Defence in SWORD FIGHTING: Beyond BLOCKING

[@xandercorp6175]

9:34 "I'm not going into all the variations of beats, and different angles, and-maybe I could, if there's an appetite for it I can look at that in a future video." - Matt Easton, February 2021 There's an appetite; I have appetite, as do many of us. Make the video, sir!

[@LuxisAlukard]

I'll watch that video

[@bradm.c.9569]

Indeed there is!

[@ericnesbitt1734]

there is an appetite!

[@rylie8989]

I as well would love to see more detailed/when possible 2 person demonstration video on beats/deflects!

[@junichiroyamashita]

I have it

[@stevenkobb156]

Yes. More about swordsmanship and different techniques across the ages would be intriguing.

[@blakexu4943]

Changing systems and various feints to consider. Just like in the Princess Bride.

[@davidtuttle7556]

@@blakexu4943 I see you have studied your escrima.

[@Tyler_Lalonde-]

This was perfect. I'd love to hear more about using beats and angles.

[@edwardanderson1053]

As a student of Chinese swords and flails I agree with your assessment 100%

[@SibylleLeon]

Warning, do NOT play the "Context" drinking game with this video, you'll be unconscious in 2.5 minutes xD

[@vyderka]

Yes, there is appetite for more beats and other technical videos!

[@metatronyt]

Absolutely spectacular video. Loved every minute of It. Thank you for Sharing.

[@scholagladiatoria]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@braysheep7711]

"i JUST NEED SOMETHING LONG TO WIGGLE AROUND' im just here for the innuendo's

[@MandalorSkyrd]

Thankfully we value the all mighty *CONTEXT* here

[@ArkadiBolschek]

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[@shawn6860]

That's what she said. (Someone had to post this)

[@arthanor9631]

I would love a whole "fencing fundamentals and their implications on sword design" with the Eastons! The interplay between fighting style and sword characteristics, plus the demo and innuendo potential with you and Lucy has incredible potential!

[@Lttlemoi]

The tip is important for the thrusting game, got it.

[@Poohze01]

A whole video on beats (& other attacks on the blade)? Oh yes please!

[@Kobolds_in_a_trenchcoat]

I heard defending yourself with distance and my mind immediately jumped to emotional distance. I find the mental image really funny: "You can't hurt me with that sabre, you aren't my real dad!"

[@dustyboots2693]

No armor can protect you against harsh words.

[@andrewverburg1805]

Matt- I want to thank you for your content. I've been watching you for years. I have a B.S. in History, and your channel is my favorite Historical Channel. I love that you use Historian Methods. I know you may not see this Comment. Cheers

[@scholagladiatoria]

I appreciate that!

[@louisvictor3473]

I have a B.S. in History too. In fact, I have many B.S. in History. Actually, I just have a lot of B.S. in general, the topic doesn't really matter come to think of it.

[@zenhydra]

I think most of us would enjoy a deep dive into different aspects of fencing technique. Even more so from an historical and/or interdisciplinary perspective.

[@peterclarke7240]

Matt "I just want something long to wiggle around." Ms Easton: "you and me both..." Cat Easton: "have you met my tail?"

[@sterlacchini]

Cool video. Reminds me how much I miss going to HEMA.

[@edi9892]

My kong fu school is nearly bankrupt thanks to the C-virus restrictions and my teacher put a mortgage on his home for a second school which finished just in time for the opening to not occur...

[@sterlacchini]

@@edi9892 Sorry to hear that. I hope that your school survives to the other side of the pandemic. The martial arts school where my son goes, has moved heavily into online lessons, during this period. They lost quite a lot of people on the first 'lock down', but it seems to stabilise for the second (or is it the third) one. It's not ideal, but it's better than no training at all.

[@edi9892]

@@sterlacchini mine does it too, but I and a few others can't. My neighbor hammers on my door, if I sharpen a knife. Seriously, I can hear my neighbors footsteps from too floors above as well and I don't have enough space either...

