Looked to me very evenly matched. Esther, if you are reading this, you are an absolute monster with the sword and buckler. Simply masterful swordwork. I was in awe of your agility with the blade the whole way through. That is not to say that Sam did not strike some agile, clever and very impressive hits (and feints!) of his own, however!
Awesome fights! I only hope that one day I can be as good at sword and buckler as Esther or even as good at longsword as Sam though I do longsword more casually. Speaking of which what styles does esther use to fence S&B? if I had to guess by looking I would say Bolognese but I could be wrong there.
In the time Esther has been at the club we initially worked from Lignitzer for sword and buckler but have gone over to Bolognese styles for it for quite some time now. It's never been a principal combination for us to teach despite fighting with it often and S&B has proven to be one of Esther's favourites, I'd certainly say Bolognese is the main flavour in Esther's style here.
I love sword & buckler but this match up def makes it feels like there's a bit of a disadvantage against a longsword due to reach so I guess you really have to utilize the buckler to block/parry so you can bridge the gap to get in close? In some of the bouts it looked like as long as the longsword kept their distance they could kinda poke/prod while the S&B was forced to push through or stay on the defensive. Great video! 0:33 was my fav with that lil *bonk*
Sword and buckler is my favourite weapon set! I learned quickly in this fight to close if I'm attacking or use lots of defensive actions before countering if Sam (longsworder) struck first. Sam is also a foot taller than me and a rare example of tall people who fully utilise their reach advantage! So it was always going to be slightly weighted in his favour, but fights are rarely even and balanced!
@@Est292 Hey thanks for the reply! Yeah that makes sense no battle will ever be 1 to 1, though it sounds like sparring with different opponents/weapons helps you figure out tactics to get around those disadvantages! Gotta go for the bonk! 😄 Great work here btw, keep it up! 🔥
@@Mista0wl thank you! 💙 I’m a shorter person so I often have to mitigate height disparities, but going for s&b vs longsword is definitely more of a challenge than normal! Was great fun though!
In my experience S&B is one of the most disadvantageous combinations you can take against a longsword. It's really hazardous to try and rely just on the buckler to block the longsword's strikes, and the longsword's agility means it's easier than you'd think to poke a thrust in through a line you can't see because you are holding a buckler. I'd almost rather go for a single sidesword over S&B, since you have a free hand for controlling your opponent when you get close (which is where you want to be) and no buckler covering your vision. Sword and dagger has been a decently effective combination, I block and bind with the sword and shank with the dagger.
I wonder about Esther holding the buckler so near to the body... and taking it back during an attack. I always thought that the buckler and sword are somehow a unit that works together, not like sword and shield, more like close companions... But the moves of both fighters are nice to watch and I wouldn't stand a chance ;-) Sam is in a little disadvantage, as he seems to prevent thrusting/stabbing... wich is an essential technique for the longsword? Correct me, if I'm wrong...
So a few things to consider here. 1 - sources wise when we work with bucklers it is typically from Bolognese sources, and somtimes even later (British gladiatorial references). Where the buckler is not so connexted with the sword as you see in say i.33. Now, a forward extended buckler is common throughout buckler sources, but even then, Mzrozzo for example shows a whole progression from held up close to the body to fully extended. Then there is the fact that this is sparring. We teach certain styles and modules, but fencers are welcome to take what they want into their own style. Esther often throws the sword well forward in attack to make up for a reach disadvantage. So overall yes, buckler being well extended is more the norm, but there is some individual variety here as well as in the sources. As for Sam and thrusting, absolutely longsword has lots of thrusting and normally you would see a lot of that from Sam, but he is not doing it here merely to not play into the hands of the sword and buckler. When you have a verry long blade against a very short one, and in this case with a companion, the shorter sword is always looking to bind, cover and trap, and that is best done when engaging or parrying thrusts. So not that thrusts cannot be done, but if they fail they give the best opportunity for the short sword user to do what they want.
Thank you for your statement! Interesting thoughts and an explanation for the style of fighting I saw in the video! Keep up your good work! Stay safe and healthy!
Then I imagine you have learned s&b from i.33 or similar, we do not practice those early forms of buckler. Any buckler work we do comes from the Bolognese tradition of the 16thc, and it is quite different. Also, a mixed weapon fight isn't a good one to judge a specific style, as you almost always have to make certain adjustments to suit the matchup.
Not how the old treatises taught how to use the Buckler. I would be interested to see someone use the Buckler in the classical way( extended and equally offensive and tensive). The Butler user was very much using it in the modern rapier / buckler sport fencing style( perhaps that is all they wished to showcase?)
There are many documented sword and buckler styles, you are likely thinking of the earliest such as i.33, but we do not practice those as we don't have much interest in the medieval period. We work entirely from 16th century sources onwards, and so our buckler work comes mostly from the Bolognese sources. It's also a mixed weapon bout, which is bound to look a little different to how you might expect based on the matched pairings typical of how people learn a style.
As is the case with almost all swords in HEMA, there are a variety of different styles. I am guessing you were taught i.33? Different styles can be very different from one another, whether that be from different countries, eras or even different masters in the same era, that goes for sword and buckler, for rapier, for longsword, for sabre and everything else.
![The Match That Changed Fencing Forever [Epee]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/qy-1m5jxYCI/mqdefault.jpg)
Looked to me very evenly matched. Esther, if you are reading this, you are an absolute monster with the sword and buckler. Simply masterful swordwork. I was in awe of your agility with the blade the whole way through.
That is not to say that Sam did not strike some agile, clever and very impressive hits (and feints!) of his own, however!
