Unfair distribution of hair

This is pure conjecture, but I wonder if I.33 was written with pilgrims in mind? A training guide for people considering a long pilgrimage to the holy land, or other dangerous places. After all, one of the figures is a priest (or clerical figure) another is a woman with a travelling saint’s name. Also, the weapon set is decidedly civilian in nature, very much the kind of things pilgrims would carry for self defence. It doesn’t show mounted combat or armoured combat, despite being written in the age when knights ruled the battlefield. And certainly any number of church organizations would have had the resources to produce the illustrated manuscript - and literate people who could read it and use it.

I like how every drawing in the medieval age makes everyone look like they're going through a depression and trying to act like they don't want to die.

Like Scott, I like my shirt to tell the time, and it's always 4:20.

In this video we have Matt and a man he abducted from a beach on Hawaii, to discuss sword and buckler technique. Thanks youtube

What's a tree tease, you ask? It's a walk in the park for a dendrophile.

Master fighter, hawaian shirt, glasses............... is that HEMA's version of Master Roshi?

Mr Easton doesn’t require any guest as he can ask and answer his own questions 😂 much love brother

The new catalogue name, bringing the MS. into line with the rest of the archive collection here, is RAR.0033. Class I came to be the art collection, and this is definitively an archival document, hence the formal name change. However, I.33 is still an alternative number and as you note, one in widespread use.

I want to get an ale at a tavern called the Rusty Buckler now.

So, some societal aspects that keep ending up on my mind when thinking about sword and buckler. Chaucer mentions the sword and buckler several times. In the discussion about the pilgrims going to Canterbury in the Canterbury Tales, I believe the Squire and the Yeoman both have swords and bucklers. In the Reeve's tale mocking Millers, the two northern clerks who ride to visit Simkin the Miller are also mentioned as travelling with swords and bucklers. So we have military and non-military people travelling with these items. This is a 1387 text mentioning people carrying these on their travels. Does this, thus, show the use of sword and buckler for self defence on the road? Hmm... Were I eager to go back to school, learn Latin, middle English, AND work toward a doctorate, this would be an interesting dissertation.

One thing that is weird to me about this manual is that the woman wears her hair down, loose, and uncovered. I can hardly remember a single instance from this period of non-biblical women depicted in this way, other than in I/O.33...

Either Hagrid is not as tall in real life, or Matt is a giant.

Description he gave about how the swordsman seeks the bind and frees themselves on their own terms to make a blow does sound very similar to wing chun trapping/sticky hands etc

Wow,you guys look like twins!

Interesting. Have to say though, it's not a stretch to imagine someone in the dark ages continuing to fight with a smashed up shield thinking "I'll just use the boss" and things developing slowly from there.

What is scarier fighting a guy with sword and buckler? Or the fact they are depicted smiling at each other? Oh and hello Scott nice to meet you

Great video, very enlightening! Man, people have so many misconceptions about medieval martial arts; first of all, most people still have the misconception that there were no martial arts in the middle ages!

Matt, could it be possible that the increasing hand protection, with s-shaped quillons or knuckle bows, lead to the bolognese approach of separating the buckler from the sword?

A fascinating discussion, gentlemen: thank you very much. ☝️😎

Thank you for your work.

As a Wing Chun practitioner, without any proper training, I agree with Matt Easton that the binding in closing of sword-and-buckler techniques is based on the same logic as Wing Chun sticky hand techniques, ie. it was designed to prevent the opponent from directly attacking us, and let us feel the force and direction of the opponent's attack, in order that I can counteract it. I also raised this point to discuss with Roland Warzecha several years ago.

Matts shirt is extremely underequipped for this exchange.

Very good video.Thank you very much.

In regards to chi sao (sticky hands) and binding being similar, yes. The core principle of chi sao across the many different interpretations of Wing Chun is to seek openings by controlling your opponent's weapons, hand or sword, through sensitivity of the motion.

