Ultimate Dueling Sword Experiment: Longsword

[@SellswordArts]

This experiment was a ton of fun! This is just the first part, we'll be doing the same thing with each of the other swords on our list. This video is a lot of fun to make, but it took a lot of time. If you want to help me make more videos like this, please consider supporting us on our patreon www.patreon.com/sellswordarts?

[@mkrocks2250]

For the lighter, faster swords, I am wondering if the heavier longsword would damage the swords or cause a lot of stress on the hands from the vibrations. Or just kind of force the relatively smaller swords out of the way, or push through parrying attempts like how a greatsword uses the heavy weight and momentum to redirect polearms.

[@AzraelThanatos]

Technically, I think this might be more of a streetfight than a duel scenario for things, actual dueling is more of a thing with the same weapon and basic gear...where the clear winner is the weapon that you're more skilled with than your opponent. For this kind of thing, the weapon choice might also come down to a situation of unusual weapons might outclass more common ones since it's normally going to be the weapons the user is experienced with and more common ones are ones both sides would, likely, know better. I'd experienced that on both ends, one person had started messing around with a hook sword of some kind which has some unexpected interactions for those unused to them which took adapting to with several losses because of it, and I'd gotten a short term boost when I started messing around with a khopesh The other thing is that with a dueling type scenario, mutual kill scenarios would come into it on several points, and several of the matches show that kind of clash where while a point might be scored, in a fight, it's a hand/arm injury next to a head strike or far worse injury

[@synthemagician4686]

Thank you! This video was really fun to watch after Hema practice.

[@synthemagician4686]

@@mkrocks2250 So, I claim no expertise, take my comment with a grain of salt. If someone more educated says something different than me, listen to them 100%. The longsword being heavier isn't really what adds to the impact of the strike, it's more about the fact that you have two hands. If the swords are sharp, there will always be edge damage, but a decent bit of the force from a strike is transferred into the arms/body of the person blocking, so even if you hit really hard, you just move the blade because the person's arm/wrist cannot absorb it all like a vice grip, so the sword isn't taking the full impact. Also, sword grips are designed to keep the vibrations from hurting your hands. If they weren't, nobody would be able to hit anything with a sword in a duel situation like this, and it would never have been used. What you're likely to see is the lighter blade getting pushed away easier, but also being able to redirect faster. Yes, you can slap the smallsword blade away using a longsword with minimal effort, but the smallsword can have its point aimed right back at you afterwards and take over that center line faster than you might be able to recover. Of course this is an over-simplification from a noob, there are tons of other factors at play and lots of what ifs, but this might be a point to consider.

[@mkrocks2250]

@@synthemagician4686 thanks for that reply.

[@ZarnonElchris]

The lesson of the day feels like: never duel without gauntlets

[@maceoryan-hess9235]

Or just run away - thats always safer

[@TheOblivion5]

A good lesson. I probably have the fractures to back it up.

[@joedankle7741]

Thoroughly enjoyed this experiment. Please do the rest. Thank you for keeping it real and really fun.

[@evilrooster9960]

Bro is channeling his Killer Bee with that Video Cover 😂😂

[@JainaSoloB312]

This is such a good series already!! Having you both switch roles for each match is a great way to control for individual skill variance, and the hitmarkers are super helpful in keeping track of what's going on! If this series is successful can you please add a Sidesword?💜 I think it's an important middle ground between the simple-hilted but broad-bladed arming sword (which I agree was reasonable to exclude in favor of the Messer) and the incredible hand protection and thin nimble blade of the Rapier. Maybe something like the Munich Town Guard sword: more passive protection than an arming sword but still lots of gaps that the Rapier doesn't have. Or you could pick an early Sidesword with barely more guard than a Messer, and see how much difference the added control of the finger ring and extra speed of the thinner blade make. I expect the combination of Rapier-like point control, Messer-like blocking structure, and something veering into Sabre form would be really interesting and help you to extrapolate how many other weapons (like arming swords, early sabres, or swept hilt Rapiers) might perform. Regardless, I'm excited for the rest of this series!

[@TheOnlyToblin]

Didn't expect the Messer and Katana to lose that badly to a longsword, but like you said, that really shows how much the complex hilts mattered and why they basically became standard as time went on. Not having to worry about your hands gives you way more freedom and makes you much less of a target.

[@BlazingSteel]

Less armor, especially on hands, would make a complex hilt or a shield/buckler in the off-hand more preferable.

