Can it be Done? - Defeating the "King of Weapons"...
HTML-код
- Опубликовано: 9 сен 2022
- Looking for unique wedding bands or badass bling for your personal style? Get 20% off Thorum rings with coupon code SKALL: www.thorum.com/
The spear has been called the "king of weapons", and it was ubiquitous on the battlefields of history. It was also used in judicial duels and even self-defense situations. The reach and speed makes it able to put a lot of pressure on shorter weapons. So how would a swordsman deal with it (in an unarmored duel)?
So let's take a look at what makes spears so dangerous, what options you have with a longsword or single-handed sword, which techniques 15th and 16th century manuscripts suggest, and how it all works out in sparring against a fully resisting opponent.
You might find this useful as reference for medieval or fantasy settings in your writing, RPG worldbuilding, or video game design. Let me know what you think.
Other relevant videos:
Sword vs. Polearm - Can You Just CUT it Off?
• Sword vs. Polearm - Ca...
Arms & Armor 12th Century Spear VS. Riveted Mail and Ballistic Gel
• Arms & Armor 12th Cent...
Dane Axe VS. Longsword... Think You're Safe? Hah!
• Dane Axe VS. Longsword...
Dueling = Less Offended People? - Let's Look at History!
• Dueling = Less Offende...
** Music credits **
"The Secret Within the Woods" by Hitctrl
opengameart.org/content/rpg-t...
Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 license (CC BY 3.0)
"Messenger Part II" by Elegh
opengameart.org/content/elegh...
Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported (CC BY-SA 3.0)
"Tiptoe Army" by Alexandr Zhelanov
opengameart.org/content/tipto...
Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0)
"Recorder Jam" by Of Far Different Nature
opengameart.org/content/recor...
CC0 1.0 Universal Public Domain
"Battle Theme B for RPG" by Cynic Music
opengameart.org/content/battl...
CC0 1.0
"Laments of the War" by Cethiel
opengameart.org/content/lamen...
CC0 1.0
Outro:
"Highland Storm" by The Slanted Room Records
theslantedroom.github.io/stev...
Used with artist's permission
** Merch **
www.bonfire.com/store/skallswag/
If you want to join Bonfire to start selling your own merch: www.bonfire.com/welcome/07bb1...
** Support the channel **
Help fund future videos, get bonus content and access to an exclusive Discord server:
/ skallagrim
/ @skallagrim
www.subscribestar.com/skallagrim
Other ways to support the channel by shopping through affiliate links:
Kult of Athena, my favorite online store for reproductions of historical arms and armor, fantasy swords, etc:
www.kultofathena.com/?koa=259
Where to get HEMA gear and practice swords:
www.woodenswords.com/?Click=1799
Want to treat your face fluff? I highly recommend the balms and oils from Beard Sorcery:
beardsorcery.com/?ref=0UEFtHW...
Books about history, martial arts, swords, knives, video/audio equipment, and other stuff I recommend:
US - www.amazon.com/shop/skallagri...
Canada - amzn.to/2HeOCMA
** Social media **
/ _skallagrim_
/ skallagrimyt
/ skallagrim_yt 
Развлечения
My brother and I used to spar with sticks outside like this. He made himself a shield and a spear and I had a hard time beating him with my fencing saber style... Until I found out that running at a full speed and baseball sliding to cut his ankles is way too crazy of maneuver for anyone to actually predict lmao
gg there slugger.
Playing with sticks, the universal commonality with us all. Brilliant solution by the way, kudos for that.
Yeah? My little brother use to try to do that till I smashed my shield down and moved out of the way, then poked him with the spear lmao
Yes charging is the way to go.
Good luck not getting a braced spear to the nuts as you slide in
RESULTS: My 12 years of fencing experience against my classmate who 3 years fencing and 2 years focusing on spear: he beat me about 7/10 times. A skilled spearman who is not overcommitting, just sniping you, is extremely hard to beat.
I'm recently starting to learn spear fencing and, gotta say, this is quite inspiring
I mean yeah, the logical thing to do is evade and thrust. Maybe use a shield with a notch to be extra protected.
That first sentence was very hard to understand.
if you do fencing to spearman instead fighting, that's why you thing is hard to beat spearman. Believe me, in Poland we learn how to fight with sword. Sword is only a tool, try to think how to use every element of you armour, legs, hands, knife, smal shield, terrain etc.
Everybody always talks about knights but what about Dhays in the Middle Ages
Important to note - in this sparring session, that's only a 7ft spear. Typically a spear is going to be 8ft long, and sometimes almost all of that extra 1ft is extra blade (which complicates grabbing attempts and creates a bigger drawcut/slashing threat with the spear). Having to cross an extra 1ft of ground to counterattack significantly complicates matters when trying to take on a spear with a sword. Even cuts to the spear-man's hand become difficult to land if you stay flatfooted and do not AGGRESSIVELY come forward (usually 2 steps or a half step into a lunge).
I have had this sparring fight hundreds of times over the course of my life. While the techniques shown do work, they are more like "quick advice that might give you a chance" more than how you actually need to go about things. The way I've learned to fight with a sword is actually pretty specifically expecting to be out-ranged every time, as the sword excels at winning fights whenever it has superior range.
To fight a spear with a longsword with some real chance of success, this is what to do:
1) The best, and in a way ONLY guard that works consistently is a modified peasant guard. Your pommel should rest just above your crotch, with your arms bent at about 60 degrees so that you can make fine adjustments to your blade position merely by bending or straightening your arms. Your blade point should be above your head, but otherwise pointed as forward as possible. Square your shoulders and do not put one foot too far in front of the other.
2) Defensive movements should be small ones, done at the very last second. You do not move to defend as soon as the spear attack comes, but when it is halfway there. Keeping your defensive movements small is critical - this is how you avoid falling for feints and can beat the incredible speed of the spear tip. I will describe the movements that you use:
- to block any attack higher than your elbows -
Bend your elbows slightly. Turn slightly to one side, at the hip. Make sure to contact the spear with your blade as if your blade is only 1ft or 2ft long. Do NOT push your elbows or hands forward when defending the attack, as this leaves you vulnerable to a follow-up attack and also prevents you from immediately counterattacking. If the attack goes for the face (and it generally will), if you cannot deflect the blow to one side... block as if going into a king's guard as you repeatedly step forward as aggressively as possible. Do not stop coming forward if you have to commit to a king's guard to defend. If you are able to merely deflect the attack to the side, the typical follow-up is a 2-step advance (or half step into lunge) downward angled slash of some variety. However, some middle thrusts from the spear will set you up more naturally for a horizontal or undercutting angled slash instead. Go with whatever feels most natural, as it will be fastest.
