That explains a lot of the apparent jiggling and tapping sword blades you see in competitions. I didn't realise they were attempts at feinting

So I finished watching the video and accidentally reached for my cup on the wrong side of my desk. "Faints can take many forms." No kidding, my coffee had no idea what hit it. XD

Please keep the military sabre training videos coming! There aren't any HEMA clubs who do military sabre in my area, so your videos, the texts I've been able to get my hands on, and a nightly 45 minutes of solo training are about all I can do at the moment.

I think a lot of fantasy writers would get a lot out of watching these videos. This is super interesting I love it thanks for all of your hard work bringing us these videos.

Mat used feint attack Oz flinched

What a particularly handsome chap...

I find that the more I watch of your stuff the more interested I actually am in saber fencing.

Excellent video. I just used it to springboard a conversation among my fencing community, and I'll likely reference it in the lesson I'll teach tonight. Thanks, and keep up the good work. Videos like these make my day.

Thank you so much for the saber videos. I’ve been playing around with rapier and longsword for a long time but had an interest in saber. Now that I have a saber I’ve been working on applying the content you present and am finding great success in fighting many different types of opponents.

Do you ever feel silly saying: "He doesn't know im doing a No. 2" ?

I really love your channel, Matt. You share some of the most interesting information on the internet, at least to me. Like most other Americans, I was brainwashed by television(I'm happy to say I hardly watch any tv these days). I used to think that the Japanese had the best swords and the most effective techniques, and indeed they are impressive in skilled hands. However, after seeing some of your videos and hearing the history of didifferent weapons, techniques, and battles, I must say that small sword and especially sabre are truly scary. I think when you see fencing you don't really understand what you're looking at at first, and its hard to appreciate how effective, fast, and well thought out the techniques are. Plus, we haven't really witnessed the effectiveness of these things in around one hundred years. I can see now why Bruce Lee supposedly incorporated movements of fencing into his style when he was developing JKD. Anyway, keep up the awesome work. I love everything from the history of weapons and tactics to kukris to fencing strategy and techniques(beginner level on), so I can't really say "do more of this type of video", so just keep doing what you're doing. Cheers.

Thank you for talking about strategy!

Matt used Feint Attack! It's super effective!

Great that your videos always seem to upload just as I'm starting my lunch break :)

Thanks for the videos I use a lot of the saber techniques in my Bowie practice Bowie's father was a saber fencer and hence the Bowie knife is modified saber Snap cuts back cut etc..

Fantastic. Thanks for posting this. I really love this type of content.

I know the videos are a bit old considering it's now 2022... I just now came across them. I love it. Another reason why US Calvary was so deplored on the European contenant as being inadiquate. Most didn't sharpen their sabres and were never properly trained in their use. Sad, as it was an exceptionally useful weapon in their arsenal.

As a 15 year golden gloves boxer I have a hard time having my feet follow, I use my feet to move and fool them then strike but that’s boxing and I’m new to this, but hard to transition for me but every morning it’s me and Matt!!! Thanks friend

Great demonstration and information. I really like watching you show techniques with a partner

this video is exactly what i have been dreaming (wishing) for from your channel. how to use a weapon, moves & attacks & how to defend, etc. of course this 11 minutes does not replace time spent training in your face to face classes, but at least i can get an idea of what to do.

I’m often fascinated how Matt would do in a real 18th century fight. Would the real soldiers who actually lived and died by their swords see him as competent? Anyway, I love your stuff Matt.

What about shouting "Cut 2!" followed by any other movement? Or is that considered poor sportsmanship?

Super-interesting Matt, thanks for sharing as always.

Lovely video. I really didn't notice how the time passed. I suspect that for people training at your schools time might fly by *too* quickly...

Some on the "Stop thrust" please.

These are incredible Matt! I'm loving your sabre instructional videos :)

great I'll use this when I'm cutlass to cutlass with rebels and scallywags.

Matt's terminology is easier for me to understand than George Silver's.

Thanks for another great video, Matt.

I love it. Great video!

It would be interesting to see how your sabre techniques compare with his backsword style in a competetive scenario, as from what I've seen in your videos and his there seems to be some interesting differences in the two techniques

Hmm. Sort of reminds me of modern fencing's tactical wheel. On that subject, what do you feel about borrowing that kind of more-obviously-modern element from modern fencing pedagogy in constructing drills for teaching and learning historical fencing? I know it has to be done to some extent, but I'm interested in hearing where you'd prefer to draw the line and/or your criteria for judging the applicability of modern drills and training methods to historical fencing styles. (And yes, I'm aware that the tactical wheel isn't directly applicable since some of the later actions in the wheel are pretty suicidal by historical fencing standards.)

