Whips as a Weapon: Response to

This video is a response to #shadiversity video, posted on July 1, 2023, titled “I can't believe this works?!?! - Is the INDIANA JONES WHIP an effective weapon? | #functionalfandom ”
This video explores the whip’s capacity to be a functional weapon, with the perspective that 10 years of experience and a whole lot of research can provide. I have done my best to be fair in my analysis, both in my agreement with the analysis done by Shadiversity as well as my dissent with some points.
I appreciate everyone at Shadiversity’s honesty and sincere efforts to put out fair reviews of weapons and weapon usage. They have an excellent style, sense of humor, and analysis.
Bibliography of Resources used:
Combat Con:
www.combatcon....
Whip 101: The Monthly Challenge:
/ whip101
Anthony De Longis on the History Channel:
• Anthony De Longis Whip...
Anthony De Longis Skills Showcase:
• Anthony De Longis: Whi...
Anthony De Longis Whip Capacity Demonstration:
• TheApocalypsePost: Ant...
Anthony De Longis Whip Combative Styles:
• Master the Bullwhip wi...
Tom Meddows Latigo Y Daga:
• Latigo y Daga Combativ...
Ron Lew with Tibetan Wave:
• GM Ron Lew in Germany
Adam Winrich on Types of Whips:
• Types of Whips: a Comp...
Adam Winrich Whip Lesson Plan for Beginners:
• Whip Lesson Plan for B...
Adam Winrich on How to Cut Cans:
• How to Cut Cans with a...
Adam Winrich Swinging from a Whip:
• Bullwhip Cracking: Wra...
Adam Winrich on the Physics of a Whip Crack:
• Physics of a Whip Crack
Smarter Every Day on How Does a Whip Break the Sound Barrier:
• How does a whip break ...
Squall604 on Grabbing a Gun with a Whip:
• Taking A Gun From the ...
Photograph of collapsed mine:
commons.wikime...
Photographs of spear, sword, chainmail shirt, and ax were obtained from The Metropolitan Museum of Art.
www.metmuseum....

[@eugeneomalley6303]

Lets just be straight here the whip lacks lethality. Which makes it a great side weapon like in Indiana Jones, but there is a reason OG Indie carries a gun.

[@cameron2318]

A whip does not lack lethality against unarmored opponents. One hit to your eyes and you are blinded.

[@kazumpet720]

@@cameron2318I think lethal means killing, not blinding

[@pangboi3453]

@@cameron2318 Agreed. I think the comment was using lethality referring to deadliness, leaving out the rest of its definition, serious injury.

[@victorro8760]

@@cameron2318 Almost literally every weapon can blind someone. My fingernails can blind someone.

[@cameron2318]

@@pangboi3453 100% not many people continue fighting after losing an eye. It's also worth mentioning a crack next to the ear is not only deadening but messes with balance composure etc.

[@indiedavecomix3882]

I think Shad made it very clear during the video that none of them were experts and they were giving a sort of beginner's assessment on the potential of the whip as well as obvious flaws. Overall I think they did a good job, and your response was equally informative.

[@tomatopotato1136]

Yeah. I thought this video is incredibly well. Especially for the size of the channel.

[@chrism4008]

​@@tomatopotato1136channel size is pretty meaniglessas far as quality goes

[@beargillium2369]

Idk how anyone can even watch shadiversity. It's like the guy that cuts everyone else off in traffic

[@tomatopotato1136]

@@beargillium2369 So he is an asshole for loving what he does?

[@chrism4008]

@@beargillium2369 idk what you mean

[@CannedMan]

Reasonable critique, informative, excellently taught, and in a civilised manner inviting a civilised discussion. There indeed _is_ hope for humanity. I humbly thank you. 😊

[@troyfiss9332]

It's pretty freakin rad that there's a whip expert out here to inform us all in an obscure topic. I didn't even realize there were, like, whip experts.

[@nugget7323]

There are experts for any topic or field. There is beauty and art in almost everything.

[@jedironin380]

He's not only an expert, he quoted several people (like Anthony DeLongis) who are well-known (in certain circles) weapons experts for stunt and movie work! Mr. DeLongis has been "in the business" in movies for a long time, he is also a swordmaster!

[@Technotoadnotafrog]

Shad could make a video on eating peas and pea-eating experts would come out of the woodwork.

[@MrPablosek]

Coming from Shad, this was a very interesting video to watch! I hope Shad watches it and does a follow up video sometime in the future after they learn more about how to use the whip and stuff.

[@williamjenkins4913]

I dont know if a follow up is required. This guy basically agreed with them.

[@MrJustinreese]

I'm glad you wrapped up with the dual whip exercise. I would not try to attack that guy. The whip is an expert's tool. The leap in skil between competence and expertise with a whip is massive. I believe that in the hands of an expert the whip can be a very effective weapon. In the hands of a novice it could prove to be more of a hindrance than help.