[@andersonfalavinha]

Time to find the WORST dueling weapon like Whip vs reverse grip, mangual vs double shields

[@-X-_]

yess

[@Randomname-yb7hs]

The wooden/metal sheath would DOMINATE

[@SixDeadZeroHEMA]

If you think about it, as long as your opponent must use a matched weapon, whip is actually an excellent choice for a duel - you are nearly guaranteeing your own safety.

[@MammothMorals]

​@@SixDeadZeroHEMAwasn't the whole point of this video was that the weapons weren't matched?

[@Tarquin21723]

I thought the Longsword would beat the Katana, but I didn't expect it to DOMINATE. Wow.

[@saltysocks1074]

Honestly, I didn't expect a long sword to do so bad against everything else tho

[@thenotsodiscretewolf2098]

yeah probably because of size, lack of hand guard and the fact its cutting only.

[@vanillaicecream2385]

@@thenotsodiscretewolf2098 its 100% a cutting only weapon, ignoring the point and dozens of thrusting moves shown in manuals

[@jonthestick7606]

As a katana-fighter myself (check my channel for bonafides), the Longsword is the matchup I hate the most… The distance and false edge are punishing.

[@MaNoTachi]

@@jonthestick7606 Generally Longsword used are feder, that are way lighter. Its more equal with a blunted sword and and equally sized japanese saber such as the Nodachi.

[@jonas-z5m]

Very interesting video, thanks! A suggestion for the future, I'd love to see a dueling series done under "video game rules". Something like, each fencer has 20 hit points. Hits to the head do 3 damage, body is 2 damage, and limbs hits are 1 damage. The fighting is continuous until someone runs out of hit points. It would be interesting to see how things change when you don't stop and reset after each hit, and you have to fight longer term like a boxing/mma match. You could even add rules for scoring throws and unarmed blows.

[@bobgarrish]

@user-dv9up9rx2i That would be impossible to do in real time without some fancy electrical hit tracking... but when I think of it, the gear wouldn't actually be hard to make. Doesn't competition fencing gear already do this? The basic idea (multiple hit zones, real-time scoring) is executable in a focused weekend with a nice sewing machine and a handful of microcontrollers.

[@jonas-z5m]

@@bobgarrish I think having one or two helpers acting as judges, along with participants calling out the hits themselves, should be adequate. It doesn't need to be ultra precise or realtime, it's just for fun.

[@bobgarrish]

@user-dv9up9rx2i At your house with your buddies, sure. For content meant to be enticing, I don't know that I'd watch that. Counting hits in real time while wielding and defending against a sword isn't a level of overhead I'd put on an athlete, and the tech to do it well is only hobbyist level.

[@jonas-z5m]

@@bobgarrish For the content we are watching, they can just add the hits in post, as they did in this video. The informal hit tracking is just for their own purposes while fighting.

[@jonathancastillo6433]

21:29 that almost looked like a parry that shook off the long sword right hand, but playing it back, wow. He let go with his right hand to avoid the hand shot as reaction. Very well done

[@studiozealot]

This series is going to be amazing! I'm already hooked. As a writer/artist/casual HEMA fan, thank you so much for this experimental study! Recently I've been really into the design and history of schiavona swords, and I'd love to see one tested on the channel (only if it interests you; just a casual curiosity to get opinions from trusted experts).

[@andrewpolonsky2305]

Smallsword was really interesting. Thanks for the performance! Really interesting to see saber as a second participant of the gauntlet =)

[@Scuzzlebutt142]

I think it would be interesting to try a Smallsword with a slightly heavier blade, as the fencing foil has no blade presence whatsoever. Something more akin to the simulators you can get from Darkwood Armory, or at least to be able to get (I have one).

[@BMO_Creative]

Montante wins! Flawless victory! LOL Great video guys!

[@gamer_dino69yt]

Montante, Claymore or Zweihander wins against literally anything that is not a ranged weapon.

[@rua8288]

yall are the reason why im trying to get into HEMA and stuff like this XD im loving it

[@figard9855]

I love this, I would love to see a show like cobra kai but about HEMA

[@SixDeadZeroHEMA]

Rapier will win i believe. The only real competition for it is the longsword, but that's literally the first fight in the whole series and rapier took the win. Each of these swords is very good at what it's designed for, but a lot of them suffer the same issue - they are solely designed for fighting only someone with the exact same weapon. In a round robin the generalist will come out on top, and the rapier outclasses everything in at least one category. As long as you know how to use it to beat the other weapon (which you guys obviously do), it will. Anyway, I think it's a great idea for a series and i'm looking forward to the rest! I also think its going to cause a lot of arguments but i hope some great conversations will come out of that too!

