Question: What's better spear and shield or two-handed spear? Answer: Whatever Matt has. Really impressive one handed spear work. I thought it would be unwieldy, but you really made it effective. A nice follow up would be a 'lessons learned' vid. Which do you prefer (in an open fight)?
Well depends on what you are most comfortable with. Demomanchaos recommended me spear and shield over two-handed spear for dueling. Depends on your mad skillz and indeed Matt is MLG-tier what a pro!
@@ElDrHouse2010 Also depends on size and weight of spear. Heavier and bigger spear and better used in two hands, but lighter and shorter spear are more effective with a shield.
This is the sort of generic soft thrash metal they use for all sorts of tough guy things, all over the media - cars; extreme sports; aftershave; body-building supplements, and so on. It isn't right for HEMA. If you do use Metal I reckon use the good stuff. This is ersatz.
It's generic I will give you that , but it is a carbon copy of Van Halens style, more 80s Hard Rock I would say old chap,listen to "Hot for teacher" by " Van Halen" I'm sure you will agree. thrash wasn't even a concept until Dave mustane grew pubic hair. Sorry to be a terrible bore fellow metal lover
Sam Abrahams That is a very fair point Sam. But then all this music on RUclips can't be copyright free. There has to be some good stuff that doesn't make me think of high-fiving snowboarders with mohicans and crappy tattoos all over their unoriginal bodies.
I really really like the addition of music, It suits the high pace of sparring, and as much as I already do like to watch your sparring videos, I'll admit that it's kind of hard to retain my interest in them for the whole video. But, I didn't have a problem this time.
Azelliz Remtora I too have ADHD and found this short video with loud music much easier to watch than his other boring videos. I hope he puts music over his rants too.
Duhya As someone with ADHD, I found the music incredibly distracting. What if, those who want a soundtrack can load up another tab with music and play that while watching, that way everyone gets to enjoy it how they please?
What I took away from this video was how different the two bouts went (probably reflective of experience and familiarity with the weapons). I think most would agree the shield bearer won the first, overall, and vice versa for the second. In the first, the spear-only wielder seemed at a distinct disadvantage, but he was also a bit passive and didn't use the leverage and speed of two hands. In the second bout, the spear-only wielder was much more active with both hands, his spear tip (leverage), and his feet. The move after the parry and over the shield at 4:05 was particularly nice.
I really like how aggressive you are when you fight Matt. It's rather nice to see. You also have very decisive movements with no apprehension or hesitation when seeing an opening. Good fights all around, thanks for sharing with us.
Interesting watch. Matt is clearly much better / more experienced than his sparring partners here. He was the only one to hold the spear all the way at the back for full reach when he used spear and shield. Some of his two-handed spear techniques definitely conjured up Fiore longsword. I think if the spears had been a little longer and heavier, that would have evened the playing field some for the guys sparring without shields.
What I loved most about this sparing episode was the way it successfully portrayed the argument that it is the person behind the weapon which wins fights, not the weapon set its self. At first the sparing seemed to confirm my belief that the spear and shield would be more successful (not impervious, just at a higher advantage). However, when Matt grabbed that spear 2 handed, he used his advantages and avoided his enemy's advantages, and whooped butt. It drives home the idea that no weapon set is better than another unless you know how to use it. Yes, spear and shield had a large defensive advantage, and on a battle field would be superior, but this isn't a battle field, and in this duel, it's clear that under this context, technique, and knowledge is far more important than a shield Thanks for the lesson without words Schola Gladiatoria
Matt almost always step off line to the right when he make thrust with spear and shield. And attack that he does that way seems to be more difficult to be countered. And also he IS aggresive. When he do spear without shield, sometimes he use stier/ rudder guard from meyer to parry thrust deceivingly (i don't know of it's name in italian system though) Good fight, gentlemen!
Lindybeige made a great video on the spear and shield (ruclips.net/video/3XuhoFszfe8/видео.html) and he shows how in an actual battlefield in wouldn't be a one on one engagement with that weapon paring. One on one duels with a spear and shield and long, drawn out encounter with very little going on for most of the engagement. Both sides just have to keep their shields raised and poke at each other. If neither side does anything stupid or never gets tired it could go on forever.
Great video!!!! As I learn more about the spear the more I am finding how well it performs. Your "instruction" has helped a lot. Would it be possible to have a few of your left handed students demonstrate how they compensate when dealing with a right handed opponent? Thanks so much again. Ken
I'd rather have watched it without the music, (or at least much lower volume.) If someone's found and is watching your videos, it's going to be because they already find it interesting. I don't think you need to add loud music to hold their attention.