Congratulations on 200K subscribers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Walpurgesnight is a mythical Holliday of witches in Germany not only still in oral tradition but referenced trouought the ages.

swords and historical accuracy is a most welcome combination:D

Hi Matt. I'd be cool to look more into the Persian and Mamluk works you referenced. I wasn't aware of that. Cheera

I have fought Scott with longsword. He beat me good.

Oddly good timing for this as I recently checked out a local HEMA longsword class and, personally having experience mainly in foil & a bit of military sabre, was surprised by the emphasis on closing & wrestling. I still like to learn longsword, but naturally wonder if similar tactics could work with one-handed swords? With one-handed swords being easier to carry, it seemed logical that a similar approach would've existed for arming swords yet most of what I generally see of sword & buckler has the two operating separately. Not that I want to blindly assume that I.33 has literally the same approach as German longsword, but using the buckler together with the sword purposely for a bind vs merely to cover while striking is a different line of thought that I'd like to look more into. Similarly, I've developed an interest in looking into the Mameluke styles as well seeing how it pairs sabres with bucklers.

Maybe they reclassified it to O.33 to stop the transatlantic fighting between Brits and Yanks over if it's to be 1 or I?

Even for a complete noob like me, this is a highly fascinating topic!

This video is a gentleman's duel between two martial nerds testing their mental mettle of metal against one another.

Wow, Matt Easton know about Wing Chun's Sticky hands?! Funny because I've always thought of Sticky hands as arm fencing as well.

What size buckler would you recommend for a noob? I imagine larger ones might get in the way especially at first, yet I can also see a benefit in terms of more protection. 12"? 9"?

Some day I'll get into I33. But the later sources are so much easier to understand.

Can you make a video about the oriental fencingbooks?

What do you (or anyone) think of the I.33 book by Paul Wagner and Stephen Hand? Any suggestions on a good source/type of buckler?

Matt got a new watch.

Quick check: there really was a Saint Walpurga, and I see with pride that she was English! She was a missionary to pagan parts of Germany, and probably the first female author in either country. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Walpurga No mention of swordplay, though.

I think bucklers could make a comeback for modern self defense. The cold steel plastic one would make a devastating close combat weapon…shield

I'm so excited about this video, that it's going to be one of the ones I savor, i.e. watch it bit by bit over the next couple of days. 🤣 Matt, would you please do a video about fencing with arming swords without the use of a buckler? I believe there is evidence that it was done. What I don't know, is whether anything would've been used in the off hand. I'm not even talking about side sword, but rather, just regular, pre-Marozzo arming sword. It's understandable that dagger might not be feasible, especially of the dagger types prevalent during that period- rondel, bollock, etc. But would they have grappled, would they have used a cloak, would they have just kept their off hand behind themselves, etc.?

Interesting idea, initiate a response of your opponent in a predictable manner in order to always be 1 step ahead. Those 13 century swords men were smart

so what are the north African and middle eastern sources that are contemporary with i.33?

Are any of these techniques good for a larger shield?

Thanks for mentioning WC but JKD fixes the problems with Wing Chun bridging, you bridge with an attack then trap when contact is made

what do you think about Roland Warzecha's i33 interpretation?

Wasn't buckler and spatha a common combination in classical period or was those bucklers simply too large and considered shields?

How frequently were these later manuals(15th-16th century) used for practical purposes? Were they used mostly by instructors to improve/adapt technique? Or by higher nobles only? Were they an alternative to teachers of martial arts or did all kinds of schools had one of their own? Did men at arms used them for military purposes?

Take a shot every time he says okay...

Hmm... As someone who has spent a few years learning I.33 I feel like this was intended for me too. :)

Where can I buy one of those bucklers?

cool. I wish this video was about swords and large shields, like medieval Kite Shields and Large Tower Shields. To me, the buckler is small and uninspiring. How would you adapt this treatise for the larger and cooler, more full-bodied shields?

