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https://kvetun-armoury.com/ They do make really nice feders (our club store sells them), out top longsworders use them over regenyei. I'm planning on buying their "Irish feder" at some point, their FB site has picturest of it.
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Dec 20, 2018 14:37
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Ataxerxes posted:https://kvetun-armoury.com/ Must investigate. Cannot believe I've never heard of them before... I am totally slacking on the gear side of the house...
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Dec 20, 2018 15:13
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Ataxerxes posted:"Irish feder" at some point, their FB site has picturest of it. OMG that thing is beautiful.
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Dec 20, 2018 16:41
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Unzip and Attack posted:OMG that thing is beautiful. Wow, yeah it is.
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Dec 20, 2018 17:02
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Liquid Communism posted:Wow, yeah it is. Prices are not all that bad either. I just wish more people made Federschwert without Meyer style grips. That thing is LONG. Almost 11 inches. And add another 1.5 or so for the pommels.
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Dec 20, 2018 17:05
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I was hoping to get a video today to try to get some guidance but it’s been raining all day. I went out very briefly after practice as much as I could indoors and drawing the cut gave me very different results. Before when I would cut a bottle it was very loud and inspecting the bottle afterwards I could see the point of impact, like the plastic bent a little where the sword entered the bottle. Doing it today it ranged from quite quiet to completely silent and the cuts were smooth all the way across so I was happy with the results. However I think I’m still doing something wrong but need to get the video also so I can try to see what it is by comparing that with some people online who I know are doing it right. For example I’ve lost quite a bit of range drawing the cut and it’s changed where the strongest part of the strike is in the swing. Hard to describe but hopefully the rain will stop over the weekend so I can get back to it. I also need to find some place that sells pool noodles in the winter.
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Dec 20, 2018 21:46
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I'm glad that helped! I've never actually cut a thing, I just parrot things I read on the Internet.
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Dec 20, 2018 22:46
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EvilMerlin posted:Prices are not all that bad either. I like a long grip, but then I am a long person. Dangit, I have no opportunity to do longsword work right now, I should not be coveting a feder.
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Dec 21, 2018 06:26
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Liquid Communism posted:I like a long grip, but then I am a long person. I'm middlin', height, weight etc. But I'm not a huge Meyer fan, so I like a slightly shorter hilt... But I am a big flan of the crown shilts.
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Dec 21, 2018 15:19
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Liquid Communism posted:I like a long grip, but then I am a long person.
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Dec 21, 2018 19:29
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More than likely. I'm 4" taller than you, though, so the extra hilt space makes it easier to have good hand position for me.
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Dec 22, 2018 01:04
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I think I read that a longsword was supposed to come up to your armpit historically. The grip length, of course, seems to have changed wildly over time. Getting longer as the period of the longsword ended. The Albion Meyer is a great feder. I have seen quite a few of them snap right at the crossguard in the past couple of years though. Not sure how old they were at the time, but I know of at least four that broke the same way. Two were in use by larger folks that fight hard, two others not so much... Kinda like blade size in the Japanese world....