[@benrex7775]

I think weapons are often used in context of battlefields, fights, surprise attacks and so on. I do not know how well it works in those contexts. But in an open field duel with no armor it is certainly something I wouldn't want to go against.

[@OrysB-po1fy]

They used to whip slaves. In a fight to the death you better hope the sheer adrenaline doesn’t let them put their weapon through you. Cause charging straight towards you, good luck “cracking” it like a bottle sitting still

[@matthewavery8756]

I learned more about whip techniques and perspectives than any other video I have watched on the topic. I really love how you also reference the different techniques, experts, teachers, etc. I also appreciate that your discussion is objective and focused. No Ad hominem arguments, just a great discussion of the pluses, minuses, and neutrals of the whip. I would love to see more of your content! I hope @shadiversity sees your video because I think this is a fantastic response video talking about the whip. I couldn't stop watching because of the approach, style, and your humor. You have a great approach to reasoning both with seriousness and lightening it with humor. Bravo!

[@loginvidea]

What an honest, backed up, well presented reaction. Really good value content. Thanks for the effort. Have a nice day.

[@Seriously_Unserious]

I think a good point to remember with weapons like whips, nunchuks, and batons, are they're mainly meant as less lethal pain compliance weapons. If you want to stop an attacker without killing him these are very good weapons to do that. Weapons like swords, axes, or bec'de'corbins much less so, you're too liable to accidentally kill your opponent rather then just scare them off or otherwise make them stop attacking you.

[@eugeneomalley6303]

Yep pretty much made to hurt, made to scare, but it's not made to kill.

[@hannesh234]

A baton is still very much a lethal weapon, as is a nunchuck, a solid hit with either of them to the head can easily kill someone. They are less intimidating blunt weapons, so I wouldn't say these are meant to be less lethal.

[@Smashface_McBourbondick]

@@hannesh234 Less lethal does not mean nonlethal. You can easily kill someone by shooting them in the face with a rubber bullet, for example.

[@Genesis23OPB]

total BS you can easily kill with a baton or nunchuks, also the later isnt made to be less lethal but is a weaponised flail, an improvised weapon.

[@Smashface_McBourbondick]

@@Genesis23OPB He never claimed that you couldn't kill someone with those weapons.

[@unknow11712]

i just want to point out that you can use a sword in a cramped enviroment , because you can still stab and stab (at least , with most sword ) . and "grabbing" a sword is a good way to get cut . you want armor to be able to grab a sword , but adding armor to the whole argument would just make it harder on the whip capacity .

[@kikixchannel]

You can use a whip in a cramped environment by crippling its ability, just like you can use a sword by crippling its ability. Whip can be used more than just by cracking it, as this video had brought up several times. As for grabbing a sword, most swords in regular battles weren't actually that sharp. A sharper sword will break faster while not being any more lethal. If you tried to focus all your strength on the edge part of the blade then you would most certainly get yourself cut, but if you focus your grab on the flat parts, you CAN grab a sword barehanded and, if the sword isn't freshly sharpened and your strength is comparable or higher than the other person, you can actually hold it without any serious cuts. For a cut, the sword must actually move across. So yes. A sword can be grabbed as well. Most single-edged swords can be safely grabbed with zero experience and little thought, even. Virtually all other weapons have a buttload of options to be grabbed and make them 'useless' (depends on strength comparison between the people). Spear is literally over 90% just a stick that if grabbed, makes the weapon totally useless (or if the opponent is stronger than you, can be used against you). It's all about not letting the opponent have the opportunity to grab the weapon.

[@Rystefn]

There are literally hundreds of videos on KZbin of HEMA practitioners explaining and demonstrating the effectiveness of grabbing a sword blade, even with a bare hand.

[@unknow11712]

@@Rystefn i hope you realize the difference with grabbing a whip , and be ready to lose your hand by grabbing a sword . it is naturaly better to grab the blade than get stabbed , but a whip is litteraly something you want to grab at any time .

[@indiedavecomix3882]

Plus if you grab a sword blade that may stop it from swinging around, but you can still push through to stab at the holder or seriously lacerate digits.

[@rainick]

@@Rystefn How many of them trying to grab a sharp blade in a fight?

[@Victor-dm4qv]

"Can be used as a nunchuck." That will not help your case with Shad, lol. But I love this video! Seeing Shad and his merry men of knights using the whip made me cringe a little. I am no expert, as I never used a whip before. However, I have seen them used enough times to know that they were doing it very wrong and were making a judgment prematurely. I think the whip has a lot of great potential and I hope Shad sees this video and gets an expert to prove and maybe disprove a lot of your points.

[@walkir2662]

The flail neither. ;) Nor is "A tool isn't inherently good or bad" (see: nunchucks vs stick) or admitting to have hit yourself in any conceivable place (even if you clarify it was i nteh absolute beginning, it'S much more likely to happen with a a flexible weapon than a rigid one).