Well, there's nothing else to listen to in this video, except some clatter noise from the weapons, so you can just mute the video. And maybe put some classical music on the background if you like.
***** but I want to hear the clatter of the weapons and the sounds of the footsteps, It's all important to understand what's going on. and It's not the style of the music I find offputting, It that fact the it completly overpowers the rest of the video.
LDazx If I watch closely I can perfectly well *see* when a hit connects and a foot steps. Also after a hit the one who was hit usually shows where he was hit. But yeah the song could be a bit quieter.
My initial thought when watching the first fight is that the spear-only fighter should have tried to beat the opponent's spear off-line before advancing, given the longer recovery time of the one-handed grip. He seemed to intent on targeting the opponent's body directly without using the extra leverage of his two-handed grip to clear the spear and shield. Thoughts? Agree/disagree?
Yes and no. Yes that is a good tactic if your opponet does not protect their point, but Matt is no slouch and I am sure that if his opponent started to attack his point he would have pulled it back and protected it with his shield.
acvarthered That said, I still think the two-handed wielder should have at least attempted it more because; 1) the extra leverage of his two-hand grip would help compensate somewhat for Matt's greater experience; and 2) it would at least give Matt something else to have to think about, and perhaps disrupt his initiative somewhat.
dajolaw No doubt it is the right play, but there are no perfect tatctics in combat. I would be overbinding him all day long until he chocked up on the spear and hid it behind his shield or his arm turned to jelly. That being said I doubt it would take him long to do the former.
Did it distract you from the clack of the sticks and the skreech of the shoes on the floor or something? You do realize that YT has a volume control feature, right?
Matt could it be possible to include a few comments from you or the participants at the end of sparring videos like these of mixed "unusual" weapons or combinations?
Excellent video, and great fun to watch! May I ask, why is there so little lateral movement (especially near the beginning of the video)? Is it because you're simulating a shield-wall battle where lateral movement is relatively impossible/inadvisable, or is there some technical reason for it? Or are you perhaps just trying to give the camera a clear view? In MMA/unarmed sparring (within my experience at least), lateral movement is always emphasized to make targetting and cornering harder. Keep it up!
Have you ever experimented with switching up your stance with the shield and spear combo? I have had a lot of success having my right foot forward and the shield close to my chest, basically closing my whole left side off. Having your right leg forward seems to give me more range with the spear, and I have personally feel it is easier to defend my right leg than my left, so leaving my right leg forward always felt like the better option. Just wondering what your thoughts are, Loved the video and looking forward to seeing more :)
i ask two questions. why not apply the "trap door" principle to the sheild in this case? wouldnt it be far easier to use that particular sheild to expose ones opponent rather then applying blocks with sheild of that construction? its my opinion that when applying a sheild in this situation the sheild should serve as a protection as you pass into the the threat. using it to misalign his point allowing for whatever counterattack the situation calls for.
Mat, a 2 handed spear could be considerably longer and still be more nimble or just as nimble as the shorter spear held one handed, giving it drastic advantages. Don't you think? Also, I think that a big thing to take into consideration is that slashing with a 2 handed spear is way more efficient due to leverage, specially to poorly protected areas like the neck, arms, tights, and needs to be taken into account and explored in the duel. Lastly, not being in a formation and having plenty of room to move around while jabbing from a longer reach, knocking the spear&shield guy's point out of line, and keeping him threatened by your point could be of great advantage against him closing in and be used to outmaneuver him, stress him into exposing himself, etc. And you could always half staff/spear him if he closed in, wrestle him using your free hand, draw a short sword or dagger. For me, the shield isn't at anywhere near it's full potential in duels, that requires a more active defense than passive. I really would ratter have a buckler that offers a smaller area of protection but has greater reach to defend for example the lead hand, and is also way more maneuverable, meaning it can cover more angles, and lastly in closing in it can be used more effectively to bash and create openings.
If you close distance with the spear and shield, what are you expecting to follow through with? Surely the guy with two hands on his spear can shorten his grip more quickly.
Matt a 60+ fps camera would make these fights look a little better on camera. If you use the video captured for educational purposes in your club you might want to consider getting one.
Matt, you have made your case for using a shield to me. If that is the same shield you showed us in an earlier video, did you paint the boss? Please tell us what you used to wrap around the handle.
So I haven't studied spear at all, but if your wielding it with a shield, would it make sense to have the spear foot forward to get even more use out of your reach? Or is the shield too large to do that effectively? I know when I fight Rapier and Buckler, I try to keep the sword foot forward for that reason.
With a shield you normally want to keep it further from the body, to create the biggest defence possible. That means left foot forward. Also, bringing the right foot forward makes your un-shielding right side more vulnerable, including the arm holding the weapon. So you can stand with either foot forward and you can change for specific actions, but generally with a shield you stand with the shield-side forward.
