I'm glad you did a video on HEMA and got to do some sparring. I enjoy your videos showcasing Martial Arts that are not as well known and this was a good general representation of HEMA. It's been my hobby for 10 years, so I enjoy it when people make content that is minimally sensational and shows how fun and interesting it is. I hope you get to put on all the gear and fight with steel some day.
I notice the change of distance when adopting the Kali sticks. You began starting the exchange within the measure of the longsword rather than stepping into measure and then closing - cutting down the reach advantage of the longsword. (Both fighters are responsible for this - no shade thrown.)
In general: Am happy you did a video on my favourite hobby! In the video itself: It's telling that despite that you don't have prior HEMA experience, you still did very well in the sparring. Distance, timing, measure, and *the ability to squat and rise powerfully and at will* to make for great footwork are damn near king everywhere :D On kali two-weapons vs longsword: Online, there was a controversy based around HEMAists trashing the idea of fighting with two weapons at once. That got amended over time to two cutting weapons, then two long cutting weapons, because a HEMA manual was uncovered explicitly showing twin rapiers, and then exactly this - two short swords were shown to work *if your skill and coordination was godly and you trained it* !
I would cover your floor with tape creating 10in to 12in squares showing foot shoes size and foot placement. Step two: gride off mid-size sections with numbers magic maker counting off drill foot stances, growing up my family had a collection of beach towels and bed sheets for martials and dancing steps styles. Lay down four to eight towels with hopscotch numbers and dance in a circle. It was the same foot pattern lay out in my grandfather 1960's Usa navy handbook for wrestling, boxing, and knife fighting. It is all short step dance choreography till muscle memory of 5step movements turns into free style dance. What follows next is body weight training conditioning and speed drills. Wrestle and head but with a Great Dane puppy to adulthood, just don't teach it football. You know .. tackle .. their run by hip shoulder bumps is how they were bred to control cattle. It is only like 30 to 40mph of a 100+lb dog bumping you. You get to experience what Linus does when Snoopy run by takes his blanket. Danes are the size of dog that knocks and pushes you over before they bite. They trick their prey to run so they can knock them down. They randomly walk by and smack their heads to people knees as they pass by. Good way to get people to drop their food. Something about body conditioning on a sand & gravel punching bag. 2.) How to Properly UsE a .. SwOrD ... yeah, ... How long of a tree line that needs trim each day/week, or about two solid days in a row just to cut everything back so you can mow next to the tree line ? Oh, you want to learn how to rapier Zoro fence ? Go cut me a switch . b.) Star Wars lightsaber fights, cheap plastic baseball bats. Learning how kinetic energy travels down a wooden broom stick or steel pipe into your hands when struck hard enough. c.) Many times, over the years when I beat my peer group in magic market knife fights, they just tackle me, and I am dealing with a half an hour time spent in a headlock before one of us tap out. Sometime just raw muscle twitch speed beats technique. Now snatch this pebble out of my hand.
I appreciate that as a shorter fencer he did exactly what he needed to do and stayed low while focusing on highguards. Made it hard for his opponent to do much. He was also smart to keep his guard unreadable when switching to two weapon fighting, he did well despite his weapons being shorter, lighter, and guardless.
Excellent video. As a Hema instructor (and Kali fan) i'm very happy to see such a nice introduction to Hema with , also, a friendly sparring. Those are so rare (and sparring in Kali is not very common on youtube wich is sad). Thank you !
I’m glad we got to cross the two styles in the manner we did. Kevin surprised us with the sticks. I wanna see how he would fight with sword and buckler.
As a HEMA instructor, I was genuinely impressed with how well Kevin did during the Longsword vs Longsword sparring, considering it was his first time. I could see him actually utilizing the guards and techniques he had just learned a few moments prior in a way that normally takes new students at least a few weeks to really get the hang of. Great stuff!
It's always fun to me seeing an experienced martial artist stepping into something new. You can see the skill at learning and incorporating right alongside the admiration for those skilled and practiced in this other art.
A reminder to comment readers. Two-stick system of FMA is primarily for training. Filipino warriors from long ago doesnt actually dual wield during life-or-death. Like most people, they use shields, which are also designed to be able to parry and catch weapons. Their shields are slender so to not impede skirmishing. And due to the jungles and beaches they usually fight on, swords arent relegated as backup weapons. Some setting doesnt allow for formation fighting and spear usage, thats why they value knife and blade skills a lot back then. Not just merely spear go stab, they move a lot due to the skirmish nature of warfare (jungle terrain, beach landings, river skirmishes)
yeah I assumed that. Sticks were also used in HEMA to train or wooden swords. The real thing always has to be sharp or at least top end heavy to smash skulls in.
@@jmgonzales7701 And that's without armor, the Filipino warriors basically did the elden ring "let me solo her" against the armored spanish in ancient times and against the Japanese in ww2(the japanese did not defeat the headhunters even with modern equipment).
@@caliburnblade7895 Filipinos actually had armor, depends on the region. The filipinos had the advantage of numbering by the hundreds but eventually they get scrwed for 333 years. Those head hunters ain't anything at all. Got dunked on by the Americans.
The difference in footwork really stood out! From my very limited understanding, most HEMA manuals emphasize stability and structure in the footwork, since it directly affects the structure and rigidity in deflecting incoming strikes (as well as delivering cuts properly with power). Your footwork instincts are much more dynamic, stance switches more often and more frequently, and lends itself to the numerous martial arts disciplines you train in (and kali obviously). AMAZING video, amazing sparring sessions, thank you so much!
Absolutely love seeing someone with experience in a weapon-centric martial art getting a taste of others. It's fun to watch any martial artist do this but seeing how quickly the light bulb turns on when FMA, HEMA, Kenjutsu, etc. practitioners see other techniques of weapons is a joy for me
Great speed & distance management with the dual wielding. And, even when using the unfamiliar two handed weapon, Keven's use of measure was outstanding.
@@micahthecomfortablehuman1324 I never looked up the specific style they mimic'd but it was when I first watched the training sequence in the first modern Zorro movie and saw the footwork pattern that I went "Hey now...." because I was well into FMA and Silat at the time. Granted geometry and physics is universal but the overlap was obvious . I think we all forget just how long humans have been fighting and would logically apply the same intelligence to it as we would to all other endeavors . I mean what good is being able to build bridges and castles if you can't defend them.
