Here's a video by people more skilled than I:
The longsword was an extremely versatile weapon. It sliced, it diced, it did everything. No, really. It could be used in either one hand or two, cutting or thrusting. It could be gripped half-sword and used as a spear, it could be used as a war hammer. You could grapple with it, using it as a tool manipulate your opponent's body, to disarm, trap, or throw him.
It is a weapon of both elegance and power, simplicity and depth.
Johannes Liechtenhaur said that "there is only one Art of the sword" and it is "the basis and core of all the arts of fighting."
John Clements wrote an interesting article which I have recently rediscovered: Centrality of the Longsword in Renaissance Martial Arts
Anyway, I love the longsword. Specifically, I like hand-and-a-halfers.
Many people in today's society seem to like to compare it to the katana, often touting the katana's superiority. These comparisons are often more "East vs West" than they are "Longsword vs Katana." They offer false mental pictures of hulking europeans in bumbling armor vs graceful samurai. These people are idiots. Now, I'm not going to claim the longsword is necessarily better—they are two different animals, reflecting the armor and technology of their respective cultures—but I do prefer the longsword.
If you like the katana; fine, tell me about it. But please, don't bring up the east vs west argument mentioned above. If you do, I'll simply mention planes, tanks, and nuclear weapons (western inventions all), and walk away.
What about you, vast internets, what is your favourite (why am I using the brit spelling of that word?) weapon?
It doesn't have to be M/R. Fantasy and Eastern weapons are welcome here, too. All are welcome! (Though, I'd prefer it if guns stay at the door. Yes, they're awesome and totally deadly, but they're kinda like the planes, tanks, and nuclear weapons—they don't exactly fit the theme.)
Go mbeannaí Dia duit,
Gorby
Anyway, I love the longsword. Specifically, I like hand-and-a-halfers.
Many people in today's society seem to like to compare it to the katana, often touting the katana's superiority. These comparisons are often more "East vs West" than they are "Longsword vs Katana." They offer false mental pictures of hulking europeans in bumbling armor vs graceful samurai. These people are idiots. Now, I'm not going to claim the longsword is necessarily better—they are two different animals, reflecting the armor and technology of their respective cultures—but I do prefer the longsword.
If you like the katana; fine, tell me about it. But please, don't bring up the east vs west argument mentioned above. If you do, I'll simply mention planes, tanks, and nuclear weapons (western inventions all), and walk away.
What about you, vast internets, what is your favourite (why am I using the brit spelling of that word?) weapon?
It doesn't have to be M/R. Fantasy and Eastern weapons are welcome here, too. All are welcome! (Though, I'd prefer it if guns stay at the door. Yes, they're awesome and totally deadly, but they're kinda like the planes, tanks, and nuclear weapons—they don't exactly fit the theme.)
Go mbeannaí Dia duit,
Gorby
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment