They should invest in the guard break skill tree.

I can see why historians say most battles were 15 minutes of fighting followed by often hour-long lulls

A quiet afternoon at the gym, ca. 1066.

It may not be as exciting as other weapons/styles, but you gotta admit the sword-shield combination is top tier. It can subdue every other weapon and weapon combination.

It's really annoying when people say this or that is wrong. The only way we can know for sure how to use these weapon combinations is try them out. Trial and error. This fight is pretty much as I imagined. Lots of feinting, shield bashing and good movement. Both fighters did well and of course, the finish, when it came was quick and subtle. I'd love to have a bash.

Idk why they aren't guard breaking or headbutting. Maybe even push them off a ledge. They need some lessons from Warlord

lol Don't these guys know you can just keep hitting your opponents shield until he runs out of stamina, and then go in for the riposte? Oh, but make sure you got hornet ring on though, for that extra crit damage. ;)

2:17 I had to replay that several times, nice work!

how come no one ever fights with two shields?

Top 10 Dark Souls boss battles

Makes you appreciate how they used to fight in the medieval times.

Kinda crazy that I’ve watched so much of this channel that I can now recognize Nick by just his posture and size...

This sparring duel with those fancy round shields is amazing. Also, I like the designs of those shields.

You guys should score this and put the score on the screen throughout the session. I'd watch tons of that.

The shield probably was as much a weapon as the sword is.

Yes! More shield + sword or shield + spear sparring please. Very entertaining to watch!

the guy holding the camera is a genius.

I wish there was an ancient nord in the comments to tell us how it's really done lol

If Hollywood had like 100 extras fighting like this in the background it would be pretty cool to watch! I mean most fights are meticulously choreographed (like in GoT) or just a lot of non-serious shoving and waving their weapon in the air (like in Vikings) but this is a great middle ground: neither choreographed nor completely careless. Obviously battle scenes in films aren't about depicting realistic-seeming combat but more about achieving narrative beats but it does give people some cool stuff to admire.

-Knight war battle recreation = Not enough technique -Japanese Kendo = Not enough action -This sparring match = just enough action and technique. It was actually pretty good! You can see they know how to hit and avoid hits, and actually get hit sometimes but keep fighting, so you can imagine the wounds haha

this looks REALLY cool

damn i like the sound of sword contact shield, if im in there i probaly keep banging the shield for fun hahah

very interesting. I hope you guys keep up the exploration of weapon types. I love to see them

I got so distracted that I thought they were fighting for half an hour or so. Man, can't believe this was only 5 minutes...

looks like warlord needs a buff.

Frontkick like boss! YESSS

i love sparring video so much

Been trying to practice actual fencing with a shield on Blade and Sorcery VR, so this does help lots

1:48 the tackle 🔥

nice for honor 2 gameplay

Bro can we talk about how flawless that final move was by dude in the right at the end of the video

Nice effort, pretty much enjoyed this, nice pace and all. Have you considered using strikes with the shield edge to the face/hand/body in your training, getting into close range, grapping, ground combat yet? Would love to see more of this.

99% of coments are about rpg memes and jokes 1% are saying the axe and javelins are better

Goes to show how much protection a shield really offers.

Very nice sparring! Sword and shield seem to be the safest and most balanced way to fight (and maybe spear and shield?)

tank duels are so boring

Looks a bit like saber sparring where there just happens to be a shield there

imagine a medieval fight with both guys in full plate armor, shield and sword... it would last forever.

everybody gangsta till the astronauts start fencing

5:02 Permanent death. Cool move man!

I wonder if there are places where under 15’s can learn, in twelve and really am ambitious to learn

Greetings Academy of Historical Fencing, I'm Leonardo Freitas and I hail from Brazil. I'm currently one of the headings of a new forged clan focused on what we call "Nordic Combat" (we actually lack a better name for it). The points of this message are 2: First: I'm happy to see that this kind of martial art is already spread out over the world, I bid you my total respect for the uploads, I can see that you are concerned about showing actual technique on your videos and not just waving your swords around like sticks! Second: That being said, I wonder if you're willing to share some knowledge, you see, since we are new born clan ( about 8 months old), we got few amounts of information regarding the actual techniques used by the nordling folk of the baltics and how their fight was actually done. Althoug all our member are graduated on several martial arts and, by that, we were able to incorporate and creat some moves we consider plausible and effective...we could use some tips and advices from the more experienced! So please, make contact! A video of ou most recent combat demonstration in a medieval event: facebook.com/772259302950247/videos/801272443382266/ My personal profile: facebook.com/leonardo.freitas.710?ref=bookmarks

Mike always responds to a shield hit with a counter swing. I'd probably throw a light swing for the shield, then start winding up my shield arm before he even starts his attack, and see if I could deflect his pipe as hard as I could. Doubt it'd be effective, or that it'd be as easy as that, but it has the potential to be the most badass disarm anyone's ever seen.

that shield is quite big, people laugh at my shield of a similar size, mostly because it's crazy heavy in a longer fight... but it feels so safe and cozy

This is a saber duel with shields. Not claiming to be an expert, but having some experience in Viking age living history and martial arts, I can clearly see you guys not using many discovered effective techniques such as active shield, binds and certain effective strikes. Both of you leave you hands open at all times and lead with your heads a lot. I know both of you guys are excellent saber fencers, but this is a different style of fighting. Don't mean to discourage and no disrespect to fellow swordsman, however that just a wrong direction to take Viking age sword and shield. There are many resources such as Viking age living history groups and fighters from around the world who can help you explore this fighting style and explain commonly accepted techniques. Good luck.

