How a Katana Swordsman destroys a Rapier Swordsman!
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- čas přidán 20. 08. 2023
- How to beat a rapier with a katana - advice for the budding Samurai! previous videos • Spanish Rapier Vs Japa... & • How to BEAT Katana wit...
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One of the more important techniques that katana users often overlook for dealing with a longer weapon is to leave you sword on the boat and bring your oar along instead.
I understood that reference.
By arriving by boat (infuriatingly late!) Musash.. eeeh a samurai would also bypass that pesky bridge that Matt keeps banging on about! 😁
The version I heard the ore was carved into a bokken tho that would probably take longer than a boat ride
@@GrandDawggyWhich only contributed to how late said duellist was! Psychological warfare at its simplest and best, it could be argued… 😁
@@peterchristiansen9695 oohh I see that makes sense thanks for clarifying this for me
Matt: "I hope this have been useful"
Time traveller preparing for a trip to 1600s Japan: "Just what I needed"
Take into account armour worn ??
Videos like this actually are pretty useful. Fiction writers and videogame creators use videos like this to try and make their stories feel more accurate.
If nothing else, it makes my overactive mind happy knowing these things :)
@@tomhirons7475If both sides are on swords, likely none. Battles favored long sticks and boom sticks and swords would generally be a sidearm.
And despite being trained in rapier fencing has no battle experience starts on a battle hardened samurai
Obviously the katana wielder should spend 3 episodes explaining his technique and power levels
Also screaming while powering up his ultimate sheathed attack :)
With various flashbacks and a few dramatic scenes that for some reason are not colored.
And then go over his backstory
Then starting again screaming something very dramatic
He's also got to do that thing where he "loads a strike", priming his weapon so that it inexplicably clicks, and a gleam shines along the blade. I mean if he manages to get that technique off he can basically one shot a tank or Godzilla.
This is maybe a part of why rapier and dagger became popular, not just for parrying but also because a dagger might be more useful in grappling distance.
Aren’t Katana’s also commonly used with a shorter wakizashi? It’d be cool to see this kind of fight break down from swords to short blades
@@tommyscott8511The Difference is that you utilize Rapier and Dagger at the same time, the Katana was a Two Handed weapon, so the guy needed to put the Katana and Draw the Wakizashi
@@victxbrNot really; several schools have different techniques for dual wielding of the daishō. Including drawing wakizashi while holding katana. Or did you mean something else? 🙂
@@peterchristiansen9695a fellow book of five rings fan?
@@GrandDawggyCannot be completely ruled out! ⚔️🤓
As a rapier user who frequently spars with sabers, once they take that bind I have very little control over my sword.
Distance and footwork
True, the fight is done once you give away the bind as they should be charging past your point. Your job as the Rapierist is first to disengage and threaten when they move to bind. This plays to your weapon and keeps them on the defensive.
So they can run into your dagger... always have your left hand dagger with the rapier. It's the fastest, most offensive weapon set there is.
learn to disengage, also learn the derobement, when they go in to take the bind you can go around their blade, this can send their blade out of line briefly and give you an opening, combine a derobement with a lung (think in 3 dimensions, going around the blade WHILE moving inwards) can take advantage of that opening.
@@tuseroni6085 I have been practicing Giganti's disengage. My club has determined that my blade is divided into 3 parts. The strong, the weak, and the ethereal point.
I practiced kenjutsu for 10 years and this very question has popped into my mind multiple times and in actuality, I reached essentially all the same conclusions as you. That being said, it can be really freaking hard. I've never duelled against a rapier, but those a freaking fast. Closing the distance as fast as possible is essential, but once you've done so, the shorter sword/weapon does have an advantage for sure.
One of my biggest gripes about a lot of kenjutsu is how myopic they can be about the opponent. It seems very rare that other weapon types are addressed; seems like it's almost always another sword. I don't know if this is the same in other martial arts.
If you haven't seen it, Weaponism is a pretty badass channel where you can see some really good sparring between various types of weapons. It's a Korean channel, but they provide English subtitles and they have tons of guests on versed in various styles with various weapons, though the main martial artists have a kenjutsu background, I believe.