Really intriguing stuff, as always! Seems difficult to block an incoming spear with another spear though... is it better to fight spear with spear, or spear with sword? I know the length would be a problem, but it seems like it would be easier to bat the spear down to the ground with a sword.
ElDrHouse2010 It's not so obvious at high skill levels, where people train to close the gap on the spear wielder, or when both have equivalent shields. However, Andrew Forrest , the reach and offensive potential of a spear are quite a deterrent, and 2 handed it's really really fast, as Matt has demonstrated. As a rule, with a 6 foot spear it usually takes 3 swordspeople to even touch me. Even untrained spearpeople can hold off 2 people with swords for a while. I suggest you try it for yourself to see why the spear was the core of melee warfare for millenia. Does this answer your question?
Isn't that shield too small compared to the average Viking age shield? Also one-handed spear grip is too far back, seems too much of a sacrifice of speed for reach
I'm no expert, but I feel like people should be able to get a lot more out of that shield than they did. Most seemed very passive with it, just sort of having it to the side..
Lilliath Not really with this type of shield. It turns in the hand very easily, so you can't hold it out like a buckler to any good effect. Any hit will deflect it in your grip.
Lilliath Matt talked about this in a recent video. From what I remember, the combination of fatigue from holding the shield extended and the ease with which an opponent can turn the shield in the wielders hand (exposing a line of attack past it) make it most effective to hold it in close to seal off the sideline.
Matt Easton we who are not totally with formaillar with the point system dosent know what is happening the music is a nice touch . but as said down below ;)
The guy with the two-handed spear should have exploited the fact one-handed spear has no lateral stability more to take the spear out of the way and attack.
+hotsteamypudding Sword and shield is weaker than a long spear, so you'd still be risking giving the opponent an advantage. Though yeah, I'd say the strategy is viable at least.
if i was the guy with no shield i would switch stance to opponents open side, as you hold spear two handed it doesent rally mater what is your front hand in terms of handling, while swiching stance would give him more attack and defense options. When fighting a shield user with 2 handed spear, it is wise to adjust to his spear arm, not shield arm, that means you face his spear with your torso, not your back
Mr.Fox This makes perfect sense and we all discussed doing that - however, most people are far more adept at using a two-handed spear with a left-hand lead, so actually we felt it sort of balanced out - you'd gain a theoretical advantage of line, but lose the advantage of experience. Of course the answer to this is to practice with a right-hand lead more often.
scholagladiatoria yes it can be uncomfortable at first, but also there is another advantage of having your stronger arm as front arm, you get more lateral control strength, which means you can push his shield to side more comfortable, when you try to open the guard. However i am a bit biased on this, because i tend to switch stance a lot even when boxing to adjust myself to opponent, while most of people prefer to stay in their comfort zone
Irrelevant, more about the technique than the weapon, hed have had more options if he used the blunt end to block, parry, lever and use the spear head end like a short sword or dagger to effectively half sword on any part of the non shield side. Sometime choking up on the spear head and closing for a dagger style stab to the face is the best use of a spear...reach isn't everything
caveymoley Exactly wrong in your first post, but I agree with your second post (other than the first half of the first sentence). Tactics dictate weapons, weapons dictate techniques. If you choose the weapon you would use it to its greatest advantage, not force it to do what it was not designed to do. If the 2 handed spear were significantly longer than the single handed spear, and had a blade that was cut and thrust, then I would agree that some variation using polearm techniques could be applied in order to take advantage of the reach and use the butt end for blocking/parrying more often should the shorter weapon gain entry, but I would assert that even then you would be better off keeping the pointy end towards the opponent and using rapid jabbing motions and push/pull cuts to keep the man with the shorter weapon at bay. You would not need to lift the spearhead much with a true spear (8-9ft of ash, oak, or hickory) to gain the power needed to make a forceful bashing blow when using two hands on the shaft, you already have the mechanical advantage. Semper Fi
A Disappointed Horse Not an expert but wouldn't the fact that a spear is being controlled by both hands add power, speed and accuracy? Seems like it would be more an even fight with certain advantages and disadvantages to both participants.
Jim Riven Spear and shield generally has the advantage, though the size of the shield makes a big difference. A larger shield would have tilted things much more in the spear and shield user's favor. Spear alone vs Spear and Shield is a duel between control and coverage and in my experiences the coverage has won all but one about around two dozen match-ups.