@@BradYaegerThe Zorro movie jumbled the two primary Spanish systems of Escrima Común and Verdadera Destreza together, but that's okay in my book because I train both and enjoy them. Escrima Común is definitely the one that influenced it. For starters, as the name implies, Escrima Común was favoured by the lower classes ever since Destreza made a splash after Carranza. Destreza shirks off-hand weapons and shields in favour of dynamic circular footwork and careful placement of angles and leverage with the sword alone. The Spanish sailors and settlers of the Philippines would probably predominantly practice Escrima Común, which is reflected in the fact that some people continue to call Kali "Esgrima". Destreza diestros explicitly refuted the term Escrima for their art, so if they had been the influence, it wouldn't be called that. Destreza was a rich man's style around the time the Philippines was colonized. In addition, the only book of Escrima Común (from Godinho) we have has chapters on espada y daga and duo espadas. For sword and dagger, it is unique in that Godinho recommends using the sword to entangle the enemy weapon and wound their arms with the dagger. And in the two swords, Godinho recommends whirling them with wide cuts to keep foes away from you. Now, I know for a fact that Kali predates Spanish colonialism of the region, so I am not at all suggesting that Escrima Común alone is the source of Kali's behaviors and techniques. Instead, I'm saying this to point out that Escrima and Kali are *compatible* with each other, and thus could have melded together far better than Destreza would.
Kali was used to fight the Spanish Conquistadors. The shorter sticks were good for fighting in the dense jingles. On the beaches or more open areas, Kali includes staff fighting.
Btw, HEMA includes firearms. Including firearms in your historical martial arm systems is quite unique. HEMA also includes (proper) armour fighting (don't confuse it with buhurt where they allow modifying the armour substantially and putting limitations on thrust attacks). All I'm saying is, if you want to go for Kali vs. HEMA, the Spanish Conquistadors played by the rules and won. 😄
This probably one of the best youtube videos to show the beauty of FMA! Also it's fantastic to spar the way demonstrated, since you can do it with distance, speed and power, while keeping the risk of concussion low. Especially great with nice & respectful people who value a good hit and train humble.
Glad to see you're enjoying the cross training! I'm very interested in the FMA approach to knife fighting and there's no denying that FMA has some of the most effective approaches to weapon martial arts. I love that we're seeing more crossover between the myriad of weapon based disciplines and am excited that we all get to share our knowledge and passion!
My two favorite weapons arts, showcased by respectful, talented practitioners. Thank you for this. Also, I'm really quite impressed by how you translated your kali footwork to longsword. It's not a huge jump but it's definitely cool to see.
It is rather surprising how rare Kali and HEMA spars are considering that Kali had spanish influences as well. I always felt like it's such a missed opportunity for cross training. I'm glad they made this video. It's so educational.
Saw this video pop up in my feed and knew I had to see it. I've been very lucky this year, because just a month ago i met a member of the Dog Brothers, and he's been teaching me Kali. As soon as you started i immediately recognised so many of the techniques you were using. It really makes me grateful that i have an amazing teacher, and an even better friend to show me this incredible martial art.
When I was back in college, I saw these guys on the campus lawn in chain mail and padded medieval weaponry sparring. This was NOT the local LARP, but a true collection of HEMA practitioners, and I as a lifetime FMA practitioner wanted to see how I would fare vs things like Longsword, Sword and Board, etc. Turns out pretty F'n well. Doble Baston and Espada y Daga were my chosen tools every week, and every week was basically live-sparring, learning and comparing, and just general overall FUN. Some of my personal caveats: 1. Angles: FMA triangle footwork and general "panastas" concepts were GREAT against single weapons, but honestly REALLY shone against large shields, as long as one moves REALLY fast to get outside. Those suckers can be HEAVY and tend to block vision, so lil brown guys like me can use either daga or even live hand to grab it, use the momentum to fling the partner (and kinda throw oneself behind them) for a neat kidney shot. 2. Speed: Kevin's partner mentioned dealing with the initiative and re-engagement of the doble baston, especially if within range. Florete and abaniko hits can be really hard to deal with with a longer weapon, especially against TWO shorter weapons in range. But another speed factor I encounters was how unused my training partners were to arnis gap-closing. Hard to explain, and possibly made feasible by #1 and traping/locking drills from balintawak making me used to crowding and control, but getting into range was less of an issue than I originally thought. Yes, spears will ALWAYS suck, especially if only armed with single dagger.. but I can say with confidence that the adage "just keep them away" is harder against an aggressive FMA mindset. 3. Coordination: perhaps it was the limited availability of opponent Destreza players I had, but the ambidexterity and multi/simultaneous attacks from Sinawali-based FMA seemed to be of higher quality. I found my Destreza opponents would get into action/counteraction grooves more easily, allowing me to attack on half-beats. The weaving practice also allowed me to find "hidden" affordances that allow me to bind both their weapons with my one, leading to "accidental" but badass looking disarms or locks. I know for a fact these DO exist in double- blade HEMA practices, and YES I know of the influence of rapier/dagger European and Spanish fencing into Escrima. But somehow the execution tended to favour the FMA practicioner in most exchanges. Anyway, THANK YOU as always to Kevin for really stepping out there with ALL martial arts! The goal as always is learning and having fun together, and watching you charge in brought me back decades. My wife even saw me watching and said I hadn't smiled like THAT in years. So thank you, and best of training to ALL martial artists! 🤜🤛
Ooh… good topic Kevin! I’ve seen similar Kali vs. HEMA or Kali vs. Kendo sparring matches, but they weren’t at all informative. Anyhow, I’m looking forward to watching the rest of this.
Oh it absolutely works. After a bit over a year of doing escrima I can also report that learning to coordinate two weapons properly is an insane amount of effort. My brain scrambles after an hour of training as if Id been trying to solve riddles nonstop. Kevin has demonstrated a ton of skill in this video.
Truth. ☝️ Both great comments. I will add that one of Japan's greatest swordman Myamoto Musashi, was a big promoter & example of the effectiveness of dual welding or fighting with 2 blades. Unlike many people in this modern age who say it doesn't work, Musashi had real life & death battlefield experience where his theories & ideas were rigorously tested.
If you look closer, the guy gets a number of cuts in. They're not all lethal by any means, but they would leave Kevin bleeding from a number of places, including the head. The speed is impressive and Kevin would most likely have beaten the guy if it was for real, but some of the damage he took would be pretty damn bad, simply because of the fact that the sword would actually be sharp. We'd be talking cut muscles and tendons, head wounds, cut hands... Also a sword cut to the hand/arm would make holding onto the stick a *_lot_* harder.
Awesome video Kevin. I fight with the dog brothers and a heavy wooden rattan really changes the dynamics of the fight with the introduction of significant pain and fear. I’d really like to see a similar video to this with wooden rattans or metal training weapons if you ever get the chance. Either way you’re an awesome martial artist and I love your videos, oss
@ I got pregnant, almost died during pregnancy took me few years to get back to some what health, then we moved & the academy I trained at went out of biz, 12 yrs went by in that time, I was not in good shape, I saw a 10th planet near us, put my son in jiu jitsu I joined 6 mths later to help him learn….its been almost 4 years started back into Muay Thai year ago….life is strange how some things just come back around guess its meant to be. 😁
@77stephani77 I just started learning Kali. They came from wrestling, then went into BJJ and Muay Tai. Could go because I just had a baby boy so I heard about someone offering and decided to check it out. Putting everything together is such a beautiful journey. Hopefully, you can get back into it or incorporate it into your BJJ
Impressive how you take the possitions to heart and use them in sparring. I am also impressed how well you picked up the moves in a short period of time. Nice job!
