[David E. Farrell]

I recently received a copy of Christian Tobler and crew's new poleaxe DVD made available through Freelance Academy Press (http://www.freelanceacademypress.com/poleaxedvd.aspx), and figured I would post a review of it for those interested.

Overall, I think the quality is excellent compared to other martial arts instructional videos I've seen. The organization, videography and music all come together nicely giving the production a sense of 'nobility' that suits the topic well. Having taken classes from Christian, I think he does very well in trying to bring the instructor role to video though I think he is even better in person.

I think the selection of techniques, their explanation and the background material make it best suited to a new WMA practitioner wishing to get a taste for what the Pollaxe is like under the German tradition. But I think it is accessible enough for those from other backgrounds to at least come away learning something. For more experienced WMA practitioners, it is a handy collection of basic techniques - many of which show up in other traditions with slight variations.

That said, I have a couple of criticisms. I think Christian comes off a bit too artificial in the introduction, but that may be a product of this being a first video outing of this kind. I would have like to seen more attention given to the mechanics and completion of the throws illustrated, though the disarms and wider measure stuff is quite good. I also thought the explanation of training safety procedures was good - but one important one was missed (it was done by the folks in the video)... thrusts off-target to be kind to the partner's less armoured bits and head.

All in all, I'd gladly recommend it to those who want to learn a bit about the use of the pollaxe in the German tradition, but also those who are interested in the pollaxe and other hafted weapons in general.

[Christopher Valli]

As I said over on the other forum, thanks David for the feedback.

When we started talking about this video, Christian and I (and all the others involved) set out to make something more than the usual martial arts DVD; we wanted the entire thing to have more of an informative feel. This was especially the case for a weapon like the poleaxe and I very much enjoyed directing and editing the 'documentary' portion.

As for your criticisms, let me say these were decisions made on the fly and addressed months later in post production- specifically the throws. Before this was released, we made the decision to show those to more completion in the next two volumes (which we will be filming this summer).

As for Christian's acting, well, I'll see if I can find him some acting lessons

And has anyone besides Todd Sullivan seen the easter egg yet?

[Christian Henry Tobler]

@Dave - thanks much for the review!

@Chris - Actually, I've done quite a bit of acting in the past. The problem here was *not* acting. Generally, when I present in public, it's rather animated (even with a bit of goofiness thrown in). The problem is that doesn't transfer to the setting we chose, so the more staid approach seemed right at the time. I imagine the 'right' feel lies somewhere in between.

Cheers,

Christian

[David E. Farrell]

[Christian Henry Tobler]

Yes, you nailed it Dave: my presentation on the DVD is actually my "writing voice", and all the more so because I wrote out the narration much like my written instruction in my books.

Part of how I instruct in person is very 'interactive' - I solicit agreement from the students, respond to and riff on their reactions, etc. In the DVD, there isn't (and can't be) any of the "now that I've pretzelled Jesse on the ground in armour, I..." kind of banter people are used to from me.

Hmmm...that kind of stuff might make for fun easter egg material in the future though!

As for conspiring with you...that's a very vicious rumor that's going around. It also happens to be.......true.

All the best,

Christian

[David Teague]

Hello All,

Well I just ordered the DVD in question... now the waiting begins.

Since I've seen "Goofy Christian" I now can look forward to seeing "Stiff Christian"...

Hmm, that just doesn't read all that right.



Cheers,

David

[David E. Farrell]

[Jean Thibodeau]

Will be ordering soon but I find that a good DVD like this served two purposes: A) An instructional purpose for those wanting to learn the techniques and B) An academic interest in showing how a fight with poleaxes would look like using real techniques as opposed to " Hollywood/Stage Fighting ".

In the case of (B) more background information rather than just explaining the moves/techniques is very valuable and interesting.

I know that my first viewing will be more to get a general " feel " about the use of the Poleaxe and later it might serve well in learning to actually do the techniques. ( I have taken polearm classes with my group, mostly staff, but the poleaxe is an option and the classes include instruction on both. We also bout with poleaxe versus plain staff. So at some point I will be able to apply the instruction ).

[Christopher Valli]

[Dustin Faulkner]

Hello:

I just wanted to share I ordered the Poleaxe DVD from Freelance Academy a couple of days ago. I can't wait to watch it. I just happen to have Windlass's poleaxe, GDFB's cheap poleaxe head that resembles A&A's "Knightly Poleaxe," and a Lucerne hammer head based on an original at the Higgins museum.

So ... I don't doubt the Poleaxe DVD will help me finally begin practicing such material along with Hugh Knight's book .... just in case guns stop working.

[David Teague]

[Jean Thibodeau]

Tried ordering twice and hit an impassible wall or " GLITCH " that wouldn't calculate the shipping or ship to my location.

Gave more details on the other thread discussing and announcing the availability of the DVD.

The problem seems to be with the " shopping cart " programming or if it does work from Canada it isn't obvious where or how one places and finalizes the order.

Link to the other Topic on the Makers Forum:
http://www.myArmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?p=194377#194377

[Dustin Faulkner]

Hello:

I just got Christian Tobler's poleaxe DVD today. It is excellent in my opinion! I particularly enjoyed the effort to give some historical background at the Higgins museum. At first glance, it is well organized into different types of moves (or plays) according to different situations. The narration is clear and effort was made to ensure the narration was synchronized with the moves.