[@a.i.a3949]

Same thing with knife throwing

[@jr6yancey]

Great comment

[@Victor-dm4qv]

@@a.i.a3949 They did throw those knives pretty poorly, but throwing knives at mail, even if it was done by a master, would not yield much results. Unless...it was more of a fine point knife, but then it might start bordering on being a dart before it starts becoming effective.

[@theghosthero6173]

​@@walkir2662saying that a flail is an innherently bad weapon is crazy given how widespread it's use was historically.

[@tomatopotato1136]

If you are comfortable with making videos like this, then I’d love to see a follow up on stuff like how easy it is to carry, how fast you can get it out, what other uses other than the ones listed in the video. And if you feel like it, we would really enjoy seeing a professional whip dude use it on a moving target. Sorry if I comment a lot, I just get excited :)

[@ruperthart5190]

I reckon a whip would be an ineffective medieval battlefield weapon but could be quite a viable self defense weapon, where people are less likely to be wearing armour and its long range and loud cracking would be very intimidating, even against groups

[@woutvanostaden1299]

Or at least it gives you an easier time attracting onlookers, so you'll have witnesses in court, unles you're a bit of a dnd murderhobo of course than that might not be a +!😂😅

[@thomaskopv2366]

I love these response videos from actual professionals. I hope to see so much more like this where Shad dives a bit into a topic and then more well informed people explain a bit more about it !

[@MattStryker]

I watched Shad's whip video and groaned through most of it, because in my youth, I was fairly proficient with a whip. I had a 10 foot whip I could crack a quarter with consistently. (At the time, I didn't know anything about all the different styles you mentioned, and I will have to check them out.) I knew that with a few months practice, a lot of the "problems" they were bringing up would cease being problems. I knew slicing open a pop can was not only possible, but it was something I personally did easily (20 years ago), so their inabilities with the plastic water bottle bugged me no end. I'm so glad you made this video, and I would love to see you and Shad make a follow up video where you show him what an expert can actually do with a whip.

[@LeutnantJoker]

Shad has the disadvantage of living in Australia which makes inviting experts (like the Mythbusters did back in the day) harder. However I agree that despite the channel being entertainment, those videos were coming from a less well researched place than his usual ones. He should reach out to the community more and consult experts but of course then complicates the video making process and he probably doesn't have the per episode budget the Mythbusters had

[@OrysB-po1fy]

Whip user like you would have been the clown of the past. Not that you’d have survived long at all. The “master” didn’t show anything in a spar for a reason. You can’t do any of that shit when you can’t stand still. Even actors like Bruce Lee knew bottles and cans don’t hit back 😂

[@wesleygibson5546]

I had one growing up too, and almost shat myself when I took out a fly in flight lol

[@davidknefelkamp2417]

Thank you for this, I thought about some of these points as Shadiversity was going through their video. But for them picking up the whip for the first time, it takes a lot of training.

[@rmg480]

from the words of the wise, old, and bald Matt Easton: CONTEXT!!!

[@shaneturner77]

He's not old ...lol

[@Raakarapu]

​@@shaneturner77Depends on context

[@mikestanmore2614]

He'd probably also add that it's a great weapon, but doesn't have much penetration.

[@evilkate9884]

Just bald and old.

[@franohmsford7548]

When they were whipping the tree branch I believe they were testing the idea of using a whip as a grappling hook to swing across a chasm ala Indiana Jones.

[@dlatrexswords]

Spectacular video. You cover all the important points in a way that everyone can understand and show the variety of ways whips can be used as well as possible shortcomings. Great cracking!

[@johnsullivan6560]

Very good response. Well thought out and explained. Thank you for sharing your knowledge. It was both helpful and kind.

[@wallaroo1295]

*Excellent Response Video! - Very Professional!* Thank you! I hope @Shadiversity gets to see this, I think he would appreciate such a well done, and proper response.

[@stoveone4031]

Being a fan of historical pugilism and prize fighting, whips were often used to keep the crowd at bay during a fight. I think it is interesting as a form of crowd control

[@pRahvi0]

It has lots of reach and makes intimidating sounds and inflicts pain while not being lethal. Sounds like an excellent tool for civilian crowd control.

[@83917Michael]

When you mentioned, around 5:20, the "whip getting caught on the environment" ... iiirc, they were doing that intentionally ... to test whether or not you could use a whip like a "grappling hook" to swing on, like Indiana Jones.

[@wombatzus]

You misunderstand I think - he is saying that the environment, i.e., the surrounding branches and twigs were preventing the effective use of the whip to wrap around the tree limb.

[@TheMisterBerry]

This is quite a great feedback video! Very reasonable, very informative, and very well explained. I was genuinely curious if any whip experts out there would be able to weigh in on Shad's video, as they stated a fair numerous times, "we are not experts, therefore, our findings may be incomplete or not as efficient as someone who is well trained". So I'm glad you made a response video, as you provided a lot to learn from as well as validated/critiqued the reviewing process they had undergone. Great video!