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Dec 26, 2018 15:21
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So I have these now (so pretty, all the colours!) but my vnitis just won't die. Even against the overenthusiastic left-handed teenagers who think the best thing to do when getting hit on a parry-riposte is to just fleche, what's priority or lockout time anyway
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Dec 29, 2018 01:25
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(Tl:dr: looking for advice on form) Hey guys, if any of you have a free moment and don’t mind giving it, I’m looking for some guidance. I ordered the cheapest functional sword I could find on amazon for about 100 bucks thinking I’ll check it out and send it back. I’m happy with my MAA Italian Longsword but I was just curious. It doesn’t fit the scabbard and the edge was really poo poo (but sharper than the Italian Longsword was by far) but for the price it is certainly functional, everything is tight and no real non fixable issues. However the weight was mislabeled. They put it at 2.8 lbs. on the description (one reason I was so curious about it) but it’s actually 4.2 lbs. the grip is also much smaller than what I’m used to - it is listed as a hand and a half sword and that is pretty literal considering the size. Anyway, I recorded myself to see if I could notice a difference with how I’m swinging with the extra weight and noticed some issues with both the sword I’m used to and the new one. There’s something weird with how I’m following through I think. I’m wondering if I’m subconsciously afraid of hitting the ground and although the cuts are straight, I seem to be scooping the sword upwards after the cut. The first cut is with the Italian which I did to compare with the new sword, last 3 are the new hand and a half cheapo. I’ve been working a lot on drawing while cutting after the last advice I got here and it helped a lot with the cutting part but this being the first time I recorded myself since working on that I’m seeing a difference in my form and am not sure exactly what is good (if anything), what is bad and how to change it. So, if anyone has any advice I’d certainly appreciate it! Oh also I should mention the “poo poo” at the end was because I thought I hit the tripod I’m using as a stand. I baaaarely nicked it and the sword is fine and the tripod is missing a sliver of plastic. The new sword feels so much harder to control than what I’m used to. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpCJPxlnOOo
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Dec 30, 2018 20:19
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rio posted:(Tl:dr: looking for advice on form) If you are afraid of hitting the ground, you are already going to gently caress it up. If you are using the sword properly and swinging it properly, it is impossible for you to hit the ground. You need to beat this into your head over and over again. Nope, its not easy. Looking at the video: 1.) You are "cocking" your sword before the strike. If this was a tournament, I would immediately be hitting you in your arm/hands before you were able to do anything. Stop televising what you are doing. A strike should start moving forward, never back. You don't do it a lot, but you do it enough that it is a give-away. 2.) you are rotating your cut to do your draw way too much. You begin your cut fine (with the exception of televising it), but you then put some type of weird motion into it, probably to get the draw cut. In slow motion right up to 8s you are doing fine, but then you rotate your wrists, pull your shoulder forward and leave the point behind you. This is something that is not good. Your cuts need to end with the point forward. Why? Think about being attacked. If you swing and leave your point behind you... what is going to happen with your attacker. We are told to leave the point forward in several codex. I would really like to see what the cuts on the water bottles look like if you have any images of them. The cuts will show a lot more than I can see even with the video slowed way down.
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Dec 31, 2018 14:22
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Hey guys. I read the OP and I’m thinking about getting into Kendo. There are a number of schools in my area that I’ve been trying to compare online. I’m planning to go in-person to check some of them out before I commit, but what are some things I should be looking for online and when I get there?
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Dec 31, 2018 17:53
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Vel posted:Hey guys. I read the OP and I’m thinking about getting into Kendo. There are a number of schools in my area that I’ve been trying to compare online. I’m planning to go in-person to check some of them out before I commit, but what are some things I should be looking for online and when I get there? Kendo is a tough one. I would say make sure they are AUSKF members.
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Dec 31, 2018 18:04
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rio posted:I ordered the cheapest functional sword I could find on amazon for about 100 bucks thinking I’ll check it out and send it back. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1s0dRcdyizU&t=5s Nektu fucked around with this message at 18:33 on Dec 31, 2018 |
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Dec 31, 2018 18:30
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Nektu posted:Just a bit of warning: "the cheapest functional sword" is cheap for a reason. When the blade shatters (maybe because you hit your cutting stand) you will have broken pieces of sharp metal flying fast in random directions If its made of stainless its not functional....
