A little while ago the local TV show Time Travel Virginia invited David Rowe and myself to do an episode to demonstrate Historical Swordsmanship (that episode was here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d8q0vxMMmGw&am...deo_title)

Recently we were invited back on to demonstrate combat in armor. David Rowe unfortunately couldn't make it, so Tim Hall (another of VAF's Historical Swordsmansip instructors) gracioiusly stepped in to be my partner. The show will air later this month, but they put the lower quality version up on YouTube this morning. It's split into two links.

Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9JKmXzauD0
Part 2: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mMJ-HU_Pq0Q

You'll note some pieces from Arms and Armor and Albion in there, too, as I wanted to make sure I showed some examples of high quality replica weapons.

Wow! I really enjoyed that, Bill :D

Congrats! Thanks for sharing

Very cool. Enjoyed watching it. :)

Thanks for posting it!

Congratulations Bill: Very informative and very professional delivery. Too bad you don't have a weekly program or your own " Reality Show ". :D :cool:

Bravo! That was not only well done, but it answered a burning question of mine about Talhoffer's "murder stroke" where the blade is grasped with two hands and the sword is swung like a warhammer.

Thanks for sharing that video.

Thanks guys!

Gregg Sobocinski wrote:

Bravo! That was not only well done, but it answered a burning question of mine about Talhoffer's "murder stroke" where the blade is grasped with two hands and the sword is swung like a warhammer.

Yeah, we actually showed how that technique is used, the setup for it, and also a counter, but they didn't use the footage. Unfortunately, they barely used any of the footage of us fighting, and focused more on the interview. I would have done it the other way around, but hey, I'm not the director. :)

That's the most engaging and articulate general-audience piece I've seen on the subject. Gold stars all around! You should send that to Mike Loades, etc. as a demo tape.

could you at least ask them to maybe give you the video footage that wasnt entered into the final cut? its still useful info
personally id love to see the spear work

with regard to facial protection id maybe have noted were it possible (im mindful you cant say EVERYTHING to not give too much detail) that the design of visors and facial protection became more sophisticated over time or something like that


i was also half expecting you would begin to quickly mention the garniture when you started talking about how at its pinnacle, the harness became very sophisticated, and/ or when talking about specialised pieces of armour for sport for example , aka reenforcing plates, special jousting helms etc.

of all the things you talked about what interested me very much was that you noted that the thrust to the armpit with a halfsworded longsword would be unlikely to burst the links and drive the sword into the guy aka killing him (unless you got lucky) but was instead a mere way of putting the guy on the back foot and dealing 'death by 1000 cuts', sorta thing.

again very good to see more of this sort of material circulating in the wider media,

the more stuff thats on tv means that hopefully 'bar-room chatter' will also hopefully change, people maybe will say 'i saw on tv they had a real life sword master saying armours really easy to move in etc..."

well, one can hope anyway. :p