I practiced Iaijutsu for a while and my older coleagues, as well as my master, would have some Katori-ryu kata up their sleeves, to show and understand how different schools often portrayed different mindsets and techniques. What stood out in Katori, for me, was how they had kata where they would be defending against kusarigama and attacking someone in full armor, which is pretty refreshing! I also liked how in Katori-ryu, there's a lot of moving around and purposefully being at an angle towards the opponent, in order to make yourself a leaner target, harder to strike...
But you are totally right! Most kata and schools focus on sword vs sword action!
It very much depends on the school. In Kukishin ryu we do sword and spear, so there's a lot of crossover between the two weapons. But then Kukishin ryu is more of a spear school than a sword school.
I have the most hours behind the katana amongst all swords, but had the privilege of training with an olympic fencer who brought me up a level or two on my rapier use. We would spar often with mismatched weapons and I found that early on, before he memorized my patterns, I had the advantage with katana over rapier in most bouts by using a bind or attacking the weapon with a lot of fast cuts across the center line from unpredictable directions as I closed to knock his point off center and create a lot of pressure. A katana is overall a faster sword than a rapier, believe it or not, and they do better under high pressure as you close (Rapiers hate pressure). All of that being said, after weeks of doing this together we started coming out about 40/60 with him in the lead after he memorized my flow patterns and knew when to riposte. In the end, it all depends what tool is best for the job. Rapiers are probably superior in duels, but katana is better most everywhere else; Indoors, in a melee, in a surprise situation, close up... Katana also has a sneaky trick to extend the thrust distance to be on par with a rapier, which is handy sometimes.
Rapier: Ha ha! It seems my blade has pierced your groin!
Katana: Indeed, but your arm is off!
Typical for the European to go for the low blow - yet still ending up short-handed… 😁
Rapier: So you will be able to write poetry and play violin while I sleep with your wife!
@@u.v.s.5583Katana: Ooh no! Well, touché my Brother… 😁
@@u.v.s.5583Katana: let's see how you make sex without your precious lunges.
NOT THE GROIN!!!!
Thank you for making me feel less terrified of rapier fencers, Matt! I still don't like my odds if i have to face one. Rather do it with a Nodachi just to make me feel a bit more secure.
If you have to face one for real, just use a gun. You still might get skewered if they somehow get close before you notice them, but a firearm will regain the reach advantage for you😏
@@vicnighthorsei was thinking more in terms of a friendly sparing match. If it's for real, I'll probably just make a tactical retreat into less favorable grounds for them(?
Isn't a nodachi even heavier and slower?
@@ilcuzzo12 yes but with good biomechanics it can be moved very efficiently
@@addictedtochocolate920 The "terrified" part and Matt saying "do to not die" made me suspect you/we were talking about something more serious than a sparring match. My first martial arts instructor's favorite saying was "if attacker has fist, sensei wants knife, if attacker has knife, sensei wants gun". He could get away with such mock Japanese talk because it was the '80s. And, me too, for a real sword fight I'd certainly flee, if possible, no matter what sort of swords we both had😲
2:10 "...what the rapierist can do to come out of the fight...undead." Matt Easton is a necromancer confirmed.
Deladier wrote that a strong beat generally fortells a straight thrust and a soft beat means the beater intends to disengage because a strong beat can force the blade in the way of the disengage. He also warns of not asserting too much force in the bind as it will alert the opponent to disengage before you are ready to attack from opposition.
A good suggestion would be to look into kenjutsu techniques against spears as well
And Kobudo!
Just mikiri counter'em
Really awesome video! Fun to see explanations of the martial applications for each sword's features.
I was competing in a fencing tounament many years ago where Australia's top Olympic fencer got a broken foil thrust into his chest that punctured a lung, and it took an astonishing amount of persuasion to get him off the piste and into the ambulance. I learned a lesson about the paradox of thrusts that day...
I was a fencer in high school and I lunged at my opponent. I got him in the clavicle, just above where his plate was but below the padding of his helmet. He instantly collapsed and his dad scolded me. He said I could’ve killed him with something like that.