I want a practice spear that uses the same polypropylene material as my cold steel practice swords. More specifically I want a slashing style spear that still retains some thrust potential. Can anyone help me in my search for one? Something like a naginata but made from polypropylene
blackraver5 Just a warning that this will kill your sparring partners, unless you pull the force from the blows or they wear very hardcore armour and neck-brace. The cold steel plastic wasters hit very hard as swords and polearms hit much harder than swords.
I know but thanks for the concern. It wasn't for sparring but for my own personal use. I didn't want a metal blade since I want to use it without risk of serious injury
blackraver5 Cold Steel's practice swords are apparently made of polypropylene. It's a little pricey, but you can buy it in rods easily enough if you search around online.
why didnt any of the 2 handed spear uses use their second hand to grab the others spear slide their grip up and stab the sheild guy a bunch of times up close ay? ??
Two observations: 1) The shield was hardly used at all, almost never offensively. It was also a rather small one. I would imagine pushing aside the other spear with the shield and stabbing the opponent in the torso was the safest attack in this scenario. 2) It's not an evenly matches duel. Aren't one-handed spears shorter than two-handed spears? Of course you can use all spears with two hands, but some spears are to unwieldy to use with one hand. I feel it would have been better, if the two-handed spear had been longer, to even things out a bit.
@@Mr_Chode It was mostly a joke mate. The overhand grip has one real advantage (hence why hoplites would use it). I can't remember it's name but you would basically let go of the spear for a second whilst stabbing by supporting it on your shield. You get a large amount of deadly length while the enemy thinks he's out of range. It also allows for easy throwing, but other than that, there is no other reason it is better.
scholagladiatoria Absolutely. But my question was about the particular video. Is it still the same case? In my humble opinion (unless there is a big skill difference between them) the person with the shield seems to have the upper hand. No?
GeorgeofGondor2 no its the user, the shield not was hitted much, the two handed spear guy just maked a wrong thing.. beeing to offensiv, if he would wait that the other attacks and instantly deflect and counter he would have the upper hand
everyones talking about disadvantages and advantage but noone is talking about the 2handed spearman learning to deal with someone with a shield. be it an advantage or not, so idk why the first guy asked that...
Question: What's better spear and shield or two-handed spear?
Answer: Whatever Matt has.
Really impressive one handed spear work. I thought it would be unwieldy, but you really made it effective. A nice follow up would be a 'lessons learned' vid. Which do you prefer (in an open fight)?
Well depends on what you are most comfortable with. Demomanchaos recommended me spear and shield over two-handed spear for dueling.
Depends on your mad skillz and indeed Matt is MLG-tier what a pro!
@@ElDrHouse2010 Also depends on size and weight of spear. Heavier and bigger spear and better used in two hands, but lighter and shorter spear are more effective with a shield.
I was wondering why the guy on the right was barely getting any hits in, then Matt took his helmet off and I realised why.
On the left* :/
2:37 Matt is the bald one on the left
Shield is going to have an advantage. A two-handed spear should be twice as long.
For people asking about the music, it is offered copyright free on YT and is this: ruclips.net/video/MGCLBk07rhc/видео.html
This is the sort of generic soft thrash metal they use for all sorts of tough guy things, all over the media - cars; extreme sports; aftershave; body-building supplements, and so on. It isn't right for HEMA. If you do use Metal I reckon use the good stuff. This is ersatz.
It's generic I will give you that , but it is a carbon copy of Van Halens style, more 80s Hard Rock I would say old chap,listen to "Hot for teacher" by " Van Halen" I'm sure you will agree.
thrash wasn't even a concept until Dave mustane grew pubic hair.
Sorry to be a terrible bore fellow metal lover
Sounds like the fighting game Guilty Gear.
simon bill M8, how much copyright-free music have you heard that *doesn't* sound generic as all hell?
Sam Abrahams
That is a very fair point Sam. But then all this music on RUclips can't be copyright free. There has to be some good stuff that doesn't make me think of high-fiving snowboarders with mohicans and crappy tattoos all over their unoriginal bodies.
I really really like the addition of music, It suits the high pace of sparring, and as much as I already do like to watch your sparring videos, I'll admit that it's kind of hard to retain my interest in them for the whole video. But, I didn't have a problem this time.
Azelliz Remtora I too have ADHD and found this short video with loud music much easier to watch than his other boring videos. I hope he puts music over his rants too.
Duhya As someone with ADHD, I found the music incredibly distracting.
What if, those who want a soundtrack can load up another tab with music and play that while watching, that way everyone gets to enjoy it how they please?
What I took away from this video was how different the two bouts went (probably reflective of experience and familiarity with the weapons). I think most would agree the shield bearer won the first, overall, and vice versa for the second. In the first, the spear-only wielder seemed at a distinct disadvantage, but he was also a bit passive and didn't use the leverage and speed of two hands. In the second bout, the spear-only wielder was much more active with both hands, his spear tip (leverage), and his feet. The move after the parry and over the shield at 4:05 was particularly nice.