[@sterlacchini]

@@edi9892 Yep. My son did his outside during the better weather. During the winter he is lucky enough to be able to use the basement where I work. For HEMA I chopped down one of my synthetic longswords, simply so I could do solo drill indoors.

[@jonathanlovelace521]

I'd love a video in the relative advantages and disadvantages of beats, blocks, and deflections.

[@jakestephens4414]

FANTASTIC CONTENT! Even these fundamental principles are so underrepresented in modern art and media. Please make as many like it as you can.

[@brittakriep2938]

Some years ago, for two or three times in the german town Ulm there had been ,antiques' and weapons show. For entertainment reason, at this shows, therehad been fencing shows of historical groups. The first time a group showed weapons and tecnics from about 1500, the second time i visited the event the next year, another small group showed rapier and had been dressed in , Three musketeer style'. At the end of the show, the speaker of this group said, what they showed was more for duel, in case of selfdefence against being killed, everything is/ was allowed. Then they showed using kicks, boxing, wrestling, grabbing the opponents weapon or cloth, using a coat, or a small hidden dagger.

[@stormiewutzke4190]

This is a type of video I have been hoping for. Please do more. Please Sword theory would be super interesting. It doesn't need to be a deep dive into manuals but a overview of how different types of swords were used and how they could even be used with different weapons. Thanks again

[@Fields_gg]

I have an appetite for beats!

[@WilliamKeloren]

Great job. It's hard to sum up these things into something sensible.

[@shaidrim]

Wonderful video! Geometry of duels is fascinating and make clear the difference between professional swordsman and amateurs. I hope to see more videos like that

[@JosephKerr27]

"Block" is and always has been the wrong word to describe how to defend oneself, even with a shield. Every karate school performs defensive techniques such as jodan uke ("high block"). But uke, from the verb ukeru, doesn't mean "block"; it means "receive". We are receiving an attack and rendering it harmless to us yet harmful to the attacker. Receiving a blow on a shield or a blade is no different. It isn't a matter of simply hiding behind a bit of wood. It's about jamming that shield into a combatant's weapon arm to disable their cut while leaving them open to your counter. It's about meeting blades then winding into that thrust. "Block" oversimplifies the concept by implying the block and the counter are separate steps. The reason why we have to teach this difference comes from a beginner's tendency to bash their arm against someone's punch or whatever. Instead, as much as we karateka like to bash our arms against stuff, we are meeting the attack and moving it off line while simultaneously prepping a counter. Sometimes it's a flowing motion into a throw or jointlock. Sometimes it's as simple as parry and riposte. But the receiving and countering must be one thought.

[@Kanner111]

One third of this video (6 minutes) was here to provide specific context for the other two thirds, and as someone who knows virtually nothing about actual swordsmanship, it made all the difference in the world. This is honestly one of Matt's best videos (that I've seen), not just for the subject, but the entire way it is set up and handled throughout.

[@brentwarren4467]

More please, our class hasn't been able to meet in forever.

[@michaelsmith8028]

Last time I was this early people were still using flint knives.

[@jakestephens4414]

we never stop

[@davideddy8557]

Me: "I totally know about cuts" Matt Easton: *calmly explains how wrong I am*

[@EthanBSide]

I would love to see a "beats" lesson Matt. I'm here to defeat my ignorance :)

[@Eupolemos]

9:39 - There's an appetite!

[@stevenwynn819]

I think that this was one of the best videos that you've done in a while. Quite thought provoking.

[@TheWizaard]

Definitely interested in more on this topic!

[@kevinreardon2558]

I knew there was a reason I am following you. I was only taught the parry. You just introduced two more actions that make so much sense. I was taught the "Spanish" defense where every parry should leave you in a position to the next attack. I found that limiting. Your descriptions of parries makes so much more sense from a Physics point of view. Thanks. I hope I never have to use those tips.