He was just bruised but the whole thing kind of traumatized me. I quit fencing pretty soon after that.
And THAT is why you should wear a chest protector even in Olympic fencing
@@SaraphDarklaw That Father was understandably upset at having the mortality of his child presented to him like that, but any contact sport comes with risks... If you are going to allow your child to play them (and you should if they want to and you can afford/borrow the right protective equipment) you have to accept its possible they will get hurt or even die. The only reason to take it out on anybody else is if they are really, deliberately not playing by the rules that are supposed to keep everyone safe, otherwise accidents happen, deal with it.
Heck just doing a pretty low intensity Rugby tackle practice I broke a guys kneecap - didn't even hit him that hard or in a bad place, just a case of two fairly large teenagers impacting each other and I presume his studs stuck and bent his leg backwards a bit (I was the more athletic and probably heavier by a bit, but he wasn't tiny by any stretch). I didn't even know I'd hurt him, seemed like a normal tackle to me. So I just got up and went back to position. Though everyone else I think must have heard or seen something in his face as they all knew long before I'd turned back to see him still down.
I assume the circumstances of this hypothetical fight completely changes if the rapier fighter has an offhand weapon like a buckler or parrying dagger?
Yes it does.
They do. I think i wrote a comment explaining how many rapier fencers will pair their rapier with a dagger, in which case you need to avoid getting too close by all means.
This is true - so a clever samurai might consider also brandishing his wakizashi. The standard length of which would probably be somewhat longer than a period European left hand dagger. My ideal scenario would be that the combatants go: "This is all rather silly, isn’t it? Let’s go down to the pub instead…" 😁
@@peterchristiansen9695using Daishō might be effective, but you're losing the strength and leverage advantage katanas give you against one handed swords. It can work, you just need to be conscious of your game plan and understand you're still at a disadvantage
Or if the samurai has been trained to also fight with the wakizashi...
This is actually incredibly useful for me. No, I do not do any martial arts or HEMA or kendo. No, I do not own a single sword. But! I am a writer and to describe and imagine a sword fight authentically is to understand an incredible amount of context. And to make any kind of fight interesting you have to figure out in-the-moment motivations of the characters. This is exactly the kind of demonstration I find invaluable for niche and extremely specific topics that happen to come up in creative writing. Thanks, Matt, it was informative and entertaining! Cheers!
Glad these resources exist for the next generation of writers!
Even fairly recent fantasy novels, like Game of Thrones, suffer from a lack of knowledge about pre-modern combat.
Yes, the main use i give these is in my stories. I do also practice kenjutsu though; gives you a better understanding of how the weapon feels.
My story also involves innumerable cultures with distinctive weapons and languages, so, as you might imagine, absurd amounts of study and research are needed. Maybe I'm a bit obsessed with realism in all fronts.
Ditto on that. I'm writing a high fantasy set in early Kamakura Japan and this is very valuable info.
There can be a lot of internal drama to feeling that moment and summoning the willful commitment to take it, especially against a fighter who may be have more reach, be faster and/or more skilled. In reality it all happens in a split second when the moment of decision is reached, while exploring those thoughts and feelings can slow down the action.
Matt Easton does something brilliant here and creates a useful metaphor: the bridge. It's a great shortcut to use in writing because readers can relate to the peril of a rickety bridge moreso than some HEMA or kendo terms.
Unsolicited swordfight writing advice dump follows.
Accuracy is great but it can mess with the flow. Robert Heinlein's Glory Road uses fencing terms to describe the final fight without giving time to the readers to understand what they are (insert training montage), and the protagonist thinks about a dangerous technique and then, without thinking about it, pulls it off to win the fight. Which would be good but works out a bit anticlimactic, because the winning move is described as "yeah so then I just did that and skewered the guy".
Last Samurai where Tom Cruise gets jumped was a pretty good way to unpack "what the hell just happened" and you can even build tension into that because, in that instance (as Matt Easton says), the character might not even realise they're cut. So they might replay the fight in their mind and then suddenly feel blood running down their side. And then jump-cut to where the one enemy got a cut or thrust in.