[@mrcopycat2355]

Sooo hyped for this. Its well edited and fast paced. Didnt even notice 30min had passed lol

[@SpiritualHypertrophy]

This is a really cool video concept. I want to see more of these, for science!

[@Andrew0865]

I hope this series does well. I'm certainly looking forward to seeing more!

[@CDKohmy]

I want one of those cup-hilt-esque longswords of the 16th century, or a clamshell claidheamh da laimh (two-handed claymore).

[@Evan-bk5gv]

Can’t wait for the next part of their series. Super informative!

[@bananaboye3759]

Great video, can't wait to see more of these. I've got to say it strikes me as a bit weird to see a headshot traded for an arm cut and have it scored as equal though.

[@williammclyr3330]

I think hand protection advantage is somewhat unfair for rapier due to longswords of the similar period as rapier also having better hand protection

[@SellswordArts]

Not many longsword had the rings that you're speaking of. By the time that rings were being added the longsword was not really being used as much in combat. We're also talking about dueling weapons. If you look at the history of the long sort of the dueling weapon you'd see mostly depictions of the standard cruciform hilt structure.

[@vitezu]

@@SellswordArts I think he was just saying that since you were using the dueling variant of the saber, you could have used the "dueling" version of the longsword. That being said I'm guessing finding a sparring version of a longsword with a ring guard is probably very expensive and time consuming.

[@mageyeah7763]

@@SellswordArts From an experimental point of view, it would be interesting to see if a complex hilt on the longsword would narrow the gap VS the rapier, even if it is ahistorical.

[@macavitythemysterycat]

Great experiment! Great series, thank you for properly testing these out against a resisting opponent of equal skill. That Longsword vs Smallsword was essentially the fight from Rob Roy!

[@geolighthouse9618]

This was very interesting to watch. It follows the same trends I see when I do fights. I am a part of a Schola group that studies Fiore. Something that I have observed changing the outcomes (granted maybe only marginally) is being familiar with grappling or dagger work. People in my group who do dagger work get better results when using shorter swords against opponents wielding longer swords, and those who do lots of grappling, knife fighting, or in close sword fighting do just as well as with short swords against the long/two handed swords. From my limited experience, either branching out into other closer combat systems, or heavily training in the dagger and unarmed sides of the art help drastically in increasing the effectiveness of short swords (like the messer) against long swords.

[@jacobharris8989]

Love this, can't wait to see what's next.

[@seadawg93]

So great! I was really surprised by how good the rapier and saber did (and happy, they are my favs!)!!!

[@laufert7100]

This is going to be soooo good! I'd love to see the sidesword as well as that's what I mainly use.

[@Neuropharmacist]

I think it depends on whether the duel is about first blood. The rapier clearly has an advantage in scoring disabling strikes from a distance. However, a longsword strike in full motion will be able to dismember even if the attacker is intercepted by a rapier thrust/cut. Thus, many of the doubles where the rapier hit first might have killed the rapierist with strikes already in motion.

[@dlatrexswords]

Fun series! Looks like y’all came up with a decent rule set and it should be a good way to see how these hold up in the hands of “typical” fencers for this scenario. Look forward to the next installments.

[@aspiringmarauder666]

That video was great. I hope to see the rest of this series.

[@damianslad5633]

If I was going to bet money I would put my money on the rapier. I think the rapier will be the weapon that comes out on top after you have run all these weapons through the gauntlet. Longsword performing so poorly against the rapier didn't surprise me at all, it was actually the result I expected.

[@Varim.Gaunniss]

Hey David, Seeing this... I really, really want you to go against my folks of Hokushin Ittoryu Hyoho :D See ya in September!

[@hamstermk4]

I humbly request more phonk to accompany sparring footage. The post analysis was good too.

[@HariboStarman]

Awesome video, can’t wait for the rest of the series! Some questions: How do you think the Swiss sabre would do? How would a Persian shamshir do, and which blade is the closest? I heard you mention the polish sabre and maybe that’s the most similar

[@blaketheberserker]

Love this series, we all know the rapier is going to win however I wonder if a claymore/warsword length longsword would start to beat a rapier of normal size.