[@doflamingo218]

Love the respectful response for a change in these types of videos, but I still curious bout the whole Indiana Jones using the whip to swing from a pole

[@matthewmarting3623]

Well said, well composed, well researched with citations. Really a benchmark for video replies. That said, I think I’d rather have a staff (or a gun, knife, hammer, etc) if we’re talking combat encounters. I’d absolutely take a whip+knife combo though.

[@orenjineko646]

Ah, Shad and with his old silly shenanigans. He said that nunchuks is stupid and start swinging it like a staff. You can't even swing a sword the same way you swing the staff, even more you can't swing any rope/chain based weapons (nunchuks, kusarigama, flail, rope dart, whip) like a staff. Even whip itself has so different techniques than other rope/chain based weapons.

[@MB-rh3vo]

Hey Derek, you should take the spotlight and make a video about the latest episode (6) of Star Wars: The Acolyte. There is a lot of discussion going on about the effectiveness of whips in general and lightsaber whips in particular regarding a whip as a weapon in a fight.

[@9dragonsky]

5:19 in this bit, you are talking about the whip getting caught on the environment. They were attempting to test if the whip can be used (as seen in India Jones) to grab and swing from an object

[@wesleyjarboe9571]

I am always more impressed by response videos that address the issue rather than the person. Just the simple fact that you spoke about whips rather than about Shad, et al, is commendable in this day and age. Further, I thought you made some very valid points and supported your points effectively. Thank you. One question, what about the overbearing techniques where whip users score take downs against their opponent? I'm always hesitant to call it a "grappling" technique because the whip doesn't seem to hold on for any length of time, at least in my limited experience. When wrapped around an ankle or lower leg, it will certainly hold on long enough to pull the leg out from under the opponent however. Once again, that is in my limited experience. I've used this technique once in a desperate situation and it worked. Was my experience a one-off situation or are whips capable of doing such things reliably?

[@scribblingjoe]

at 5:26 their intention was for the whip to wrap around the tree branch so they can swing on it.

[@redwarrior864]

The wrapping part from 5:23 they were specifically trying to make the whip wrap and catch such that they could pull on it, like the trope of using a whip to swing across stuff. Basically to show that it couldn't be done / test it.

[@secretagentmandanV2]

Excellent!!! Thank you for making this video and educating the non whip users. I love Anthony's video about using the whip as a flail, mace, rope dart.. etc.

[@olavjensen1590]

I have not seen the Shadiversity video, but I feel my question would have been answered in this video along with all the others things that were answered. What about the whip as a tool to entangle and set off balance (like entangling lower leg, close to the foot, to pull and make opponent fall)? Is that very viable, because usually an opponent off balance is easier to attack and hit.

[@ruathawylderkin2268]

Thanks so much for this very informative video. Glad Shad brought up whips and very glad you added much more context.

[@thorgarwulfson9269]

i am enjoying your video, when they talked about dual wielding with a whip I had a fun thought that a spiked targe (round shield) paired with a whip would be interesting.

[@LeopoldZ]

So, one question that i feel is sort of unanswered is the whips ability to trip and disarm, that's generally its purpose in TTRPGs. Would it be feasible to snag a foot ot a sword?

[@owl6789]

It's amazing, He's ignorant and informative at the same time. I think he watched the Shadiversity on mute or multitasking and not paying full attention and was not listening, when he saw this episode, because if he did he would know, they mentioned several times through the Shadiversity podcast that they have no experience with whips. I have no problem him pointing out there mistakes or filling in the facts. But when he mis-quote's or ignore and invoke his own feeling's over. What is said and seen to protect his own insecurties. That just annoys me. I do believe you can use the whip as an attack or defense weapon and there might be several styles to do that. I just don't think it's necessary to drag someone else down to make yourself look better, Is he a professional Whipper, more power to him, but as a pod caster need's lots of work.

[@grantpflum6844]

In that particular scene where you point out the whip getting caught in the environment? That was actually Shad's team testing one of the thing's Indiana Jones does in the movies, where he uses his whip as a rope to swing around his environment. They do have other scenes in their test where they accidently catch it on that same tree though.

[@Technotoadnotafrog]

As a Spanish speaker, when you said "deladigo idaga" at 7:56 it took me a bit to realize it was "the latigo y daga" (which just means "lash and dagger") so I would just suggest that when you pronounce a foreign word, you put it up on screen for a second

[@wolfofmagdalene92]

Hey Taylor first off you've really open me up to the idea of a whip as a discipline so bravo good sir. If I made sound a little ignorant it's almost like the whip (outside of styles) is a weapon that is more or less limited by how the user can figure out every way to make it offensive. Now I have an idea that I'm very curious about when it comes to vs armor like chain or plate. What about have a metal cap or even a stud at the bottom end of the handle when using it like nunchuk? maybe something is like a quick attachment/detachment so you could control the increased risk it would pose to the user? Great video bro, I'm subbing because of how well you have shown that you clearly know what you are talking about.