I really like how aggressive you are when you fight Matt. It's rather nice to see. You also have very decisive movements with no apprehension or hesitation when seeing an opening.
Good fights all around, thanks for sharing with us.
I liked the addition of the music.
Interesting watch. Matt is clearly much better / more experienced than his sparring partners here. He was the only one to hold the spear all the way at the back for full reach when he used spear and shield. Some of his two-handed spear techniques definitely conjured up Fiore longsword. I think if the spears had been a little longer and heavier, that would have evened the playing field some for the guys sparring without shields.
docjjp True, but normally, you want to keep a one handed spear short and light. It wouldn’t make sense to one hand a two handed weapon.
What I loved most about this sparing episode was the way it successfully portrayed the argument that it is the person behind the weapon which wins fights, not the weapon set its self. At first the sparing seemed to confirm my belief that the spear and shield would be more successful (not impervious, just at a higher advantage). However, when Matt grabbed that spear 2 handed, he used his advantages and avoided his enemy's advantages, and whooped butt. It drives home the idea that no weapon set is better than another unless you know how to use it.
Yes, spear and shield had a large defensive advantage, and on a battle field would be superior, but this isn't a battle field, and in this duel, it's clear that under this context, technique, and knowledge is far more important than a shield
Thanks for the lesson without words Schola Gladiatoria
Oh yeah, and the music was good too
Matt pwns all in every situation
He's the only person in the club that knows how to use a shield and a spear shaft properly.
Matt almost always step off line to the right when he make thrust with spear and shield. And attack that he does that way seems to be more difficult to be countered. And also he IS aggresive.
When he do spear without shield, sometimes he use stier/ rudder guard from meyer to parry thrust deceivingly (i don't know of it's name in italian system though)
Good fight, gentlemen!
I'd like to see spear and shield vs. the same. Probably the most common matchup on the battlefield through much of history.
Lindybeige made a great video on the spear and shield (ruclips.net/video/3XuhoFszfe8/видео.html) and he shows how in an actual battlefield in wouldn't be a one on one engagement with that weapon paring. One on one duels with a spear and shield and long, drawn out encounter with very little going on for most of the engagement. Both sides just have to keep their shields raised and poke at each other. If neither side does anything stupid or never gets tired it could go on forever.
Great video!!!! As I learn more about the spear the more I am finding how well it performs. Your "instruction" has helped a lot. Would it be possible to have a few of your left handed students demonstrate how they compensate when dealing with a right handed opponent? Thanks so much again.
Ken
I always knew Matt had good taste in music. Thanks for proving it
I'd rather have watched it without the music, (or at least much lower volume.)
If someone's found and is watching your videos, it's going to be because they already find it interesting. I don't think you need to add loud music to hold their attention.
Well, there's nothing else to listen to in this video, except some clatter noise from the weapons, so you can just mute the video. And maybe put some classical music on the background if you like.
the music is great!
*****
but I want to hear the clatter of the weapons and the sounds of the footsteps, It's all important to understand what's going on.
and It's not the style of the music I find offputting, It that fact the it completly overpowers the rest of the video.
LDazx
If I watch closely I can perfectly well *see* when a hit connects and a foot steps. Also after a hit the one who was hit usually shows where he was hit.
But yeah the song could be a bit quieter.
LDazx volume slider is right under the video
My initial thought when watching the first fight is that the spear-only fighter should have tried to beat the opponent's spear off-line before advancing, given the longer recovery time of the one-handed grip. He seemed to intent on targeting the opponent's body directly without using the extra leverage of his two-handed grip to clear the spear and shield. Thoughts? Agree/disagree?
Yes and no. Yes that is a good tactic if your opponet does not protect their point, but Matt is no slouch and I am sure that if his opponent started to attack his point he would have pulled it back and protected it with his shield.
acvarthered That said, I still think the two-handed wielder should have at least attempted it more because; 1) the extra leverage of his two-hand grip would help compensate somewhat for Matt's greater experience; and 2) it would at least give Matt something else to have to think about, and perhaps disrupt his initiative somewhat.
dajolaw No doubt it is the right play, but there are no perfect tatctics in combat. I would be overbinding him all day long until he chocked up on the spear and hid it behind his shield or his arm turned to jelly. That being said I doubt it would take him long to do the former.
Man I gotta say, you sure are a good spearman.
Clearly the better fighter in both engagements.
Great! But the music was way too loud...
Did it distract you from the clack of the sticks and the skreech of the shoes on the floor or something? You do realize that YT has a volume control feature, right?