[@lynnettejalufka2682]

I would interested in more videos on this topic, especially the beats.

[@rule3036]

As a teenager fencing foil then epee in the 80s I remember beating being taught as technique. In my mid 50s now would love to get into HEMA looks like dam good fun🙂

[@Cre8sumthing]

I, definitely, have the appetite for a more detailed vid with all the angles, guards, etc. that you care to throw our way.

[@AlexanderCornel]

More of this would be awesome

[@bishopofapples]

In honor of my love for your channel this Valentines Day I would like to share video ideas you might like: A video on specialist tools of knightly war. Pole Hooks, any anti-horse weapons? How much did soldiers use fire, were there units who specialized in fire, who were they? Stay firm, stay penetrating, stay SuperDry.

[@nathandunning7150]

Very interesting Matt. Please do more vids on actual Fighting tips.

[@WritingFighter]

One of my favorite videos I've seen of yours of all time.

[@danielbaulig]

I think you may have missed the most important aspect about the “Meisterhau”. They are not beats at all, but are an attack and defense in one action. Typically the strong of the blade will block or deflect the incoming attack and „close the line“ while the weak cuts or at least threatens the opponent. E.g. the mentioned Zornhau is meant to block the opponents blade at the strong while you cut at their head / shoulder area with your weak. The timing of actions on longsword is not the same as what seems to be typical in saber fencing where parry / riposte seem to often follow one another. In longsword the defense and attack often originate from the same single action.

[@Orgikan]

Great video Matt, thank you. And definitely an appetite!

[@bushcraftninja5098]

Great stuff , loved this , no wonder Bruce Lee was fascinated by fencing. Would love to see more of this.

[@richardschuerger3214]

yes to deeper discussion of beats.

[@hibernative]

Anyone else enjoying the Hellish Quart demo lately?

[@OldMadHatter]

This was great. I would love more detailed videos about beats and parried.

[@stevenkobb156]

Deflecting with the tip sounds harder. It seems to me that lt would require better reaction time and precision. I guess that's why it takes so much practice.

[@PetaJBread]

I am VERY interested in videos about specific techniques, specifically beats and guards (is a guard a technique? The semantics elude me). Great video, as usual!

[@elirantuil5003]

This is incredibly interesting. This video has potential for outside of community success.

[@theapartmates5084]

One type of defense I would like to throw into the ring is a stop-thrust style. It may be primarily a sport style of fencing but has implications into historical styles if used properly.

[@eoagr1780]

Some examples of these attacks use in sabre are found in Alexandre Valville's treatise, Traté sur la contre-pointe ("treatise on contre point").

[@Honeybadger_525]

Thanks for the tip on using beeswax, Matt! I’ll have to give that a try. I generally prefer cord wraps for the durability and longevity over leather wraps, however I have noticed they tend to get dirty after a while and can slide around when wearing a cloth palm glove. Leather palmed gloves are fine though.

[@BCSchmerker]

+scholagladiatoria *The sword itself has a significant role in defining the necessary battle and duelling tactics.* Beating counters can be effective, and certain ryu battojutu (JPN) make such counters attacks in their own right. Two-handed greatswords suitable for halfswording often give the martial artist a number of blunt-force countering options in the hilt. Deflects are particularly effective against thrusting attacks, therefore can be ported to the spear and bayonet.

[@Optionsaregood]

Thanks Matt.

[@ladillalegos]

GREAT video, thanks!!!

[@jlworrad]

Thanks, this was really useful.

[@qarmatianwarhorse6028]

Sir, when UK comes out of lockdown, would you consider doing up a follow-up video to this with a fellow HEMA practitioner to demonstrate the different angles and patterns for beats and deflections? I don't think I ever saw a video ever covering it exhaustively so demonstrations with slo-mo footage, breakdowns and commentary would be quite welcome, in particular if you could demonstrate with both single and double-edged weapons.