[@carlborneke8641]

To be honest I think using a wipe effectively is an art. The amount of skill required and how graceful it looks is astonishing.

[@lordvlygar2963]

So, I have a hypothetical question about attacking armor. If one could attach a small head of a morning star, or even just a double ended spike; would the whip still crack as intended and would this be more effective against armor? I'm not sure what method would be best for attaching the accessory. I'm pretty sure using the whip itself to tie around the object would negate all purpose and I doubt zip-tying it would work well. But, what about putting the spike in the braid as it's being braided?

[@CrashCraftLabs]

ty you sir, as a fan of whips in most games i love seeing videos explaining their use irl, not great at them myself tho

[@malt2380]

I make whips, and yeah basically everything you said was beyond true! Thanks for this video to teach others, and I learned a few things myself!

[@tomatopotato1136]

I do wonder if the whip could be used in crowd/riot control. It seems to be very very effective in intimidation and pain compliance when they aren’t full of adrenaline with murderous intent.

[@EaglebeakGaming]

That is pretty much the whips entire purpose. In the man from snowy river he uses a whip to drive horses very effectively. Probably the best movie to illustrate the point of a whip.

[@woutvanostaden1299]

​@@EaglebeakGamingWell I did also like the Zorro tv series as a kid, which had to my understanding some of the best/most practical combat that sometimes included whip usage. Yes disuating a crowd/mob/riot has everything to do with making as many people in that crowd think twice about the odds of whether they would like to find out how painful such a hit is. I would imagen that since there have definitely been public whippings as punishment it doubles as intimidation/education about how painful something like this can be. Since there are a lot of diffirent kinds of whips, I wonder where the line lies/which whip is better for which purpose. (Combat/battlefield or pain/intimidation, but I imagen a number of them will have considerable overlap. 😅 I wouldn't want to get hit by a cat of 9 tails in combat/on the battlefield either) I've seen several comments about sharp cutting steel whips, not sure how real thos are though. In RRR (Rise Roar Revolution), they use a second that has little spines sticking out of it. It looks like it might cling to the target. So I do think that in combat/battlefield or at least with a resisting opponent this wouldn't be the best choice, despite (maybe) dealing more damage. I do think it will certainly work for pain/intimidation/torture though.😅

[@pollywogapocalypse7432]

Great response and I think shaduniversity will enjoy your input. That being said I’ve goofed around with a bull whip and the level of skill needed for rope or whipping weapons is massive. There’s definitely a reason no army would prefer them to a bladed weapon and shield. In all my practice a one handed blade and a light shield would have no problem fighting one whip user. I do think the whip has tons of battle applications but is just too difficult to make as big of an impact as a spear would, even when used on a horse or platform. I think the best application would be for capturing a soldier alive which I do believe is one thing they’ve been used for. All in all great video. I’d love to see you try mastering other weapons and seeing what if any whip applications could be easily replaced.

[@othannen.]

A weapon is effective when it's lethal, and the whip is generally not lethal. You can have specialized weapons that are designed to incapacitate rather than kill, but I'd argue these are not real weapons but rather tools to incapacitate. And you can have tools that can kill but they aren't designed to be as effective or agile as real weapons.

[@kikixchannel]

Weapons don't need to be lethal. Everything is lethal if used right. You can use a teaspoon of water to drown somebody. Whip itself can be used to strangle somebody or if you manage to entangle it just right around their neck, it can be used to break it as well. But that's not its purpose. A 'weapon' is anything that is used to cause 'damage' or can be used to deter them. All weapons are types of tools. The 'exclusive' weapons like swords are simply tools whose primary purpose is to hurt others, unlike the tools that can be used to hurt others, even extremely well (woodcutters axe, a regular hammer or a kitchen knife to name a few), but their primary purpose is NOT that. Whip is no different. It is a weapon if it's used as a weapon and it is a tool when it is used as a tool. As it WAS invented with the intention of causing some sort of damage and be a deterrent, it IS actually more of a 'weapon' type of tool than not.

[@othannen.]

@@kikixchannel the point is that we all understood what Shad meant when he said the whip is not an effective weapon, and then you get attached to the word and take it outside of the context he meant, it´s useless argumentation.

[@AlexanderGutenbergVT]

I appreciate this analysis. I am glad that Shad and his boys did right by your expertise. I have more appreciation for the whip because of both of your videos.

[@pkerep1]

Greetings from Croatia !!!! Great video Man. In 5:20 mark He is trying to grab onto the branch with the whip, and not that the branch is gets in the way.

[@croatianwarmaster7872]

Pozdrav brate! Represent 🇭🇷

[@pkerep1]

@@croatianwarmaster7872 poz

[@oopomopoo]

A very important point at 6:30ish of catching the whip is that the defender has a ton of armor and padding. If the defender does not have gloves or super padding, grabbing the whip is just as dangerous as grabbing a sword. Grabbing an object that can cause incredible pain to your hand which is not something you will reasonably want to do.