Oy Matt :D I just got the e-mail concerning the petition about the V&A Museum :) Congrats to you :)

Love the training advice.. Part 2 and others soon? :)

Another great video Matt but I was wondering if you planned on doing more videos on other non-sword arms? In particular I would love to see more on warhammer especially a review of some sort of the warhammer that you are holding in a couple of the videos on the subject. Once again another great video and I look forward to seeing more from you.

Have you ever heard of the story of Skanderbeg? If not you should look him up. He is the greatest leader and warrior that Albania has ever had.

Hi Matt. Great stuff! Will you also show us how to commit a side attack? In future of course. Thanks a lot.

I know you get a lot of requests, but I would like to know what are the techniques that were actually used against a suicidal or carelesss fencer, if you have the time.

I love faints but didn't use them very often!

How different are the techniques for fighting another saber vs a person armed with a tulwar or other Asian weapon?

Re- 5.18; Actually it is 'Time of the hand, time of the hand and body, time of the hand body and foot, time of the hand body and feet' ... in that order specifically. Anything else is a false time; cheers.

More of these please.

thanks

Oz looks stiff as a board... I notice he also doesn't take offence to your discussion of true times. Very nice video, Matt.

In speaking in faint, I again remember my boxing as we had a set up move it was a jab, then Again a jab then a double jap with a right, if done correctly your opponents will expect the two slow jabs but will trip over there selves when you do a quick double and right so in number terms it’s a 1. 1. 1. 1. Then 1,1,2! Stepping forward every punch thrown

Are there any useful faint-cuts that end in a thrust or vis versa?

Why retreat when he parries the cut? Why not make the 2nd winding, and thrust around his sword?

Hi Matt! Looking forward to see part 2 and what to do about a scuicidal attacker. But also I really wonder. How do one defend against an untrained desperado who is just advancing on you and waving the sword or machete like crazy from side to side?

Or you could try fainting as a feint. But seriously folks...I found my early time in fencing seemed to speed up my thinking in general. Perhaps it was an illusion, but after a few months, it felt as if my brain worked faster. I'll tell you this: a slow-thinking, slow-reacting swordsman is a very short-lived swordsman. Speed, cunning and instinct developed through practice are what wins matches. There's an element of creativity and imagination that's unconscioius (there's no time for 'thinking' when someone's trying to stick a pointy object into you) but is perhaps the tiny edge that means the difference between scoring a hit or not. If we consider that these techniques were developed by chaps who were going into combat, where the 'score' was blood, one comes to appreciate that perhaps fencing instuction ought to be more widely offered in secondary schools. All the above mentioned intellectual benefits, along with a full-body aerobic and strength workout seems to me to offer a whole lot of benefit from a single sport. And not much risk of brain injury, broken bones, torn ligaments, etc. like in full-contact sports. Oh, you can certainly get hurt in fencing, especially in higher level HEMA type matches (I was never anywhere that good) but compared to football (American is even worse) fencing has a lot to reccomend it.

Hello Matt ...Thanks for this superb demonstration.I have some questions : 1) Who has the advantage in a real fight ? the attacker or the defender ? 2) Can you talk more about cavalry combat and the cavalry swordsman ?

Interesting faint tips, thanks! I've never shared with sabers, but I'm this form do you always start off blades touching like sticky hand training? Also the defender always parry in that position or would kendo stance be effective in blocking still? Thanks.

Is Military Sabre purely parry-reposte in method, separating attack and defense into two motions? As I'm sure you're very aware, in most other forms of fencing, such as Longsword, Rapier, or even Sword and Buckler, attack and defense are often coupled in one motion, such that as the opponent attacks, you both defend and attack in one tempo by binding with the strong of your blade, redirecting your opponent's point, while simultaneously bringing your own point onto the target. This seems, at least to me, to be an extremely important aspect of good fencing that is largely absent in military sabre. It ensures that even in defense you stay more safe by remaining a threat to your opponent; by keeping your point on line, you are able steal tempo and counter your opponent in one motion, rather than reacting in a purely defensive manner, which leaves your opponent more free to continue his attack and change on you as he pleases. It also necessitates a bind, as, should your opponent leave to feint or hit you in some unpredictable manner, your point threatens to shoot in before any such action can be completed. The resulting bind allows you to feel where your opponent is, and limits what he can do to attack you, as well as sending you clear signals as to what he is up to. So, the question that always lingers on my mind when I watch military sabre is why they do not seem to value these seemingly corner-stone principles of fencing. Is it the nature of the weapon? The sabre is shorter, and curved, making it less thrust centric, and less able to reach an opponent's body from the bind without putting one's arm in danger -- perhaps making it less suitable to to this method of fencing? Or is it a result of targeting a military audience? It's certainly a lot easier to teach new recruits a simple system of parry-reposte than it would be to build the level of skill required to safely attack and defend in single time, or build the level of sensitivity and relaxation required to work in the bind. Or is there something else I am overlooking?

