|
It's not feudalism, it's the late 19th/early 20th century's view of the Japanese past which, hilariously, was filtered through a reverse-weeaboo's idea of what medieval Europe had been like.
|
#
?
Apr 26, 2015 20:04
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 18, 2024 23:59 |
|
|
HEY GAL posted:It's not feudalism, it's the late 19th/early 20th century's view of the Japanese past which, hilariously, was filtered through a reverse-weeaboo's idea of what medieval Europe had been like.
|
|
#
?
Apr 27, 2015 19:33
|
|
|
Hey guys, you know snake style kung fu, right? Today I went back to the class for the first time this year, and found the t-rex style longsword! Hunched back and tiny stiff arms. Rawr.  Gonna take a couple of weeks to get back in the saddle.
|
|
#
?
Apr 28, 2015 19:01
|
|
|
I think I have a new record for gear failures in one day: two tip explosions (foil and epee) and a second foil not registering on switch press. Only my sabre survived! I have spares for the tips, but god drat do I hate troubleshooting possible blade wire/socket faults. Is there an actual good reason for using a single tiny wire instead of a proper sheathed multi-strand cable? I've always wondered this. Then again, bayonet plugs still exist.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2015 05:41
|
|
|
It's a system that was designed in the 60's (30's for epee) and hasn't changed. Seriously, from an engineering stand-point, how is using a Cat-5 in your foil better than the single wire currently used? I ask because most people (including loving engineers and designers of modern systems) fail to ask this question before redesigning something. The main good from the current system is that it doesn't generate false positives. A broken blade constantly fires in foil and never fires in epee. Both are trivial to prove that the weapon is faulty rather than something else in the system. EDIT: In regards to broken weapons, there's a reason most serious epeeists have 3+ weapons at tournaments. poo poo just sometimes doesn't work. It happens and sometimes you get a card for it. I see this at every major event I work, especially in pools. One bout, the weapon is fine, and the very next bout, something happens. Tip screw goes missing. A spring weakens. If you haven't had one of your weapons act weird, you haven't been fencing long enough or you do sabre. BirdOfPlay fucked around with this message at 08:14 on Apr 30, 2015 |
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2015 08:08
|
|
|
Oh yeah, I've wrecked a few weapons before, everything except the grip is basically a consumable. But I've never smashed 3 in the space of 2 hours until now... The deal with using a cable with multiple strands is that it can be more flexible than a thicker gauge. And there's the big advantage that if one strand breaks, you're not totally screwed. Crazy Achmed fucked around with this message at 10:32 on Apr 30, 2015 |
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2015 09:47
|
|
|
Crazy Achmed posted:Is there an actual good reason for using a single tiny wire instead of a proper sheathed multi-strand cable? I've always wondered this. Then again, bayonet plugs still exist. Bayonet master race 4 lyfe. Do sheathed cables 1/3 the diameter of the cables we're already using exist? Really, sounds like more complexity and cost for what's a fairly minor (if annoying) problem.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2015 13:56
|
|
|
Not to mention that most fencers are absolute geeks about shaving off as many grams as possible from their weapon. A sheathed cable may weigh just a little more. Another good reason is simplicity and cost, and the Way Things Are Done. I bet if you could come up with a superior wiring scheme that has a competitive cost and meets the regulations then it'd sell. Like tips, there are several different tip designs out there and fancy new ones come out all the time. Yet all I ever see are german tips, they just work well and are easy to fix and replace. Granted, my weapons tend to last quite a while since I'm a posty french-gripper, but I still bring a minimum of 3 weapons and 5 body cords to a tournament. The worst I ever did though was lose two blades and the second only because it kept throwing a tip screw. I saw one guy's epee literally shatter in his hand. We were halfway through the bout, and I came in and hit his bell guard on the way and all of a sudden his entire weapon falls apart into pieces. Blade, bell guard, plug assembly all fall on the floor and he's just standing there holding the grip attached to nothing.
|
|
#
?
Apr 30, 2015 14:26
|
|
|
dupersaurus posted:Bayonet master race 4 lyfe. Thinking more about it, a sheathed multi strand cable would definitely be bigger in diameter than the existing blade wire, but surely the blade could be changed slightly to suit, we're talking 1mm or less here. Plus since the strands themselves aren't glued in, they can move inside the sheath as the blade bends, which should also extend their life. But it'll probably only happen slightly after the US switches to the metric system...
|
|
#
?
May 1, 2015 01:57
|
|
|
El Spamo posted:I saw one guy's epee literally shatter in his hand. We were halfway through the bout, and I came in and hit his bell guard on the way and all of a sudden his entire weapon falls apart into pieces. Blade, bell guard, plug assembly all fall on the floor and he's just standing there holding the grip attached to nothing. I had that happen to an opponent after I did a particularly hard inside glide. Turns out it managed to break the tang at the top of the handle, causing it to practically disintegrate in his hand. 