[@Jesses001]

When I was young, my mother took me to a rodeo. They had whips on display there, and even at a young age I showed rather decent proficiency. So my mother bought a whip for me to carry as self defense against animals. I often went on long wood hikes. It was rather effective for that task. Most cases the crack was enough to warn animals to stay away.

[@Duddeldink]

I am fairly certain that if you know a great whipper in Australia and help set it up, that Shad and gang would be more than willing to revisit this ^_^ I for one would love to see it!

[@iamthemistake7084]

Subbed m8, would love to see more context in such a particularly intricate field & your opinions on materials & whips available for sale

[@thegrumpygeordie9007]

I mentioned how I got into whips for a brief period on Shad's channel. I got a bull whip cheap from a bloke at work and tried to pracice. I was off work sick with an eye injury and took it onto the grass near my house and started practicing. It was going great guns then I managed to pull it back and got the tip right on my eye. Fortunately I weat glasses and I was aware eye pretection was sensible so it was more embarissing than painful. I made the mistake of telling my mother and she told my brother and I never heard the end of it. People singing 'Whip crack away' when I walked in a room. I never made much of it as it was difficulkt to practice, I really didn't want people seeing me and it was too long for indoors.

[@WillsBeard]

The best point Shad made is that the whip isn't threatening enough to scare off a real threat. The amount of damage from anything other than a perfect strike simply isn't enough. Don't even dare compare grabbing a whip to grabbing the end of a sword. I think you love whips too much to actually have a clear head in your defense.

[@epone3488]

As in Archery the modern non practitioner discounts the pinpoint accuracy of placement for a practitioner of the whip (or indeed bow). Accuracy is a force multiplier with numerous benefits. While a whip may at first seem somewhat ineffectual against armored opponents you can not underestimate its ability to force a reflex-reaction in an opponent which is easily exploited. There are practical concerns the layman could not readily appreciate.

[@callumtherealist1163]

Good video but it feels like you’re intentionally missing out that they state multiple times that these tests are for the average person, the average person picking up a whip and trying to use it as a weapon is much more like the knights watch cast than a group of people who have been practicing with it for 10+ years, they make that point multiple times in the video

[@vodostar9134]

Thanks. Good to hear an expert's take on Shad's video.

[@callum563]

Good video, thanks for making it, I saw Shads video and it’s good to see the reaction of someone who is actually more knowledgeable about the whip. You make a lot of good points however you also make a lot of ‘errors’ for instance a sword actually would be an effective weapon in a tunnel, especially if the user thrust with it ,but also some swords are sword like the Gladius. Compared to an Axe, knife and spear to some degree, mace, and a whip, a sword will still work really well. The problem with the whip and the reason it isn’t an effective weapon is that it does actually need space, more so than other weapons, plus it can be entangled and grabbed as Shad demonstrated, just saying “it can happen to other weapons” isn’t a good defence, axes don’t get stuck in shields often and no one is grabbing the blade part of a sword in a dual. Even with gloves you’d be keeping your distance or parrying with your own sword instead of trying to grab the sword. A whip would be tempting to try an grab as demonstrated. On the same note, yes accidents happen but no one is stabbing themselves with swords or axes, they certainly are cutting every part of their body especially their eyes. The main problem with whips is that they aren’t a good versatile weapon. yes armour stops a lot of weapons but even swords can get through certain types or just break the bones underneath or bruise them. Even a fully plated knight isn’t going to let himself get hit by an axe or sword, as physical weapons that are rigid they can keep enemies back and apply other means of stopping an attacker, a whip being flexible can’t keep an opponent back, especially after they get whipped once and the armour stops the pain, the opponent will know that they have nothing to fear.

[@matthewlaird5235]

I will say what I said on Shad’s video, I think cracking that thing in my eye area is game over in a battle. Someone with a whip and a dagger in their belt could hit me in my eyes, blind me permanently and then finish me off with a dagger whenever they want.

[@armorbearer9702]

So if the whip was used in a a combat scenario, would you first use the popper to stun and use the handle to finish them off? The whip can be used as a baton or flail(7:08).

[@kriena4190]

From what i know from whips (using wet towels haha) Only a small area is actually dangerous when whipping, so it'd be pretty difficult to reliably hit someone with the sweet spot let alone specific areas like the eyes. You'd essentially have to time where the opponent would be ahead of time if they rush at you

[@ZenakuShinobi]

Very good video. My only critique was at 5:16 was in Shad's video was the ability to use the whip to wrap around things like a tree branch and swing like Indie does in most of his movies and then with a flick of the wrist be able to free the whip from said object to proceed. They failed to do it in Shad's video. Can this be addressed with a follow up video perhaps?

[@colinlouk]

Of all the places I've hit myself, the one that hurt the most was when I did a overhead with my chain whip, and got the angle wrong and brought the chain right into my fingertips.....I felt that one for a couple of hours.

[@heirapparent5004]

Kyle Hill has a great video on chain whips. They're incredibly powerful but very dangerous for the user. Along with risking your shoulder...