Thousand Yard Stare Just wasn't used to the sudden loud music :) But yeah, I used the magical mute button after that.
The two handed spear guy will be better with a longer spear which can show the better strength and control comparing to one handed spear.
Matt could it be possible to include a few comments from you or the participants at the end of sparring videos like these of mixed "unusual" weapons or combinations?
Bravo! Some nice parries.
The rock music made for a nice background, nice video!
Matt is a quick as a snake! : )
Excellent video, and great fun to watch! May I ask, why is there so little lateral movement (especially near the beginning of the video)? Is it because you're simulating a shield-wall battle where lateral movement is relatively impossible/inadvisable, or is there some technical reason for it? Or are you perhaps just trying to give the camera a clear view?
In MMA/unarmed sparring (within my experience at least), lateral movement is always emphasized to make targetting and cornering harder.
Keep it up!
Nice video Matt. If possible I'd love to see spear and shield vs spear and shield at some point.
It generally decends into dagger with really long handle vs dagger with really long handle. ;)
First guy with 2-handed spear should use his superior leverage: knock the other spear aside more often.
Have you ever experimented with switching up your stance with the shield and spear combo? I have had a lot of success having my right foot forward and the shield close to my chest, basically closing my whole left side off. Having your right leg forward seems to give me more range with the spear, and I have personally feel it is easier to defend my right leg than my left, so leaving my right leg forward always felt like the better option. Just wondering what your thoughts are, Loved the video and looking forward to seeing more :)
Oh, man! That looks like so much fun!
i ask two questions. why not apply the "trap door" principle to the sheild in this case? wouldnt it be far easier to use that particular sheild to expose ones opponent rather then applying blocks with sheild of that construction? its my opinion that when applying a sheild in this situation the sheild should serve as a protection as you pass into the the threat. using it to misalign his point allowing for whatever counterattack the situation calls for.
Matt is so good!
Mat, a 2 handed spear could be considerably longer and still be more nimble or just as nimble as the shorter spear held one handed, giving it drastic advantages. Don't you think?
Also, I think that a big thing to take into consideration is that slashing with a 2 handed spear is way more efficient due to leverage, specially to poorly protected areas like the neck, arms, tights, and needs to be taken into account and explored in the duel.
Lastly, not being in a formation and having plenty of room to move around while jabbing from a longer reach, knocking the spear&shield guy's point out of line, and keeping him threatened by your point could be of great advantage against him closing in and be used to outmaneuver him, stress him into exposing himself, etc. And you could always half staff/spear him if he closed in, wrestle him using your free hand, draw a short sword or dagger.
For me, the shield isn't at anywhere near it's full potential in duels, that requires a more active defense than passive. I really would ratter have a buckler that offers a smaller area of protection but has greater reach to defend for example the lead hand, and is also way more maneuverable, meaning it can cover more angles, and lastly in closing in it can be used more effectively to bash and create openings.
If you close distance with the spear and shield, what are you expecting to follow through with? Surely the guy with two hands on his spear can shorten his grip more quickly.
Robert R If you keep your hand at the middle of the shaft instead of the back, you may not have to shorten your grip at all.
Matt a 60+ fps camera would make these fights look a little better on camera. If you use the video captured for educational purposes in your club you might want to consider getting one.
Matt, you have made your case for using a shield to me. If that is the same shield you showed us in an earlier video, did you paint the boss? Please tell us what you used to wrap around the handle.
So I haven't studied spear at all, but if your wielding it with a shield, would it make sense to have the spear foot forward to get even more use out of your reach? Or is the shield too large to do that effectively? I know when I fight Rapier and Buckler, I try to keep the sword foot forward for that reason.
With a shield you normally want to keep it further from the body, to create the biggest defence possible. That means left foot forward. Also, bringing the right foot forward makes your un-shielding right side more vulnerable, including the arm holding the weapon. So you can stand with either foot forward and you can change for specific actions, but generally with a shield you stand with the shield-side forward.
Are the two spears the same length? If so, it defeats the purpose of two-hand wielding (i.e. similar handling with greater range) IMO.
Really intriguing stuff, as always!
Seems difficult to block an incoming spear with another spear though... is it better to fight spear with spear, or spear with sword? I know the length would be a problem, but it seems like it would be easier to bat the spear down to the ground with a sword.
spear vs spear obviously.
ElDrHouse2010 It's not so obvious at high skill levels, where people train to close the gap on the spear wielder, or when both have equivalent shields. However, Andrew Forrest , the reach and offensive potential of a spear are quite a deterrent, and 2 handed it's really really fast, as Matt has demonstrated. As a rule, with a 6 foot spear it usually takes 3 swordspeople to even touch me. Even untrained spearpeople can hold off 2 people with swords for a while. I suggest you try it for yourself to see why the spear was the core of melee warfare for millenia. Does this answer your question?
