Military sabre guards lesson 1

[@jgrepshire]

Thanks for making this video. I've been training in 17th c. backsword, and Victorian military sabre as those are taught near me (and are good fun, too), but Georgian is exactly where my primary interests lie. I read Rowarth's treatise a few months back in order to start thinking about how that looked and worked; it is great to see it demonstrated here by someone with more experience to make it clearer in my mind.

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

James Grant Repshire Excellent, there is plenty of cross over between backsword and British sabre of different eras, and one can easily just adjust little details to move from one to another. One thing for example is that in Georgian sabre practice it is very common to withdraw the lead leg during many of the parries. That is something that will be brought up in later videos.

[@collinnicolazzo2065]

Hello I have a question/request can you do some research on the m1913 patton sabre fighting and then demonstrate

[@blackmixen]

Fantastic. Clear audio and positioning, very informative. Keep em coming :)

[@xgoodvibesx]

Nice video! Next time you film, could you perhaps film at maybe a 75° angle rather than 90°? I felt some of the technique was lost in this one due to the oblique view.

[@ochs-hema]

Please use proper microphone and maybe add subtitles when audio is not crisp enough! Thx 🙏🏽

[@erzal83]

Thank you Sir. I just start to learn your lesson today.

[@TTfoley-ph4zh]

enjoyed the video , great information and interesting.

[@matthewpham9525]

Why is the outside guard (the one for parry three) the most common? Likewise, why is the center guard considered useless?

[@eoagr1780]

Matthew Pham center guard it’s not really defending much. Most saber on saber attacks are cuts thrown the sides. you’ll have to guess more possible hits while the other guards by blocking a section of the body narrow the possible attempts to the unblock areas, hence you’ll rely less in reflexes and more on strategy

[@eoagr1780]

That’s the most comfortable guard to attack and the one that uses the least energy while offering a good protection. It’s effective and efficient.

[@maxcooke3142]

@@eoagr1780 I also had a similar question. It looked to me from the video that the center guard could have easily defended against those outside and inside cuts shown in the video. Could you please explain why that's not the case? It seems the opposite of Kendo, where we have high, low, and medium guards, but the medium guard is the most commonly used because it can easily defend against cuts from all directions.

[@matthewpham9525]

@@maxcooke3142 From what I've gathered since my first comment, it's "invites" attacks to your inner line, which are easier to react to. If an opponent attacks your outer line, their attack will be blocked by your guard. Thus, the opponent is left to attack to the inner line, which is easier to defend since it takes longer for the opponents blade to arrive. A center guard close to your body can be forced through, a center guard far from your body makes effective attacks difficult. As for kendo, I don't know much except that the differences between two handed and one handed swords make for pretty significant changes in blade work, so I imagine a lot of this doesn't apply for two handed swords of any kind.

[@edathompson2]

Because you leave your hand and arm exposed.

[@victorfelixcolonnunez7486]

Hi, can you tell me were i can buy those practice sabers?

[@levifontaine8186]

BlackFencer

[@themadrazorback2019]

Great video, thanks!

[@90Degrees_]

Where did you buy the trainer swords you use in this video?

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

Black Fencer (Spain). They sell a range of high quality synthetic and steel training swords and we have helped them with development and specification of sabre and similar weapons so that they accurately represent the originals.

[@90Degrees_]

@@AcademyofHistoricalFencing Thanks!

[@LoricSwift]

Thanks for the video.

[@algomez8563]

What sabers are those? They look cool

[@xalthzdornier4805]

Cavalry sabre

[@rasmusskaarup8945]

What are these guards for? is it an engaging guard that you use when moving in to distance, before you throw a cut at your opponent? Or is it an actual block? As a block it looks rather week, and it does not look like he is even close enough to actually cut you. Are these guards intended to block faint attacks that can´t actually reach you? What is going on??

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

They are both guards and parries, and they are very strong. Check out our many sparring videos and you will see them in use. They do vary in height and distance from the body depending on the scenario. Yes he is not in distance to strike the body. For beginners. an emphasis is placed on parrying as far from the body as possible, so starting a little further out forces this issue, depends what drill we are doing and at what stage.

[@bryantblanco6865]

wow thank you for this video I'll to my nephew to watch this.

[@jayarsupan6341]

What are your basic

[@MontChevalier]

What are your sources?

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

+MontChevalier For sabre it is predominately Roworth/Taylor manual, The Art of Defence on Foot, with Broadsword and Sabre. (1798)

[@MontChevalier]

Academy of Historical Fencing Thank you for your answer. Is Roworth/Taylor's book a part of an american or british school?

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

+MontChevalier British, first published in 1798. However it was reprinted in the US in 1824, New York. However I am not sure to what extent it's popularity was there. You can find a couple of editions on google books, including the US edition.

[@MontChevalier]

Academy of Historical Fencing One final set of questions: Where is your academy located? And are you taking students?

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

+MontChevalier Bristol, England, and Newport, South Wales, UK. Yes we are taking students.

[@jonathandbeer]

Thanks for these instructional videos. Can I ask about the final exercise, the dead parry without footwork (and, now that I watch it back, with the lunges as well). Although you close the distance a bit, the attacks were still outside a distance at which they would have hit you had you not parried. Is this intentional, as a means of safety because you aren't wearing helmets, or should practising pairs be close enough to strike if the parry isn't made?

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

The distance is a bit of because we were more concerned with staying correctly framed for the video. When we practice it as a drill, with or without masks, we do it in the distance that the blow would be able to land. I'd like to go back and restart these sabre lessons. Lots I would like to change, as well as make a more complete set. Something I hope to do this year.

[@jonathandbeer]

Ah, cool. I assumed that would be the case, but thought I should ask. Thanks for putting these videos together, and I'd certainly be interested if you redid them - unfortunately I live too far to get to a club regularly, so it's good to have such clear instructional guides to follow for the basic movements.

[@Lite012]

It's a little hard to hear, but otherwise I find this very informative!

[@AcademyofHistoricalFencing]

Original Because of the volume, background noise, speed or accent? Or all four?

[@Lite012]

Just the general volume i'd say. It's seems like the mic is far away from you so you sound somewhat distant. Your speed of teaching and accent is understandable and comfortable!

[@londiniumarmoury7037]

Hey good video guys.

[@Sotrudnik_fonda]

Товарищ слева бьёт по сабле, а не по голове оппонента. Если он встанет на шаг ближе, то сабля будет задевать голову. Хотя может быть я не прав. У нас защиты ближе к корпусу и рука всегда согнута в локте. The comrade on the left beats the saber, not the opponent's head. If he gets a step closer, the saber will hit his head, through the guard. Maybe I'm wrong. We practice guards closer to the body and the arm is always bent at the elbow.

[@matthewpham9525]

They are doing it on purpose because they don't have safety equipment.