[@raifthemad]

Army of Darkness was just a movie bro. That's not how you actually fight with spears. You don't really swing a spear. It's a thrusting weapon with a lot of reach. You really have no idea how spears are used in combat if you think that they're just staves with a pointy end.

[@Jyval]

How detrimental for usability would it be if you added a light mace head like metal ball to the end of the whip handle? That way you could still use it as a sort of flail/blackjack even after your opponent manages to close in.

[@krad_eno9399]

This is a very nice, sophisticated, calm and respectful response videos. One of the best I have ever seen on youtube. Thank you.

[@pRahvi0]

A great video. I love the use of clips from both Shad's video and the various masters you referred to. Well scripted and on point answer too. Also, the ending made me chuckle. :D

[@elverdaderoechomikeoscar]

Greetings Taylor. I must ask if you see anything about the "rebenque" a short whip used in South America that was used as a weapon in "Esgrima Criolla". But mainly it was an expensive tool for horsemen.

[@jameshamaker9321]

I'm now curious, as to how the professionals would use the item in question, as seen in the Indiana jones movies. could someone show whether or not the whip is also usable as a grapple for swinging from things like tree branches or a gimble for railroad mail bags?

[@NosyArts]

I am very glad Shad made his video, because without it, I would've never learned that whip experts exist, and that the whip is a lot more interesting of a weapon then I first thought. This was a very interesting video

[@billnyetheaquaticfly]

5:33 not to sound unfrindly but they were trying to wrap it around the tree to see if you could theoreticly swing across a gap like in indiana Jones

[@kubilayalbayrak8419]

I'd just love for you to go to shadiversity and demonstrate whip usage properly and determine how efective a whip really is! great video

[@ZealotFeathers]

What a seriously good video! Got the impression that you were a tad irritated at some of their conclusions, and, yeah, I get it. I’m a software engineer who was rolling his eyes at the hype around the “meta verse”, so I know the feeling. But FANTASTIC VIDEO, I learned a lot!!!

[@RexusprimeIX]

I'd like to suggest to you that you should take like a solid 3-second break between your cuts-as in when you say a sentence then look down, presumably at your script-that before you look down, just keep staring at the camera for a few more seconds, so that later in the editing you can have a clean continuous dialogue without that split second of looking down each cut.

[@darkranger116]

Hmmm.. this makes me wonder how possible or effective it would be to make a "combat whip"? Would it be possible to add some kind of "mace head" on the base of a whip handle after finding a balance point between weight of material used? And would it still be heavy enough to be an effective mace?

[@JR_22A]

Old leather whips had a lead counter weight on the bottom knot, you can do that and have a 1-1/2 foot handle, that would be okay, you can swap the end knot with a straight up mace head and be good. There are 2 handed whips that are more less a querterstaff with a whip at the end too.

[@cornonthejaycob3088]

This is a fantastic response that is really informative. Great video overall. A quick point of constructive criticism though (just so any future responses can be even better), you do seem to take a couple things out of context, and then reply to shadiversity incorrectly. The two biggest ones were when Nate was whipping the tree, and when Shad was talking about it being an effective weapon. Nate was specifically whipping the tree in an attempt to get the whip to wrap around it in an Indiana Jones-esque style, the tree wasn't getting in his way, it was his target. Shad had earlier talked about his qualifications for an effective weapon being the ability to incapacitate an enemy on the battlefield, that's why at the end he says it is ineffective. Again, great video, learned a lot, just wanted to give a quick pointer for next time you make a response.

[@atacstringer8573]

This is a very well put together and very respectful video as well as super super informative I just recently got a bullwhip and I am not very good at it yet so I think I'll be checking this channel that little bit more thank you

[@christinaalana2177]

Just going to start off by saying that I love Indiana Jones but I don't understand why he is the go to example for whip wielders. He basically uses his whip as a rope. There are better examples of people in film using it in an offensive/defensive capacity.

[@helpdeskjnp]

Great video. At a Sayok Kali seminar in Tampa I once saw and heard a whip used indoors and it would blow your eardrums out! So fast and definitely didn’t wanna be hit by that!

[@cycleboy8028]

I made a comment on Shad's video... I think he has the wrong "tail" on his whip for battle purposes. Shad's looked like a wide ribbon style end, probably for show/deeper cracks sounds. I used to have a whip when younger with a 1 foot 1/4" wide "wire" of leather. This being so small in surface area is what can cut skin open with the crack. Concentrate all energy into the smallest point possible.

[@MartinSeckofficial]

Where would you recommend someone get started? I'm a life long martial artist and this is a subject I'd enjoy trying.

[@taylor.whips1]

Check out Anthony De Longis’ page. He has a lot of courses on how to use whips, and there is no better teacher than he. Adam Winrich also has a great number of videos on KZbin that teach whip use. buymeacoffee.com/anthonydelongis/extras

[@MartinSeckofficial]

@@taylor.whips1 Thanks!

