Thank you sir, that means a lot if it comes from you! You have done an awesome job with your channel!

Thanks, man, great to hear it is of help! :)

This is not a reconstruction or interpretation of anything. This is a totally made up novel style.

@@meginna8354 please do elaborate

@@Time2RockUrLive No sources from the Viking age, this is entirely made up. Also a lot of what Rolland has come up with works in theory but doesn't work whatsoever when you spar in real speed.

@@meginna8354 I think that this might serve as a proper base for contructing a fighting style with the potential to survive "real" combat. There simply are no historic scources for the martial arts of that time and all we can do is reconstruct forms with regards to biomechanics, physics and well documented forms that we know came a few hundred years later. No system is infallible, but with a (long) personal background in martial arts, the styles and applications shown here are mostly logical (if you think of weapon and shield as parts of the body). Not everything has to work perfectly when you add speed, force and randomness of a full contact sparr, but with continuous training in a style like this, I think you'd be be better off than lets say taking implements from Sword and buckler for example. I wish I had someone to really test out all of this, especially in a hard sparring situation, but until I am able to, these are my thoughts. Thanks for taking the time to read them 🙂

Especially for getting thick thighs...

You have a good point here! According to Androshchuk (2014) at least swedish swords (140 in total) ranged from 6 to 10.8 cm. Most of the grips of reenactment blades are far to long to make them suitable for gloves (such as the one I use in this video). However, most of the swedish grips lay in the range from 8.5-10 cm. My arming sword with 8cm grip length still allows a decent hammer grip. But you are right, for grips shorter than that, the hammer grip is not working very well! My new sword I ordered will have a grip length in the authentic range.

I have read that there was a technique that involved curling the fingers around the pommel to make it easier to cut downwards and drag hard to slice, hence the design of the sword. Similar to a handshake grip. Is this what you're referring to?

Thank you Michael! I benefitted on your input on I.33, so I am happy to partly return the favour! Maybe we can test stuff with the shields once physical events are a thing again. I guess Dreynevent wont work this time (at least this year).

I am familiar with the georgian photo footage but not with the Tuareg one. Can you share it with us if you have it still available. I do not think such a very low posture would work, if an uncooperative opponent just circles you. I can imagine, that it origins from ritualized duels similar to the icelandic holmgangs. Ritualized duels were normaly implemented by society or a ruler to prevent unnecessary injuries to valuable warriors from the same social group. At phenomen you can also observe in the animal kingdom, especially in mammals, where animals of the same species seldom fight to the degree of possible injury but of attrition. At least from the georgian images it looked like they wore some kind of armour on the torso or head. A kneeling may prevent actual injuries to the unarmoured legs.

For realistic fighting, all shield traditions I know use low stance as a rule, but it is mixed with the high stance and jumps. The primary target is the opponent's front foot, or head and neck, and weapon arm. It is possible to move very quickly in the low stance, but that requires practice and flexibility. Re-enactment fighting is rules based, and fighting stances and techniques tend to be optimized for each ruleset. I'm currently training Indonesian center grip shield techniques, with Tuareg and Beja stuff already trained...

Thanks! 85 cm.

Damn missed the memo and accidentally still made it work with two replicas.

@@alexandermartzok_vikingcombat I mean there are a lot of ahistorical replicas my dude

Since there are no direct sources for early medieval scandinavian combat, I base my interpretations on the principles of body mechanics, knowledge on how authentic replicas behave, experience with period weapons and influences from later sources such as I.33 (which is our earliest medieval fencing manual) and Lignitzer, as well as lichtenauer. Of course the center grip roundshield is quite distinct from other weapons, even from the buckler. However certain mechanics just works better than other. Such as the edge is stronger than the flat of the shield and so on.

Sure, go ahead! I hope its not to make fun of my techniques :D In any case, send them to me over my Fb page, if you have finished them!

@@alexandermartzok_vikingcombat :D no, I am serious. I have a passion for military history and drawing, so I combined them. I do sketches as a hobby in my spare time. Sometimes reenactors and sometimes old illustrations. This is my account that I post my amateurish works if you want proof instagram.com/bugrilyusthevile/

@@bugrilyus Your drawings look awesome, well done! As I said, you are welcome to make sketches. I am sure, I could have coped with caricatures :D

@@alexandermartzok_vikingcombat thank you! :)

Every skilled martial artist knows that every guard has its advantage and disadvantages. I even state that the guard is vulnerable to stabs in the following videos. I often use it too lure opponents into stabbing and use the counter to gain an advantage, like here kzfaq.info/get/bejne/attohMKVnt2Zpn0.html or here kzfaq.info/get/bejne/attohMKVnt2Zpn0.html. But I admit, you need skill and a good reaction time so its better that you stick to your style :)