[@kevindelapp7533]

Fantastic video, thank you! More on beats, deflections, etc., please! In recent olympic sabre, indeed, much of the distinction between parries and beats seems to be collapsing. Most high-level referees usually don't even call beats per se at all (USA national rules and the FIE don't even have a standardized hand signal for beats, and instead just use the parry signal): most blade contacts against an attacker's right-of-way will get called as "parries," regardless of the physical motions and regardless of where along the lengths of the blade the contact occurs (which mortal refs typically couldn't discriminate with the naked eye anyway). Evolutions in the timing of electronic scoring in olympic sabre also seem to be contributing to a decline of the stationary parry, in favor of more sweeping defensive beats and deflections: (a) the defender needs to be moving their hand so fast that they can't easily arrest the momentum to take a stationary parry; (b) it can take too long (i.e. longer than the 170 millisecond lock-out clock) to land a riposte from a stationary parry, especially if it's taken close to the defender's body, before the original attacker's remise lands. All that being said, a clean stationary parry is still utterly a thing of beauty!

[@jackrice2770]

My fencing instructor talked about 'over-parrying', that is, parrying the opponent's blade more than necessary to avoid a hit. There's no need to put the offensive blade a foot from your head, a few inches is enough. This allows for a faster riposte. To my mind, it's the riposte that's the best way to kill the other guy, in fact, again my instructor of many years ago, taught that the initial attack was simply to force the opponent to parry and reposte, which you would then parry, but only enough to open him up to a rapid reposte 'attack'. Generally, you're trying to make your opponent make a mistake, which you can take advantage of. An over-parry is just such a mistake.

[@bugs4680]

exceptional video thank you

[@Cleanpea]

Was interesting! Please elaborate in a future video :)

[@yrreiht4913]

There's an appetite. I am quite a hungry person indeed.

[@sergelecluse0001]

Great video, very interesting. and I do have an appetite to learn more about the beat. So, keep on feeding ... ;-) .

[@chillingwithagrin3091]

Very useful topic. Many points apply to empty hand or unarmed martial arts as well. Static blocks and passive guards are not the only defensive tool. The movement into a blocking position can often be similar to the movement of an attack, throw, or joint lock.

When you are early to comment, but also want to comment after watching the video.

[@scottadare4613]

There is an appetite for it!

[@jamieg2427]

i love this genre of video and would be delighted to see many more. maybe lucy can help as this video was a little too in the air with just one person! i'll be saving this video for later!

[@nalrog297]

yes please for beats - there was a treatise (can not remember which one) that advocated stepping into the cut it was military sabre, they also said about cutting along the edge of an incoming cut to both deflect and reposte in one move they had a name that that started schw....a

[@andreweden9405]

Matt, it would be great if you could talk a little about modern military tactical edged weapons. For example: I'd love to hear what you have to say about WW1 "trench knives", or the various special forces daggers of WW2, such as the British Fairbairn-Sykes dagger(the best of which were originally made by Wilkinson, I believe) or the American V-42 stiletto, which was highly influenced by the F-S. Additionally, there are the Bowie knives and various tactical tomahawks carried by several American spec ops units currently. Thank you!

[@TheArcadianKing]

Fantastic video. I've been neglecting my practice lately, but this is just what I needed.

[@scottmacgregor3444]

It's hard when everything is shut down and it's crazy cold out.

[@gherlwinfireson8582]

Really enlightening! Now I finally want some guard-less swords... lol

[@Feminismisfornobody]

Its interesting that in swordsmanship using your feet isn't the best defense, as in unarmed fighting it is the best defense

[@xxmrbrooksxx]

Awesome content as usual. Some reading I recommend, if you already haven't read. Legacies Of The Sword The Kashima-Shinryu and Samurai Martial Culture. The Heiho Kaden Sho or Hereditary Book on the Art of War. Book Of Five Rings.

[@3.k]

I would be interested in how or if you can use swords against different sword types. For example if your opponent is wielding a longsword, and you have got a rapier, or a smallsword, or an arming sword, or a katana...