- to block at/below your elbows (option A) -
This method is most useful to deal with thrusts/slashes targeting your hands, arms, and lower torso.
Straighten your elbows all the way. Turn slightly to one side, at the hip. Bend your knees slightly to drop your torso a few inches. Dip the point of your sword forward until it aligns with the attacker's face. These are all extremely small movements that can be done together to drastically adjust your guard at the last second, framing out the enemy attack. As with the high block, deflect the attack left/right as if your weapon is only 1ft or 2ft long. After deflecting the thrust, step in aggressively as previously described. Extend your arms to attempt a thrusting attack, then return to your defensive stance - modified peasant guard, ready to defend. If your thrust landed great. If it didn't, you need to be ready.
- to block at/below your elbows (option B) -
This method is most useful to deal with thrusts/slashes targeting your legs, and to deal with a high/low feint into a low thrust. It is the most committal block of the three methods and should only be used when the other two methods will fail to make contact with the spear shaft. However, if you land this block the fight is over pretty much for sure.
Extend your blade point forward without straightening your arms. Step backward with your lead foot as you drop your blade onto the shaft of the spear from above. As you are about to make contact with the spear, straighten your arms and drop your weight downward slightly - this will bat the spear tip harshly toward the ground. Rush forward aggressively as you thrust at the now defenseless target, and run them through. If the target gets away from this attack somehow, just return to peasant guard after your thrusting attack. You need to anyway... odds are this is a battlefield scenario, and there will be a new attacker on you immediately.
3) Be "mechanical" in your movements. You aren't looking to feel graceful and swing your blade around in arcs. You do a movement (offensively or defensively) as a sudden snapping motion and then return to modified peasant guard with a second snapping motion. You want speed, not fluidity. Nothing you do, at any point, varies from this pattern of returning to modified peasant guard between actions - because when you aren't in that guard, you are highly vulnerable to being hit by the spear. Your attacks and steps are like this too. A thrust is something like... shufflestep > lunge + thrust > guard. If you miss, you miss. Doesn't matter. What is most important is to be in that defensive posture as often as possible, where those small movements are enough to counter the faster longer weapon.
4) Only frame out attacks the minimum amount needed. Your body is a vertical line. Treat your blade as a second vertical line that you merely push slightly left/right to impede an attack. Your skeletal structure, with proper stance and a block that is low on your blade (toward your grip), is enough to completely block a blow from much heavier weapons than a spear. You can trust the block - you don't need to try to push your hands into the block, and you don't need to extend your arms toward the enemy weapon. Important to being able to frame left OR right as needed is to square up. Do not stand at an angle with one foot severely forward. If your body cannot twist at the hip to block to your forward side, you will not be fast enough on that side to defend against the spear there. Your blade will end up wildly out of position. And you will also struggle to make quick counterattacks, as you'll either lose reach or have to make a lunge out of a reverse stance. (All kinds of footwork complications arise that you can't afford vs a weapon as fast as a spear.)
...That's about it. The short version anyway.
I'm trying all this out as I'm reading this. Let me see how this goes.
Edit: 2B might have a slight problem: if the spear wielder tries to stab the rear leg of the sword wielder anywhere below the knee, the sword blade doesn't go low enough to contact the spear haft, unless one squats down quite low, which might compromise mobility.
I also think that Skall needs way more footwork and energy to get in and out. So that could mean he get tired quickly compare to his opponent. But it would have been great if they'vechanged weapons in the video, to compare the ability of the two different soldiers, because experience could be another reason too
Spears rarely had foot+ heads
@@Vlad_Tepes_III You do squat, quite severely. It is a commital movement, which is why you only block this way when it is the only block that will work. I would describe it actually as letting your body fall, then catching yourself after youv'e successfully deflected the spear. It's the fastest method of dropping your mass to just let your legs give out.
@@Omniseed Think polearms. 8ft+, with much longer bladed heads than a simple spear. Some of them were quite light in the hand, as far as quickness - don't underestimate the leverage you can get with two hands spread out that far apart.
"Just split his damn skull and hope for the best" is just good martial art advice in general.
😆
He has become more than just an average peasant Warrior. He is now the Legendary Super Peasant Warrior!
There is one they fear...they call him dovaspear!
Kurwa, real Super Peasants carry scythes. "Magnaci i czarodzieje" is a true historical account.
I feel that its often forgotten that 7 foot spears and shorter are also staffs. Their ability to deliver hard blunt force strikes with either end can be devastating.
I think that staffs are thicker than spears in most cases and have a different shape.
@@nikvettdepends on the staff, and the spear, but both are generally round, straight sticks.
When would it be useful to turn the spear into a double sided, blunt sword. Less range, less damage, sure you can slash, but that is barely an advantage. The spear is great because of its length and biomechanical thrusting advantage.
@@jasonsomers8224 as an opponent attempts to press your spear to the side, or maneuver around to close the distance you would then want to use strikes. For example holding firm with the lead hand and sliding the spear back through the rear hand (extending the length of the shaft rearward) while also pressing into a rear handed lead strike creates a power and fast counter that many would struggle to deal with on reaction, they would have to predict the move in order to defend against it.
@@rfphenom7691 the problem is, by the time you have transitioned and struck, your opponent has already struck you with a far more lethal blow. The instant they close the distance is the instant they are striking, and usually, an instant after you have struck. Even if they closed the distance without you first striking, your chances of success are best if you deliver a solid thrust as they come in. Of course, this is all theoretics based on my experience. Perhaps your experiences have been different.
Skall's cheeky jabs at the hands had me rolling because they look funny but are so accurate from a a tactical stand point. If your opponent can't hold his weapon, he's done for.
hand snipes are pretty common overall. Very useful if youre smaller. If you're dueling with the same weapon and your opponent is taller he has more range for deeper targets, but you always have equal range for hand hits.