I've experienced kendo vs arnis (I was doing kendo) and yeah fighting against someone with two weapons is very difficult They can use one to block my attack and then enter range and hit with the other Just that... Having swung a real sword before, I know it feels very different with the weight distribution I really feel like real short swords cannot be swung that deftly The same can be said with kendo and a real katana Doing kendo moves with a real katana, and doing arnis moves with a real bolo or whatever shortsword can be quite taxing on the wrist This is why I feel like HEMA has the best approach in practicing swordfighting They try to replicate that weight distribution with their practice swords, hence their body knows to be careful with their wrists In my experience with Kendo & Arnis, this has never really been considered... And Kendo is way too stuck in its traditions, it doesn't want to change
Two short swords is possible. Two long swords can be tricky. On the topic of Kendo, I think Kali/Eskrima can learn from Kendo when it comes to making better sparring armor. I don't understand why filipinos aren't using ancient moro armors as base for the sparring armor the same way kendo armor was inspired by ancient samurai armors, it would make for more accurate training and effective application of the arts. Personally, I am glad that practitioners of different swordfighting styles are open minded in learning from one another. Cheers 🍻
I had Robert Childs the world top ranked Rapierist review your video. He was impressed Kevin, well done man. I personally didn't knew the Kali sticks are supposed to represent dual short swords. So yeah it is indeed lethal & useful. You should watch Rob's reaction of your vid, he is also a dual wielder often but he uses parrying dagger + Rapier
I’m skeptical of how well Kevin did, I felt like nearly every time he landed a hit he was hit in return. I felt like he lacked any self preservation. I’d like to see him do this again with steel and full protective gear. But seeing kali vs longsword was still cool
This highlights that the best martial arts are the ones you invest in -- time, reps, philosophy, nurturing environment, great people to train with. This Atlanta HEMA school looks legit on all points, as a balintawak guy I hope everyone supports them.
I'm exploring Hema myself... It was fascinating to watch the sparring you showcased. I learned a lot just watching the movement and exchanges. (mostly a critique on my own lack of dynamism)
The active parrying concept is really effective on a longsword because it takes a moment to reach the opponent from a bind so that situation is always a scary one to be on the backfoott in
Good video. I have a small knitpick. Should always throw in someone like this blind in sparring before giving them a lesson. If it's someone with no combat experience, of course you should give them the fundamentals first, but an experienced martial artist will be coming in with certain fundamentals already programmed in that'll be stifled when they begin learning new maneuvers and techniques. Once they begin sparring, you can begin introducing the techniques and making corrections. The fighter will usually feel more in their element, learn faster, and have more fun this way. And it's way more entertaining! Still, Kevin jumped right in and seemed to do really well.
I still remember the prev recommendation from RUclips. The guy's palm near his thumb got cleanly slice off from blade after a mock fight escrima. Well thanks giving last clip before my bedtime... 😅
This is great. I actually joined the Saber Legion just so I could spar (most FMA guys in my area were not keen on sparring). I did find it challenging to use only 1 long weapon and the rules did not allow for checking with the other hand (both hands on the saber). One time the organizer let me use 2 short sabers against his one, long saber, and it did not go well for him. It just wasn’t fair for him.
@@regulus6773 ALL comes down to the wielder my man. What they have plays a part, like I prefer to use double sword against shields to try and overwhelm them, while using a staff is easier for them to block and control, but it's not the full story. I've done Kali, HEMA and more, and it's all the person not the style. One of my most one-sided losses was going double sword vs a guy with a single long-handled sword. I was barraging him with strikes, but he kept a cool head and just blocked or evaded them then counter attacked and bonked me whenever he had a clear shot. It was like *Ratatat-BONK-Ratatata-BONK-Ratata-BONK*. What we saw in this video is that the HEMA guy wasn't used to flurries of strikes. You can see him turning his head away or trying to walk out of the barrage. I've been there so I recognised it, everything is happening in your face and your brain just says 'nope' and you lock up. But that's a skill issue, if he fought against that style more often he wouldn't have that reaction, and would instantly fight better without having to change his style at all.
@@regulus6773really depends on context. spear dominates in general, but it’s also hard to fit through a tavern door. the best weapon is the one that fits your needs.
Okay, we have to take into account that these are sparring weapons. If Kevin and his opponent were using real blades and no armor, would the techniques be the same? But, wow what a great comparison of techniques at the end! Awesome job everyone! Edit: Thanks for the explanations below. Hope I'm not coming off as critical or insulting of Kevin or his opponent. Both were cool. And Kevin's rapid attacks made me proud. Hope to see more FMA, HEMA, or other martial arts in the future!
Yes, they would be the same. In tournaments, going for the head and torso (fatal strikes in a real fight) is encouraged and rewards more points. So the training is the same.
There are some differences. The Nylon practice weapons they are using flex more and slide on each other more than steel weapons. Steel is more rigid and binds. This means that the weapons don't quite interact in the same way. Neither fighter can parry as effectively because the weapon can easily slide and free itself from the other weapon. Certain techniques such as deflecting the other person's blade by striking it don't work as well because of how much the nylon weapons flex, don't bind, then immediately return on line of attack. As for fighting with real weapons, this is very difficult to simulate. People behave differently and fence differently when there's something on the line. The best simulation I've seen is putting a high dollar buy in to a tournament where any touch puts you out immediately, and if fighters strike each other at the same time they both lose. Even very experienced and confident fencers fought very tentatively and conservatively.
@@mathhews95 I am personally on board with the movement in hema to consider ranking hand hits higher than we usually do for unarmoured fights. Hands are so fragile I personally see a hand hit as a seriously potential fight ender.
@@Jesse-b1vidk about scoring them higher but I just about got a knuckle broken a couple weeks ago doing single stick so I agree that they can be fight enders. At least, more often than not.
You are right, what we see is great sportmanship. In a real unarmored fight no one would fight in such an aggressive forward pushing way, because every hit could be fatal. No disrespect, great skills, great sportmanship and an interesting comparison of different fighting styles.
If you get the chance, it would be SUPER interesting to see FMA double-sticks vs HEMA sword and shield (aside from bucklers) mainly because (depending on the HEMA style) shields could be fairly large and difficult to get around, so it would be interesting to see the FMA flurries vs a large shield and another weapon
Instead of sticks, Filipino swords like talibong would be more suitable. I really want fma people to use the sword forms more than the sticks when it comes to sparrings. I wish fma and hema people would do more sword to sword spars 👀
The guys at Atlanta HFA are awesome! Would love you to come out to Oklahoma and spar with us at Stillwater Martial Arts sometime! We do a lot of the wrestling components of HEMA that a lot of other gyms/clubs overlook. Always excited to do and see more HEMA outreach.