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2015 06:29
|
|
|
For whatever reason that's a fairly common saber break, where the tang breaks in the grip and the whole weapon tumbles apart, leaving an empty guard in your hand.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2015 14:39
|
|
|
dupersaurus posted:For whatever reason that's a fairly common saber break, where the tang breaks in the grip and the whole weapon tumbles apart, leaving an empty guard in your hand. This is because lateral impacts (from cutting movements) put a lot stress on the shoulder of the tang. I do not know if fencing sabres are particularly prone to it because they are so light but in the instances I've seen with historical reproduction swords it's been chalked up to poor heat treatment.
|
|
#
?
May 3, 2015 16:13
|
|
|
I've seen what dupersaurus is describing, and it's hilarious.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2015 01:34
|
|
|
If there's one thing I regret about not fencing saber, it's being able to spend just $30 to replace a broken blade.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2015 13:48
|
|
|
I'm curious, but why are fencing blades so easily breakable? Speaking with people who fence smallsword, rapier, or french foil, their weapons don't seem to break anywhere near as often as sport fencers. I mean, they're paying between $200 to $300, so there's that. Longswords can break from time to time, but it's mostly due to defect, problems with heat treatment, or using way too much force to begin with.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2015 13:55
|
|
|
We want our blades to bend. Even the best-made steel will eventually fail from fatigue when it's thin and you double it over dozens of times a week. YMMV, but I usually get 12-18 months out of a good foil blade. Saber blades are pretty much expendable. I imagine epees are pretty stout, but that's probably because epeeists are doing anything most of the time. Edit: I'm presuming non-sport blades are made stiff like real weapons, don't have any actual experience with them. dupersaurus fucked around with this message at 14:19 on May 4, 2015 |
|
#
?
May 4, 2015 14:15
|
|
|
Verisimilidude posted:I'm curious, but why are fencing blades so easily breakable? Speaking with people who fence smallsword, rapier, or french foil, their weapons don't seem to break anywhere near as often as sport fencers. I mean, they're paying between $200 to $300, so there's that. Longswords can break from time to time, but it's mostly due to defect, problems with heat treatment, or using way too much force to begin with.
|
|
#
?
May 4, 2015 16:24
|
|
|
Verisimilidude posted:I'm curious, but why are fencing blades so easily breakable? Speaking with people who fence smallsword, rapier, or french foil, their weapons don't seem to break anywhere near as often as sport fencers. I mean, they're paying between $200 to $300, so there's that. Longswords can break from time to time, but it's mostly due to defect, problems with heat treatment, or using way too much force to begin with. Anyone who has ever fenced with a well-used Vniti epee knows that an indestructible blade is not a good thing. Those blades last forever, but the stress from bending over and over again gives them the consistency of a wet noodle after a while.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2015 02:29
|
|
|
ScratchAndSniff posted:Anyone who has ever fenced with a well-used Vniti epee knows that an indestructible blade is not a good thing. Those blades last forever, but the stress from bending over and over again gives them the consistency of a wet noodle after a while. yeah i do not think you could make a sport fencing blade as strong as a smallsword blade without just being a real sword.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2015 14:25
|
|
|
I'm incredibly impressed with how precise and accurate high level sport fencers can be with blades essentially unstable/whippy compared to their historic martial counterparts. Any amount of wobble/flex inherintley adds another factor to account for when aiming the point onto target, and the fact that sport fencers accomplish precise target control with an implement that is essentially flexing like an arrow being shot from a bow as they travel to the target in some ways seems even more impressive than if they had a stiff rod-like blade.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2015 14:36
|
|
|
Today I stabbed a cabbage to death with a dagger.  What cool stuff have you guys been up to lately?
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2015 20:00
|
|
|
DandyLion posted:I'm incredibly impressed with how precise and accurate high level sport fencers can be with blades essentially unstable/whippy compared to their historic martial counterparts. Any amount of wobble/flex inherintley adds another factor to account for when aiming the point onto target, and the fact that sport fencers accomplish precise target control with an implement that is essentially flexing like an arrow being shot from a bow as they travel to the target in some ways seems even more impressive than if they had a stiff rod-like blade. And then you lose a touch because your wiggling tip bounced off of the target before the box registered it.
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2015 20:05
|
|
|
dupersaurus posted:your wiggling tip 
|
|
#
?
May 7, 2015 20:07
|
|
|
Siivola posted:Today I stabbed a cabbage to death with a dagger. I sparred my teacher and did pretty well (but honestly he could destroy me if he wanted) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tUrUoD3j4-k (I'm in the black jacket) Verisimilidude fucked around with this message at 05:09 on May 8, 2015 |
|
#
?
May 8, 2015 05:03
|
|
|
Verisimilidude posted:I sparred my teacher and did pretty well (but honestly he could destroy me if he wanted) It seems like in general you guys don't really bind a lot. Is that a consequence of the flexibility of the swords?