[@Shou_Han]

I love this and can't wait for you to continue with this

[@ClaytonLovendale]

What it appears, it isn't so much the sword used, but the skill, and familiarity with the sword used. So if you can close the distance and speed and timing any sword can be defeated, as long as you are practiced with the sword you are using. Good caparisions of blades.

[@MrBanzai10000]

It was very interesting to see vs fights with other weapons. Also good to hear your thoughts on experience and analysis from duel. Hope there will be more of this kinds video 🎉 And it was very suprise for me to see flag from my country. Greetings from Ukraine❤

[@BlazingSteel]

Adding armor in this experiment would probably drastically alter the outcomes of this since many of the longsword's greatest strengths are in grappling and half-swording. In a one-on-one unarmored dueling scenario where first blood drawn wins, the game changes radically.

[@SixDeadZeroHEMA]

I find it extremely surprising that a longsword can't parry a smallsword - i may have to do some testing of my own.

[@darthvader297]

@@SixDeadZeroHEMA it is easy for the small sword to disengage around the long sword

[@marksimon4860]

I enjoyed the comparisons.

[@seadawg93]

Haven't watched it yet: I'm guessing/hoping for saber, but sort of expecting rapier to win. The biggest question, for me, is how well either of them will be parrying the longsword. Hoping that the longswords open hands will be a significant disadvantage. Also, if the saber DOES win ...I'm counting that as a win for basket hilt broadsword as well (same fighting style). ...We need a spadroon in there as well though. EDIT: whoa! Rapier for the win! I didn't actually expect it to be such a big discrepancy.

[@seadawg93]

small sword did way better than I'd expected.

[@jieyuwu86]

Regarding the Katana vs. Longsword matchup, I did the same test against Longsword fencers who are in the top 200 in Hemaratings. And the results were pretty even between the two weapons. Here are the videos and the links to hemaratings in description: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoXOl6l3f5plqLMsi=bJKC95Rmzyga8N4i kzbin.info/www/bejne/opmydX6vd7h9h9Esi=I6HzOS01asI9yzjC Here are some techniques that makes it work on the katana side: 1. Fumi-komi into a guard 2. Kiri-kaeshi 3. Katate-tsuki into makiotoshi and harai waza to overcome the reach difference

[@Leleimy]

As a person who really likes the rapier, I find this an absolute w

[@犬まにまに]

In a one-on-one honorable duel where the opponent is allowed to surrender, a rapier or sabre would certainly seem effective, as they can injure an opponent by first cutting off a finger or stabbing an arm or thigh, but the longsword, which can cut or stab an opponent's neck or chest multiple times, although there is a momentary delay, seems more lethal and more suited to warfare.

[@SellswordArts]

Both the Rapier and the Saber gave a number of what would probably be fatal wounds. The Rapier especially delivered multiple thrusts to the torso and face that would have been a death sentence. The reason that the other weapons attacked the hands is because it's unguarded on the longsword, there is no need to attack risky or targets. Both of those weapons are highly deadly.

[@spaceduck1006]

I'm curious what your opinion on if you put the rings on the side of the long sword, how much that would help?

[@jonathancastillo6433]

I have no clue how you’ll make or get sparring shotels, but kopesh could be fun. Like an axe and a curved sword merged into one.

[@nazcret22]

gr8 vid keep sniping hands xD

[@mikekoh13]

No sidesword? Such a shame 😭

[@jacksonhorrocks4281]

As in an arming sword? Just figured out it's a different type

[@liquidyschitz4908]

*cries in backsword*

[@thenatron6136]

@@liquidyschitz4908 Frontsword when? Also topsword and bottomsword

[@liquidyschitz4908]

@thenatron6136 ur a bottomsword

[@thenatron6136]

@@liquidyschitz4908 I am a switchsword. I swing either way

[@TalesForWhales]

Be cool to see a colichemarde in the test but a hema model might be a very niche purchase

[@macavitythemysterycat]

I think you need to add Sidesword. Also a later-period Longsword with side rings.

[@InsaniquarianDeluxe]

I'd wonder if a more rigid smallsword would have stood up better. Of course, I don't even know if you could get a smallsword more rigid without ruining its length or speed.

