significance throughout my childhood nor my young adult life. Learning the basics, like flourishing a sword, will make learning everything else much easier to learn and practice. Once you have the basics learned, then you can advance further into the skill. Master the basics, and the greater your understanding of the skill will become. Some people have gone through life with only the basics of multiple skills mastered and need no more than that. It makes me think of how many people, like me, have been going through their lives without this genuinely important and vital understanding of learning the basics. I will admit, thinking about learning new things often intimidated me, even scared me. Like plumbing! There is so much to plumbing that it's daunting to even consider approaching. There is so much to learn, you can't help but to avoid it. However, just learning the basics...and then learn how to do minor plumbing tasks... You will start to find that you can do it. You learn a little bit more, do another minor, but slightly more complex plumbing task and you start to notice a natural progression. Continue to do this and suddenly you find yourself to be a relatively competent plumber. This can go for all other skills, like art, hema, dancing, math, etc. When you have kids, Kramer and anyone that reads this comment, please properly educate them on the significance of learning and mastering the basics. To understand this easily underappreciated truth so that they can master the skills they are passionate about, not to come upon this realization later in life, like when they are nearly in their thirties, or worse...

[@MIKE_THE_BRUMMIE]

Thanks man 🙏🏼

[@vigilance8240]

Thanks brother! I really appreciate you breaking that down!

[@raikuansumisu6428]

Thank you

[@AlatheD]

Nice breakdown, good explanations. I haven't played with my blades in a while, and I've had some shoulder issues, so now I'm wondering what mobility I've lost. The weather is warming up, I should go outside and practice. :)

[@LimgraveFootSoldier]

I'm here hoping your channel blows up man! Great content, great production and overall very entertaining and informative!

[@LivingAnachronism]

Thank you kindly!

[@krishchandran6819]

Superb video!!!

[@BadWolfJK]

By god my wrist... I LOVE IT!🤩

[@starblaze1945]

This is very useful and extremely impressive. I need to get practicing.

[@r.t.972]

Thanks for the video bro! Nice stuff 🙂

[@thirumalmurugan6942]

Beautiful

[@MomoTheBuilder]

5:32 had me hold my breath for a sec lol

[@Electrogeist]

Did you make your outer black piece of clothing or a link to a shop? I didn’t see anything for it in your playlists of making. Thank you! Keep up all the great videos in these trying times!

[@allamasadi7970]

Even basic circles look impressive

[@kursedaim]

yo with the behind the back spin i found once you bring it to your opposite hand and put it back you can use the momentum and bring it into another overhanded figure 8 back into underhanded circle into the snake and then the cut

[@seankingwell3692]

flourishing is also one of those "moves between movements" that is what makes is to important. ITs a quick transition of the way the hands handle the sword for what ever is needed and accomplishing it without taking up more space then their form. People should try practicing with big weapons at home, in the home if they really want to get good at it. Narrow spaces, most environmental hazards must be avoided. If you can't function with a large weapon in a tight space, then its perhaps not right for you. In a real fight it doesn't matter as much if stuff gets broken, take time in training allows us to see gaps and meditate on solutions. A wound can not heal if one does not grow, one can not win the war if he can't survive one battle. Also when it comes to self defense, our homes and the possessions and people and animals within it can quickly turn into a battleground. Its the worse place to be attacked. So its the best place to train. You also don't need an actual sword either, a good old stick will do.

[@LeopoldsburgsJong]

I can try the snake tomorrow when it's day. Been thinking about training my flourish skill a bit more

[@florianlemmer8265]

Damn cool man. I am alone with my swords, without any training partner, swordfighting society or anything else... now, i know a good way to start getting the feel of my swords. So far, i have seen lots of videos, for hema or some other fighting styles... but to use two one-handed swords.. that was all not feeling right for me. But what you were displaying, this feels good... just for a start. But all i need now is to start... before doing something crazy sometime in the future... far future :P

[@Saber64]

GORGEOUS!

[@AnotherDuck]

I learned the basics of how to flourish with a staff. It's a bit harder since you have bits on both sides of your grip, but at the same time it feels like doing it with a sword (or sword-like object) gives more flexibility and variety for the same reason. Either way, it's just fun.

[@LivingAnachronism]

When I was studying stage combat, staff was my second favorite to longsword. The way they introduced us to the staff was to just give us space to twirl them around and get a feel for the weapon, before we learned any techniques with it. Pretty much everything I do with the sword, you could do with a staff and it would look even flashier!

[@AnotherDuck]

@@LivingAnachronism Yeah, twirling and just generally playing around with the weapon (or stand-in) is probably the best way to get a feel for it. Without that it's harder (I'm assuming) to learn how to use it as a weapon. While I'm not proficient myself in any weapon fighting (save a slight bit of shooting), it does often look like beginners who start by learning specific strikes are a bit stiffer in their movements than those who've played around a bit before. A staff looks like it's twirling twice as fast, which makes it look flashier, even if you're actually going slower. Another benefit is that since the momentum is pulling out in both directions, it's more dynamically stable, which makes it easier to switch hands, in my experience.

[@deathknizzle]

Very nice

[@poozlius]

Careful flourishing the broom in the shop, though .. overhead lights can, um, break. We shall not speak of how I know this.

[@jonanderson3050]

😆

[@hadb9084]

Like they say, "If your going to kill them, kill them, don't stand there talking about it", by the time your halfway through your flourish, their swords halfway through you. Flourishing is good when in front of friends, bad in front of enemies

[@vikingshaggy2786]

oh yess.... thats the good stuff.... lol i lo9ve the video bro! Keep it up!

[@mansfieldtime]

Again you could get a green or blue screen, put little cotton balls all over and sell it to game designers. This includes points on the sword as well though I would use white tape or putty on the sword. Should still work. Love the video.

[@lancemcque1459]

I will NEVER do this but I love watching it. Why???

[@steam_junk]

this honestly reminds me of color guard :) one of our songs this season actually has saber so I'm hoping to audition for saber line. careful with swords tho guys, remember your toasters lmao

[@Bruceleekungfoo]

Awesome!