And then there is gauntlets + the other hand.
The other hand being especially important on spears. You might hit and even injure the leading hand, but the other hand can still drive the spear deep into your more important parts while your sword is in no position to defend.
Honestly this brings back one specific memory. I was training with my Hema group, The Schola St George, and we were doing spear basics as a group. Near the end of class, I decided to switch back to my longsword. I lasted three fights. The first I cleanly deflected the spear and stabbed my opponent in the neck on the next beat. The second opponent attempted to win with grappling and so came in closer, but failed to restrain my blade, and I managed to wrest it free and point it at his head. My third opponent was the assistant instructor at the time, and with his Keen eyes he noticed I was falling into a pattern. And so he took advantage, traversing out of my sight and whacking me in the side of the head. That was an exhilarating two-ish minutes of time.
“A quick in and out, you know how it is.”
- Skallagrim
Skall has been making quite a few innuendos recently. You could say Matt Easton *rubbed off* on him lol
20 minutes, in and out, should be simple
Swordsman: hah that was a bit tricky but I beat the spearman!
*pikeman appears behind him*
Pike is only a good battlefield weapon as its too unmaneuverable outside of a formation. A formation protects the pikeman's flank and also a layered wall of pointy stuff incase you fet inside the first tip.
Back in college there was a history professor that practiced HEMA in his spare time, and the 9ft spear was his preferred weapon. He said that as long as he had adequate room to maneuver there was no other weapon that could ever touch him. However if the opponent had the same spear or the ring was smaller, he'd lose more often because there were more opportunities for his opponent to get inside his guard.
Yep - if the spear is much longer, it changes things a lot.
Each weapon has its unique advantages/disadvantages also optimal operation range/angle. That's why Knignt/Wu Jiang/Samurai were trained various different weapon and close combat unarmed techniques.
Great video! I think the key takeaways here are, to defeat a spear with a sword, you must either
1. Close distance on the spear user, preferably in closer than they can realistically withdraw the weapon for a counterattack;
2. Gain control of the spear, either with a freehand or a bind;
3. Resist the urge to withdraw in defense, and instead advance in defense.
4. Some combination of the above.
And people wonder why my preferred weapon is a halberd...
Hi, in Chinese martial art, for spears in this kind of length, the sliding thrust and the rear hand thrust are the only two types of thrust one uses. Only spears a lot longer and heavier (or blunt staff) will one use the "simple" thrust. The disadvantage of the "simple" thrust is too huge. And we usually use the right hand as the rear hand for these short spears, because most people are right handed and both 2nd and 3rd kind of thrusts are powered by the rear hand.
We usually slide till the rear hand about touching the front hand for a firm thrust. The range of such thrust is longer and so a spearman can strike when the swordsman is still further away, and less need to step forward. Less step forward means easier to retreat when the thrust fail to hit.
Excellent points. Another important movement in many Chinese spear forms is the 'ghost shakes body' movement, which pivots the spear quickly from high to low with the rear hand, then uses a rear hand thrust down the middle. I saw Matt Easton using a very similar movement, so presumably western styles have something similar. On the saber side, the saber wrap is (roughly speaking) a stirring deflection of the spear that can be followed up with a grab for the spear shaft with the free hand, then step forward to deliver a cut to the spearman. The whole interchange between spear and saber is very well developed in Chinese martial arts.
ruclips.net/video/AVvGMHS5HYU/видео.html
I found this guy doing some live Chinese spear sparring. It’s the best spear fighting I’ve ever seen. His name is Mo Jun (魔君) a trainer for a martial club.
Yeah, the only real comment I had was the spear used here is about as short as spears got. It limits the advantages (and disadvantages) over other weapons. I guess the take away is the imbalance would be worse normally.
If nobody else uses it the Rarety alone might turn it into a Good move Again. Nobody thinks your gonna do it and thus are catched of Guard.
@@seretith3513 the advantages of that attack though are the power, not the speed or reach. So it will surprise people into defending something they didn't need to, which won't exactly win the fight
Having the cut ins of the manuscripts was great for clarification purposes and really distills the video into a neat and concise format. Great work as always, fascinating stuff.
When Matt Easton talked about his experience in the reenactment battle, he said his armor took care of the spears (didn't even hurt) and he was able to rush in.
A lot of the blows that count as points wouldn't actually damage someone in mail, much less plate mail, I feel like. The way hema stops and grants points for glancing blows confuses me. The entire mechanics of the fight change when you don't need to move decisively to maintain power.
Well, most people train in the context of unarmoured fighting, academic / guild / gymnasium fencing, as it’s more accessible (in many ways) and easier to train from slow to live speed. Armoured fighting is its own animal-and aside from a scant few texts on how to grapple with weapons and plate harness (and thus technically brigandine), we simply don’t have that kind of comprehensive body of material. No small part of that is due to how unsafe it is to train weapons meant to harm you through the intended armour, which means it comes back to grappling with whatever’s in hand.
On the specific matter of glancing blows, that’s determined by the ruleset or by the sparring partners themselves. After all, HEMA is still young and varies even within countries-the international agreement upon what to do in competition is very minimal when people are still revising and refining their competitive scoring systems.
@@jonharker9028 I can definitely understand it from the perspective of safety with real weapons. That's perfectly reasonable technical strikes would be in place when using real weapons or anything similar.
I guess I was thinking more about the foam or floppy weapons that we often see in practice, where a tap on the outer thigh from some outstretched pirouette with no power and leaving the offender completely out of balance and open to counterattack shouldn't cause the bout to end in a point. Some of these draws should have favored the person with a legitimately decisive blow, and some of the losses where the victor won on a technicality via glancing blow, while the loser is left in a strong position to counterattack, should not have ended prematurely in favor of the trivial contact.
In general, it would greatly depend on whether the context of the fight is intended to emulate a duel in armor or daily clothing.
For this video, I would think they'd be interested in the armored case, at least leather but maybe more like mail, since they are trying to estimate the full potential of sword vs spear combat. Not many spear duels took place in your everyday cloth.
I must admit that I was surprised that the longsword performed so well against the spear most of the time in the earlier simulated unarmoured combat trials in the video. I expected a much more one sided advantage for the spearman, much as seen later on - maybe a product of more familiarity with the infamous pointy stick over time?