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Dec 31, 2018 18:54
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Nektu posted:Just a bit of warning: "the cheapest functional sword" is cheap for a reason. When the blade shatters (maybe because you hit your cutting stand) you will have broken pieces of sharp metal flying fast in random directions It’s not made of stainless steel (listed as 1065/1090, which I’m not sure about but it is flexible and appears to be carbon steel of some sort) and it has a full tang. I wouldn’t have even used it if it arrived and seemed at all questionable but with its faults the actual steel seems good, seems to be tempered well and because of that it actually has the potential to be good but the other issues add up to me probably returning it. That katana isn’t even pretending that it’s not stainless steel and although this sword has faults it is a functional sword that I’m not afraid to swing. EvilMerlin posted:If you are afraid of hitting the ground, you are already going to gently caress it up. Thanks a lot for the feedback! I have been working from the start on not bringing the sword back before striking but what seems to be happening is that I’m stepping into the strike before moving the sword which makes the sword cock back a bit - would you say that’s what’s causing the cocking or is it actually my bringing the sword back with my arms? I’ve been starting the strike slower since working on the draw to makes sure I’m entering the movement in a controlled way but if that’s going to make me develop bad habits in the long run I’ll stop doing it. Leaving the point forward is advice I haven’t heard and will be really useful I think because it’s something I can clearly see if I’m doing or not so I’ll work on that. I haven’t hit the ground and before working on drawing the sword while cutting I wasn’t ending up with the sword where it is after each cut in the video so I imagine I’ve introduced this from incorrectly trying to draw the cut. I didn’t even realize I was doing it so I’m glad I decided to record it to document the sword before most likely sending it back. I have a ton more control over my normal longsword than this heavy thing so I’ll get to working on these things with my normal sword. Here are some of the bottles, the first photo are bottles from this video and the second from before I was working on drawing the cut. Back then the bottles made a lot more noise when I cut them - quite loud and almost sounding like I hit the bottle with a bat which I guess is because o was just tearing through them. From what I could see my movements looked like what I was seeing in videos of people who know what they are doing but the results showed that I was certainly not doing what they were doing and that’s when I got the advice here about drawing and starting in on that. I hang onto some bottles from each week I’m test cutting because I’ve read that eventually I’ll be able to tell what I’m doing from looking at the cuts and the second photo has bottles from maybe three weeks ago. Some from back then look even more jagged where the blade enters the bottle and the cuts were never clean all the way through or straight.  
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Dec 31, 2018 19:06
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rio posted:(Tl:dr: looking for advice on form) I would start by raising the target to about eye level. Training yourself to strike downward at a low target (as opposed to forward) from the start can lead to bad habits later on. I would also be wary of where your sword ends up. Your sword is finishing pointing away from your target by your side. You should be stopping your cut as the sword comes down to your center, with your sword still threatening (pointing toward) your target. Stopping your cut properly is just as important as cutting properly.
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Dec 31, 2018 19:33
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rio posted:It’s not made of stainless steel (listed as 1065/1090, which I’m not sure about but it is flexible and appears to be carbon steel of some sort) and it has a full tang. I wouldn’t have even used it if it arrived and seemed at all questionable but with its faults the actual steel seems good, seems to be tempered well and because of that it actually has the potential to be good but the other issues add up to me probably returning it. That katana isn’t even pretending that it’s not stainless steel and although this sword has faults it is a functional sword that I’m not afraid to swing. Thanks for the images. They are mostly the same. Your cuts start well but almost at the end you either are turning or pulling the sword along a different angle. From the video you posted I MOSTLY think its because of your weird wrist rotation as you begin to pull the sword back. Here is what I recommend, cut thru the bottle. Stop pulling or pushing the blade. Just to a zornhau. For now leave the point to the ground. I'd like to see some videos of you doing just that. From vom tag to an alber. Nothing complex. Nothing hard. But I want to see your form when doing this cut. As for leaving the point forward, its something a lot of people don't do. Its something that a lot of folks don't teach, but its proper form. Why? Because if you don't you are leaving yourself far to open for an attack or they are going to close the distance and enter into either dagger or ringen range, neither of which you want. You have a sword. Keep them at their distance. Let me get home to my library and I will find the codex comments on leaving the point online. I know they are out there and in some of the better known codexes. I wish you were closer, I'd let you try out my Viceroy (named Manifest Destiny, it was a gift from a lot of HEMA folks, so I had to give it that name). Its an amazing blade.
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Dec 31, 2018 19:37
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Verisimilidude posted:I would start by raising the target to about eye level. Training yourself to strike downward at a low target (as opposed to forward) from the start can lead to bad habits later on. I would also be wary of where your sword ends up. Your sword is finishing pointing away from your target by your side. You should be stopping your cut as the sword comes down to your center, with your sword still threatening (pointing toward) your target. Well said.
