Fighting > General Fighting Discussion
Body Mechanics and 'Ultralight' Weapons
Garkoth:
I've recently started doing pell practice with our local SCA fighters, and I've been learning a lot about fighting in general from them. When they talked with me about crossgaming, I originally thought "Whatever, fighting is fighting." But now that I've tried learning their techniques, I really see what they're concerned with.
Aside from the whole headshots issue--which I'm honestly not concerned with--these guys train to use their body much more than I ever have. I get fussed for not rotating my hips, I get fussed for moving my shield when rotating my hips, et cetera. This particular clique of SCA fighters approaches their game very much like a martial art.
Now, trying to take these techniques back to Dagorhir, I'm so much slower than I'm used to. Just swinging with my arm is faster and hits hard enough for people down here. When I try to use some of the SCA shots, I also find that there's just not enough weight to my weapon for the shot to work. There's a series of "torque" shots I've been taught which put the fulcrum of the shot on the weapon itsself, and there is definitely not enough mass to my 12oz weapon to score sufficient force.
Do you think I'm doing it wrong, or I should try fighting Dagorhir with more heavy (and still safely padded) weapons? Do you think the balance point of the weapon could affect it's weakness with torque shots?
Nessie-Pop With the Temper:
I'm always the first guy to advocate using heavier weapons in Dagorhir, so I say yes to that, regardless. It's a theory of mine that every shot thrown in stick-fighting sports has ratio of arm-to-hip, in regards to the origin of the primary force of the shot. Some fighters have higher or lower ratios, based on their individual style and hit calibration. SCA fighters tend to have more hip on their shots, due to the weight of their weapons and the force required to actually count as a hit in heavy combat. Dagorhir fighters (this is in general, and is in no way an absolute statement) can get away with a little more arm because of a lower sufficient force requirement and lighter weapons. I use a fairly heavy sword (~26 oz.) and I find I don't need to use as much force with many of my shots as I do with a lighter weapon, so that could have something to do with the disparity you're seeing. Have you tried any of these "torque" techniques with heavier weapons? How different are the techniques you're being taught from the way you usually fight?
Ryees:
Did someone say realistically weighted weapons? Because I like not fighting with big long toothpicks. ;D
Kelmain:
It depends on your goal. If your objective is to be the best Dag fighter on the field, your crossgame technique will not serve you particularly well. If you don’t care about that, do what feels right to you.
I carry a heavy shield and a relatively heavy sword and don’t throw any shot that I can’t deliver with a real sword. My blows land solidly, but I’m proportionately slower than the ‘best’ fighters on the field. My style has been described as “old school” and doubtless it is. I can live with that and my enjoyment is not diminished by the challenge of manipulating the battle flow to give me openings rather than being faster than my opponent.
Varadin:
Quote from: Garkoth on July 31, 2012, 03:11:39 am>>>>Just swinging with my arm is faster and hits hard enough for people down here. <<<<
First, the shot calibration is too low down there. Start calling light on limb wristed bull****.
Quote>>>>When I try to use some of the SCA shots, I also find that there's just not enough weight to my weapon for the shot to work. There's a series of "torque" shots I've been taught which put the fulcrum of the shot on the weapon itsself, and there is definitely not enough mass to my 12oz weapon to score sufficient force.
<<<<
You are doing it wrong. My guess is on your follow through, Most likely the heavy weight of your Sca stick is carrying a shot through. You aren't swinging through it the shot you are just letting the weapon carry itself. In otherwords... you are doing it wrong and it will travel slower because of it.
Good hip motion into a shot will make it travel faster and harder, but it is a hard thing to learn after just arming shots for a while.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page