Thank you so much!! I’m still recovering from a knee injury (ACL tear) so hope to be back in action soon!
I only just saw this, for some reason. A really fun fight to watch, with each fencer pressing their respective advantages.
Such an interesting match-up - great fun! I see the pluderhosen are spreading... excellent.
Красиво работаете!
Разное оружие создает зрелищность.
I thought the longsword would have an advantage, but this was remarkably evenly matched
I love the slow-mo cuts. I really miss that 60fps frame rate!
Awesome fights! I only hope that one day I can be as good at sword and buckler as Esther or even as good at longsword as Sam though I do longsword more casually. Speaking of which what styles does esther use to fence S&B? if I had to guess by looking I would say Bolognese but I could be wrong there.
In the time Esther has been at the club we initially worked from Lignitzer for sword and buckler but have gone over to Bolognese styles for it for quite some time now. It's never been a principal combination for us to teach despite fighting with it often and S&B has proven to be one of Esther's favourites, I'd certainly say Bolognese is the main flavour in Esther's style here.
Nice!
I love sword & buckler but this match up def makes it feels like there's a bit of a disadvantage against a longsword due to reach so I guess you really have to utilize the buckler to block/parry so you can bridge the gap to get in close? In some of the bouts it looked like as long as the longsword kept their distance they could kinda poke/prod while the S&B was forced to push through or stay on the defensive. Great video! 0:33 was my fav with that lil *bonk*
Sword and buckler is my favourite weapon set! I learned quickly in this fight to close if I'm attacking or use lots of defensive actions before countering if Sam (longsworder) struck first.
Sam is also a foot taller than me and a rare example of tall people who fully utilise their reach advantage! So it was always going to be slightly weighted in his favour, but fights are rarely even and balanced!
Also I was very proud of that bonk too 😂❤
@@Est292 Hey thanks for the reply! Yeah that makes sense no battle will ever be 1 to 1, though it sounds like sparring with different opponents/weapons helps you figure out tactics to get around those disadvantages! Gotta go for the bonk! 😄 Great work here btw, keep it up! 🔥
@@Mista0wl thank you! 💙 I’m a shorter person so I often have to mitigate height disparities, but going for s&b vs longsword is definitely more of a challenge than normal!
Was great fun though!
In my experience S&B is one of the most disadvantageous combinations you can take against a longsword. It's really hazardous to try and rely just on the buckler to block the longsword's strikes, and the longsword's agility means it's easier than you'd think to poke a thrust in through a line you can't see because you are holding a buckler. I'd almost rather go for a single sidesword over S&B, since you have a free hand for controlling your opponent when you get close (which is where you want to be) and no buckler covering your vision. Sword and dagger has been a decently effective combination, I block and bind with the sword and shank with the dagger.
I wonder about Esther holding the buckler so near to the body... and taking it back during an attack. I always thought that the buckler and sword are somehow a unit that works together, not like sword and shield, more like close companions... But the moves of both fighters are nice to watch and I wouldn't stand a chance ;-)
Sam is in a little disadvantage, as he seems to prevent thrusting/stabbing... wich is an essential technique for the longsword?
Correct me, if I'm wrong...
So a few things to consider here. 1 - sources wise when we work with bucklers it is typically from Bolognese sources, and somtimes even later (British gladiatorial references). Where the buckler is not so connexted with the sword as you see in say i.33. Now, a forward extended buckler is common throughout buckler sources, but even then, Mzrozzo for example shows a whole progression from held up close to the body to fully extended. Then there is the fact that this is sparring. We teach certain styles and modules, but fencers are welcome to take what they want into their own style. Esther often throws the sword well forward in attack to make up for a reach disadvantage. So overall yes, buckler being well extended is more the norm, but there is some individual variety here as well as in the sources.
As for Sam and thrusting, absolutely longsword has lots of thrusting and normally you would see a lot of that from Sam, but he is not doing it here merely to not play into the hands of the sword and buckler. When you have a verry long blade against a very short one, and in this case with a companion, the shorter sword is always looking to bind, cover and trap, and that is best done when engaging or parrying thrusts. So not that thrusts cannot be done, but if they fail they give the best opportunity for the short sword user to do what they want.
Thank you for your statement! Interesting thoughts and an explanation for the style of fighting I saw in the video! Keep up your good work! Stay safe and healthy!
3:44 the best :D
Congratulations to the fencer in the red jacket.
Good stuff! ty
nice
Not sure she ysing buckler right?
Then I imagine you have learned s&b from i.33 or similar, we do not practice those early forms of buckler. Any buckler work we do comes from the Bolognese tradition of the 16thc, and it is quite different. Also, a mixed weapon fight isn't a good one to judge a specific style, as you almost always have to make certain adjustments to suit the matchup.
Not how the old treatises taught how to use the Buckler. I would be interested to see someone use the Buckler in the classical way( extended and equally offensive and tensive). The Butler user was very much using it in the modern rapier / buckler sport fencing style( perhaps that is all they wished to showcase?)
There are many documented sword and buckler styles, you are likely thinking of the earliest such as i.33, but we do not practice those as we don't have much interest in the medieval period. We work entirely from 16th century sources onwards, and so our buckler work comes mostly from the Bolognese sources. It's also a mixed weapon bout, which is bound to look a little different to how you might expect based on the matched pairings typical of how people learn a style.
NOPE not how I was trained to use the Sword and Buckler.
As is the case with almost all swords in HEMA, there are a variety of different styles. I am guessing you were taught i.33? Different styles can be very different from one another, whether that be from different countries, eras or even different masters in the same era, that goes for sword and buckler, for rapier, for longsword, for sabre and everything else.