There are plenty of ways to describe swordfights without devolving into the written equivalent of the Marvel CGI boss fight. You control time and detail, so you can describe what happens at lightning speed without breaking up pacing. Abstractification slows things down, while physicality speeds it up. Working through emotions and memory doesn't slow things down, especially if the character is not aware of them: as a writer, you don't have to catalogue everything they perceive. You can dip into omniscient or distant perspective to describe eg the readiness of their muscles to parry a certain way (which may get them killed), etc.
You can break up the fight, and have the fighters disengage or forced apart by the environment. As a writer, this can be anything: another fighter bumps into them (melees are hugely chaotic), a grenade going off, a ship's timber falling between them, a sudden wave etc. Then they have time to reflect on what just happened, seek advantage.
As a mostly longsword practitioner, I must admit that I must apply twice the effort to defeat rapier vs longsword. Rapier is a superior and more advanced weapon. With a buckler or dagger, the rapier is quite formidable. I would try to overmatch a rapier by dual wielding sideswords/messer (case).
dual wielding sideswords or arming swords is my favorite thing.. though im getting more into buckler just a a practical sense.. its.. easier ;) Dual wielding equal length weapons tends to shift focus back to cuts a bit (ive been training to add more thrusts back in, especially left handed). I would say dual wielding arming swords is one of the BETTER forms to take against a polearm or rapier. Or at least more fun ;)
As the short weapon user, you really want to assert control BEFORE you step into their measure and git yourself pinned. Theres more you can do at that "tip to tip" range than you can do sword and buckler or sword and dagger.
And it takes them a long time to get used to the idea that while they are paying attention to your "main sword", there's another one cutting up low to high on their right side.
I don't think rapier would have been very effective in war. The enemy is going to be wearing armor so I don't think it would be that good.
But 2Hs look cooler in game. But was 2H sword not that efficient in reality?
This conversation is displayed quite well in the movie Rob Roy with Liam Neesan
Katana user has to remember and monologue about the promises to his friends, stuggle agaisnt abusive father, and the death of his mother to a ninja raid before attacking. It leaves a lot time for the rapier guy to eat a sandwich and lower his guard.
Amazing speaker. Neat English, fluency, intonation, logic. A pleasure to listen. Whether interested in swords or not.
Thanks, Matt. Always worth watching.
The TLDR: How can a katana overcome a rapier? Be the better swordsman! 😂
……… Rapier, range control and composure. Katana: be straight up nasty and have great timing and aggression. Reminds me of George solver talking about crotch kicking and throwing to try to mess up those damn button hunting Italians XD
No, you must have a katana, and a gun. Only a gun can rival rapier in a duel.
He wins by being faster, stronger, better, and having a gun.
Every bit of fighting a rapier user seems to come down to how much bleeding can you do before you can get that perfect Rob Roy moment when the one insane thing you can actually do to win actually has a chance of happening.
(For what its worth all these videos in my mind are still taking place on a boat, where both combatants are essentially unarmoured because the risk of drowning outweighs the benefit of armour for fighting. So the odds of getting a rapier user into a situation where they can't backpedal anymore are fairly decent.)
((The comments about the very initial moment of binding at a theoretically safe range, and the blade geometry of the rapier making it possible to grab, especially near the tip, were absolutely fascinating and I am learning so much from this series of videos! Cheers Matt!))
Thank you!! So concise and thorough
I am repeatedly stunned by Matt's gift for spiking my interest in topics which I had not initially felt any interest. You are a great presenter, Matt, apart from being a super insightful historian and athelete.
Great explaination 🙂 My HEMA instructor started from out of measure and worked their way in the same as my Jujutsu teacher, I haven't been doing HEMA for anywhere near as long but I really prefer my rapier now 😋
I feel like you need an assistant if you can fit one in your garage Matt 😄
Matt Easton, I love you. I don't think anyone, or very few, go over the fighting arts with such passion and level of detail. This video in particular was very educational for me. Thank you so much.