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2015 06:46
|
|
|
Rodrigo Diaz posted:It seems like in general you guys don't really bind a lot. Is that a consequence of the flexibility of the swords? That's what I'm trying to work on in this video. You can see me trying to initiate a bind sometimes, but usually it ends up with one of us sailing off. The flexibility of the swords is fine, but they are pretty blunt which means swords have to bind somewhat artificially.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2015 13:02
|
|
|
dupersaurus posted:And then you lose a touch because your wiggling tip bounced off of the target before the box registered it. Gotta love the guys who wear chest protectors.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2015 14:10
|
|
|
Gadamer posted:Gotta love the guys who wear chest protectors. Oh, I'm quite capable of doing it without the help of a chest protector.
|
|
#
?
May 8, 2015 14:13
|
|
|
Verisimilidude posted:I sparred my teacher and did pretty well (but honestly he could destroy me if he wanted) Are you the one in the Leon Paul mask?
Siivola fucked around with this message at 22:43 on May 8, 2015 |
|
#
?
May 8, 2015 22:37
|
|
|
Siivola posted:You're both wearing black jackets. Technically his is really dark green, but you're right, thats dumb. I'm in the black mask with the metal gloves.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2015 02:57
|
|
|
Okay, that helps. You're both playing pretty passively, so if you're looking for binds, you could try just attacking more. Whether you end with swords bound or if they bounce off depends hugely on the initial strike and how the attacker supports his sword. You get deflected when your blade is smacked in a direction it's not supported in, so if you want to really stick, you need to shift your grip a bit for more lateral support.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2015 09:16
|
|
|
dupersaurus posted:Oh, I'm quite capable of doing it without the help of a chest protector. serioustalk: maybe try pronating/supinating more if you're attacking to the sides of target? Or begin your attack/extension from slightly further away.
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2015 12:28
|
|
|
Crazy Achmed posted:It might feel better without protection, but is it worth the risk? It's just the tip! Starting too close is a problem, but in these cases it's more finishing too hard with the hand (oh god they keep multiplying)
|
|
#
?
May 9, 2015 13:31
|
|
|
What weapon are you talking about? If you're thrusting, you just need to relax, launch your attack from a fraction further away than normal, and make sure your hand goes first before your feet. Think of just placing the point on target and touching it, rather than punching or trying to put power behind it.
|
|
#
?
May 13, 2015 13:47
|
|
|
Foil. And, yeah, I know what needs to be done; I'm climbing out of that gap between knowing and executing, but I've been making good strides on it. I tend to finish marching attacks a tempo or two later than I should (which causes all sorts of fun problems), and getting my brain to accept that I'm long enough to hit from out there has been an exercise. Sure makes life easier, though.
|
|
#
?
May 13, 2015 14:02
|
|
|
Reading through this thread (on page 4 so far). I've always found fencing super interesting even from an early age, but I never knew where the hell to go to do it and my parents were never very motivated to help me out (just in that one regard). Kinda forgot about it until I saw this thread but now that I'm an adult with some disposable income this seems like a hobby I'd really like. I'm in San Diego - any clubs you can recommend to a total beginner? Either modern fencing or historical fencing types? Also how old is too old to start fencing? I'm not trying to be competitive or anything, I just want to duel with some swords and have fun getting exercise. Moridin920 fucked around with this message at 22:30 on May 14, 2015 |
|
#
?
May 14, 2015 22:24
|
|
|
If you go back a page or two, somebody else asked about HEMA in the San Diego area. Kron is probably your best bet. About age, if you don't care about competing, it doesn't matter when you start. One guy in our sidesword group is in his mid 60s. Watching him roll onto the lot on his giant fuckoff motorcycle with a sword strapped to the fairing is the high point of my day. I've been trying to talk him into attaching a pirate flag to the fender, just so I have a new role model.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2015 23:10
|
|
|
Moridin920 posted:Also how old is too old to start fencing? I'm not trying to be competitive or anything, I just want to duel with some swords and have fun getting exercise.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2015 23:20
|
|
|
Moridin920 posted:Reading through this thread (on page 4 so far). I've always found fencing super interesting even from an early age, but I never knew where the hell to go to do it and my parents were never very motivated to help me out (just in that one regard). Kinda forgot about it until I saw this thread but now that I'm an adult with some disposable income this seems like a hobby I'd really like. Yeah, KRON is probably your best bet for that area. They have a ton of students and they're a really good school, very well respected in HEMA circles. And you're never too old! It's actually good exercise so long as you're not hyperextending your wrists/elbows. Though if you're very old you may want to take necessary precautions. We had a dude in his 60's for a while but he ended up quitting after getting a finger snapped. He had calcium issues that were brought on by age.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2015 23:31
|
|
|
|
| # ? Apr 18, 2024 23:59 |
|
|
I'm only 25, I was just noticing a lot of people earlier in the thread talking about destroyed joints and stopping in their 30s. Although I'd guess they were very competitive or whatever. I already do a martial art so I'm not super worried about it really, just thought I'd ask. I'll check out KRON, thanks.
|
|
#
?
May 14, 2015 23:38
|
|