If the sparring partner was as good with a spear as Skall is with a sword, I think it would be more one sided
The shortness of the spear plays a role too. Most spears historically would be longer than the one used here AFAIK.
@@bassemb this is the thing I noticed. Most spears not used for throwing were much longer.
Skal too OP. Needs nerf
The sparring is not chronological: he said he bunched the examples as "sword technique success", "sword technique kinda worked", and "the rest".
I noticed that the longer the sparring went on, the more sword like the spear attacks became.
At one point both people were using the exact same movements to attack and defend, despite having different weapon types.
Fatigue.
Which is why practice is important. When you are no longer thinking, you instinctively act according to muscle memory
Yep - fatigue. The shots from different days are spread across the video - one day we were both just completely exhausted mentally and physically, plus high humidity, and only got maybe 20 minutes of sparring in (where we usually go for ~2hrs)
@@EladarImm Ayoo it's the dude from the video
@@EladarImm interesting...
Do you think the same would happen to people trained other weapon styles?
For instance: find someone that primarily trains with a rapier and have them fight with a dane ax.
Or someone that trains with a saber and give them a longsword.
Will they all naturally drift into muscle memory (and the moves that are associated with their preferred weapon) as they fatigue and stop focusing so much on proper form?
This was a really interesting video. At first it seemed it was very clear that both of you were better swordsmen than spearmen. But as the rounds progressed, it became clear you both got comfortable with the spear and made it very difficult for the swordsman. I imagine for a swordsman to really win they would just have to have a superior footwork to set up the right strikes.
And hope the spearman isn't well trained.
Loving this sparring series, Skall. The camera setup on top of the shed was a nice choice. Gave a clear view on some of the movements and hits.
That Nutcracker hit at 15:16. Even I flinched a little.
Cheers.
Kudos to your sparring mate. He seems right combination of calm but with great level of humor and having fun. Really helps you both do your videos AND keep them entertaining. Enjoyed watching this video (like i have enjoyed your other videos) ^^
Thanks!
Yeah, it's always a blast.
The dude looks like a veteran Viking straight out of the nine hundreds from a Time Machine.
@@EladarImm absolutely magnificent beard my man
The editing on this video was honestly really good! I've been watching for a few years now, and it's been an awesome journey! Keep it up!
Second this!
How many times did you see the pool?
Same here. I don't watch his videos as much as I used to, but I ain't gonna unsubscribe. Every now and then he posts something that's in line with the old "ask and answer a cool question about medieval stuff" style.
Shad on the Shadiversity made a video about cutting spear shafts recently. And while you certainly won't do it in one swing, I was actually surprised at how deep he was able to chop into hardwood with a sword.
I expected the hardwood to be much more durable due to it's natural density.
It shows how even a simple breastplate eliminates the majority of the dangers from standard spear attacks.
Unarmored, the risk is extreme due to how easy it is to do a center mass stab. The spearman loses very little in terms of balance or positioning when he attacks the abdomen, and it shows.
Armor would change the dynamic and require more precision from a weapon that’s more difficult to be precise with compared to an arming sword.
Nooo
True
1 guy with a spear, no issue - 200 guys with spears, you'd better have some buds of your own.
@@Truehavocify so people in acient time send 1 swordman to confront 200 spearman that good history my man
If you give both guys specifically a breastplate and nothing else, then yeah the sword user likes that. But if you give both guys say full plate, then a pollaxe becomes much better than a sword, because a pollaxe can beat armor while a sword can't.
Also, spear use 101 is quick attacks high / low or low / high (with "low" meaning an attack against the front leg). That's hard to defend against, because some of those attacks might be feints, and a breastplace doesn't stop you from thrusts to the leg.
I think the weight of the tip is an important factor in this, I would be curious to see the speed difference between plastic and metal since in my experience even a plastic halberd becomes surprisingly easy to catch due to its heft
You can make it shorter to make up for the extra weight.
@@szarekhthesilent2047 true. But then it loses some of the long pointy stick aspect
@@brendenjohnston7946 which is why pointy stick is the better choice against people with a lot of range and not much armor.
@@szarekhthesilent2047 You don't necessarily need to kill with spear. You can use to control your enemy so your buddy with a halberd has easier time striking them.
@@szarekhthesilent2047 The spear in this video was already far too short and when wielding it they frequently did so as if it was a wooden sword with a pointy bit on the end.
Love this. I think one important point in the sparring in this video is the relatively short length of the spear being used, which affects the outcomes significantly. EDIT: also, starting at contact distance affects things a lot too, rather than engaging from farther away and seeing how a spearman might snipe at an engaging swordsman.
Yeah, I think an extra 1-2 feet on the spear would have made a massive impact. With its length being so short, it often felt like there wasn't much of a reach advantage.
Also, swiping attacks and grip changes are basically impossible, mostly due to the clamshell gauntlets.
Usually spearmen didn't fight alone easier, they were cheaper troops and facing two spears is going to be considerably harder to get to contact distance.
2:44
It’s good that Skall pointed this out. Many people think that a hard strike to the side wouldn’t do much to the blade as it would spring back but in reality swords were not springy anywhere near what we imagine and could take a permanent set
I love that you have a reliable sparring partner again!! It's been so much fun to watch and I'm sure it has brought a ton of enjoyment back into video making for you! I know how much you love being able to practice the techniques before you teach them!
I think the real lesson with those spars is don't over commit. It looked like most of the hits came from one person or the other tunnel visioning just a little bit especially with the Dane axe. Then again I really only know the theory, haven't done hardly any sparring
That Dane axe was terrifying. If I was a spearman I'd probably crumple too to a guy swinging it like that and probably screaming while he did it.
If you have a spear you probably won't have to worry about a Dane axe too much. Your thrust is a lot faster than his swing. More often you'll be able to hit them before they can hit you, it's easier for you to disable their mobility and incapacitate them than it is for them to do the same to you as well as killing blows.
I’d like to see how shields change the dynamics, especially since spear and shield was so common.
a medium sized shield would give almost the same effect of a breastplate. Being able to control where a spear must target limits its effectiveness significantly. The added bonus being the shield itself can then be used to parry or displace the spear unlike a piece of armor.
