Rapier and Shield vs Rapier and Dagger Tom vs Nick 

+Tanuvein Thanks. Glad you are enjoying the channel. It is certainly true that too few people train with mismatched weapons. Learning a style with matched weapons is important and necessary to understanding core concepts, but beyond that, mixed fighting is essential to understanding how to use a weapon or combination in a range of scenarios.

I practice whit a friend this to, and the only way to defeat him was aim to the legs.

I practice whit a friend this to, and the only way to defeat him was aim to the legs.

+takeshii Fairness has nothing to do with this though. Fights often aren't fair, why should they always be in training?

+Academy of Historical Fencing Because the comments section will soon be full of idiots declaring which one is "better".

+Academy of Historical Fencing There doesnt seem to be much a dagger + raper could do vs rapier+shield, in most exchanges it seemed like the dagger was a non factor. Watching this youd probably be better off ditching the dagger and trying to parry/grab the opponents rapier with your hand.

+Robert R The shield might be better in the actual fight, but a dagger is *much* more comfortable to wear. If a gentleman would walk about in a civilian setting, I doubt they would want to carry a big heavy shield around... P.S. this reply was not meant for you, I just wanted to put things into perspective for the people you mentioned.

+Robert R That's life. As the saying goes - 'To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing.'

+TheLuconic Using two swords possibly yes, but actually sword and dagger or sword and buckler can be much easier to learn to a competent level much more quickly. Some of the single sword stuff requires a lot more skill to pull off well, especially single time defence work of rapier. A lot of the rapier and dagger and sword and buckler stuff have a much greater margin of error and greater protection through many actions.

+Academy of Historical Fencing I see. thank you very much.

if he closed the distance well thats when a shield is most effective as a weapon of course they are rules against using it in that fashion in the sport but in real life a shield is at its most dangerous at close rang because there again its often overlooked as a weapon

There are no rules against using the shield in any fashion. Bash away.

A rapier was primarly a civilian weapon, so, in everyday life, it had to comply to unwritten dressing codes. A 16-17th century gentleman would have ben considered ridicolous if he had walked through the city with a shield, like if it had walked wearing a barbuta, or a pair of sabatons (tink of going to the supermarket with splinter jacket and helmet). To wear rapier and dagger instead was very common. So it was likely very rare to see a proper shield used in "casual encounter" fights (a stool used as a shield would have been much more common). in a proper, declared, duel, there would not have been such limit, but, in a declared duel, duellists teded to be armed the same way, so the goal to have a "better protection" was kinda void.

+MartinGreywolf Overall the dagger is the most universally useful. It is easily worn, it displaced thrusts really well, it is useful offensively at short measure which discourages those who close or try and grapple, and it useful if they do. But if you rule out the day to day carry and wear, the rotella is the best. And yes, the order or hierarchy as you say does change depending on what you are facing. Rotella is universally good against everything. Buckler is better than dagger when you face heavier cutting weapons like backswords etc. But dagger is better than buckler against another rapier. Open hand is last, except when facing a spear or similar, where having that hand open to grab shafts is useful. I am not a big fan of having a second rapier (case of rapiers). It lacks close range defence, and other defensive actions too,

+OfNaught Spears in general were superior weapons to anything else. They required somewhat less training and were the best at keeping opponents at bay. Often I see sparring matches between one spear user fighting and a team of two sword users, each with about an equal amount of training/skill in EMA, and the spear still won several times. The ability to attack or threaten your opponent with almost no risk will always come out on top.

+brainplay I might do some like that again at some point as one offs, but in reality the editing time is just too long. If I am going to put that much time into editing it is best spent on something a little more specialist like the draw videos. I will do my best to do a few at some point though.

+Will nonya I teach rapier primarily from Capo Ferro, who has a section on rapier and rotella.

+401 Kill You know that rapier isnt a weapon that is used in battlefields?It's a tool specifically designed for dueling and self defence.

+ZOMBIE The entire Carolean army would beg to differ.

Yeah but you are talking about napoleonic times where swords were hardly used in battlefields.

Uhm... King Charles XI Ruled from 1660-1697. That's a full century before the Napoleonic times. Swords were still in regular battlefield use well through the 19th century, but were definitely still in use in 1660. Rapiers were definitely a battlefield implement. They were not "specifically designed for dueling". you're thinking of the smallsword which was worn by men of status and was often much shorter with a very small, often ornate hilt.

+ZOMBIE What gave you the impression that swords were hardly used in battle in the Napoleonic period? In fact there has rarely been a time when so many people carried a sword on the battlefield due to their mass production, and increased usefulness due to the decline of armour. Blocks of thousands of cavalry carried them as primary weapons. All officers carried them, many of which frequently found themselves having to use them due to the increase in skirmish based tactics, as well urban combat in the many sieges, let alone during bayonet charges. A great many infantry units carried short swords as well, ranging from French regulars to light infantry and rifleman. Dragoons too. Many artillerymen did for close range encounters. And that doesn't even begin to consider their use in naval combat, and by naval forces fighting on the shore. Swords were mass manufactured and used extensively in that period, and to a large degree well into the later part of the 19th century.

There is a disproportionately high ratio of world champions that are left handed compared to the number of left handers in the sport, so it would probably serve you very, very well.

i wonder if there are historical accounts

+Dwarf-Elvish Diplomacy Being left handed is a big advantage in any fight art that I have encountered. I wanted to do a video on it soon anyway. It simply comes down to the ratio of practitioners and experience that creates.. 1 in 10 is left handed. That 1 left hander regularly gets practice against a great range of right handed fencers, but the right handed fencers get far less practice against left handers. However, seeing two left handers go at it can be funny!

***** why?

+John Doe And yet its proven time and again that isn't the case. As I said, even trying to find the range of good opponents to get that practice in is difficult. The lack of good training partners alone is enough to ensure that there isn;'t the level of practice and experience there is against right handers.

+Omar Correa Italian. I teach it primarily from Capo Ferro.

+DJS Here it is - www.outfit4events.com/eur/product/620-iron-round-shield/

And stop the back and forth movement it prohibits you from taking the tempo correctly and supplies to many tempos to your opponent.

www.outfit4events.com/eur/product/620-iron-round-shield/

www.outfit4events.com/eur/product/620-iron-round-shield/

Why?

+Tom Rundell This is the one - tp://www.outfit4events.com/eur/product/620-iron-round-shield/

+Academy of Historical Fencing Great I've been looking for one of those

+tullyDT Yeh it's not easy. Most that are made today are too heavy for their diameter, and often have badly constructed handles/straps. This one is pretty close to what I wanted and is very good for the price.

We often mix in non-European weapons to face what we use. Yes we can, but not yet, as we need a training sword for it. It is something we will be able to do in the near future though.

Academy of Historical Fencing I can wait for that video if it is coming in a near future.

Academy of Historical Fencing Thanks!