I have looked at both your interpretation and Jay's. I like his for being a more practical blade transition for sparring. Yours I like for strength and balance training. The broader movements really put one on one's mettle. Anyway, my son and I plan to include your version in our conditioning routine. Thank-you for being an evangelist for an under appreciated author. As a minor cleric of the Church of Silver I applaud you with fellow feeling.
Thanks for saying that! I believe that Wylde is using this drill to grind in correct responses as quickly as possible. I think its a wonderful flowing drill and fun to do. Cheers!
@@korg20000bc As I am sheltering with my training partner, my son Michael, I had the opportunity to get his opinion as well. I, as I mentioned, am primarily a Silver practitioner. Michael tends to be more Roworthish. But, we both are used to dealing with passing footwork as a thing and a lot of traverses and we both found the broad blade movements combined with opening and closing the stance on every guard change to be challenging, especially to the balance. And Silver, of course tends to reserve the point. The hand stays close to the head, body, or thigh in all of his lyings. So, Wylde's extreme point forward versions of the guards gave us a real work out. We intend to continue with this as a conditioning drill. Thanks again.
Very interesting video as was the presentation. The front, side and rear profiling made it much easier for beginners to grasp. You also lay a sound predicate for you interpretation. Thanks so much for posting.
Thank you, Stewart. I was a little cramped by my room size for this video. I elaborate on this drill and the importance Wylde places on it in the last segment of this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-s28Hh_cptOM.html If you keep in mind that, in order of importance, Wylde wants the student to understand the guards, true play then the slip. This is what the drill is about- the guards joined with traversing and slipping footwork. Thanks for commenting!
This is an amazing video. I have been engaged in trying to interpret a specifically “Stage Gladiator” style of 18th century English swordsmanship for the last two years. I work primarily from Page, Lonnergan and McBane for this reason, but recently became interested in Wylde due to his relative proximity in time to Page, and his quarterstaff method (together with Miller, I’m hoping to reconstruct “the usual weapons as practiced upon the stage”). In your opinion, how well do the fundamentals of Wylde work with the prize fighter sources? I noticed the use of both wide and narrow stances in this video, as well as what looked like Equilibrio. However, I also noticed that you held a very straight arm, unlike Page/Lonnergan/McBane’s advocacy of a low arm.
Thanks for saying so. Its my strong opinion that Wylde is based on Swetnam's backsword method and principles. Wylde is very suitable for a London Prize-fighter method. The sword he recommends is a light sword that will 'thrust as well as it will cut.' The extended arm position is specifically instructed by Wylde. Bearing the hilt out straight from your body without bowing the elbow-joint. He says that the Medium Guard should have the hilt as high as your chin. The method is basically to use your basket hilt as a buckler that you fight behind. If your arm is bent or held low, you lose the protection. All your cuts are thrown in by the hand- except if the come from after a slip. Wylde has two methods in his manual. One method is Inside, Outside and Medium guards based on narrow linear footwork. This is used across smallsword, broadsword and quarterstaff. The other method is all guards- particularly hanging guard, based on traversing footwork and slipping. Wylde says he's been teaching at least from 1680. I love it.
@@korg20000bc I really appreciate your response. I found it very informative to help me figure out how to frame Wylde within the broader context of what I’m trying to do with my ongoing interpretation project. It’s interesting you mention Swetnam, I just started reading his treatise this morning 😂.
Thanks for this. I remember looking a Wylde a while back and having trouble figuring out the Saint George section of this exercise. Looking forward to more videos.
Indeed! That transition between medium, George and hanging is the hardest bit to work out in this drill. Of course, you can just move to from medium to George, but it really clunks as part of a drill of "Throwing Guards." Thanks for watching.
The catastraphoon illustration is great - though I would have thought this would be more appropriate in the circumstances...: i.insider.com/5e5ff9d8fee23d6516720658?width=1100&format=jpeg&auto=webp
Excellent presentation. My main doubt: From the outside to the inside guard[*], the text says "by returning your sword the same way it came". To me, this doesn't seem to describe a moulinet, but rather a disengage. As for the point vs whole blade passing behind the head, I'll leave it to you and Jay as I have far too little experience to have an informed opinion. Edit: [*] I meant the other way around, from inside to outside
Thanks for commenting! In the text for this drill there is no direct transition from outside to the inside, only the opposite. And, there is no moulinet here. So, I absolutely absolutely agree with you. "Returning your sword the same way it came" is precisely a disengage. The only moulinetish(?) movement happens between outside and medium guards where Wylde describes "From your Outside you may come to a Medium, by dropping your point, and bring it by your left ear, then place it betwixt your opposer’s eyes I appreciate you input.
@@korg20000bc Sorry, clearly I mistakenly swapped "outside" and "inside". What I meant is, you drop the point from inside to outside, while the text says that the sword should returning "the way it came".
@@emarsk77 Ok, I get what you mean. Yes, perhaps I was dropping the point a little low. I would be happy to perform it and teach it as you suggest. For beginners, larger- almost exaggerated actions can be very helpful in building up foundational movements. I was slipping into Physical Education mode by default. I wasn't trying to be a smart-arse. Cheers!
No. It isn't present in the movements of the drill. He doesn't really describe any rising cuts in the whole manual. He has some rising false-edge parries, though. I have wondered about interpreting cut 3 and cut 4 as a rising inside or outside cut. There is a possibility he had this in mind as it follows the same principle of using the matching guard to the cut. It is a stretch, though...
@@korg20000bc , thank you for your reply. The “throwing” of the hanging guard looked to me like it was also practicing a cut 4 rising cut (my misinterpretation) and all the other cuts (1-7) seemed present in the drill except 3. Fantastic video and explanation. Very much looking forward to the continuation of your Wylde series in all four disciplines. Many thanks