Yeah. It also makes the spear far less agile and effective. You can’t slide the shaft for those quick range changes with only one hand.
It strikes me as odd that so many sword vs spear HEMA discussions involve spears being used like quarterstaffs when using a shield was so common. For example, when discussing the advantages of the spear, everyone mentions sliding it to instantly alter the reach, but that’s not possible when the spear is in one hand alone.
Obviously short spears were used without shields sometimes, but that’s far less common. They’re also way less common than the super-long types, i.e. pikes.
I think that we need to pay more attention to those two styles if we want to really under the sword’s place on the battlefield.
One thing to note with spear and shield is that it was typically used in formations, and many soldiers in those formations would have short swords or other secondary weapons for when the formation itself fell apart. This is because the spear and shield combo is not ideal for solo or a disorganized melee. Spear and shield offense is pretty much thrust straight forward, not much versatility. You could say it's pretty.... to the point.
A big shield and a short sword are a hard counter for a spear. There are shots you can throw with the spear against a charging shieldman if you choke up fast enough, but they're all longshots, and you're generally hosed if your enemy gets inside your inner reach alive.
Spear and shield loses against everything in a duel but wins against everything in groups larger than five or so. Alone, you just don't have the leverage to maneuver the spear fast enough one-handed, and it is easy for an enemy to bat your spear out of the way and rush before you can recover. You can slow your demise with the shield, but the attacking options are limited and awkward. But with a team, everyone can cover each other by throwing cheap rib shots into someone who's attacking someone else. When you get rushed, all you have to do is survive until your buddy gets him.
Keep in mind that most spears are not just tips they are blades, assuming unarmored, things at places like 12:26 would still tear you open pretty bad and would count as a real wound or hit. Also generally as a spearman I find starting in binding range is generally a disadvantage for me. The idea being that I have to whirl around my spear at much greater degrees the closer he is where as my swordsman opponent can continue straight attacks. This gives the swordsman an advantage at closer range and I find that binding range is in favor of the swordsman not the spearman. I mean at 17:58 this kind of makes the point, at binding range it's a lot easier for the swordsman to just force the bind, then grab and move in.
One other trick you can do as a spearman when you're lightly armored is circle your opponent at a constant pace, so long you have a reach advantage of course. What this does is requires them to offset their feet to move towards you. They can't always keep their toes pointed towards you if you circle, you can run faster then they can pivot, if they back peddle a bit to try, just press in a bit and force the issue, they won't be to keep their toes pointed towards you. What this means is that when they eventually move to close the distance it will inevitably not be with their feet pointed directly towards you, they themselves will have to circle a bit to get to you. This overall increases the distance they have to move to get you, which is a nice little compounding factor for your range advantage. Also if I'm already circling them when they try and bind, my already moving direction makes it a lot easier for me to unbind and redirect my attack. It's dumb, but it works.
wait zula-ryu (teogonia) is real?
Again, this sparing footage adds so much dimension and depth to these videos. Great job 👍
man the dane axe sparring looked so cool! we need more of that
that axe has a nasty bite. despite the protection I worried for skall's fingers. a most fearsome and practical weapon.
Great video. I've find the best thing against spear is a shield. Even a viking shield or heater shield where you can't protect your legs with is still very effective. Though stabbing the legs is possible with a spear it take a lot of point control to do it and if your opponent is expecting it its really easy to side step or leg void. And they'll expect leg strikes because much of the rest of your body is behind the shield.
Now I've done Sparth axe (basically a 6ft dane axe) against spear (between 6-10ft) and what I find more reliable is I'll hold my hands far apart and hold it almost vertically and off to the side of my body. This creates a wall to one side and when they attack I move it over to the opposite side which wipes every thing away. If I get a bind then I move in to near grappling range and swing the axe choked up on. For power I use the same mechanics as if I'm throwing a boxing hook or uppercut depending where I have the head at.
Yap, I've got some experience of fighting with a spear both in duels and in wall of shields, and I would say, that if man with a shield is able to rush a spear man in more than 90% of situations spear man is dead. Shield covers whole body and neck, and it's easily can be used to defence laps, so you can just run into a spear when he is not covered by a men with a short arm near him or another spear behind him, and a chance of getting a thrust is quite low
@@user-vd7pn8le7t Overarm. naturally helps with getting over most shields and is less akward in close quarters especially when combined with smaller shields.
A good suit of armor is even better than a shield. If both knights have high-end armor, I believe the longsword would beat the spear (if nothing else, because the spear would be worn out earlier). A pollaxe would beat the longsword, though. However, if the knight were facing 2 unarmored peasants with spears (while wearing armor himself), the longsword might cut through those peasants faster and with less risk than a pollaxe.
Fighting with a sword against spears without any form of protection is not a good idea, though.
@@szarekhthesilent2047 I find the overarm rather tricky. Like you can stab at the head better but I feel like I have less control and leverage compared to underarm or couched. I'm saying its not effective as we have countless of images and records of spears being used this way (Gaelic cavalry for example). I just haven't figured out how to use it yet.
@@haakoflo I think in armor the longsword and spear would be comparable. Assuming both having tips made for armor piercing that is. The longsword has the advantage of using the murder stroke for more bludgeoning damage and though the spear could do the same it would be less effective. Spear has the advantage of leverage in grappling. Its easier to hook and and the longer lever gives more control. Of course the pollaxe would smash both as it has the advantage of both weapons and is specially design to fight against armor.
I'm not sure if the 2v1 match would work like you think. If the unarmored ones know what they're doing and have the space to move around then they could keep the armored one at bay. If one flanks he could stab the gaps behind the knees as seen in the Knight of Hope video. They can keep stabbing at gaps from a safe distance and moving away every time they try to close the gap.
Great editing, love the sparring you've been doing lately!!
The best tool to counter spears, that I've been able to practice with, seems to be a knife.
All you have to do is back away, wait for an overextended thrust, and grab the shaft and move it aside as you close the distance.
The main downside to a spear is that the handle can hinder movement and options, so closing in where they can't move makes them vulnerable.
It's a similar mindset of closing the distance against a sniper, where their honed marksmanship is less of an issue.
With respect, I think that your spear partners overcommit to their thrusts if you can consistently win with a knife. A huge advantage of the spear is quick jabs from range, in and out and in and out, and if you try to grab and it was a feint then you're dead.