@ Yep the main thing we teach at SMA is BJJ haha. But so much of the old books involves wrestling and control of weapons. Really interesting to look into
also Kali sticks is not limited to the use of two wooden sticks you can also apply this on steel pipes and some old practitioner they use dual Kriss espada.
He didn't look like a beginner when he was sparring with a longsword. Sure, he wasn't wielding it like an expert, but he had a decent understanding of range, and footwork, and he did a few things beginners wouldn't even consider, such as disengages and switching between one- and two-handed grips. Then of course, once he had his favoured weapons out, it was a difference like night and day... BTW: I haven't practiced either style. I did something closer to kong fu and I used to spar with blades similar to the two options in the last sparring session. I can't say that I'm as good as either of these fighters, but I can make some observations: 1) Range is usually the deciding factor even above skill. If you have a spear and the other a one-handed sword, you win 99 out of 100 times. 2) This would obviously change with armour, and to some degree also with secondary weapons, such as a shield, or as I practiced with a second sword. 3) You can't really block a fully committed blow with a greatsword by using your one-handed sword(s) and you'll be at a disadvantage until you managed to dodge the first attack. Then, you can press one of your weapons against his so that he cannot redeploy it and you close in and do what you want to him... Suddenly, the understanding of ranges and angles becomes essential. 4) Since I never did Kali, I use the swords far more static. I usually attack and defend at the same time, or use one sword for feints, or binds. Naturally, people expect a right-handed person to predominantly use his right sword for offense, but that won't help much...
There is a branch of FMA called Tapado. Its a derivation of a long sword or long stick. Its interesting. And double stick sinawali at a distance is not good. You should treat them as a shield and sword. Allowing more control of the opponent sword.
Cool matches, though it's not very fair fighting with Kali sticks against a longsword 😂. Sidesword and buckler would've made for a fairer bout. I guess because they were using synthetic weapons, the weight and length don't matter as much. But if they swapped to wood sticks and steel feders the longsword user would have a serious advantage. That extra reach and weight go miles because it makes going past the opponent's guard super easy. Regardless super fun video!
This is great 👍 I've been curious about how the styles of fighting would interact with each other! This might be further down the line, but if there's ever a chance, do you think you could spar with them again with kali/Filipino sparring-safe blades? Or some good stand-ins for them?
At any moment either Captain Context, Master MACHICOLATIONS!, or He That Endeth Rightly will have to make a video reacting to this. We will be waiting.
A teacher once told me it's not the style, it's the fighter. Whatever style you are practicing, do your best to excel at it. But don't limit yourself and study other forms. A white belt in karate will get smoked by a black belt in taekwondo even in full-contact rules.
11:30 I think that was mainly a glove issue? Thick Icehocky-style Glove = Grip is not so tight on a Softstick / Rattanstick (I think the HEMA practitioners usually use heavier gloes? Personally I have always prefered nimbler gloves over thick / icehocky style gloves to hold rattan sticks or similar softsticks. I think thick gloves are more likely to weaken the grip)
You know what to do now Kevin...Ultimate Historical Weapons Championship. Wushu vs Wing Chun vs HEMA (German, Italian, Roman Empire) vs Fencing vs Kenjutsu/Kendo vs FMA
What do you think?
I'm glad you did a video on HEMA and got to do some sparring. I enjoy your videos showcasing Martial Arts that are not as well known and this was a good general representation of HEMA. It's been my hobby for 10 years, so I enjoy it when people make content that is minimally sensational and shows how fun and interesting it is. I hope you get to put on all the gear and fight with steel some day.
Awesome! :-)
Is there any MA you're not great at?
I prefere Kali
I notice the change of distance when adopting the Kali sticks. You began starting the exchange within the measure of the longsword rather than stepping into measure and then closing - cutting down the reach advantage of the longsword.
(Both fighters are responsible for this - no shade thrown.)
In general: Am happy you did a video on my favourite hobby!
In the video itself: It's telling that despite that you don't have prior HEMA experience, you still did very well in the sparring. Distance, timing, measure, and *the ability to squat and rise powerfully and at will* to make for great footwork are damn near king everywhere :D
On kali two-weapons vs longsword: Online, there was a controversy based around HEMAists trashing the idea of fighting with two weapons at once. That got amended over time to two cutting weapons, then two long cutting weapons, because a HEMA manual was uncovered explicitly showing twin rapiers, and then exactly this - two short swords were shown to work *if your skill and coordination was godly and you trained it* !
Thank you for coming to play with us! We are more than happy to share our passion for HEMA with you and your audience!
I would cover your floor with tape creating 10in to 12in squares showing foot shoes size and foot placement.
Step two: gride off mid-size sections with numbers magic maker counting off drill foot stances, growing up my family had a collection of beach towels and bed sheets for martials and dancing steps styles. Lay down four to eight towels with hopscotch numbers and dance in a circle. It was the same foot pattern lay out in my grandfather 1960's Usa navy handbook for wrestling, boxing, and knife fighting.
It is all short step dance choreography till muscle memory of 5step movements turns into free style dance.
What follows next is body weight training conditioning and speed drills.
Wrestle and head but with a Great Dane puppy to adulthood, just don't teach it football. You know .. tackle .. their run by hip shoulder bumps is how they were bred to control cattle. It is only like 30 to 40mph of a 100+lb dog bumping you.
You get to experience what Linus does when Snoopy run by takes his blanket.
Danes are the size of dog that knocks and pushes you over before they bite. They trick their prey to run so they can knock them down. They randomly walk by and smack their heads to people knees as they pass by. Good way to get people to drop their food.
Something about body conditioning on a sand & gravel punching bag.
2.) How to Properly UsE a .. SwOrD ...
yeah, ...
How long of a tree line that needs trim each day/week, or about two solid days in a row just to cut everything back so you can mow next to the tree line ?
Oh, you want to learn how to rapier Zoro fence ?
Go cut me a switch .
b.) Star Wars lightsaber fights, cheap plastic baseball bats.
Learning how kinetic energy travels down a wooden broom stick or steel pipe into your hands when struck hard enough.
c.) Many times, over the years when I beat my peer group in magic market knife fights, they just tackle me, and I am dealing with a half an hour time spent in a headlock before one of us tap out. Sometime just raw muscle twitch speed beats technique.
Now snatch this pebble out of my hand.
I appreciate that as a shorter fencer he did exactly what he needed to do and stayed low while focusing on highguards. Made it hard for his opponent to do much. He was also smart to keep his guard unreadable when switching to two weapon fighting, he did well despite his weapons being shorter, lighter, and guardless.