Thanks!
Very good explanation. Thank you
The thing about rapiers was that they were generally used in conjunction with a dagger for close range and helped against a charging opponent, or even with a shield to fast riposte. And it was easy enough to use rapiers with the weight closer to the hand. The hand protection even helps with that. I have practiced this and it completely compensates it's problem in case the enemy gets closer, or manage to grab your blade. It's also the perfect moment to close with the dagger, and much faster than the katana user.
Katana problem is that is not very easy to use one handed!
The offense/defense balance of rapier+dagger is just great in 1 vs 1.
I LITERALLY just finished your last video and commented that I want to see this one, then closed the window and saw this post! Insane response time you got there lol
Hope you enjoyed it!
@@scholagladiatoria half way through, loving it so far. Ever since the first time I saw a proper rapier at my HEMA club I’ve wondered how I would handle that fight if I had my longsword. I figured the katana advice would be comparable, and I appreciated that you pointed that out explicitly. This is giving me a lot to think about, so thank you!
Another topic you touched on which I am also fascinated by is the pros/cons for the katana user for approaching one/two handed. I have a personal fascination with hand-and-a-half length European “bastard” swords, and it occurred to me the other day that my Katana (mine may slightly longer than average, but not much) and my bastard sword are actually very comparable in blade length and handling. I’m the one who requested the bastard sword video on the pattern suggestion feed, so any insights of yours on a flexible one OR two hand weapon always excite me lol. Still would love to see a dedicated video on that topic if you’re so inclined!
EDIT: oh! Also the same lessons as applied to how to fight a spear, which is something else I’ve been mulling over! It’s like a three for one video :D
Brilliant explanations. Great channel.
A great video Matt. Thank you.
*I just copy and pasted this from a previous video but I think it is important as the basis for the scenario Matt is setting up is a bit flawed:*
“One caveat I’d add to the vid is the inclusion of specific time periods for the scenario as well as where the pirate’s sword may have come from.
The katana we know today got its common length in the 1630s due to laws imposed by the Tokugawa shogunate. This means all swords in Japan and all katana made in Japan from then on had to be shortened to the 27”-28” blade length we know now. However pirates, being outlaws, could simply ignore these laws and keep their longer blades. During this time many described “Japanese pirates” were actually Chinese and if their blade was forged in a foreign country like China, then the smith obviously wouldn’t have to abide by another country’s law.
So depending on the time period as well as where the swords was made, not all katana/katana-inspired blades would’ve been the length that we know them to be (27”-28” blades). That would really only apply to law abiding Japanese who got their blades domestically after the 1630s. That’s not to say these blades didn’t exist prior, but they were uncommon”
A more accurate reenactment of the most common encounter would have the katana be longer, the tsuba be wider, and the opponent be a Chinese pirate
This is incredibly pedantic
@@gwynbleidd1917 it sound pedantic ik but the difference between a 27” blade and a 33”-35” blade shouldn’t be underestimated. While the katana user would have to use the same tactics as the rapier is longer, it is not as exaggerated as it’s made out to be
It is still 34 inch blade against 40+ inch blade. Iirc, the sword he has on screen is special order 34 inch katana.
The difference is still massive.
@@jintsuubest9331 I think the blade show is 33” but this whole series of videos assumes the katana is the “standard” 27” blade. You’re right, the rapier still has a reach advantage and the katana user would have to use the same maneuvers described to close in
@@outsideiskrrtinsideihurt699 then why did you post this pedantic comment? Lol
I practiced Kendo while I was in my 20s. This is basically what I trained for most of the time. Pushing the opponent;s blade (shinai) at the bind and find the moment to strike.
This is an excellent discussion of this topic. Love these discussions of tactics for dueling in terms of diverse weapons. Have you done this kind of discussion, say, of sabre or sword vs talwar? That would be a cool discussion. Thank you very much for your ongoing efforts. Cheers!
Channelling the whole ‘warrior priest’ aesthetic, Matt. Like it!
