Thread: Spare arms
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Old December 16th, 2007
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Kloster Kloster is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Nightshade View Post
...
Care to give a citation to two weapon technique being the dominant one during the fencing period? I don't question it occured--it obviously did, but much of that was because you could do a _bind_ and still attack that way, something you can't do with a single, non-flexible weapon. But I have no evidence its actually superior for parrying, per se, unlike the obvious advantage present with a shield.
Not counting the shield (which is of course the main parrying weapon, widely used from the bronze age to the renaissance):
- The florentine style is a rapier plus a parrying weapon (mainly a dagger). Widely used in renaissance Italy, dominant in european duels from 1500 up to around 1650, when the better cups and the introduction of quillons allowed for 1H parry with purely thrusting weapons (Giacomo de Grassi and Vigiani).
- Niten’ichi (or Ni-To Kenjutsu) is a sword plus a parrying weapon. Usually, katana plus wakisashi. Never was dominant, but has been quite used.
- Philipinos Eskrima, done with 2 sticks or 2 swords. Dominant in the Philipines.

The single weapon for attacking and parry is feasible almost only with the modern, light thrusting only weapons.
Parrying with a cutting weapon risk to damage your own weapon.
Parrying with a heavy weapon is slow.

Runequestement votre,

Kloster
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