But sure, if you're better than your sparring partner, that might work. A problem in the west is that there's nearly zero really experienced spear users.
Didn't expect a Dane axe to pop in, that was a pleasant surprise!
It looked like an actual metal one ... and that is pretty dangerous in sparring.
Seems like a lot of this goes out the window if it's a bladed spear, as the spear head sides frequently made contact.
Great video Skall. Thanks! Looking forward to the next ones. You had some interesting ideas with the spear in some of the clips, holding it not always point forward and swinging.
It seems like it is crucial to be able to step laterally and get off your planted foot to avoid the low stabs.
Another excellent and entertaining video. I love this format, plus it looks like you're having fun! The more I see the Dane axe the more terrifying it seems.
Practitioner of TCMA here. Very interesting video. Thank you.
I practise with the spear, although I have never sparred with it. For me, weapons training is just a supplement to my "empty-hand" training as a form of power-generation exercise.
Still, I noticed some key differences between Chinese spear-wielding and medieval European, not just in this video but in other HEMA videos and pictures from manuscripts. I'm writing this as much to clarify thoughts in my head, as a comment on this particular video.
My impressions about HEMA:
1. Often does not hold the weapon right at the tail end, rather it often seems to allow as much as a quarter of the shaft to protrude out the back (I mean when in a guard position, rather than when in very close-range combat where the tail is being used as a striking end). This reduces the distance between the spearman and the point of the sword, which reduces the advantage of the spear.
2. Often thrusts the lead hand forward when thrusting with the point. Again reduces the range advantage of the spear by pushing the lead hand into striking range of the sword. Combined with point #1, this would bring the spearman way to close to the sword when delivering a thrust.
3. Often leaves a short gap between the hands when blocking strikes to the head. Reduces the amount of shaft available for blocking and increases the risk that one of the hands will be hit.
4. Often withdraws the spear before thrusting or even merely while guarding. Again, reduces the range advantage of the spear by giving ground. Also telegraphs that a strike may be coming.
Of course, this is all just theory to me, since, unlike you HEMA chaps, I do not spar with weapons.
I have a video on those basic point in TCMA on my channel, if you are interested.
Kind regards.
Declan Chellar
Seriously, polearms and staffs became my #1 favourite weapon type. 💪 Its so relateable. Since swords and maces are expensive and require fine Skill to make, a staff, lance or spear can be made from material that is around everywhere in your local woods outside town ❤️🙏
Honestly, one of your best videos, equally informative and fun. Keep up the good work!
So, it would appear that from watching this sparring, that the ways to 'not die' as a peasant spearman are :
+Keep longer distance.
+DO NOT engage in bind.
+A longer spear could help.
+Use the spear like a spear, not a longsword.
+Do not enter the swordsmans distance, ever.
+Never take the point off the target (no silly spinning sword type movements trying to cut with a thrust weapon...)
One tactic is to start sucking on the end of your opponents spear until they drop it in a mixture of confusion and horror.
Then you have a whole, free spear to eat!
6:00 When using your shaft, remember a quick in and out is best.
Very good video. I don't watch everything you put out these days but this one was right up my alley of interest
Thank you for the the video. I am always entertained by what you present year after year and I appreciate your commitment to this life changing sport.
Looks like flexibility of the spear has a huge effect on control and speed
This spear seemed to be an analogue for a more eastern type of spear than a European one, which of course can change the fighting style completely.
The Chinese spear fighters tended to want a more flexible haft and I’ve heard that they intentionally chose more flexible woods for the haft to be able to use its flexibility.
question out of genuine interest, would a single edged blade with a curve (saber-like I know its vague) of around the same size be possibly better?
my two thoughts on this was
1: I've seen examples of very pronounced hooked tips on blades been used to hook a weapon when reverse binding, could it limit the options the spearman has to retract ? I'm not sure how relevant this is or if it is just be over thinking it
2: even though the blade would be a similar size to control space parry and such, slashing blades typically get more value in the cut which is closer range than the tip. it looked like a number of the strategies used is to disarm the long pokey threat in some manner of being relevant then advance in to strike, I thought maybe being able to stay more firmly inside that range the spear is cumbersome and be in lethal range might be a more solid solution.
thanks for the cool sparing was fun to watch :)
Absolutely loved this video, will definitely use the sparring as reference when writing.
I'm really REALLY liking this new format of doing your usual kind of video and then showing the techniques in action! And it seems at least one thing I've learned from gaming is true to life, that you have to be more aggressive to get past a spear. Watching the sparring confirms this to me. lol :D
I was expecting Skallagrim to just go in the frame and say : You don't
and then the video ends. Lmfao
My partner got me a new ring from Thorum and it is fantastic! They also went above and beyond by making a more detailed origin for the materials and they made it quite artistic as well.
Oh, and the video is great Skall! Keep em coming!
One or both fighters carrying a knife/dagger in the belt opens up a world of possibilities...Got any sparring vids with such a combination? Would love to see
I would love it if there was a counter on screen, counting spear hits vs sword hits!
Except that is not what determines who goes home from a real world encounter.
@@annoyed707 good point i guess. Did they reason like that in this video though? I don't remember.
Hey, I was wondering if Skall could help me out with a protagonist that will use a spear. Thanks for the vid, bro!
Stick 'em with the pointy end! xD
Someone said spears are basically staffs so you can hit with both ends for pretty good effects. What are you working on with your protag?
Step one, hold r2 and press triangle to switch to wind stance
Step two, hold triangle and release to typhoon kick spearman
Step 3, run up and press square to stab him in the heart while he's trying to get up
Thanks for making a video on this, glad my recommendation for a video went through!
Now we need versions with arming sword & buckler, & side-sword & parrying dagger. Also time to review the latest in modern protective gear. Some of the stuff you are wearing looks interesting. By the way, I start Olympic Fencing class on Wednesday. I know ... I'm a loser ... but that is all that is available nearby. Thank you, Skallagrim.
I love spears, so simple in appearance but effective, I also love how talking about spears with a mate can sound like comparing knobs.
Great vid Skall!
The spear executions from AC Origins are the perfect example of spears being criminally underrated with the cool factor.
I really like and appreciate that type of videos from you skall! Bravo mein Freund, tolle Arbeit!