[@Scuzzlebutt142]

The problem isn't rigidity for speed, it's for safety. I have a Darkwood armoury smallsword, they don't make them anymore, and we call the the "Cheat stick". It's far stiffer than a Rapier, far faster than most other weapons due to it's very light weight, and only 30" blade. I have parried Longsword attacks with it, the issue is having to close through the distance advantage the longsword has. Fun toy though.

[@prgnify]

I was about to ask about Olympic fencing and how an olympic fencer would fare when you mentioned for the smallsword that you used to fence. Also, nice showcase that you used the messer more like a sword and your partner used it more like a sabre - fair to it's "design"!

[@allones3078]

great video

[@thenatron6136]

Katana: *Exists* Longsword: "Where are your fingers?"

[@Ianmar1]

I don't think that it would change the outcome, but you probably want a larger tsuba if you are using clamshell guantlets as opposed to bare hands.

[@mysticmarbles]

I can't wait until Rapier vs Katana just to read the salt. There's plenty of videos out there already but they are usually not as evenly matched experience wise.

[@garrettthefrank1903]

halfway through and im already deciding I should get ring guards on my next longsword lmao

[@schonnj]

If you ever do this again, I'd be interested to see how a Scottish broadsword would fare.

[@AlanWakeford]

Problem with Rapier is stopping power. I feel like in the moment a lot of Rapier thrusts and cuts would not be felt and the longsword would just double them to death.

[@salsirenzo678]

A great test but I don't understand how the points are assigned, each hit no matter where was a point? I usually do 3 for the head, three for a thrust on the torso and the rest one as those are harder target and the more dangerous, so maybe the long sword was in a disvantageous position because harder action like getting to hit the head of the opponent wasn't recompensated enough because something like the saber could be worth the same points hitting his hands, still a great video was a really fun video keep up the good work.

[@SellswordArts]

This is a dual-to-first blood. Any hit is a point. Weighted scoring isn't something that I like. It leads to reckless actions to get deep targets in my opinion. If you have to eat a hit on the way in then your hit shouldn't count. I was considering not scoring any double actions, but I just give people one point

[@Kenshi9D.S.]

What I think would be interesting Longsword vs Swiss Saber (two handed version with the saber like hilt)

[@BBSouthwind]

I love this video so much for all sorts of reasons, BUT the rapier is LONGER than the LONGsword??? I could just not be super familiar with rapier since I only do long/sidesword, but I have never seen a rapier be longer than the longsword. I thought it was a trick of the eyes and then 7:37 came up and sure enough, that's the biggest rapier I've ever seen!

[@himanshuwilhelm5534]

I think you need to include greatsword so rapier has some competition.

[@JustinColletti]

Such a great series. It was interesting that in some of your other videos, longsword did better against rapier than it did here. Question: There are some historical examples of longswords with more complex hilts. Though rare, would those dramatically change the results?

[@gavinrn]

What a fantastic video guys! Thank you! One comment, you chose a terrible smallsword analogue for this fight, that wimpy epee blade would be my last choice. I think a sturdy colichemarde style smallsword would be really interesting in this fight. The sturdy forte of the colichemarde would actually have a chance to parry at least a tiny bit. Otherwise, great work.

[@lady_draguliana784]

I would dq the longsword as a battlefield wp and run it again. If we're talking ceremonial fights, fine, let the Zweihänder in too, but for impromptu ones, longsword should be out. Folk, unarmored, about town, were unlikely to be carrying a longsword in the same way they carried rapiers or (standard) katanas... Or arming swords (equivalents) And, as I recall, in duels, longswords were often still used with armored gauntlets, historically... 🤔

[@m3lonm4n]

It would be nice to see part 2 but without longsword 😂 I know that all we love this weapon but I think I would be more interesting

[@SellswordArts]

Longsword is one of the weapons that were testing. We will test each of these weapons against all of the others.😊

[@m3lonm4n]

@@SellswordArts cool, thanks for the answer

[@EmbracingNight]

would liked to have seen that greatsword in this

[@thenatron6136]

It would be like belt-fed machinegun against PDWs - SMGs

[@mageyeah7763]

I've done a lot of longsword vs "not longsword" fighting, and what stands out is that longsword techniques don't work well at all. Best results always came with a complete change in style. Amounts to a completely different skill without much carry over to or from normal longsword sparring. But also still didn't fully compensate for the disadvantage.

[@mageyeah7763]

@Gin-San101 That would take something like a 10 minute video to explain. A big part is extra aggression, might just get you doubles, but that's still better, kind of.