One must pay close attention to the brief explanation of terms in order to understand subsequent jargon. If you are a novice and/or not familiar with German, you can find yourself thinking "what's this Von Tag stuff?" Personally for me, this applies to any medieval German martial arts material. I had German in high school and I'd be lost without that knowledge.
However, the use of period jargon is appropriate and adds to the authenticity of Mr. Tobler's work. Authentic armor, costumes, music, and weapons are used throughout the program.

To give an indication of Mr. Tobler's thoroughness, this is not a DVD whose contents a layman can completely absorb in one viewing with total comprehension - even if you are blessed with good spatial abilities. Though it's about one hour long, its instructional nature requires repeated study for those with a serious interest in this genre. However, the material is fun to watch too so repeated viewing will be welcome by all viewers. I am very happy with Mr. Tobler's/Free Lance Academy's Poleaxe DVD. Most people would never guess this is a first effort - such is the professional style with which it was filmed.

Ultimately, Mr. Tobler achieves the Poleaxe DVD's goal: to show how the Poleaxe was used and what a vicious weapon it was in the hands of an expert.

I look forward to a DVD about the use of the Longsword and the Zweihander sword.

[Christopher Valli]

Its great to hear you enjoyed it!

We'll be starting production on the next few volumes soon and hope to have the next available around fall.

[Alex Spreier]

I know that David Farrel already posted his review, but I have received requests to put my own up, so here goes:

Today's review will be on Christian Tobler's new DVD “German Medieval Martial Arts Vol. 1: The Poleaxe” available from Freelance Academy Press. As the title suggests, this is the first in a proposed series on German Martial Arts.

First off, the production quality is excellent! As someone who dabbled (briefly) in the video production world, I can appreciate the obvious hard work that Speaking Window Productions put into this DVD. There was only one point during the Drills section where the sound editor missed an audible “cut” - and I only caught it because I was paying very close attention. Wonderful job guys! The music adds a very nice ambiance to the video without being too distracting.

The DVD opens with a re-enacted judicial duel, which is just great fun!

Following this is the Introduction, a mini-documentary detailing just what a poleaxe is, the etymology of the word, as well as interviews with Christian Tobler, Dr. Lee Jones and Dr. Jeffery Forgeng.

This is followed by a section covering the Guards and an overview of what can be done from each guard. In this section, Tobler finds the perfect medium between being too brief and going into too much detail. The participants are in period clothing and armour (of which there is a wonderful variety!) which adds to the experience. Each guard is shown simultaneously in a side and front view, which is very helpful, and all the actions are clear and precise.

The Drills section covers handling the axe (i.e. being comfortable moving the axe around and using both hands as leads) – I would have liked a mention of the importance on practicing this while wearing gauntlets, because gauntlets do change things about how you grip (and Christian is shown wearing gauntlets during this spot). Then the DVD moves into paired drills for practice, which highlight in greater detail the actions shown earlier.

The Special Features include the trailer for this volume, as well as a video trailer for Tobler's book “In St. George's Name” and a quick video about the Selohaar Fechtschule. Also, be sure to check out the Special Features menu very carefully

This is perhaps the best instructional DVD I've ever seen – clean, concise, & informative without trying to do too much. It is a great volume for beginners and long-time WMA students. For those well-versed in the axe, don't expect any ground-breaking, brand new techniques here – a poleaxe is a poleaxe after all. That said, fighting from Nebenhut is a little different than anything in the Italian system (although you could use Vera Croce the same way).

The only negative I have about the DVD is the massive amount of “toy-envy” I developed after watching the copious amounts of beautiful arms and armour parade across the screen!

[Nathan Robinson]

Rather than have a bunch of separate topics that are discussing the same thing, I've combined the various review topics into this single topic.

[Christian Henry Tobler]

Thank you gentlemen for the reviews - I'm really glad you enjoyed the DVD and have found it helpful!

All the best,

Christian


PS. Thank you Nathan for consolidating the threads.

[Alex Spreier]

[Greg Mele]

Thank you for the great reviews, but please, let's draw attention to Chris Valli and Speaking Window Productions - he is the man behind the camera and in the editing room, and if the final product is polished and professional, that's because we were blessed with a professional filmographer who is also an HES practitioner. My hope is that we will all keep Chris *verye busy* in the years to come!

[Dustin Faulkner]

Hello Everyone:

On a serious note, I hope that Mr. Valli's possible contacts in the film world, and subsequent DVD volumes with Mr. Tobler, could somehow lead to a medieval movie that is groundbreaking in its realism - and perhaps based on actual events. I can imagine a medieval "Private Ryan" movie. I don't doubt there are true historical scenarios that folks can relate to today. Such a movie would not only use real weapons and tactics, but convey a true historical sense of medieval culture & politics. I believe it is possible to have an entertaining movie that'd also be educational in a subtle way. It is possible. Just don't turn it into a sappy love story like they did with "Pearl Harbor."

On a humerous note, if such a movie is ever made I look forward to modern marketing techniques being applied to promote it. I look forward German knight happy meals, Christian Tobler action figures, and associated toys at Wal-Mart! I think boys need Nerf foam armour & helmets and foam weapons to play with.

By the way .... might a poster of the Polaxe DVD's cover be available? That's a cool picture of a Gothic Knight and I really like that Bed de Corbin he's holding.

Take care everybody. I have to go work so I can buy a new toy - A&A's knightly poleaxe. The thing costs more than a rifle I want.