1:52 The legend never dies
Love these sparring sessions. Really goes to show how much fighting can get hammed up with grandiose swings and twirls. While admittedly some game genres would greatly suffer visually by trying to adhere to realism, there is something very cool about swift wrist movements and deflecting/attacking in one fluid movement. Ideally we’d have balance and moderation with stuff like live action movies/shows utilizing more realistic fights, while letting video games like Final Fantasy and Monster Hunter use their crazy and over the top (but very fun) weapons and armor designs.
So I keep hearing and reading about how two handers directly counter polearms/pikes. Most of the time the description for how exactly they do so is... extremely lacking to say the least. I'd love a video about it.
It is not about European two-handers, but I showcase techniques from a Ming dynasty manual with the Chinese equivalent sword in my latest video. The technique showcase is about 22 minutes in
ruclips.net/video/h9YB5Cf3Em4/видео.html
Skal has already made this video! "How Greatswords Beat Pikes in Battle - Or Did They?"
ruclips.net/video/ZhEkF9FV6AU/видео.html&ab_channel=Skallagrim
@@thescholar-general5975 I needed something like this, thank you, and you've gained a subscriber.
@@Vlad_Tepes_III Thank you!
That's kind of content I like the most on your channel! Great work! I suppose that was hell of a job to film and edit all this stuff, but that is THE content :) Awesome
at 10:48 you really see how just mastering a basic technique like following through can also be a defensive movement as well simply amazing to watch stuff like this
Would love to see a follow up to show how much difference a kite shield or round shield in the hands of the swordsman would make!
This a great representation, although it is starting to show that you two are familiar with each others fighting method/type. :D
I honestly thought the spear would fare better, but I suppose since you are both experienced, you also knew what to expect and let creativity get some work in.
They are also likely far more experienced with longsword than with spear.
On top of what Scott said, they also started the duel at a range very unfavorable to the spear. And the spear should have been around 9 foot and not 7 foot.
This is one of my favorite type of videos you do. Good work 👍
Nice video, thanks for the reminder to watch it.
Great fun and very informative.
Hey Skall, I now saw you fighting you with a reach disadvantage twice. I think I can give you some tips.
Please try to build up pressure by moving in, even without an obvious opening. His attack shouldn't surprise you, since you know that he pretty much has to attack to ward you of. You block it while moving in. After that you end him rightly.
Sorry for the unasked for armchair coaching. But I think it can help, because it worked for me.
EDIT: Typo
You're right though
Y'all must not have watched the whole video.
Skall points this out at 17:30
@@TrickinNinja he doesnt point this, he point the contrary
@@TrickinNinja I say move in, he says rushing gets you impaled. Though he pointed out that moving backward while parrying is not good. Yes, in fact you should move forward while parrying. And I say if you are within his reach move forward, to build pressure and to close in. You can also play a little, feint a rush before actually closing in.
@@alfonsmuller2318 moving backward while parrying is not good.
Moving forward while parrying is good.
Both of these sentences mean the same thing.
And so you admit he already said that.
How the Fuck els are you going to reach him if the distance is never closed?
Seriously, as if skall never thought of moving forward.
Leaving the teaching to the teachers please.
something else about thrusts is that when they are sharp they will dig into flesh much easier, turning many misses where the point slid off into deadly strikes. Its similar to how sharper blades bite into tatami much easier.
Ive see many videos of yours since a few days now. And i really like you and your channel! Cool and informative stuff. ive learnt quite a bit about combat and whatnot
Grappling a spear back in the days was made even harder by covering it with grease below the tip, similar for Lucerne Hammers and the like. Very well done Channel, I just stumbled over it and started bin watching. Appreciate the humor and information as well as Your attitude towards haters and fanboys. For what I can Your pronounciation is pretty good for italian, french and german. A brownie point for that.
Can you fire-harden the spear shaft? Concept: harden the outer edge (hopefully not making it brittle) leaving the "softer" core. Hmmm....
the outside bends more than the inside, you wouldnt want to make the outside less tough and harder than the inside.
@@morgoth435 awesome thanks
The conventional way to reinforce spear shafts is with iron langets. Yes, that does make it much harder to cut through.
Great stuff. I'm wondering is it safe enough to spar with both fighters charging from distance? I feel like that might change the tactics quite a bit. Or is that mostly a movie trope and fighters generally slow down to face up?
Well, the thing to keep in mind is that much of HEMA and especially what Skall does, is based around specifically Duelling. In duels, you typically start the duel from a close distance, weapons at the ready with both participants knowing when the duel starts.
Longer distance fighting is more common on battlefields, which uses vastly different techniques and strategies (I.e. A heavy focus on formations, in which charges are sometimes utilized to try and break a formation creating vulnerabilities to exploit)
Why would anyone slow down when death is on the line? I would think that at least one party would be charging, if we're talking about a battle and not a duel. I can see a _formation_ holding a steady pace and slowing down before contact, but not a mad crowd of soldiers on the offense.
Yes and no, the less armor you are, the less likely you are to charge in.
But big screen style bullshit where the front line crumble and become a mess is just movie. People stay in formation, and the side stay in formation longer tend to win.
Great video! Loved the editing, especially the intro!
Thanks!
Awesome video, wish more of this kind of fighting made it to the big screen.
One thing often overlooked is that a spear whose lost its head has become a staff. A weapon good at breaking hands, knees and giving concussions.
Tips for the spearman: if you have a longer weapon, there is *no good reason* to go into a bind. A bind in symmetrical weapons fight ensures you can enter their measure with some safety, something you don't need when you don't have to enter their measure to attack. All you do when you bind their posta longa with a spear is give them your weapon to manipulate, so don't give the the bind, give them an attackk and make binding *their* problem.
Second tip, attack the hands and arms if your opponent keeps staying in posta longa. Even the threat of it will make him draw his hands back and diminish his range further, and actual smack there will decrease his ability to use a weapon, although that is hard to simulate.
Third tip, retreat well and retreat often. Don't do long series of attacks where you advance, make your opponent either come to you - if he refuses, attack him, but *do not* press him aggressively and be prepared to immediately reverse if he starts to advance. The place where your opponent is in your measure and you aren't in his is your greatest advantage, so make sure it's damn hard to make you loose it. This was probably the greatest contributing factor to spearman getting wrecked - stepping in too deep when he didn't need to.