[@abmorts7037]

i kinda feel like in real life against the smallsword, yes it's probably gonna be a double but the blow from the longsword seem more deadly, correct me if im wrong but i thinks longsword win that one, that also kinda true with the rapiere, like i feel you could just run them after getting hit, tho more hit from the rapiere seem like they would stop you so rapiere still win the duel i think.

[@calvininthanon1546]

I understand for the smallsword the sparring version has to be fairly floppy for safety, but could you imagine a real smallsword that is much more rigid and stiff, with even more of a spine to parry with I would be curious to see how much better it is even than what is shown in a sparring context.

[@octaveroi]

Nice video

[@theunknown8203]

As a weeb, I am not surprised that the Katana was embarrassed like this. But i was not expecting it to score 6 points against the longsword.

[@Sigma-0007_Septem]

What about a Long sword with side rings? Would that added benefit increase the ability to fend off the weapons with a complex hilt ? Although the rapier does have a huge reach advantage.

[@fortunate_soul]

Hey, if you have not done yet, I'd like your inputs on Gatotsu, a move from Samurai X/Ruroni Kenshin. The movie is lit too.

[@PhantomSausage]

Loved the video, is it possible to do a hand and a half sword (or is it called the bastard sword?) Vs everything else?

[@JackShen]

Very cool! I enjoyed this immensely. I really like that you guys did the "pressure" test as realistically as you could. Even though, I love the Filipino and Malay bladed arts, European swords would have a serious advantage. Handguards evolved the way they did for a reason :)

[@lochlancrandall2922]

Nice

[@mkrocks2250]

would you consider using bucklers or parrying daggers, as they were also used for dueling vs battle?

[@somerando1073]

Honestly, I am not usually a big fan, because I feel you let your biases keep you from being objective. But this... this was great.

[@raphlvlogs271]

rapier or long sword which 1 will be better at fighting against bayonets?

[@AliasAerius]

When the Katana is running the gauntlet, it may be interesting doing another comparison where the swords start off sheathed, as the fast draw is the Katana's main advantage in a fight.

[@Scuzzlebutt142]

You start a duel with blades drawn, which I thought the experiment was about, "Ultimate Dueling Experiment" being in the name and all.

[@Zeieraoh]

would it better trying to fatigue the rapier user grip by hitting the weapon instead of the human? because its a usually a thinner design. oh wait nvm, you guys thought of that already in other video :/

[@JohnNathanShopper]

⚔️👏

[@RevokFarthis]

Longsword vs Rapier: the more modern tech wins. Longsword vs Sabre: the more modern tech wins, but it performs better than vs the Rapier because they're both playing the cut game. The Longsword wrote the book on that. Longsword vs Smallsword: it's a smaller, lighter Rapier, so... worse in every way, and specifically made for dueling against itself Longsword vs Messer: I'm actually not familiar at all with the history of the Messer, or it's use, but just based on size the Longsword dominating was expected. Longsword vs Katana: this was a surprise to who exactly?

[@RevokFarthis]

@Gin-San101 Yeah, one person being at a significant disadvantage _would_ change the results, thanks for bringing up something totally disconnected from the video *specifically* talking about results between users of equivalent skill and fitness.

[@RevokFarthis]

@Gin-San101 You wanna go back and reread your comment? Cause you either forgot what you wrote, or are _completely_ disconnected from reality.

[@RevokFarthis]

@Gin-San101 So you _are_ completely disconnected from reality. Good to know.

[@RevokFarthis]

@Gin-San101 _Concession_ Definition: "A thing that is granted, especially in response to a demand." What precisely do you think you've been given here?

[@RevokFarthis]

@Gin-San101 A concession, in an argument, is when one person acknowledges the validity of another's claim. I have not acknowledged any form of validity to your claims so there is no concession for you to accept. Kindly; learn to debate before trying it with me, as all you've done so far is made a meal of your own foot.

[@HariboStarman]

When’s the next one?

[@unarmored9973]

Love the video. I'm personally torn on how I feel about using the afterblow ruleset when considering scores to analyze asymmetric melee -It incentivizes contenders to be far more aggressive in exchanges than they otherwise would be if actual sharp blades were flying around. But I get it, afterblow is certainly a lot more fun to use and watch, and I guess there's not really anything "better".

[@longswordparkour511]

Wow ..... length is best?.........

