[Joe Fults]

[Joe Fults]

For reference I dug a really terrible photo up from the movie (Batman Begins) and I guess I can admit that the bat-ninja is wearing armor. Soooo... I guess I can also admit that the bat-ninja bracer/vambrace thing could work since it is part of an integrated defense system (armor) and I've really only been arguing against it in isolation. Never the less, even if I concede that point, the original poster is asking about historical authenticity/pedigree of the movie tool, not the functionality (a diversion I admittedly took us on) of the item.

Now does anybody have a photo of a museum specimen of lower arm protection with spikes on it? Action house photos? Period illustrations or even descriptions? I have not seen them (which only means I have not seen them) but demonstrating historical accuracy is a different exercise than debating functional merit (it generally requires some level of proof).

[Joe Fults]

[Joe Fults]

[Ben Welch]

[Nat Lamb]

[Phil D.]

Not quite off topic...not quite on topic.But if you want one,here you go:


http://www.extremely-sharp.com/ninja-styled-spiked-gauntlets.html

[Lafayette C Curtis]

[Phil D.]

I found this at the MET site:

http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-t...amp;pos=14

It is described as a left hand parrying gauntlet .There is no pic so can't really say if there is anything unique about it.It would be interesting to see it.

[Joe Fults]

[James Arlen Gillaspie]

At one of the Livermore symposiums years ago, I let someone hit me full-out on my left lower cannon with a rebated long sword. My lower cannon is in the Italian mid-15th c. style, PROPERLY shaped, if a little tight, made of tempered 20 gauge (0.035" thick), and worn over nothing more substantial than a couple of linen shirts. I seem to remember a little stinging, but it was a while ago, so I am not really sure. It did put a very difficult to see crease in the cannon, as I had over-tempered it a bit.

[Henrik Granlid]

Being a geek and a martial artist allong with a general weapons nut, I feel I should add my fistful of cents to this discussion.

The idea of them as a blocking weapon in the movie most likely came from two things:

1. The actual spiked weapon that you could use to intercept (not block) weapon strikes with, as well as cause some nasty damage. The Climbing Claws known as Nekote/Neko te (Cat-hand), in essence, a reversed knuckle duster with sharp metallic claws/hooks.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v206/Thaserpent/neko-te.jpg

You kept it in the palm of your hand, allowing you to climb walls, suprise your opponent and intercept blades.

By "intercepting" the blade, I am talking about getting to the edge BEFORE it has gathered power. Every blade has that point. Before the final arc of acceleration is completed with the forearm and body movement, you can stop a piece of wood or an arm with little damage other than maybe some bruising (the more bruising, the closer to the critical point of "hehe, F-you" you are however).

In short, blade swings down, you reach up, lock blade in place with piece of metal in hand, you don't let the blade swing down and try to block it after it reaches Terminal speed.



2, The martial art they based Nolan-Bats moves on.

I cannot remember the name of it, but it has been in a few of the "behind the scenes" features floating around, in essence, you use your elbows, keep them high and swing your upper body around, this is how you enter combat, this is how you guard. Once you're ready to unleash, you're relatively close and strike with your elbows, knees, feet and fists.

Batman blocking with his forearms was established very early in the character creation by this.

He was gonna fight ninjas at some point.

How do you block swords with your forearms?

And the batbracer was born.

[Bennison N]

In the movie, the guys fighting (opponent and Batman) are highly trained ninjas. They will have adopted the vambrace weapon because it caters to their particular style of fight. Theoretically, they will have practiced the type of block hundreds of thousands of times (and likely even more).

Enter Wolff's Law of Bone Density.

For once, we can trust Wikipedia when they tell us "Wolff's law is a theory developed by the German Anatomist/Surgeon Julius Wolff (1836–1902) in the 19th century that states that bone in a healthy person or animal will adapt to the loads it is placed under. If loading on a particular bone increases, the bone will remodel itself over time to become stronger to resist that sort of loading. The internal architecture of the trabeculae undergoes adaptive changes, followed by secondary changes to the external cortical portion of the bone, perhaps becoming thicker as a result. The converse is true as well: if the loading on a bone decreases, the bone will become weaker due to turnover, it is less metabolically costly to maintain and there is no stimulus for continued remodeling that is required to maintain bone mass."

Enough with the first year medical school lecture... The fact is, one reason people get badly injured is because they haven't worked that bodysite enough in the type of activity needed. I don't know if there is a possibility of a decrease in density for dependence on armour for protection, but in theory that would be possible too.

[Nat Lamb]

[Bennison N]

[Mike O'Hara]

Hi all

Interesting thread, I have been following it for a while.

@Henrik. The name of the art is Keysi Fighting Method, a freestyle named after the two founders.

I agree with Henrik - if I really had to do this, I'd want to be doing an interception move so that the power was either spent (move 'after' in terms of timing) or had yet to be generated (move 'before'). I'd not want to try in the middle. In my mind that would be a desperation move.

cheers

mike

[Austin D.G. Hill]

keysi, so thats the style. i always thought it looked interesting. prefer it to krav maga anyway.

all this talk is making me consider making one and then testing it ( not on my arm though, at least untill i am sure that it would work).