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Dec 31, 2018 19:38
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If you’re struggling with good form, you can start out cutting without stepping. Footwork changes the trajectory of the cut and can be a big distraction when you're focusing on what your hands and arms are doing. Just, uh, remember to put your right foot forward when you cut from the right.
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Dec 31, 2018 20:02
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Siivola posted:If you’re struggling with good form, you can start out cutting without stepping. Footwork changes the trajectory of the cut and can be a big distraction when you're focusing on what your hands and arms are doing. Careful here. Cutting without stepping is... well its just not teaching anything. For me, and for the folks I teach, I just can't do cutting without moving. It takes away from the art in my opinion.
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Dec 31, 2018 20:17
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Which art, anyway? The art of cutting with a single step forward?  The trajectory of the cut changes depending on where and how you step anyway, it's fine to learn the mechanics of "swinging a sword" standing still. Obviously you need to move beyond that once you're comfortable with it, but that goes for any practice anyway.
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Dec 31, 2018 20:36
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Siivola posted:Which art, anyway? The art of cutting with a single step forward? The point is (oh boy, the puns), is that cutting in HEMA isn't a static thing. And we shouldn't practice it as such. I get we need to understand the mechanics of swinging a sword, but that isn't done stationary either... Again, this is the way I teach, and its perfectly OK to disagree with me and teach differently. I just think that teaching the sword means using it with steps.
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Dec 31, 2018 20:50
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Vel posted:Hey guys. I read the OP and I’m thinking about getting into Kendo. There are a number of schools in my area that I’ve been trying to compare online. I’m planning to go in-person to check some of them out before I commit, but what are some things I should be looking for online and when I get there? Make sure that they're members of the national FIK sanctioned body (AUSKF in the US, CKF in Canada, etc). This will pretty much guarantee that you're getting the real thing. Most places will ask you watch a practice before letting you join, so best thing is to ask to come and watch a practice  .From there, it's then a question of what kind of kendo you want to do. To compete? Simply to learn the art? A mix? The dropout rate is significant and one of the most important things you can do in order to ensure that you'll get through the first 4-5 years is that you have a group of peers to practice with. A dojo with lots of high level people can look very attractive, but it's also an extremely tough environment to survive in, if there's not a steady stream of beginners. (It'll take you the best part of a decade to become 'competitive' with the high level people). There's a lot of etiquette involved and it can seem kinda stiff in the beginning. What area are you looking at? I may be able to filter some of them.
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Dec 31, 2018 21:00
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EvilMerlin posted:The point is (oh boy, the puns), is that cutting in HEMA isn't a static thing. And we shouldn't practice it as such. I’m of the opinion that practice works best when you start with the easiest form of something, and then when you understand that motion, you move on to more complicated movements. You start by cutting in isolation. After you understand how to make that work, you begin to cut with steps and additional movements. I’ve had much success teaching students via regressing motions into easier and easier forms until they find the one they can do consistently. Then I have them practice the next step of that motion. Cutting and fencing aren’t two distinct operations, you should cut like you fence and fence like you cut, but as a teaching tool it’s imperative that people start developing good habits early rather than potentially compounding bad habits with poor but effective technique.
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Dec 31, 2018 21:27
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Verisimilidude posted:I’m of the opinion that practice works best when you start with the easiest form of something, and then when you understand that motion, you move on to more complicated movements. I would argue that footwork is the hardest and most important to learn and I believe that's what most martial arts starts with.
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Jan 1, 2019 01:30
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ImplicitAssembler posted:I would argue that footwork is the hardest and most important to learn and I believe that's what most martial arts starts with. Footwork, yes. Cutting and stepping is a separate context, however. You learn footwork, and you learn cutting, and then when you have both figured out you bridge them.
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Jan 1, 2019 05:12
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Verisimilidude posted:I’m of the opinion that practice works best when you start with the easiest form of something, and then when you understand that motion, you move on to more complicated movements. This is why I'm big on teaching cutting with a step...