Ive seen some videos of poeple using display swords for other uses than display and I was wondering if you could do a video on how decorative swords would do in a duel with a sword made for combat. And explain the key differences between decorative swords and real swords assuming you sharpened the blade on the display sword.

facing the suicidal swordman there are generally 2 ways: 1 keep the distance, aim at his sword arm hand. he can't use the sword without sword hand doesn't matter how suicidal he is. and hand is more easier to damage than all the bone and muscles of head and body. 2 close in for grappling. its more of a gambling, once in close distance its very easy to become a stabing contest. you need to take the initiative that your opponent did not expect the sudden close in. draw your knife faster and stab like crazy. suicidal attack is sometimes very useful if you using a shorter and heavier weapon like a katana vs a rapier(75cm blade vs 100cm blade). in fact its more like the only way to win if both fighter are the same level lol. so do not afraid to be suicidal if you end up with the short weapon.

Bit late, but what brand of sparring sabers are those?

兵者诡道也. All warfare is based on deception. -Sun Tzu

hang on? Sabre, I was thinking Cavalry but those look a bit straight. What period was this sabre from?

Wow Much like a Chess Lesson. well done thank you.

+scholagladiatoria First I must say I very much enjoy your videos, they have been very educational for me and my peers in both learning military saber and in better utilizing our various blades in general. One of my peers practices with a saber however, he is left handed. This tends to throw me up and my usual approach has been to change my stances to sort of mirror the position of a left handed combatant while holding the sword in the right hand as to properly counter his own such as turning my wrist in the opposite direction of the standard hanging guard, it feels restrictive so I was wondering is there a better way to handling left handed swordsman in the treatises or in your experience? Thanks!

This comment has been posted two years after the fact, thus I am aware that a response is unlikely. However, I shall pose my question anyway; the swords used are they blunt or sharp? I'm only asking as I am trying to to get into military saber but there aren't any clubs near by so if they are training swords ie. blunt. I would like to pick one up. If they are in fact blunt, could someone inform me of where I can buy one? Thanks.

What would have been the average skill level of a British officer in this particular period of history? Would they all have been competent swordsmen or did some take their training more seriously than others?

Another great video - thanks, appreciated! I have a question which has arisen from watching a good few of your sabre videos. Compared to sport fencing sabre these are heavier swords, built for actual warfare, but still, still it looks like pretty flimsy hits with the wrist cuts and hence the question. How hard/fast would you have to hit with a sabre to be relatively certain to incapacitate your foe? For instance when you are hitting his swordarm and he wears a thick coat, would that little flickering motion make him drop his weapon at all or even cause damage?

do the same principles work in longsword and fighting in armor?

Weapon Focus : Sabre

sword fighting is as same as boxe, but you use just one long and sharp arm :v

The mind games are real !!

Hello Scholagladiatoria, what are some good historical texts for saber fighting?

is there a part 2?

more Italian longsword please!!!

just wondering if you are wearing a mask can they see your eyes?

Would sabre fencing have been taught at all to cavalrymen using the 1796 sabre for real battlefield combat?

Why do you being in the high 2 guard over the 3 guard? Is this just what the system teaches?

First rule of dueling/fencing: Always face your opponent. into a strong sun with your back to same sun... They'll never see the blow coming, it's more humanin that way. ^_^

how about cutlass vs saber fencing?

So is it always single strikes? Combinations are never user?

The "Danger zone", huh

How is this 8yo and I am just seeing it.

06:10 - Highway to the danger zone!

Huh, I never noticed that you had a website. You should have it redone by someone that knows what he is doing.

If you can't swordfight - then make it a literal swordfight. Half-sword your shit and push-charge.

maggie macdonald

Polish sabre fencing is amazing. Check out Sieniawski and sons, kzfaq.info/get/bejne/j8uXl5aK1dDRh40.html there are more vids available on yt, just search for "sieniawski" and you shall find some.