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

From what I could see, hand protection was the number one factor, followed by length. It will be interesting to see how those swords handle the others in the group.

[@Dokkutah]

size does matter it seems

[@thenatron6136]

Size does matter, but using protection is the most important

[@brokenursa9986]

Weebs seething rn. In all seriousness, I'm surprised about the longsword's performance against the saber, but otherwise, this went about how I expected. I don't see the katana doing well in this series of tests.

[@vojtafojt8587]

Can Have long sword Complex guard?

[@SellswordArts]

Longswords with rings did exist, but they were not the most iconic or common configuration of the sword. We wanted to go with the best representative for each blade

[@TimaHzTV]

I never held one in person, but I think you might be interested in a swiss saber. It has a longsword length hilt (IMO) and a complex guard, but the blade is curved.

[@sirxarounthefrenchy7773]

@@TimaHzTV You had longsword with Pappenheimer style hilts but again not the most common

[@matthewpham9525]

Lot's of cuts that hit flat, no?

[@SellswordArts]

No, not that we counted

[@aloespirit1880]

do this in segments next time

[@SellswordArts]

This is a segment. It's the first part of the experiment. We're repeating this with every other sword on the list But if you'd rather watch each individual match separately, those are releasing week by week. You can enjoy the next one tomorrow

[@evandropaschoalini5940]

This is a very good video

[@christopherwolf-willoughby457]

HEMA needs to stop sleeping on complex hilted longswords. They were the contemporaries of sidesword and other complex hilted weapons. The reason we don't see them in Meyer? Nobody wants to draw them, and it would only obstruct the drawings of the hands.

[@gunsenhistory7919]

Just FIY, a law know as Daishō katana no sunpō oyobi tōhatsu futsumō no sei「大小刀の寸法および頭髪髴毛の制」 from the 1645 declared a maximum total length (hilt included) of 2 shaku and 8 sun (~85 cm) for longsword and 1 shaku 8 sun for short sword (54.5 cm). Fittings like vermillion, yellow lacquer, and sandalwood sheaths, and large tsuba (大鐔) and/or large square tsuba (大角鐔) were forbidden as well. What are you using are essentially the Edo period, nerfed version of the katana. Period ones were longer and actually had larger tsuba. This will definitely change the outcomes of the fight

[@SellswordArts]

We specifically picked this one, because we were picking dueling weapons. The longsword that we are using is from a later period as well, when the longsword of is not really being used on the battlefield anymore. It was relegated to dueling. This is the most well known version of the katana. It's what people think of when they think of Katana. Which is why we chose it. Additionally, it's the closest to what the experiment is actually testing for. The ultimate dueling weapon. And this at this point was a dueling weapon not a weapon of war.

[@gunsenhistory7919]

@@SellswordArts Respectfully, I disagree with the choice. Is it really what people think of? This is a weapon that fits the specification of that 1645 Edo period law. It is past the time of Musashi, past the Sengoku or Muromachi period. In my honest opinion, most people who thinks of katana and Japanese martial arts thinks of those figures/period. Sasaki Kojirō who famously duelled with Musashi did not had a short katana, but rather a 3 feet long blade. The main issue is that this experiment has been done millions of time and the reason why katana always underperform is because (training aside) the size of the tsuba and total reach are minimized when it comes to their historical pre 1650s versions. It is telling that both the Chinese and Korean system based on Japanese swords and art uses longer weapons. It is like doing rapier fencing with the shortest smallsword. Your longsword for example is not 1/3 shorter than period version nor with a guard 1/3 of the size of period guards, I am quite sure. The law passed in 1645 was such to avoid people duelling, and make the sword harder to use in civilian context. This is literally the period in which the sword transitioned from a practical weapon to a work of art and status symbol. That is not a "duelling katana", it is more of a decorative one. I think it is important to make this note. The Japanese world related to swords does not deserve more hate than what it receives already.

[@jonotimm3022]

Are you fighting linearly for the camera? Is that normal for ur fights. Not a lot of non linear movement. Also highly recommend english longsword has alot of one handed longsword techniques which can extend your range

[@willowgrove8641]

them swords looking crusty 😂

[@goldenageofdinosaurs7192]

That’s why they’re sparring swords. The nice looking, expensive ones don’t get beaten on for hours a day🙂

[@willowgrove8641]

@goldenageofdinosaurs7192 why i have a spare 1 too 🫡