He got soooooo many tags in with those kali sticks. It really did highlight the difference in approach to CQC with weapons.
Excellent video. As a Hema instructor (and Kali fan) i'm very happy to see such a nice introduction to Hema with , also, a friendly sparring. Those are so rare (and sparring in Kali is not very common on youtube wich is sad). Thank you !
I’m glad we got to cross the two styles in the manner we did. Kevin surprised us with the sticks. I wanna see how he would fight with sword and buckler.
As a HEMA instructor, I was genuinely impressed with how well Kevin did during the Longsword vs Longsword sparring, considering it was his first time. I could see him actually utilizing the guards and techniques he had just learned a few moments prior in a way that normally takes new students at least a few weeks to really get the hang of. Great stuff!
It's always fun to me seeing an experienced martial artist stepping into something new. You can see the skill at learning and incorporating right alongside the admiration for those skilled and practiced in this other art.
Love this exchange! I'm an FMA practitioner and am starting HEMA too. I have respect for both arts.
it was probably my favourite exchange ive seen so far on youtube
Damn bro... I ain't breaking in your house anymore, I'ma go straight to the cemetery ffs 😂😂😂
@narcoticman7310 lol. If you come in peace, you'll get coffee and lumpia. 😊😁
A reminder to comment readers. Two-stick system of FMA is primarily for training.
Filipino warriors from long ago doesnt actually dual wield during life-or-death. Like most people, they use shields, which are also designed to be able to parry and catch weapons. Their shields are slender so to not impede skirmishing.
And due to the jungles and beaches they usually fight on, swords arent relegated as backup weapons. Some setting doesnt allow for formation fighting and spear usage, thats why they value knife and blade skills a lot back then. Not just merely spear go stab, they move a lot due to the skirmish nature of warfare (jungle terrain, beach landings, river skirmishes)
always skirmishes so they get dunked on when its a real war
yeah I assumed that. Sticks were also used in HEMA to train or wooden swords. The real thing always has to be sharp or at least top end heavy to smash skulls in.
@@jmgonzales7701 The spanish cant even defeat the headhunters of ifugao, the moros of Mindanao,even with plate armor.
@@jmgonzales7701 And that's without armor, the Filipino warriors basically did the elden ring "let me solo her" against the armored spanish in ancient times and against the Japanese in ww2(the japanese did not defeat the headhunters even with modern equipment).
@@caliburnblade7895 Filipinos actually had armor, depends on the region. The filipinos had the advantage of numbering by the hundreds but eventually they get scrwed for 333 years. Those head hunters ain't anything at all. Got dunked on by the Americans.
Thank you for giving HEMA a platform.
It was fun!!!
The difference in footwork really stood out! From my very limited understanding, most HEMA manuals emphasize stability and structure in the footwork, since it directly affects the structure and rigidity in deflecting incoming strikes (as well as delivering cuts properly with power). Your footwork instincts are much more dynamic, stance switches more often and more frequently, and lends itself to the numerous martial arts disciplines you train in (and kali obviously). AMAZING video, amazing sparring sessions, thank you so much!
Absolutely love seeing someone with experience in a weapon-centric martial art getting a taste of others. It's fun to watch any martial artist do this but seeing how quickly the light bulb turns on when FMA, HEMA, Kenjutsu, etc. practitioners see other techniques of weapons is a joy for me
this is what ive been waiting for ever since i discovered hema
Great speed & distance management with the dual wielding. And, even when using the unfamiliar two handed weapon, Keven's use of measure was outstanding.
What's cool is there are Spanish sword fighting influences in Kali
@@BradYaeger yesssss
@KevinLeeVlog you should try out Destreza to see those specific influences. Spanish Destreza is very different from the German and Italian styles.
For the Aramusha, they wield a set of such swords, using them in the infamous dual-blade style that only few can master.
@@micahthecomfortablehuman1324 I never looked up the specific style they mimic'd but it was when I first watched the training sequence in the first modern Zorro movie and saw the footwork pattern that I went "Hey now...." because I was well into FMA and Silat at the time. Granted geometry and physics is universal but the overlap was obvious . I think we all forget just how long humans have been fighting and would logically apply the same intelligence to it as we would to all other endeavors . I mean what good is being able to build bridges and castles if you can't defend them.
@@BradYaegerThe Zorro movie jumbled the two primary Spanish systems of Escrima Común and Verdadera Destreza together, but that's okay in my book because I train both and enjoy them.
Escrima Común is definitely the one that influenced it. For starters, as the name implies, Escrima Común was favoured by the lower classes ever since Destreza made a splash after Carranza. Destreza shirks off-hand weapons and shields in favour of dynamic circular footwork and careful placement of angles and leverage with the sword alone.
The Spanish sailors and settlers of the Philippines would probably predominantly practice Escrima Común, which is reflected in the fact that some people continue to call Kali "Esgrima". Destreza diestros explicitly refuted the term Escrima for their art, so if they had been the influence, it wouldn't be called that. Destreza was a rich man's style around the time the Philippines was colonized.
In addition, the only book of Escrima Común (from Godinho) we have has chapters on espada y daga and duo espadas. For sword and dagger, it is unique in that Godinho recommends using the sword to entangle the enemy weapon and wound their arms with the dagger. And in the two swords, Godinho recommends whirling them with wide cuts to keep foes away from you.
Now, I know for a fact that Kali predates Spanish colonialism of the region, so I am not at all suggesting that Escrima Común alone is the source of Kali's behaviors and techniques. Instead, I'm saying this to point out that Escrima and Kali are *compatible* with each other, and thus could have melded together far better than Destreza would.
that first sparing showcase was mighty impresive! real deal for sure
💯💯💯!!
I like it, that the HEMA teacher allows himself to be the reciever of the technique in the beginning. It feels humble.
Kali was used to fight the Spanish Conquistadors. The shorter sticks were good for fighting in the dense jingles. On the beaches or more open areas, Kali includes staff fighting.
and they lost to the conquistadors
@@jmgonzales7701 yeah lol but due to many reasons besides only melee weapons, rifles & plate armor.
@@ElDrHouse2010 mainly because of technological superiority, skills and taking advantage of the feudal kingdoms.
Btw, HEMA includes firearms. Including firearms in your historical martial arm systems is quite unique. HEMA also includes (proper) armour fighting (don't confuse it with buhurt where they allow modifying the armour substantially and putting limitations on thrust attacks). All I'm saying is, if you want to go for Kali vs. HEMA, the Spanish Conquistadors played by the rules and won. 😄
Kali was also used to fight FOR the Spanish conquistadors. Most of the Spanish army which conquered the Philippines was composed of local tribes.