I love this historical stuff, like I'm totally a geek about it 🤣

Does anyone have a link to the video Scott referenced regarding the name change/reclassification?

When they mentioned the Muslim world use of buckler it reminds me of art work I saw with light armored cavalry armed with a spear or lance but especially Turkish cavalry archers. Does anyone know if these depictions were actually from the period of the crusades or more likely much later? I don't remember them looking Romanesque or pre Renaissance. It was probably neo classical and 19th century. I'd like to know if they had sources in the 1200s for it

Who knew anything about Ottoman Turks in 13th cent.? Some byzantine soldiers perhaps. Seljuks? Definitely yes. Also, as you say, the sword and buckler tradition in that time was about 100 years old. However, there were some units in Kingdom of Aragon who use "small shields, javelins and great knives" in 13th cent.

Did you mention great aunty Volpurgas Lennox ? Auch aye.

guessing I.33 is out of copyright so you can copy and re-distribute?

!!! Shoutout to Martin "Oz" Austwick!

Jason mamoa has a brother?

If the new designation is the letter O & not the numeral zero then perhaps the old designation was I a capital letter & not 1 the numeral one. So I [ numeral ] 33.

What are those two axes on the wall? I can't seem to find any videos on them, would definitely watch them if i've missed them.

It would be very much appreciated if you'd not allow KZfaq to play advertisements during the video.

the buckler he's carrying is similar to the ones they use in oman

Who would be doing the teaching for, say, billhook usage, if most martial arts are passed on orally? For lower-class martial artists, who would be the teachers?

Aren't there any Roman, Byzantine or early Arabic script treatises?

Aquaman?

omfg matt let the man speak

New to the channel and i like it but dude let your guest talk. Therell be plenty of time to monologue later.

It's Alex Faciane

Did anyone else who was a kid in the 90s try learning karate, judo and even boxing from books? They used drawings and hardly any. You learned more about fighting watching power rangers or reading a ninja turtles comic. I remember they were so dense. Like using stance 47b we learned on page 19 you'll put your left arm in a 33 degree position while keeping your nose in a northerly direction. I wonder if modern MMA and jujitsu books are any better. I highly doubt it. Oh and half the books was the writer bragging about what a badass he is. I miss the 90s. It looks like 1300 had better combat books than the 1990s though

just for reference about topic en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Royal_Armouries_Ms._I.33

*Relevant comment, on the nice beard.*

Do you guys think maybe that text was created as a means of better preparing men who would be levied soldiers or men at arms by the thought process of "Well off families who want their children educated will get hold of this so let' s put it out there in as much mass quantity as we can"? I mean, that seems a logical way to assure that at least some of your would-be troopers are on a similar page of basics at least.

Dear "schola", What is your Viking era ? What is your Anglo-Saxon era ?

When I finally finish my time machine I'll go get you some books from the 1200s, I might need to forge some coins to buy them :L

Well. if you guys want to compare I.33 to bolognese sword and buckler, don't compare it with bolognese gioco largo plays, instead look at the gioco stretto. after the closing is done, suddenly the plays are more similar!

For any climat change deniers watching - you just saw Hagrid in Hawaiian shirt - how much more evidence do you need?

To be honest, I can’t see why anyone would bring a buckler instead of bigger shields (except when he is wearing decent armor), because of poor protection from all kinds of projectiles. I wonder how common it was for soldiers to use bucklers if they were to use shields at all.

16mins 20 for practical lessons...

Earliest fencing book had a woman in it, therefore it was very common to have women not only practice and teach fencing but also participate in warfare.

I like to point out that the books were most definitely not for educational purposes! If you want to learn fencing, pay a qualified instructor, or join a fencing school! That said, the books do help remember techniques, you've learned. In the martial arts we study, we are forced to make a manuscript ourselves when we want our black-belt. The reason for us is that the tradition stated after the martial arts was nearly erased from history by the cultural revolution and the last grandmaster was old and constantly evading spies, who apparently wanted to kidnap him and bring him back to China...