[@GaryDunion]

Matt did a really good video on smallsword vs zweihander!

[@3.k]

@@GaryDunion Thanks Gary, I might’ve seen that. :) My intention behind suggesting this topic is, that it will help authors and roll players make their stories more believable. I think that there’s a good amount of people on this channel and on the related ones. 🧙‍♂️🧝🏻‍♀️🧞‍♂️

[@GaryDunion]

@@3.k Definitely!

[@GaryDunion]

@@3.k Actually a related question I've always had is how do polearms perform in the kind of single or skirmish combat you see in RPGs etc? Long cutting polearms especially, like bills, were historically used in massed infantry blocks; how would a character use one in a one-on-one fight against a swordsman? I know there are glaive-like weapons in Japanese and Chinese martial arts - there might be some clues there?

[@edi9892]

I've wondered for quite some time about pre-complex-hilt stances and tactics in context of civilians (no shields or armor).

[@jonathanfegan7078]

This is one of my fav videos thus far mr E. Really really good!!!

[@Cyotis]

More swordsmanship videos please =) I love your reviews and history lessons too. Just keep doing what you do!

[@kiltymacbagpipe]

Running away is my favourite defence.

[@johnhanley9946]

There are several techniques like what you're describing in the forms I practice, good video!

[@Lucas-mf1tc]

Hey the Soaring Sky Han Jian! My favorite sword to cut with. 8-sided blades are difficult to get sharp though.

[@mallardtheduck406]

That Jian looks alot like the white Arc model by L. Chen. I would really love to have the extra money to buy the White Arc. I really like your Katana, I do agree, I love Copper or bronze, the Habaki would look more elegant wit your model. I love the red lacquered Saya, it really pops. I would love a red or grey cotton handle wrap, I do love the black. I would have no other guard (tsuba) that wasn't the Chrysanthemum Iron component. I don't need high end just nice and well made. I will check into your source Northshire. Thanks, Matt!!!

[@manfredconnor3194]

This was superb. Cheers Matt. It seems to me, that the Japanese do not beat as much as European schools do. Many in fact, I would go out on a limb to say, that most of the Japanese counters or responses I have seen or learned are aimed at "splitting" the opponent's attack and if possible, cutting them simultaneously. Clearly there are many different schools, styles and techniques, but often the focus was on "splitting" the foe's attack and cutting the enemy in some manner. Sometimes the cutting was aimed at the foe's hands or arms as they come in on their attack. One of the highest arts is to split and cut the foe in a fatal manner regardless of whether you lose a few fingers, a hand or even an arm! I would argue that you see more "splitting" in Japanese styles than you see either deflecting or actual beating. I would say it breaks down something like 70% "splitting" 18% deflecting and 12% beating. In fact, "tai subachi2 (not sure of the spelling, but the translation means something like "body placement") concentrates on you placing your body in such a way in space and time as to "dominate" or perhaps better to control the foreground of the battle. If your foe attacks along the same line your body placement will allow you to split his attack, while simultaneously cutting him. Blade contact may or may not occur, but it usually doesn't. Similarly, body contact may or may not occur. It all depends on the relative position of the warriors and their weapons. To me it is like in a chess game where you want to gain early control, superiority or influence over those center 4 squares. In my experience, being able to do this successfully is more than half the battle in most cases. Perhaps the Metatron could also weigh in on this? My understanding is that he has spent some time learning Kenjutsu.

[@KaVeikiaSimas]

Defending with a tip seems to be pretty advanced skill. It looks to me that it's far more easier to miss the incoming cut if you're aiming to beat it with your tip. You can launch your beat too early and then there's very little you can do. So it could be far more safer to beat with a first third of the blade. Unless you're a sword master I guess.

[@edi9892]

It's also that the opponent can doge with his blade thus you're offline and he's not while you have to recover from your own momentum... That works for a rapier just as well as for a spear despite the huge difference in agility.

