BJJ. This guy is pulling guard, fighting with sticks and being hit with sticks. Outcome is still a winner. He's released an instructional! I'm genuinely curious.
Nice. Obviously the helmets play a part, but it shows how training to bridge the distance quickly and efficiently pays off. As we saw the weapon can be used at close range. I don't favour the locks with it, but would hit with the punio (butt of the stick). As a striker I would let the weapon go quicker if it gave me positional advantage. I'm on the constant look out for second hand fencing helmets and ice hockey gloves and if anyone wants to try the above then it isn't expensive to get kitted out. I can bring a couple of padded sticks, fencing helmets and gloves to the MAP Meet if anyone wants to have a go during a break in proceedings.
Interesting video, i can see how the combination could be of good value, sticks for the long range and BJJ for the very close range. I've seen various locks and strangles with the stick in the past.
Let me be the party pooper and point out that fencing helmets were never actually designed to absorb those sorts of impact. It's like those guys who wear WWII helmets on motorcycles. Better than nothing, but still...
You are correct, but the WEKAF helmets aren't as effective for this type of training. In addition if you get hit with the butt or tip of the stick it could get through the bars on the helmet. All training like this is a compromise, but I certainly favour the fencing helmet.
Yep fencing masks are ok for padded sparring but can break too easily in normal sparring I believe the HEMA guys are producing a fencing style helmet capable of taking more force but it's very expensive.
Guys make the mistake of over commitng in guard when striking from top, similar to when you first spar MMA and your forget to keep both arm in or out so get triangled etc On the floor punio strikes or pokes are much harder to deal with than swings and change the game for the defender, suddenly it's much harder to see the attacks and find the gaps in range to grapple And if the guy with the sticks doesn't want to grapple and is good at moving backwards and hitting you can take some real shots before you get in range all depends on his game and if he knows you can grapple or not
The locks and strangles with the stick can be useful but hard to pull off especially in sparring even in close it's easier to strike either with punios or witiks (can never spell that) on the ground on top there are some nice pins and chokes you can use with the stick though and also some nice ways to tie the opponent's arm up if he grabs your stick to allow you to keep striking , as with any grappling having something to pin your opponent to is always helpful
Fencing masks are unprotected on the back. I’ve had a flick hitter draw blood on the back of my head once which while wuite really rare does happen. I dread to think what could happen with a slightly less flexible instrument like a snapped stick. While certainly better nothing its simply not worth the danger. Extra sabre coach padding would be better but HEMA are developing much better masks for all round protection and percussion absorption, (but with trade offs with visibility). They might be pricier but I think they are better suited for more robust sparring.
A friend of mine had his jaw broke through a fencing mask, puinto spinning strike which was illegal and went through the front of the mask, he still won the match but wasn't a happy chap. Armour and live stick v padded and limited protection is always a topic for discussion but personally I like to be safe first worry about the trade off second
IMPORTANT SAFETY NOTE - STANDING STRANGLES USING A STICK ARE EXTREMELY DANGEROUS. IT IS EASY TO BREAK SOMEONES NECK ACCIDENTALLY. In the 50's america the police used baton chokes to take down suspects. Deaths of African americans were explained away because "Negros had weak necks". It goes without saying that this was untrue and evil. These techniques have long since been banned.