This probably one of the best youtube videos to show the beauty of FMA! Also it's fantastic to spar the way demonstrated, since you can do it with distance, speed and power, while keeping the risk of concussion low. Especially great with nice & respectful people who value a good hit and train humble.
@@KapnKuTT thank you!!!
i dont specifically look for hema videos, but when one pops up, it never disappoints
It's always nice to see HEMA featured in other Martial Arts channels! ;-)
Excellent! As an FMA practitioner, i loved seeing the HEMA practice. Thank you.
Glad to see you're enjoying the cross training! I'm very interested in the FMA approach to knife fighting and there's no denying that FMA has some of the most effective approaches to weapon martial arts. I love that we're seeing more crossover between the myriad of weapon based disciplines and am excited that we all get to share our knowledge and passion!
Impressed by Kevin, sincerely! sharp timing and mastery of movements, we want to see more sparring of him !
Thank you for watching!
My two favorite weapons arts, showcased by respectful, talented practitioners. Thank you for this.
Also, I'm really quite impressed by how you translated your kali footwork to longsword. It's not a huge jump but it's definitely cool to see.
It is rather surprising how rare Kali and HEMA spars are considering that Kali had spanish influences as well. I always felt like it's such a missed opportunity for cross training. I'm glad they made this video. It's so educational.
Saw this video pop up in my feed and knew I had to see it. I've been very lucky this year, because just a month ago i met a member of the Dog Brothers, and he's been teaching me Kali. As soon as you started i immediately recognised so many of the techniques you were using. It really makes me grateful that i have an amazing teacher, and an even better friend to show me this incredible martial art.
Nitro where are you located? Just curious I’m part of dog brothers nyc
@csaari808 out in Scotland
"nice, I got killed!" great way to have fun learning something that would've had dire consequences some time ago.
When I was back in college, I saw these guys on the campus lawn in chain mail and padded medieval weaponry sparring. This was NOT the local LARP, but a true collection of HEMA practitioners, and I as a lifetime FMA practitioner wanted to see how I would fare vs things like Longsword, Sword and Board, etc.
Turns out pretty F'n well.
Doble Baston and Espada y Daga were my chosen tools every week, and every week was basically live-sparring, learning and comparing, and just general overall FUN. Some of my personal caveats:
1. Angles: FMA triangle footwork and general "panastas" concepts were GREAT against single weapons, but honestly REALLY shone against large shields, as long as one moves REALLY fast to get outside. Those suckers can be HEAVY and tend to block vision, so lil brown guys like me can use either daga or even live hand to grab it, use the momentum to fling the partner (and kinda throw oneself behind them) for a neat kidney shot.
2. Speed: Kevin's partner mentioned dealing with the initiative and re-engagement of the doble baston, especially if within range. Florete and abaniko hits can be really hard to deal with with a longer weapon, especially against TWO shorter weapons in range. But another speed factor I encounters was how unused my training partners were to arnis gap-closing. Hard to explain, and possibly made feasible by #1 and traping/locking drills from balintawak making me used to crowding and control, but getting into range was less of an issue than I originally thought. Yes, spears will ALWAYS suck, especially if only armed with single dagger.. but I can say with confidence that the adage "just keep them away" is harder against an aggressive FMA mindset.
3. Coordination: perhaps it was the limited availability of opponent Destreza players I had, but the ambidexterity and multi/simultaneous attacks from Sinawali-based FMA seemed to be of higher quality. I found my Destreza opponents would get into action/counteraction grooves more easily, allowing me to attack on half-beats. The weaving practice also allowed me to find "hidden" affordances that allow me to bind both their weapons with my one, leading to "accidental" but badass looking disarms or locks. I know for a fact these DO exist in double- blade HEMA practices, and YES I know of the influence of rapier/dagger European and Spanish fencing into Escrima. But somehow the execution tended to favour the FMA practicioner in most exchanges.
Anyway, THANK YOU as always to Kevin for really stepping out there with ALL martial arts! The goal as always is learning and having fun together, and watching you charge in brought me back decades. My wife even saw me watching and said I hadn't smiled like THAT in years. So thank you, and best of training to ALL martial artists!
🤜🤛
Wondered how far I'd have to scroll through the comments to find you Raf 😁
When Kevin started swinging those sticks, wooo, I got chills! Kevin is a boss!
I know right
Ooh… good topic Kevin! I’ve seen similar Kali vs. HEMA or Kali vs. Kendo sparring matches, but they weren’t at all informative. Anyhow, I’m looking forward to watching the rest of this.
Great stuff
Entertaining & fun to see how much really goes into the art of sword fighting
@@spiffnut420 thank you!!
Bro whoever said two weapon fighting didnt work was full of it. You were doing so much at once that the other guy couldn't keep up
Oh it absolutely works. After a bit over a year of doing escrima I can also report that learning to coordinate two weapons properly is an insane amount of effort. My brain scrambles after an hour of training as if Id been trying to solve riddles nonstop. Kevin has demonstrated a ton of skill in this video.
Truth. ☝️ Both great comments. I will add that one of Japan's greatest swordman Myamoto Musashi, was a big promoter & example of the effectiveness of dual welding or fighting with 2 blades. Unlike many people in this modern age who say it doesn't work, Musashi had real life & death battlefield experience where his theories & ideas were rigorously tested.
I don't think anyone said it doesn't work. It's just not optimal. Shields are just a better off hand weapon
If you look closer, the guy gets a number of cuts in. They're not all lethal by any means, but they would leave Kevin bleeding from a number of places, including the head.
The speed is impressive and Kevin would most likely have beaten the guy if it was for real, but some of the damage he took would be pretty damn bad, simply because of the fact that the sword would actually be sharp. We'd be talking cut muscles and tendons, head wounds, cut hands...
Also a sword cut to the hand/arm would make holding onto the stick a *_lot_* harder.
Dual welding has existed for centuries in every corner of the world
I was searching for this video a few months back. Thanks for making it!
Awesome video Kevin. I fight with the dog brothers and a heavy wooden rattan really changes the dynamics of the fight with the introduction of significant pain and fear. I’d really like to see a similar video to this with wooden rattans or metal training weapons if you ever get the chance. Either way you’re an awesome martial artist and I love your videos, oss
@@tylerherbert5219 thank you!! I love the dog brothers stuff!!!
Considering the disadvantage against the reach of a longsword, I think you did fantastic!
I could tell you guys were having a blast! Great stuff.