[@wcropp1]

Here's another vote for the video on different uses of a beat, etc. I love the technique/theory videos, as I'm sure most of your long time subscribers do. I've often pondered the utility of tip up vs. tip down parries with limited hand protection, and this video provides some alternative options to keep your hand safe. You can see similar principles in staff fighting, and unarmed martial arts, though there is less emphasis on protecting your hand/arm without the presence of weapons. When it comes to avoiding getting stuck with a sword or punched in the face, a miss is as good as a mile. I've also often wondered why certain weapons and periods tend to favor different tempi, i.e. single time meisterhau vs. later parry-riposte style fencing. Perhaps this is partially determined by the level of hand protection on the sword, among other things? Thanks Matt!

[@roycehanly3666]

I would love to learn more about beats and deflects.

[@LucaHMafra]

Hey, Matt. I'm in the process of writing a fantasy book settled kind of in the bronze age and I would like to know your thoughts on the topic of javelins (videos here on youtube generally talk about the roman version). How many would a soldier be able to carry during a battle while using a shield? Would it be feasible for a soldier to throw back javelins thrown by the enemy? How thick would the shafts be (for example, how many could you carry on your offhand while wearing a shield). Would the skirmishers have a support unit to resupply them with new missiles mid-battle? I don't know how much information you do have on the topic, but your opinions would be very much appreciated. I don't know if you'll see my comment here, but if you do, I would like to say that I love your videos. Cheers!

[@wilagaton9627]

In FMA its the other way around 😅 I think that our martial art was developed to be very efficient with the type of weapon we have, which were utilitarian farming tools (we have the ginunting which is essentially a sickle sword used for harvesting rice; pinuti, which is a straight single edge long knife used to cut down sugar canes). In FMA we dont have guards or block. Whenever we are forced to just block, we take a step as well to develop our position. We call it 'aggressive blocking' 😆 Like the FMA saying, 'there is no defense, only counter attack.' 😉

[@1IGG]

I guess the best part of "attack-like" defenses like "beats" is that the opponent has a harder time feinting. If you feint, thusly removing your weapon or even arm in unarmed combat, you will most likely be hit by the counter-cut.

[@andreigabrielion9575]

Good point. I also remember Matt or Skallagrim saying that there were fewer feints back then. Maybe there's a correlation.

[@brandonfarfan1978]

Nice vid. Very interesting.

[@chaos_omega]

I think you will find "beating" found in unarmed martial arts as well (in a way.) Known under names such as "limb destructors" or "attacking blocks." Usually done with the forearms or elbows, though, not the fists (at least from what I've seen.)

[@chaos_omega]

@Kshitij Raj It's been used in MMA. Look up stuff like, "crazy monkey." I'm not talking about karate style blocks, though they may have their place. Also check out the some of the Dog Brothers material (specifically "Die Less Often" and also "Kali Tudo.")

[@GaryDunion]

Just in case this is interesting to anyone: on the subject of beats into the arm, this is something you see a lot when there's a second object in the off hand to deal with the blade at the same time. Good examples would be the highland broadsword and targe, where you put out the targe to meet the blade with the sword underneath it to attack the arm, and the Chinese butterfly swords, where you beat at an incoming attack with both swords simultaneously, one aimed at the opponent's weapon and one at their arm or wrist.

[@colincolin2420]

You looks good handling that soaring sky jian

[@allluckyseven]

That was great, Matt, thank you. I'd be interested to know more on (and if!) who would have the edge, let's say, in a one-on-one fight. So if an attacker comes with a thrust, then the most appropriate course of action would be a...? Beat? A deflect? And what if he's doing a cut? An overhead cut? I'm wondering if one of those has an advantage over the other.

[@eidoloclast6521]

Are deflects and binds related in your opinion? I haven't sparred or tried any blade contact drills with sharps, but I imagine it would be possible to develop a bind out of a deflect in some systems.