Julia Linne
Schola with Spear OP, pls nerf.
Great video :D
Isn't that shield too small compared to the average Viking age shield? Also one-handed spear grip is too far back, seems too much of a sacrifice of speed for reach
Matt Easton, you are the OG and everyone knows it.
I'm no expert, but I feel like people should be able to get a lot more out of that shield than they did. Most seemed very passive with it, just sort of having it to the side..
It blocks pretty much a whole flank at any time, making it much harder for the opponent. I would say that alone is worth the shield.
Ze Rubenator
Sure, but wouldn't it work better if they held it out in front a bit at least?
Lilliath
Not really with this type of shield. It turns in the hand very easily, so you can't hold it out like a buckler to any good effect. Any hit will deflect it in your grip.
Lilliath Matt talked about this in a recent video. From what I remember, the combination of fatigue from holding the shield extended and the ease with which an opponent can turn the shield in the wielders hand (exposing a line of attack past it) make it most effective to hold it in close to seal off the sideline.
Joshua Lewis well Ho Hema Expert what if they used the shield more offenisve ;P attack from unexpeted atleast when they got up close
Dat radical intro!
This is why spear and shield was the norm
What's the song called? It kicks ass.
Matt Easton we who are not totally with formaillar with the point system dosent know what is happening the music is a nice touch . but as said down below ;)
This looks fun af.
Man, if I had to go spear vs spear and shield, I think I'd ask for a bigger spear at least. Interesting to watch though. And I don't mind the music.
Cool music, sound like Saxon :P
And I think you have to short two handed spear, if you have something like 2,3m is better :P
The guy with the two-handed spear should have exploited the fact one-handed spear has no lateral stability more to take the spear out of the way and attack.
I have been looking a lot, but I can't find the wood that you use for the spear shafts. Does anyone know what it is?
most likely ash wood
Is that a piano in the right corner?
Not enough rolls.
Can we not do music please? Thanks.
The first guy didn't use sweeps, slashes or anything tech like that just pure thrust.
Why is Matt using shield as well, when clearly he is more knowlegeable and therefore at an advantage? Or does he wants to prove a point?
guy with the spear and shield would just throw his spear and end the other guy instantly right?
+hotsteamypudding Don't you see how that's a risky strategy?
well he'd then draw his sword right? So he'd have a sword and shield.
+hotsteamypudding Sword and shield is weaker than a long spear, so you'd still be risking giving the opponent an advantage. Though yeah, I'd say the strategy is viable at least.
It is viable in some situations but not devoid of risk
Sword and shield is ok but how bout duel wielding spears :p
Man without shiled not need to get longer spear?
"Great hot for the teacher music". The guy with the two handed spear was always going to win as a spear and shield can't compete against it.
English Heart
Spear and shield can’t compete? My bouts beg to differ.
4:05 right into the trap.
if i was the guy with no shield i would switch stance to opponents open side, as you hold spear two handed it doesent rally mater what is your front hand in terms of handling, while swiching stance would give him more attack and defense options.
When fighting a shield user with 2 handed spear, it is wise to adjust to his spear arm, not shield arm, that means you face his spear with your torso, not your back
Mr.Fox This makes perfect sense and we all discussed doing that - however, most people are far more adept at using a two-handed spear with a left-hand lead, so actually we felt it sort of balanced out - you'd gain a theoretical advantage of line, but lose the advantage of experience. Of course the answer to this is to practice with a right-hand lead more often.
scholagladiatoria
yes it can be uncomfortable at first, but also there is another advantage of having your stronger arm as front arm, you get more lateral control strength, which means you can push his shield to side more comfortable, when you try to open the guard.
However i am a bit biased on this, because i tend to switch stance a lot even when boxing to adjust myself to opponent, while most of people prefer to stay in their comfort zone
It strikes me that not many of these hits would have ended a fight if your opponent was heavily clothed.
wish bannerlord didn't make us hold the spears in the middle
Song name?
That movie shows only that you are better than your sparring-partners.
any one know this bands name
good
The guy with no shield should flip the spear so the blade is up like a pole axe and use it in the same way...
Irrelevant, more about the technique than the weapon, hed have had more options if he used the blunt end to block, parry, lever and use the spear head end like a short sword or dagger to effectively half sword on any part of the non shield side.
