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Comments
hey Tools
>make unit of chainmaille rings
>drop it in a bucket of 35000 rings
Fuck.
Who's playing?
I'm mostly here for Wintersun.
That's bitchin'.
Congratulations!
Werewolf night failed, but I did learn a blind playing version. Also, new ep of MLP leaked early and I got a strongarmed a brodette into watching it. She liked the Top Gun references, so conversion to full-on autism is very near.
I seem to have this knack for waking myself up at exactly 1PM, no matter how early or late I go to bed.
Alex, how much do you want a pair of these?
Not a whole lot, truth be told. While the nylon sword emulators I use require some padded "armour" (that is, anything that will absorb mild to moderate kinetic impact) if I want to spar at full speed, they're also very good sword imitations given the limitations of the materials used in their construction.
I've used that kind of padded sword before and it's pretty much a completely different thing for a few reasons. One is the weird combination of a two-handed grip and short "blade" length, plus the general lack of weight, heft or balance. All up, this means the style of fighting with those things is actually significantly removed from the use of a sword, as you'll be going faster and working under a different set of limitations and advantages. For instance, I trust the characteristics of a sword to "speak" to me; via their balance, weight and overall "pull", they communicate information about where they want to go and how their energy is flowing. My nylon wasters aren't as good as a real sword for this purpose, but they capture the essence of that communication in a way those padded swords never could.
What needs to be understood is that a sword creates tension in the human body depending on where it's held and the length of one's arm extension. This is important information because it communicates where you can efficiently move the sword. The upright, shouldered "vom Tag" guard, as an example, renders the sword almost weightless as the whole body supports its weight. On the other hand, "Ochs" and "langenort" are more tiring guards to hold as they hold the sword high and with forward extension -- they "ask" to fall lower.
Basically, those swords are great for messing around in general, but I wouldn't consider them a proper tool of study or training. At least, not on their own. They can be occasionally useful, but they'd be a peripheral tool rather than a primary means of coming to grips with sword systems.
Also, I have to reiterate that they're really short and light, especially taking into consideration the length of their grips. If I want to fight that dangerously, I'll pick up a knife or dagger.
Oh okay then. So just a fun toy to smack your friend around.
More or less. You can still use them to understand weapons combat in the broader sense, but I wouldn't quite count them as specific sword-training tools. They sort of exist within an uneasy middle-ground between dagger, sword and short stick.
Alkthash's comment about dual-wielding reminded me of OoT's final battle.
Ha-ha, dual wielding.
I don't respect Ganondorf as much as other arrogant, power-hungry dark wizards for that reason.
Although Ganon shouldn't be considered on the same level as dark wizards.
It wasn't for dual wielding. It's about letting your sparring partner have one to smack you back with.
Shut up guys, dual wielding Dao are friggin' cool. Tactical considerations be damned!
^^(I got that in the first place, in case you were explaining that to me.)
^ Silence, cuckold!
Since the topic has come up, I'll take this opportunity to post about dual-wielding and how it's contextually misunderstood.
Most close combat is dual-wielding. If you're fighting with empty hands, you're technically dual-wielding fists. If you kick as well, you're arguably quad-wielding. Sword and shield is dual-wielding. Knife and empty hand is dual-wielding. Basically, it's not some kind of esoteric, amazing thing that can only be used by those with the most finely-pointed ears and eyes that change colour in accordance with their emotions. Dual-wielding is the basic format of close combat.
The advantage of not dual wielding is usually range and thereby the convergence of both defense and offense. The further out you fight from an adversary, the more combat revolves a central point of extension that all your attacks should pass through to be efficient. Anyone who doesn't use this central point of extension will be struck by faster, more efficient attacks from those who do. And those who do use this central point will always, to some degree, be predictable. This is where single-time combat, wherein one attacks and defends in the same motion, becomes of paramount important. You absolutely must find some kind of method by which to enforce your own centralised defense while circumnavigating your adversary's, and usually this comes in the form of footwork.
So yeah. Dual-wielding is essentially good in scenarios where centralised defense isn't applicable, isn't the optimal solution or when it might be unexpectedly compromised. Rapier and dagger is a good example, since the rapier's limitations are offset by a dagger somewhat. A rapier is usually about 2.0 kg, whereas the standard two-handed sword averages closer to 1.5-1.8kg. So the rapier pays for its thrusting efficiency by being a single-handed sword that's heavier than a two-hander, thereby decreasing the efficiency of its cuts significantly. Since cuts can intercept an adversary inside the tip distance of a sword, and rapiers tend to suck at these, an off hand dagger provides a means to defend yourself after an adversary has bypassed your tool of centralised defense. It's also a deterrent against grapples, working in roughly the same range.
You poor fool. You are a small rodent staring down the avalanche you started with an ill timed echoing squeak.
I was clarifying for Eelektross Alex. I would never presume to clarify or correct you about swords and melee theory. I am not the rodent who wants to start an avalanche.
I tried dual-wielding Lightsabers once.
It was hard and I arguably did worse than usual (I did survive longer than usual against that guy (it was usually single-stroke ties) but that was probably because I just kept whacking at him and didn't give him a chance to hit back). Then I got hit in the face.
I am the Fool! So, what arcana are you Alkthash?