[@kodain]

Fantastic video as always, Matt. A video on different techniques across the eras would be cool. If I may make a request, I'd like to know more about the Katzbalger. I *love* the design, but the lack of a sharp tip and the overall heavy weight has really left me wondering for many years.

[@Cheezmonka]

Any idea how common the rounded end was on historical examples? I know it wasn't all of them, but I'm not sure how common it was overall.

[@WoL0WizZaRD]

Got videos showing these type of movements @hema_venezuela Very nice video man! Good to see you cover these subjects.

[@nickarpino9309]

Thanks so much for your content. Would love more with different types of swords, especially katana and Chinese swords, using the western style. Makes for well rounded swordsmanship I would think

[@johnbennett1465]

Thinking about some of the comments here, it dawned on me that a large guard combined with a large shield might be very bad. Every time you thrust the sword, you risk the guard hitting/catching on the shield. Having a thrust come up short is bad, being unable to pull your arm back to avoid an attack is even worse. In retrospect it seems obvious that you want a small guard when using a big shield. Or at least a guard that is flat and parallel to the blade. As best I can remember all historical sword and large shield combinations use a sword that has a small or flat guard. I have never heard anyone talk about this. What do people think about this idea?

[@josephlucas4024]

I think that swords with complex hilts were not all that bad with large shields. In many sidesword and rapier sources, the sword can be taught while wielding shields like bucklers rotellas, and imbracciaturas (which were long shields that covered the entire arm) which are mostly held right by the sword hilt or in the way of sword cuts and thrusts. These arts mainly have the sword move around the shield, thus making the sword not constanly get caught up on the shield. If large hilts did always bump into shields, I don't think swords paired with meduim or large shield would be such a popular combination in the middle ages and the renaissance.

[@johnbennett1465]

@@josephlucas4024 is there some time/place that used a large shield and a complex hilt together? Please give an example so I can check it out. Moving a small shield in sync with a sword is easier than moving a large one. Is the difference big enough to matter? I don't know, but my gut feeling is that it will. I would be interested in hearing from someone who has actually tried it out. Actual experience of a skilled person is the only way to really understand the issues. Anyway, thanks for the reply.

[@josephlucas4024]

@@johnbennett1465 If your interested in seeing some examples of some swords used with meduim and large shields I would recommend looking at wiktenaur the sword with weapons section of Achilee Marozzo' book, "Opra Nova" and Capo Ferro's book, "The Use of Fencing". They are renaissance fencing nanuals that show pictures of and describe how to use complex hilted swords bythemselves and in combination with other weapons like daggers, cloaks, ans shields. These are mostly in the context of the duel so keep that in mind when reading. Hope this helps you out.

[@johnbennett1465]

@@josephlucas4024 thank you for the references. While I am sure that they are excellent resources, I am not interested enough to buy expensive textbooks. I was hoping for something I could search the net for.

[@josephlucas4024]

@@johnbennett1465 They are actually all able to be looked at by a quick google search. A good place to find treatise like those is the website Wiktenaur. They have a pretty sizeable library of historical weapon treatise with both the books I just mentioned in there.

[@minasegazi4000]

Some systems call stops "dead technique" as well as they put more emphasis on not stopping your weapon. I like to see more on the this topic, its oftain overlooked, im still an amateur but most of the defense I've learned to date is kinda a combo of a defect and beat. I use a part that's not the edge (sides or spine if single edged) to redirect the blow, or simply fowl it up, and in the same motion turn into a cut. Most defense i use is getting out of the line and attacking the wrist, but that's foot and blade, kinda off topic. like looking at other stiles, you learn a lot more and helps with understanding where you can improve with what you do use.

[@Yeknodathon]

A smallsword bind with an opposing blade and then a disarm by expelling the blade by whipping the blade around to force the sword out of the hand is very satisfying. The action has a silky, smooth feely thing followed by a sudden burst of..erm.. violence. But in a nice, well-tempered way. Mostly.