Sometime choking up on the spear head and closing for a dagger style stab to the face is the best use of a spear...reach isn't everything
caveymoley
Exactly wrong in your first post, but I agree with your second post (other than the first half of the first sentence). Tactics dictate weapons, weapons dictate techniques. If you choose the weapon you would use it to its greatest advantage, not force it to do what it was not designed to do. If the 2 handed spear were significantly longer than the single handed spear, and had a blade that was cut and thrust, then I would agree that some variation using polearm techniques could be applied in order to take advantage of the reach and use the butt end for blocking/parrying more often should the shorter weapon gain entry, but I would assert that even then you would be better off keeping the pointy end towards the opponent and using rapid jabbing motions and push/pull cuts to keep the man with the shorter weapon at bay. You would not need to lift the spearhead much with a true spear (8-9ft of ash, oak, or hickory) to gain the power needed to make a forceful bashing blow when using two hands on the shaft, you already have the mechanical advantage.
Semper Fi
Surely the guy with the shield has a big advantage? (I actually have no idea, but it seems that way)
The guy named Matt has a big advantage? (It seems that way)
Wenzhe Shi Haha yeah, only just noticed it was Matt.
A Disappointed Horse Next time before a fight, we should change our name to Matt and get a huge boost :)
A Disappointed Horse Not an expert but wouldn't the fact that a spear is being controlled by both hands add power, speed and accuracy?
Seems like it would be more an even fight with certain advantages and disadvantages to both participants.
Jim Riven Spear and shield generally has the advantage, though the size of the shield makes a big difference. A larger shield would have tilted things much more in the spear and shield user's favor. Spear alone vs Spear and Shield is a duel between control and coverage and in my experiences the coverage has won all but one about around two dozen match-ups.
Woah
I want a practice spear that uses the same polypropylene material as my cold steel practice swords. More specifically I want a slashing style spear that still retains some thrust potential. Can anyone help me in my search for one? Something like a naginata but made from polypropylene
blackraver5 Just a warning that this will kill your sparring partners, unless you pull the force from the blows or they wear very hardcore armour and neck-brace. The cold steel plastic wasters hit very hard as swords and polearms hit much harder than swords.
I know but thanks for the concern. It wasn't for sparring but for my own personal use. I didn't want a metal blade since I want to use it without risk of serious injury
blackraver5 Cold Steel's practice swords are apparently made of polypropylene. It's a little pricey, but you can buy it in rods easily enough if you search around online.
you are going to practice against target dummies then?
no, just the air. i like the weight and aesthetic. Going through the forms is akin to my own personal meditation
I thought that was the new intro music for a second.
why didnt any of the 2 handed spear uses use their second hand to grab the others spear slide their grip up and stab the sheild guy a bunch of times up close ay? ??
Two observations:
1) The shield was hardly used at all, almost never offensively. It was also a rather small one. I would imagine pushing aside the other spear with the shield and stabbing the opponent in the torso was the safest attack in this scenario.
2) It's not an evenly matches duel. Aren't one-handed spears shorter than two-handed spears? Of course you can use all spears with two hands, but some spears are to unwieldy to use with one hand. I feel it would have been better, if the two-handed spear had been longer, to even things out a bit.
Is that Edward van Halen lol,
Ewww underhanded spear? A Mycenae Spear-Shield style Giga-Chad like me would NEVER stoop to such a level.
He advocated overhand only years ago. Just proves how reality is vs iconography. Overhand is gonna give you like 2.5' of a 6' spear.
@@Mr_Chode It was mostly a joke mate. The overhand grip has one real advantage (hence why hoplites would use it). I can't remember it's name but you would basically let go of the spear for a second whilst stabbing by supporting it on your shield. You get a large amount of deadly length while the enemy thinks he's out of range. It also allows for easy throwing, but other than that, there is no other reason it is better.
I'm definitely not a fan of this music. Would much rather hear the clashes of the spar.
I dont mean to be rude but i dont see the point of this practise, the guy with shield has quiet the advantage
GeorgeofGondor2 Nope. Sword and shield is approximately equal to two-handed spear.
scholagladiatoria Absolutely. But my question was about the particular video. Is it still the same case? In my humble opinion (unless there is a big skill difference between them) the person with the shield seems to have the upper hand. No?
GeorgeofGondor2 no its the user, the shield not was hitted much, the two handed spear guy just maked a wrong thing.. beeing to offensiv, if he would wait that the other attacks and instantly deflect and counter he would have the upper hand
everyones talking about disadvantages and advantage but noone is talking about the 2handed spearman learning to deal with someone with a shield. be it an advantage or not, so idk why the first guy asked that...
Dude with just a spear doesn't understand his range and how to control it. New to spear?
What is that, van halen? Its awful.
Song name ?
sound like some kind of music I would find in a guilty gear game
Darude - Sandstorm
Expected
Rafaello Fareday
I hate you. I honestly do.