Logic dictates that the "punch grip" shield is very light and wide and only held by one grip because it is used at extended arm range away from the body. It is a tool to build distance, block the opponents view and the force limit movement of the opponent. In this clip the shields are used like later day armour shields that where heavy and had to be held closer to the body and be thicker. The viking shield is for smashing into the opponent with its ridge to get clearance for attacking with the sword.

Good match guys, love it 😊👍

There seems to be no offensive use of the shield/shield bashing, is that deliberate?

These two tend to treat their shields as after thoughts, rather than integrated weapon/defenses.

Chernobyl warrior vs peppermint man! Fight!

3:37, Nick lands a cut to the arm, blocks the countercut and then hits Mike's head. Very well done.

where the warlord jokes ?

Soldier of house Nukem versus some viking

I think that the best form of one-handed swordfighting would be sword and left gauntlet. I know it's less practical, but it would look much cooler.

I enjoyed it but the fighter with the larger red and white sheild is the more technically sound fighter if you notice the man on the left is opening up everytime he throws a strike red and white had multiple opportunities to shred him

whyy!!! do they hit on each others facking sheilds!! teatch me i want to know why

I can't say for certain, but these shields look really light, as in I doubt they'd be able to take more than a hit or two from a full weight weapon. I'd be more interested in seeing this with weighted sheilds and swords.

I find that the SCA has developed a very effective form of shield combat (several in fact). Of course you can argue with their rule set and use of rattan for a blade analog but if you step in with a good heavy fighter from the SCA, he'll teach you some things about how shields can be used... whether or not the vikings figured it out haha.

You two are so good with a sword that you forget the shield

I could see two guys in full armor with a sword and shield doing this for a while.

Hello there. I was wondering if it's possible to download this video for personal use? I wanted to do some rotoscoping for my showreel. Nothing commercial.

That larger shield is an obvious advantage but the smaller guy played around it well.

The first few seconds they looked like cats swatting at each other

I thought that, in this case (scandinavian fencing), the sword should come on the edge of the shield in order to attack with both sword and shield in the same time, and cut instead of striking the body. Plus they don't use the rotating function of the shield, invented to feel the opponent movement and divert forces... They just strike and parry. How come ?

The Vikings were savages but they never just acted rabid, 10/10, only thing I need to see now is a claymore in action

So cool. I want to learn and practice this soo bad.

i want to see more of this! i love that you've started showcasing viking era shields. very nice. below you say you don't know how these shields were really used in their time. i assume you've seen roland warzecha's work with these shields? he suggests that the viking shield was used a lot more offensively to bind the opponent's shield/sword arm. i guess that's the advantage of the reach of the center grip. you guys do this a little bit in the video but you use them more defensively - but you do it very effectively ! please upload more of these, i'd also love to see viking era shield vs other strapped shield types (eg kite or heater). i always wonder why these center-held shields fell out of favour in the later middle ages because they look superior in many ways.

Given two evenly matched opponents, that could turn into a long, bloody, drawn out affair.

02:57 I internally screamed for him to do that lmao and he actually charged at him using the shield both offensively and defensively. lol

Good sparing guys.

Lothric Knight Sword R1 Spam [GONE WRONG]

Guy on the right with radioactive shield vs Guy on the left with burn-damage shield. Interesting.

I like a lot Nick's moves and movements, for example at 2:30 and the exchange from 3:30 to 3:40

Imagine if this was the fight choreography for hector vs Achilles

Looks like such good time!

Medieval battles/ancient battles with shields are pretty well recorded, and shield on shield fights ended up being two armies pushing shield to shield. Most casualties occurred during retreats. You wouldn't really see a fight like this. Still cool though.

that real fight, not like in movie. Nice, thanks!

Epic. 😊👍

Very fun to watch guys! I can see why you would like to use a shield in combat. It seems like the engagements are longer with the shield, or maybe it is just that you guys are quite evenly matched?

I personally think they should’ve invested more points in sneak that way this encounter wouldn’t haven’t happened because the other opponent wouldn’t know what hit em

Shield Combat Pro tip: Don't strike from your right Your right, his left

The bigger shield guy had an advantage. Next time you spar; buy a kite shield or a tower shield. REvenge!

Bruh they need some of them conqueror shield bashes

Roland Warzecha makes a point that the shield is the main weapon and the sword is the accessory weapon, and that a fighter should strike with both at the same time. I myself, have little experience fighting with sword & shield, but it sounds like a fair point.

I too like to throw 90% of my sword swings directly to where their shield already is

the dude on the left at 0:01 looks like he's in the dark souls 2 menu stance

And how do you score a "cut" or a "bruised muscle, or a numbing, inability to use an arm after a bone being hit?

Nice footage. Are you just carrying on when hit or waiting for something significant? We have been sparring without much protective and find this helps us assess damage from a shot.

Do u know that u can strikte with the shield too?

I can bet in the real ones, the opponents forward knee was most likely the easiest place to land a strike, then forcing a collapse...idk

This would be very fun.

maybe try out the hinge on the shield as a way of using the shield to block your opponent. Use the shield as the opener and weapon, and the straight sword to finish?

I really wanna learn!!! I just don't have a sword. Edit: If the shield had a turnable handle, you could attack with the shield.

Hello , does anyone here know where i can buy a hidden pommel wrench? For a Turkish shashka from WW1. Thanks.

Shoulda gone for the guard break into unblockable zone attack but this works I guess

Looks like a shielded opponent so much harder to hit

Do you have any suggestions for practice swords and shields (preferably a heater), I'm interested in HEMA and the sword and shield style of combat, any help would be greatly appreciated.

Where did they get their synthetic swords and shields?

Good show!!

Will a head guards like those in the video withstand a thrust from a synthetic sword, or will fenching masks deform on inpact? They're asthetically appealing but plastic visor head guards seem more apt.