I trained Kali for 6 years, love it miss it….(train Jiu Jitsu & Muay Thai now) this was awesome…thx
What made you change
@ I got pregnant, almost died during pregnancy took me few years to get back to some what health, then we moved & the academy I trained at went out of biz, 12 yrs went by in that time, I was not in good shape, I saw a 10th planet near us, put my son in jiu jitsu I joined 6 mths later to help him learn….its been almost 4 years started back into Muay Thai year ago….life is strange how some things just come back around guess its meant to be. 😁
@77stephani77 I just started learning Kali. They came from wrestling, then went into BJJ and Muay Tai. Could go because I just had a baby boy so I heard about someone offering and decided to check it out. Putting everything together is such a beautiful journey. Hopefully, you can get back into it or incorporate it into your BJJ
Kali huh. I hope a random fandom dosen't take that out of context and wakes up a bunch of sleeper agents
bait used to be-
tf?
now I'm obliged to say
is that the red-
Nice stuff as always!!
Thank you!
Nice to see Hema getting love. Not a practitioner myself, but find it very cool
Much respect for everyone bringing great attitude and having fun... :)
The Savate and FMA kicking in and dude realizing it translates to HMA. Love it
Impressive how you take the possitions to heart and use them in sparring. I am also impressed how well you picked up the moves in a short period of time. Nice job!
Kevin you are awesome with weapons. Please do a video on escrima sticks
Hahaha. Thanks!
That was an absolute treat to watch.
I've experienced kendo vs arnis (I was doing kendo) and yeah fighting against someone with two weapons is very difficult
They can use one to block my attack and then enter range and hit with the other
Just that... Having swung a real sword before, I know it feels very different with the weight distribution
I really feel like real short swords cannot be swung that deftly
The same can be said with kendo and a real katana
Doing kendo moves with a real katana, and doing arnis moves with a real bolo or whatever shortsword can be quite taxing on the wrist
This is why I feel like HEMA has the best approach in practicing swordfighting
They try to replicate that weight distribution with their practice swords, hence their body knows to be careful with their wrists
In my experience with Kendo & Arnis, this has never really been considered...
And Kendo is way too stuck in its traditions, it doesn't want to change
Two short swords is possible. Two long swords can be tricky. On the topic of Kendo, I think Kali/Eskrima can learn from Kendo when it comes to making better sparring armor. I don't understand why filipinos aren't using ancient moro armors as base for the sparring armor the same way kendo armor was inspired by ancient samurai armors, it would make for more accurate training and effective application of the arts.
Personally, I am glad that practitioners of different swordfighting styles are open minded in learning from one another. Cheers 🍻
A great vid
I really enjoyed the contrast during sparring
Thank you for sharing
I had Robert Childs the world top ranked Rapierist review your video. He was impressed Kevin, well done man. I personally didn't knew the Kali sticks are supposed to represent dual short swords. So yeah it is indeed lethal & useful.
You should watch Rob's reaction of your vid, he is also a dual wielder often but he uses parrying dagger + Rapier
I’m skeptical of how well Kevin did, I felt like nearly every time he landed a hit he was hit in return. I felt like he lacked any self preservation. I’d like to see him do this again with steel and full protective gear. But seeing kali vs longsword was still cool
The reason why this sport still exists is because, cool backstory. And its also cool
This highlights that the best martial arts are the ones you invest in -- time, reps, philosophy, nurturing environment, great people to train with. This Atlanta HEMA school looks legit on all points, as a balintawak guy I hope everyone supports them.
Kevin switching stances from orthodox to southpaw was flawless 🤙🇦🇺
I'm exploring Hema myself... It was fascinating to watch the sparring you showcased. I learned a lot just watching the movement and exchanges. (mostly a critique on my own lack of dynamism)
Amazing! As someone in Atlanta I have a new sport to try out and I'm fired up about it!
That was fun to watch, Kali felt more aggressive than Hema but Hema felt more precise and safer
Well done young man ⚔️☘️
What a great video!
That capture with the hilt is basically a kwan sao to lop sao. The principles are very wing chun-ish, they're just happening at different ranges.
Yesssss!
LOL I love it! Dude is showing Kev how dangerous and subtle movements can kill and Kev says "I wonna jump in!" LOL
So cool! I mainly practice Italian Longsword HEMA, which is a little more grapple-y than German, but this was a lot of fun to wach! :D
Awesome! as a FMA practicioner myself i would love to try this out.
...ed...ward....
Nice one all around, guys! 15 years HEMA here.
More please! Please practice HEMA for a year and tell us about your insights!
The active parrying concept is really effective on a longsword because it takes a moment to reach the opponent from a bind so that situation is always a scary one to be on the backfoott in
I love how those sticks move like rotors. Imagine those sticks replaced with well-balanced machete blades and you have a blender. Scary!
Wow fantastic 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻❤️❤️❤️
Good video. I have a small knitpick.
Should always throw in someone like this blind in sparring before giving them a lesson. If it's someone with no combat experience, of course you should give them the fundamentals first, but an experienced martial artist will be coming in with certain fundamentals already programmed in that'll be stifled when they begin learning new maneuvers and techniques.
Once they begin sparring, you can begin introducing the techniques and making corrections. The fighter will usually feel more in their element, learn faster, and have more fun this way. And it's way more entertaining!
Still, Kevin jumped right in and seemed to do really well.
Omg 2:10 freaked me out… almost poked his eyes out 😮
Kevin has so much skill, he's a really good fighter
I still remember the prev recommendation from RUclips. The guy's palm near his thumb got cleanly slice off from blade after a mock fight escrima. Well thanks giving last clip before my bedtime... 😅
This is great. I actually joined the Saber Legion just so I could spar (most FMA guys in my area were not keen on sparring). I did find it challenging to use only 1 long weapon and the rules did not allow for checking with the other hand (both hands on the saber). One time the organizer let me use 2 short sabers against his one, long saber, and it did not go well for him. It just wasn’t fair for him.
Two weapons are always going to be better than one.
@@regulus6773 ALL comes down to the wielder my man. What they have plays a part, like I prefer to use double sword against shields to try and overwhelm them, while using a staff is easier for them to block and control, but it's not the full story. I've done Kali, HEMA and more, and it's all the person not the style.
One of my most one-sided losses was going double sword vs a guy with a single long-handled sword. I was barraging him with strikes, but he kept a cool head and just blocked or evaded them then counter attacked and bonked me whenever he had a clear shot. It was like *Ratatat-BONK-Ratatata-BONK-Ratata-BONK*.
What we saw in this video is that the HEMA guy wasn't used to flurries of strikes. You can see him turning his head away or trying to walk out of the barrage. I've been there so I recognised it, everything is happening in your face and your brain just says 'nope' and you lock up. But that's a skill issue, if he fought against that style more often he wouldn't have that reaction, and would instantly fight better without having to change his style at all.
@@regulus6773really depends on context. spear dominates in general, but it’s also hard to fit through a tavern door. the best weapon is the one that fits your needs.
Okay, we have to take into account that these are sparring weapons. If Kevin and his opponent were using real blades and no armor, would the techniques be the same? But, wow what a great comparison of techniques at the end! Awesome job everyone!
