Quote Originally Posted by cucchulainnn View Post
straybow, what system did you study? who was your instructor? you said you used padded weapons was it a LARP?

...i start in vom tag. ...i dare you to go for my legs.

... (if you don't recognize either of those name, that tells me every thing i need to know about your knowledge)
First, I'll say stormbringer's reading is correct: we don't use padded weapons or armor. Second, on the field with choice of weapons I'd rather have a staff, and could strike at your leading leg with a foot or two reach advantage over your zweihander. Third, I would not posit that just because one is outside a perceived mainstream one has no knowledge...

I study English Martial Arts (sword/cudgel, staff, bare fist, some sword and dagger, some sword and buckler; I've been introduced to some other weapons). I was in the only American chapter organized under Terry Brown's Company of Maisters in London. The primary ancient source he leans on is Silver, although he undoubtedly combed every English source he could find that seemed to differentiate the older traditions from the newer continental stuff. He views Hope as a compromise between good, stout English swordsmanship and the smallsword of that day, and if you had to use smallsword that would be a good study. My instructor back East was Chris Myers.

I don't have any other names I can drop, sorry. We are a bit insular in that we are focused on English roots, not continental. I moved out West four years ago. Here in the North Bay Area I've met no one, and only recently made contact with a couple people some distance away whom I haven't met in person, so I'll not name them. Before that I've been tied up with marriage, church, work, baby with heart surgery, etc.

I read McBane's autobiography. I read something else claiming to be Scottish sword technique of that period. It was obviously derived from continental rapier and smallsword, modified for the heavier cutting swords the Scots prefer, and since that isn't my cup of tea I didn't make a study of it.

Similarly, I haven't studied German longsword or Italian techniques, so I don't know the names of guards or other terminology. I did leaf through a friend's reprint of something in German that had grosse messer and longsword techniques but found them to be too specific to be of general use. And I've wasted much time laughing at youtube between the rare good examples.

In sparring (naked ratan, or even light hardwood for a serious bout) we routinely adopt either hanging guard or outside guard at eye height. For a sword in two hands one might use a median guard or take the reverse stance which seems to be the high vom tag if my google fu has not failed me. In this school it would not be considered a proper "guard" since you aren't actually occupying any line of attack, just preparing to punish anybody who gets too close. The lower vom tag is even less a proper guard by that definition, just an alert ready position that keeps you from poking your fellow combatants on the field. The English might call that an open fight position.

I didn't claim that striking at the hands or wrists of an opponent in forward guard is the best attack, only that it is a good way to put your opponent on the defensive with a minimal exposure on your part. Getting your opponent off his game is part of the whole. Otherwise strikes at arms and legs are counters after blocks, as I described.