[@MrSquadallah]

One thing I'd like to point out, while other weapons such as swords might not always damage the armor, they usually have much bigger energy as you use them. That can lead to concussions or sometimes even broken bones, despite not cutting the flesh. Whip is just a cutting tool and therefore it is less effective of a weapon. Even in close enviroment you can always use stabs with swords and spears, you can do that even in a miners tunnels. I wonder if you can do that with a whip? Don't take it as an offense, I am really curious as to how much space you actually need to crack a whip.

[@garynaccarato4606]

I think that as a when it comes to the whip I personally think that it does have a lot of potential to do the job in a self defense situation or depending on the nature of the context which we are talking about.I think as far as the pain compliance factor and using that as your means to stop people I think that alot of the time in many situations with many different various people using pain compliance would certainly work as a means of stopping a possible assailant but I would also say that depending on whether they happen to be on drugs,depending on whether there mindset and mentality is different then most people,depending on they are full of alot of adrenaline or that they just so happen to be nuerodivergent or neurologically wired differently then most people so thus they don't really react to or sense physical pain in quite the same way as most average people then using the pain compliance factor as a means of self defense might not be enough or that it may not really be quite as effective as what you thought that it was going to be but with that being said most people do forget about the fact that besides from the lash the handle could also be used as a means to attack and that it has the potential to pack more concussive strike to an assailant if all else were to fail and plus if you had the right size of whip you actually can in fact use the two opposite sides in your left and right hand almost like a tri sectional staff.

[@Omidion]

Could a whip be barbed or adorned with razors at the end to increase it's lethality ? (Castlevania comes to mind)

[@rdizzy1]

I wonder if you could attach a very small sharp piece of steel to the end of a heavier whip, and use the strength and sharpness of the steel+ the sound barrier breaking speed combined.

[@Bill_DeBerry]

I don't know about longer whips used for combat purposes, but in pain compliance it was a fairly effective addition. The downside being that if used improperly or by someone who wasn't proficient, it poses a significant risk to the user as well as the target.

[@rdizzy1]

@@Bill_DeBerry Yeah, I just figured if his normal whip can cut through some things, that a whip with a steel tip should be able to pierce chain mail, somewhat. Or you could just use metal chain whips, and sharpen the last links.

[@Bill_DeBerry]

@@rdizzy1 Those actually exist too. The problem with trying to get through chain mail is that it's flexible enough to absorb most of the impact, which is why a large selection of thrusting swords exist. Cutting through chain mail is extremely difficult, but getting the point of a thrusting weapon in a link and forcibly spreading it is much easier.

[@JR_22A]

You can use steel wire like the ones on bicycle brakes as a cracker and work the exact same, but still you won't get through any armor, even a heavy padded jacket would reduce the hit a lot even to the point that it would be kinda ineffective, you could still grab them tho.

[@JR_22A]

@@Bill_DeBerry You don't need to be that proficient really, Shad and company went in blind, a weak or two and some youtube videos and you can do pretty good with a whip, like 2-3 inch accuracy, wrapping stuff, doing multiple cracks, etc, you don't need to be a master (altho, yeah if you master it its better) to do what you need to, grab a hand/foot/neck and pull or smack them in the face. (Edit) Same for not smacking yourself, a weak or two and you pretty much won't hit yourself unless you are trying to do tricks or weird stuff.

[@thorgarwulfson9269]

sorry for the second post, but had a fun thought, could you braid in obsidian into it and not mess it up?

[@richardpeterson4440]

Is that the courtyard in the Provo MTC? I swear I recognize the lights.

[@yavvivvay]

Whip (or any other simple weapon) does not multiply energy - it just happens that the energy of a tingy thing moving very fast is similar to the energy of a large thing moving slow - and way more concentrated.

[@MarkWiseTechno]

11:05 "Yes, that is correct analysis." 😂😂😂 That moment was perfect

[@CotaViking]

I think their expectation of the whip as a weapon is to be capable to incpacitate an opponents

[@amirhosseinmaghsoodi388]

Thanks for the video. It's quite a nice expansion to the Shadivesity video.

[@ChrisGorman87]

Thank you SO SO much for making this video! I commented on there video tearing them a new one for making a mockery of whip cracking! In my opinion they made themselves look very very stupid!

[@colinlouk]

We also need to bear in mind that whips are made of different materials, Adam Winrich showcased a whip made out of steel cable. That thing is evil. Now I need to get some steel cable to make one. Lol

[@dexi600]

This is a remarkably informative video, thank you! It was so interesting to see all the different ways whips could be utilized as an effective weapon

[@Hordil]

You should come to Germany, Rottweil, during the carnival time ( Fasnachtszeit ) and watch them swing their whips! :)

[@jesseshort8]

Great response video. Constructive criticism instead of just flaming them for what yhey did wrong. Well thought out, well spoken, well informed video. Great job.

[@randomusernameCallin]

I like that in Shad video they bring up range vs weight.