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Jan 1, 2019 05:28
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EvilMerlin posted:This is why I'm big on teaching cutting with a step... You do you. What works for me and some of my students, which I learned from far greater teachers than I, works.
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Jan 1, 2019 07:00
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This is nice: https://vimeo.com/303759007
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Jan 1, 2019 20:56
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Verisimilidude posted:I would start by raising the target to about eye level. Training yourself to strike downward at a low target (as opposed to forward) from the start can lead to bad habits later on. I would also be wary of where your sword ends up. Your sword is finishing pointing away from your target by your side. You should be stopping your cut as the sword comes down to your center, with your sword still threatening (pointing toward) your target. Thanks a lot for the advice - I raised up the target and it does seem more intuitive that way. Not sure how I ended up deciding it should have been so low the whole time except that originally I was using a cardboard box to hold the bottles and that’s how high it was so I guess I just kept it that way without thinking about it. I’ve been working on where the sword is facing as well but also doing the following. Siivola posted:If you’re struggling with good form, you can start out cutting without stepping. Footwork changes the trajectory of the cut and can be a big distraction when you're focusing on what your hands and arms are doing. I had started doing that, cutting without stepping, but due to the advice here I started stepping at the same time. I think I will invest some time into both but when only swinging without stepping I felt like I was overcompensating with my swing since I wasn’t getting the momentum of the step with it. I’m not sure if I’m doing both at the right time still relative to one another though. EvilMerlin posted:Thanks for the images. Thanks again for the advice - this has been really invaluable giving me direction with what to work on. After some practice I just recorded trying to not draw (or in my mind what was drawing) at all and tried to focus on where the sword was ending up, having my arms against my body tell me where the sword should stop. There seems to be some variation with where the sword ends up though. I can take pictures of the bottles too if you’d like - not all were straight cuts. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVGMJYFtYzc
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Jan 1, 2019 22:02
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ImplicitAssembler posted:This is nice: Yes, yes it is. Those overhead cuts look pretty terrifying, how much of the action is arm as opposed to wrist and fingers?
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Jan 2, 2019 06:29
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Crazy Achmed posted:Yes, yes it is. Done correctly, at the time of impact, it should only be fingers. The shinai itself actually absorbs a lot of the impact and the armor takes care of the rest (mostly). My main teacher is 74 years old and I can't touch him.
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Jan 2, 2019 07:15
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rio posted:Thanks a lot for the advice - I raised up the target and it does seem more intuitive that way. Not sure how I ended up deciding it should have been so low the whole time except that originally I was using a cardboard box to hold the bottles and that’s how high it was so I guess I just kept it that way without thinking about it. I’ve been working on where the sword is facing as well but also doing the following. Already looking better. When you step, where is your front foot pointed (IE your toes)?
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Jan 2, 2019 14:01
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EvilMerlin posted:The point is (oh boy, the puns), is that cutting in HEMA isn't a static thing. And we shouldn't practice it as such. Just wanted to chime in that I teach much in the same way. My personal prerogative is to combine as much of the basics into the students natural proclivities as soon as possible. Most folks I teach have some modicum of athletic competence, so stepping usually comes pretty naturally and I tend to only teach/correct footwork when errors are made. The only times I've had to start with footwork first is when I'm teaching a really un-athletic/uncoordinated person.
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Jan 2, 2019 16:34
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DandyLion posted:Just wanted to chime in that I teach much in the same way. My personal prerogative is to combine as much of the basics into the students natural proclivities as soon as possible. Most folks I teach have some modicum of athletic competence, so stepping usually comes pretty naturally and I tend to only teach/correct footwork when errors are made. Yep. Cannot stress enough learning what your students can and cannot do when you teach is such an important part of the process. I have some natural athletes in my school, as well as some total desk nerds. I cannot teach them the same way. So you feel out what they can and cannot do and when you have focus time you bring them to as close to a common denominator as you can.
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Jan 2, 2019 17:04
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