Edit: Thanks for the explanations below. Hope I'm not coming off as critical or insulting of Kevin or his opponent. Both were cool. And Kevin's rapid attacks made me proud. Hope to see more FMA, HEMA, or other martial arts in the future!
Yes, they would be the same. In tournaments, going for the head and torso (fatal strikes in a real fight) is encouraged and rewards more points. So the training is the same.
There are some differences. The Nylon practice weapons they are using flex more and slide on each other more than steel weapons.
Steel is more rigid and binds. This means that the weapons don't quite interact in the same way. Neither fighter can parry as effectively because the weapon can easily slide and free itself from the other weapon. Certain techniques such as deflecting the other person's blade by striking it don't work as well because of how much the nylon weapons flex, don't bind, then immediately return on line of attack.
As for fighting with real weapons, this is very difficult to simulate. People behave differently and fence differently when there's something on the line. The best simulation I've seen is putting a high dollar buy in to a tournament where any touch puts you out immediately, and if fighters strike each other at the same time they both lose. Even very experienced and confident fencers fought very tentatively and conservatively.
@@mathhews95 I am personally on board with the movement in hema to consider ranking hand hits higher than we usually do for unarmoured fights. Hands are so fragile I personally see a hand hit as a seriously potential fight ender.
@@Jesse-b1vidk about scoring them higher but I just about got a knuckle
broken a couple weeks ago doing single stick so I agree that they can be fight enders. At least, more often than not.
You are right, what we see is great sportmanship. In a real unarmored fight no one would fight in such an aggressive forward pushing way, because every hit could be fatal.
No disrespect, great skills, great sportmanship and an interesting comparison of different fighting styles.
Kevin spends so much of his videos taking hits and explaining and asking questions I forgot he can really fight!!
That was awesome . I play with two blade , Kali.
Need more!
"I dont really want to hurt you, I just want to control you" Huh who knew my Ex was a hema fighter
If you get the chance, it would be SUPER interesting to see FMA double-sticks vs HEMA sword and shield (aside from bucklers) mainly because (depending on the HEMA style) shields could be fairly large and difficult to get around, so it would be interesting to see the FMA flurries vs a large shield and another weapon
Instead of sticks, Filipino swords like talibong would be more suitable. I really want fma people to use the sword forms more than the sticks when it comes to sparrings. I wish fma and hema people would do more sword to sword spars 👀
Nice work.
I seldom see double-stick against a longsword.
I wanna try!
ATL Freifechter represent! awesome to see AHFA show up here
The guys at Atlanta HFA are awesome!
Would love you to come out to Oklahoma and spar with us at Stillwater Martial Arts sometime! We do a lot of the wrestling components of HEMA that a lot of other gyms/clubs overlook. Always excited to do and see more HEMA outreach.
Thanks for the love. AHFA's doors are open if you find yourself in AtL!
take lessons about wrestling from free-style, judo & jiujitsu they work super super well ofc with an emphasis on controlling weapons.
@ Yep the main thing we teach at SMA is BJJ haha. But so much of the old books involves wrestling and control of weapons. Really interesting to look into
wow! you have good reflexes.
❤ great content 👌
Thank you!
Very interesting fights!
also Kali sticks is not limited to the use of two wooden sticks you can also apply this on steel pipes and some old practitioner they use dual Kriss espada.
alot of weapons but mostly daggers and short swords
Hemo sparring looks super fun
10:10: I liked that void with the leg switching into a long lunge
He didn't look like a beginner when he was sparring with a longsword. Sure, he wasn't wielding it like an expert, but he had a decent understanding of range, and footwork, and he did a few things beginners wouldn't even consider, such as disengages and switching between one- and two-handed grips. Then of course, once he had his favoured weapons out, it was a difference like night and day...
BTW: I haven't practiced either style. I did something closer to kong fu and I used to spar with blades similar to the two options in the last sparring session. I can't say that I'm as good as either of these fighters, but I can make some observations:
1) Range is usually the deciding factor even above skill. If you have a spear and the other a one-handed sword, you win 99 out of 100 times.
2) This would obviously change with armour, and to some degree also with secondary weapons, such as a shield, or as I practiced with a second sword.
3) You can't really block a fully committed blow with a greatsword by using your one-handed sword(s) and you'll be at a disadvantage until you managed to dodge the first attack. Then, you can press one of your weapons against his so that he cannot redeploy it and you close in and do what you want to him... Suddenly, the understanding of ranges and angles becomes essential.
4) Since I never did Kali, I use the swords far more static. I usually attack and defend at the same time, or use one sword for feints, or binds. Naturally, people expect a right-handed person to predominantly use his right sword for offense, but that won't help much...
DURCHWINDEN MENTIONED LETS GOOO
Kevin, you should interview Yap Boh Heong, Five Ancestors Fist and ask him about his 'Strings', 'Sinking', 'Song'.
Nice ❤❤❤
There is a branch of FMA called Tapado. Its a derivation of a long sword or long stick. Its interesting. And double stick sinawali at a distance is not good. You should treat them as a shield and sword. Allowing more control of the opponent sword.
Cool matches, though it's not very fair fighting with Kali sticks against a longsword 😂. Sidesword and buckler would've made for a fairer bout.
I guess because they were using synthetic weapons, the weight and length don't matter as much. But if they swapped to wood sticks and steel feders the longsword user would have a serious advantage. That extra reach and weight go miles because it makes going past the opponent's guard super easy. Regardless super fun video!
This is great 👍 I've been curious about how the styles of fighting would interact with each other!
This might be further down the line, but if there's ever a chance, do you think you could spar with them again with kali/Filipino sparring-safe blades? Or some good stand-ins for them?
What style of Arnis is Kevin doing? I thought that he mostly trained in wing chun.
At any moment either Captain Context, Master MACHICOLATIONS!, or He That Endeth Rightly will have to make a video reacting to this. We will be waiting.
Do a video of Silat and its techniques.
Yessss
A teacher once told me it's not the style, it's the fighter. Whatever style you are practicing, do your best to excel at it. But don't limit yourself and study other forms. A white belt in karate will get smoked by a black belt in taekwondo even in full-contact rules.
Even the greatest swordsman fears the double stick.
11:30 I think that was mainly a glove issue? Thick Icehocky-style Glove = Grip is not so tight on a Softstick / Rattanstick (I think the HEMA practitioners usually use heavier gloes? Personally I have always prefered nimbler gloves over thick / icehocky style gloves to hold rattan sticks or similar softsticks. I think thick gloves are more likely to weaken the grip)
You know what to do now Kevin...Ultimate Historical Weapons Championship. Wushu vs Wing Chun vs HEMA (German, Italian, Roman Empire) vs Fencing vs Kenjutsu/Kendo vs FMA
That looked like fun
That feeling when someone says German words but has never heard the words before.