How to stop parrying and start winning - HEMA/Historical Fencing - Rapier/broadsword/sabre/longsword

Your*

[@daedrot1437]

This was eye opening for me. I didn't know that circular parries could be used to control and guide cuts so effectively rather than just deflect thrusts like in sport fencing. I've seen no other video on KZbin that talks about this. Thank you for that.

[@MoshHewson]

@@daedrot1437 I learned this before learning what a circle parry was and it was so immensely funny then learning about circle parries and what they do and just "OH GOD, NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN HEY?" moment of connection hahahaha

[@gregoryford5230]

I love the way you give away all the secrets, but it doesn't matter unless people actually practise it.

[@Quillons1]

There aren't any "secrets". We aren't discovering anything new with swords that they didn't figure out over the course of over a thousand years of practice by men who did this for a living. To think that any of us are doing anything "new" or "secret" would be arrogant at best.

[@gregoryford5230]

It's a turn of phrase, I just meant they're freely sharing things that they could use for a competitive advantage.

[@alexanderrahman9387]

Did anyone else see the guard passing by giggle when mosh said “if the guard helps you”

[@MoshHewson]

@@alexanderrahman9387 he was a paid actor, it was a psy op Omfg this is hilarious and I'm so happy you pointed it out omg

[@SwordAndWaistcoat]

I really love this because it's a really good explanation of the difference between using guards for defence (the military sabre defences Mosh admonishes at the start) and parrying, which is something that a bunch of 19th century sources touch on but don't really explain very well.

[@dvdd8185]

Amazing guide. Thank you dude

[@laurenceperkins7468]

This is a lot like Spanish fencing. Your brain processes your sense of touch at least 10X faster than your sight. This makes blade contact a powerful tool. Entering measure without blade contact is a good way to get stabbed. And then always make it a priority to get your point back into line. Your point on-line when your opponent's is off is the goal. With practice, nearly every attack creates an opportunity for a counter-thrust, even if it it takes a step to one side or the other to bring things together. My brother is one of those people who will feel that you are parrying with your foible and redirect to blast through it. It takes practice, but it's all down to feeling how much pressure your opponent has committed and either leaning into it to push through faster than they can react, or yielding and attacking somewhere else. But, at the same time, you have an opportunity to feel them committing the additional pressure to push past and switch things up again.

[@MoshHewson]

@@laurenceperkins7468 yep absolutely, the same lessons should be found in all good fencing, as being able to not fence poorly, should be author agnostic

[@Quillons1]

You should read a little more. There are some period fencing masters that disagree with you whole-heartedly. And they did this for a living.

[@MoshHewson]

@@Quillons1 elaborate?

[@Quillons1]

@@MoshHewson Happy to. I’m happy to elaborate on the other comment where I responded to you also. How can I get in touch with you because it’s WAYYY too much to leave in the comment section.

[@ChinchyMilk]

I've never even done anything in my life remotely close to fencing but boiiii am I learning a lot.

[@robekworld]

* *furiously m...takes notes* *

[@stevenwynn819]

Etienne here. Guillaume and I have been trying to incorporate your lessons into our fencing. Fun!

[@MoshHewson]

@@stevenwynn819 this brings me immeasurable joy

[@saltyfruits3961]

BRO IS COOKING HELL YEAH BOOOIII YESSSS

[@KnjazNazrath]

Joke's on you, I go to a military sabre HEMA club...but I use the CUTLASS! YARRR!

[@ArtoPekkanen]

insert overthinking math person meme here :p my mind is blown right about now ... damn these pointy-thrusty swords they too fast 4 me

[@weaselrampant]

So... counterattacks do tend to work better with longer swords, like longswords and rapiers, while parry-riposte tempo starts to work better with shorter blades that can move more easily. This is not to say you can't successfully do either with whatever sword you are using.

[@MoshHewson]

@@weaselrampant yep, that's pretty much a solid rule, but getting too specific on your skills depending on your weapon is how you get hard stuck on plateaus something fierce

[@Korrinath]

The dussack would like to disagree

[@T444MPS]

When you’re finding/ collecting the opponents’s blade with your weak, how hard are you moving across to collect it? EG, scale of 1-10 (1 being wet paper bag strength and 10 being the terminator). Thanks

[@MoshHewson]

@@T444MPS this is a RAD question! Pretty much, this video is doing it at a 5-7 and then you slowly using less and less force until the last version where emotionally, there is no* lateral movement, only tip thrust forward (* enough to make the slightest contact, but you want to do the least possible to tick that box)