Fourth tip, never stop feinting. Your feints as a spearman are perfectly safe, because you are (or you should be, see third tip) outside of your opponent's measure. What I like to do is throw in two or three fake thrusts just outside of my measure, either making the swordsman sweat to work out where the real one will land, or make him retreat and waste a lot of energy.
Fifth tip, against daneaxe, don't try to be fancy. Stick spear in front of you in the usual way and thrust home, you still have reach advantage against them. One handed thrust is your friend, because if they commit to a strike, they need more time to recover, making it work better. Still, simple "avoid the initial strike they use to displace and stab" routine will serve you much better than trying some weird positions.
Sixth tip, and this one may be personal preference - the guard I use to engage someone is this: sand in ochs, but with spear instead of a sword (and therefore a wider), and the lower the tip of the spear so that it almost touches the ground. Or alternatively, stand in spear posta longa , let the tip dip almost to the ground and rise the back hand to shoulder level. This position means your tip is in front of you and very hard to bind with anything, and all you have to do to block an attack is to bring your rear hand downward (kinda like a porta di ferro to posta frontale parry in spirit).
Also get a longer spear.
Returned to this video a year later.
It's still awesome.
This video shows exactly why mail was worn, shields were a big thing, why arming swords were sidearms and why longsword were only used in combination with lots of armor.
The spear was the main weapon (for a very long time) - and for a good reason.
Really like how you do sparring videos lately. Two-handed spear vs longsword, sword/buckler, or pretty much any 1H sword is just a beast. Even a full-on shield doesn't quite even the odds. Armor, however...
I feel like fighting a spear with a sword would be very difficult, unless you can somehow grab it from them, but thats also dangerous.
I imagine grabbing their spear is more dangerous for them than you. If you have a good grip you now control their weapon and they have to drop it and draw a side arm. Giving you prime time to end them rightly
@@mrp7874 That was my idea, kinda side stepping to the side, then grabbing the stick to control their movement. I say it's dangerous because its not guaranteed and you have to drop your guard and be quick, but I can't imagine what else you would do with a sword.
@@mrp7874 Suppose you give the spear guy a proper 9 foot spear. Now the spear guy can just feint, and if you try to grab the spear while it's a feint, you're dead. If you correctly read that it's a feint, well, that doesn't immediately win you the fight because you're still out of step + swing range.
What they also failed to do in this clip is just frequent jabs towards the front leg. You can't grab a spear aimed at the leg, and you could probably parry it, but if it was a feint then the sword wielder is dead (because a low parry is pretty slow, and the spear wielder just follows up the feint with a high thrust). If the sword wielder reads that it's a feint, that helps, but the spear wielder is still so far away that the sword wielder can't just step and cut.
Basically, the spear wielder can flip a coin by making a feint. The coin says: heads the sword wielder is dead, tails maybe the sword wielder gets a slight advantage but that's it.
@@lightworker2956 I wouldn't say one stab = dead but sure
Armour and that. Isn't as easy as just saying this one thrust I do will kill you. Same for a sword thrust. One hit doesn't mean you win or kill the dude, first it has to penetrate the armour and actually be a killing blow and not a flesh wound
dang what a great video. the editing and the pacing was perfect
Great stuff as usual scall! Your sparing buddy is definitely the reincarnation of one of those „Landsknechte“! 😎👍🏻
Awesome video!! Thanks for sharing!
I've always loved your analysis videos like this. I wish RUclips algorithm stuff wasn't so against content creators because you've always provided lots of great content and I think you deserve more views! The video isn't shallow or click-baity and I respect that 100%, just real stuff! (Sidenote,) Spears are epic weapons and have been pretty much forever. lol
GREAT editing Shad!
Through this I can really see why the extra bits where added to the spear end/ pikes grew longer.
With a halberd the swing does greater damage. Adding greater threat to the spear swing.
With the longer pike it's stay farther away please. + I have friends..
Skall, you killed it on the editing on this one!
THAT was the best beginning to your videos, the best beginning to anything, ever.
Loved the footage on this one!
Very interesting! Thank you very much for providing these videos. Bought my first Feder because of you. A Messer from Landsknechtemporium is on the way too ^^
Love the video, I think I actually found your channel from the Fire Emblem Weapon Triangle one. Is there a Legend for what the different colors of the hits mean? I've trained in MMA but not weapons, but from watching it seems like:
Green - Solid or fatal hit
Blue - Medium impact, maybe questionable against armor?
Yellow - Glancing blow
Keep up the great work! I love your format of discussion, analysis, and putting stuff to the test, plus narrating and breaking down the sparring footage.
Very cool! Great editing too!
It is also important to take into consideration the difference in binding with a sharp vs dull sword. I imagine a lot of the parries against spears work better with sharps especially when you watch the replays of exchanges where it looks like trying to parry the spear just makes it bounce around your guard. It wouldn't amount to a huge difference but the momentary sticking between the sword and the spear shaft would give the guy with the sword more time to move past the spearpoint.
Didn't there was this much to it when it came to spear vs. sword or longsword.
If a the spearman never binds with you it is pretty hellish and I never thought of that. Awesome to know and great demonstrations with Sindri.
Very good video. Great reference material. Thank you.
honestly, my instintct was always on feint effectively, making him doubts his entrances, play defensively (assuming an open space, lateral movement so to not play on the reach of the spear), maybe do an invitation (if i feel i'm faster than the dude with the spear), make the opponent expose himself/overcommit, close the distance, keep the pressure and then grapple/grab the spear if i don't feel like i can strike, cause grappling is safer; that's the way i dealt with spears in sparring
It's not a bad strategy, but especially against longer spears wielded by competent opponents, the problem is that the spear user isn't going to let you come into reach where you can realistically hit them. And you can't feint if you're so far away that you can't hit them.
I love watching you do some practical sparring to look into the techniques of the manuals. Spears may be simple weapons but even the humble rock can kill a man, never underestimate a weapon just because its simple! This makes me think of jsut how brutally useful spears are in Battle Brothers as cheap, effective weapons for your front line specializing at keeping enemies at bay while the backline pikes the enemy to death.