I've always called it one, thirty three, I didn't know people called it eye thirty three. But I have never trained sword and buckler so take whatever I say about it as a noobs opinion. I really don't do well with a buckler in my hand, I seriously do better with nothing in my left hand and just keeping it behind my back, side or on my heart. people also don;t like when I refuse a buckler, they think i'm just trying to show off by beating them without a shield, but truthfully it's because I suck so much with a buckler lol.

Matt, you say the sword and buckler came for the Islamic world. Could the tradition for fight books come from there as well?

Ah shit here we go again.. hahaha

Matt, I love your videos and I've learnt a ton from listening to you, but let young Hagrid get more than two sentences in sideways before you take over again! :D

Wow...listening to this conversation/debate, esp at the end, starting about the 23:00 min mark, I kept imagining the reaction of wives / girlfriends / dates listening to this conversation. Imagine a double-date, for example, as the quartet of Mr. Easton and his American friend (whose name escapes me), and two female dates sat chatting at a table in a bar/pub. All four are engaged and speaking, going back and forth, and then the conversation turns to sword and buckler systems, their history, documentation, context, structural comparisons, I 33, etc., medieval warfare in general, dueling in the Middle Ages, dueling in the 18th century, dueling in the 19th century, English vs. American dueling...of the 18th century...and the 19th century...et cetera, et cetera...et..cetera...et...cet...errrrrr... My point is that short of discussing one's medical history of infectious skin diseases, or maybe announcing to one's date that you had discovered the two of you were actually twin siblings separated at birth, I can't envision a conversation that could more effectively guarantee the gentleman/men having it had made certain there was absolutely no chance, in hell; utterly zero, even if it was the end of the world or to save the human race from extinction, of getting laid that evening. And possibly ever with the girl along for that date. On the other hand, the proceeding scenario illustrates why people for whom every act and word and bit of knowledge acquired is done with the intent of impressing potential romantic partners, both real and theoretical, are judged by every other person they meet to be awful company: insufferably boring, pathologically self-centered, and more or less just failures a human beings, however many bedpost notches they may have (or claim). And yes, I'm unfairly stereotyping women--i'm sure there are some who would find this conversation as interesting as I did. I particularly enjoyed the little points of disagreement. They were always polite to each other, but it was apparent these were two men accustomed to being the unmatched and unquestioned authorities in their areas of specialty. I'd bet at least part of their friendship is based upon how refreshing it can be to in the company of a true peer (I got the same impression to some degree watching the Wallace Collection videos w/ Doc Toby, but not as much). Well, that was a whole hell of a lot more SUBTEXT--like CONTEXT but, you know, deeper, man--than I expected out of a 25 min history nerd YT video.

You keep interrupting then rambling on not letting him make his points.

I don't see why we should make a big deal over the fact it shows women fencing. Women fenced back then like they do now, if they saw it as normal then so should we.

Asking whether a medieval fighting system is military or civilian is a question that cannot reasonably be answered. In order for a martial art to be categorised as either civilian or medieval you first need there to be a military/civilian divide which simply didn't exist within the middle ages. The idea that the military is separate from other aspects of society is a much more modern social construct.

i.33 feels extremely difficult to learn compared to other systems...

Disappointing. Next time you have a guest, please let them speak. I wanted to hear what he had to say.

this guy looks like he could be my older brother or uncle

Jeeze Matt why invite someone else on when you're going to cut off what they say one sentence in EVERY time. You yourself claim you don't know I.33, so let the man TALK.

This is an embarrassing video. Either 1. The commetator wants to completely stamp all over his guest 2. The guest is a dope 3. The guest is stupid. I was delighted to see him represent the opponent!! 1ztzT

No one gives a shit if there is a woman in it or not they just want to know the techniques.

You had me until the baseless denigration of Gothic manuscript at and senseless propagandizing of the Florentine Renaissance ;)

I33 is basically Air/table hockey with a sword 😂