[@jonharker9028]

ye nah this makes plenty of sense. like I’ve seen people do the thrust-redirect stuff as part of Fabris’ proceeding against refused guards. and I’m pretty sure I watched one video of yours where the last sneaky point is kinda demonstrated, but I’m not yet there where I can make the most of it. keep bending the fabric of spacetime to your will as you fence, brah

[@jeinto1234]

Would this be applicable to longsword as it is? Great stuff man

[@OfficialDjBlz]

commenting for algorithm idk whats goin on here

[@yeoldebanjo5470]

3:45 "...and if your guard helps you, that's cool". Bro, I though you said, "If your GOD helps you, that's cool". 🤣

[@MoshHewson]

@@yeoldebanjo5470 I MEAN, ALSO

[@matthewlawrence7056]

There’s so much here. This is great parrying advice but also a few things I’m pretty sure made me go reeeeeeee. Now it’s been a 15 hour workday, but yeah lots to say. Initiating weak on strong will get your parry blown through if someone is being a meathead. I think I’ve got video of myself doing this, you can absolutely just try and drive every attack😂. As far as holding parries and attacking, with a quillon on a rapier especially the forward motion can pick up and prevent the yielding action. If you really don’t feel secure and this shows up in epee and foil against remorse happy people who are good: the transport or modern bind from 4-2 inside high line to low line maintains opposition while forcing a sword out. You can also do it more vigorously and fling swords away. But it’s a great video, I think theres plenty of bladework you can get into fuckery if either they’re cognizant of these mechanics or you are lol.

[@MoshHewson]

@@matthewlawrence7056 those are most definitely words but I like your gusto

[@matthewlawrence7056]

@@MoshHewson 🫡 I don’t think I’ll be more coherent today or tomorrow. Lol best shot I can say: this is good advice, you’ll run into people who will nullify this especially the further outside of single rapier you go (or you meet cracked out folks doing rapier). Once you hit the point of people nullifying this kind of stuff, you’ve probably graduated from the scrub tier of fencing anyways.

[@MoshHewson]

@@matthewlawrence7056 yeah, that's explicitly what I say while going through it Once you are doing the end stuff, you have your weak on their strong at a distance and tempo that they can't do anything with it and that's what makes it spooky

[@MoshHewson]

It's the same as giving a wrestler your wrist, so they can hold your wrist, and therefore, you know where their hand is because it's currently holding your wrist The only way to nullify this is when the understanding of stretta is a magical concept only known by one of the two parties, and like all things, all fencing is subject to distance, timing and strong and weak

[@matthewlawrence7056]

@@MoshHewson I’ll be honest both giving your wrist to a wrestler or your weak to a competent fencers seems like a good way to get taken for a ride. I’m also maybe not understanding how this is a stretta exclusive thing. I’d assume you really have to do this at advance lunge distance outside of stretta and even edge of larga in order for someone to not just blow through with a solid direct attack?

[@jackmak2980]

6:50

[@CZOV]

OMG, there was not a single thing which was done right in this video! Please before you decide to 'teach' i.e. mislead others, learn what you talking about in the first place. Everything is so wrong i can't even begin to comment or point out things. With those amazing 'techniques' you guys will be dead in 6 seconds. Unless its some anime 'sword fighting' thing in cartoons u guys talking about, in which case my apologies, carry on.

[@MoshHewson]

@@CZOV tell me more?

[@Quillons1]

@@MoshHewson Although it seems almost like he took it almost personal and maybe could've chosen a different way to communicate it, I happen to agree with this poster. He may or may not have contacted you but I would be THRILLED to have this conversation with you. It's just way too much to put here in the comment section. I don't know how long you've been fencing or what your experience is, but you definitely seem like you're relatively new to it, or at the very least, new to teaching it. Maybe I'm wrong. You're behaving as if you, alone, discovered the concept of "stesso tempo" (attacking and defending with one action) as if you just discovered fire. I rarely ever do this (in fact almost never) but how can I email you or contact you so we can open a dialogue on why I agree with your critic in this comment and to discuss why I, personally, through empirical data and experience, disagree with almost every point you're trying to make. I say "almost" because there are a couple of things you got right without realizing it. You actually contradict yourself a couple of times and make the case against your own teaching. Tell me how I can contact you and we'll open a discussion like 2 gentlemen and you can either clarify some things I might have mistaken about your technique or just maybe you'll be open-minded enough to hear what I have to say. I genuinely hope to hear back from you.

[@MoshHewson]

@@Quillons1 elaborate?

[@Quillons1]

@@MoshHewson Once again. I'll be happy to. Tell me how I can contact you and we can discuss the whole thing. There's too much to relate here in the comment section. I have no problem defending what I've said. The ball is in your court.

[@MoshHewson]

@@Quillons1 it would be so great, for more people than I, if you elaborate here! Absolutely for the good of fencing as a whole