I've been following you for...a decade now maybe? This is one of your more informative videos I've ever seen! I've done a little sparring and the way you described and demonstrated the delicate nature of a bind is excellent! I hate that Hollywood trope where people bind and chat because...no, it's about the most focused you need to be. If a bind is happening, decisive action seems imminent.
That Vicar is a nutter
It's probably a more minor point than some would claim, but another consideration in some situations is: recognise that violence is about to happen and be the first (and last) to hit, aided by a more rapid draw from the scabbard by both training and a shorter blade.
In kobudo for example, one doesn't simply draw the katana, but moves the entire saya/scabbard (katana still in it) forward using the left hand and then both draws the katana from it, AND, withdraws the scabbard backwards so that the tip clears it very fast and the weapon is already forward.
I like that from the outset, this seems like a strange matchup but not only is it something that undoubtedly happened in history, odds are that both swordsmen had training and experience they could apply to that fight, since a samurai would definitely learn to fight with his sword against a spear wielding opponent.
and the samuri archery
I really appreciate the thoughts in this video. We practice these concepts in Kendo with the kodachi as it happens where its the shorter blade Vs the long blade. However as the rapier has, as you say increased hand protection and higher emphasis on thrusting and vectors to do so, there's an increased consideration for the Katana wielder to make use of ukenagashi (catching parry, can be done at different heights to guard head, neck, torso or legs) and control of the centre line. As you say though it's very important to know when to enter close distance and to avoid hesitation. It's a little easier to trap a Katana user with a kodachi when they attempt a thrust or cut because they have to commit their body more so than with a rapier or similar weapon . It's harder to trap a rapier user if they lunge or slash because their foot work and stance allows for tactical retreat and that hand is harder to lop off . So clever use of footwork over that distance is essential. It seems to me the best chance is to try to mentally fatigue or catch them in a moment of confusion or low concentration in that long distance bind then enter sharply and brutally. I'd like to add a point about the grappling skills of a Japanese Swordsman. Learn to sweep trip (ashi barai) . If you're talking about two traditionally armed Swordsman, you'd have a tanto. The typical way you'd end this sort of thing once you closed the distance would be to crash in, drop your long sword so you can grapple and imobilise their sword hand and trip them, ending the fight with the dagger to the neck. If you don't have the tanto then you need to most likely open the target of their neck and make a precise cut in that very close range. That's a little harder to pull off if both Swordsman can grapple . Very achievable, but typically, if a Samurai hit the dirt in close quarters they'd be done because of the advantage of the initiating grappler being able to bring the tanto to bear first. It was also easier to get between the armour.
Question: Is posible to use a katana combines with a sai? I mean, use the sai to control the enemy weapon while delivered the slash with the katana.
@@zanir2387 Would it be possible? Absolutely. Would it be as awkward as fighting with a sai and a broadsword? Also absolutely. The history of Sai in japan isn't exactly expansive, so I doubt there's any actual styles designed for or around that combination of weapons.
@@zanir2387 The Sai is effectively a parrying dagger, a weapon a decent Rapierist is well acquainted with. I've jokingly used a Sai instead of my parrying dagger before, they are the same thing. Will it work, quite well. Will the Rapierist pull his dagger, yes and you are back at an equal footing.
It is much easier to catch and bind a thrust than a cut. I've fought against broadsword and dagger as well as Rapier and dagger.
@@jonathanh4443 thanks!
@@zanir2387 a jutte might be more appropriate. It’s a blade catcher by design and from the same period. Sai is much more modern.
2:15 this is how vampires are made
Great lesson! Thanks!
Hi together,
I was fencing with a Pappenheimer Rapier - which is longer than my Ensifer Long Feder - against a Polish Guy with - you might guess it - a polish sabre.
And I try to fence Italian style and Destreza style. And most of the time he beats me, or we both are dead.
He just uses super fast strikes against the blade and pushes you backwards. In the right moment you can stab but it resolves in double hits.
In fairness, a blunt poke with a HEMA rapier is not the same as running a sharp point into someone's head or chest :-)
in general fencing with sharp swords is quite different^^ @@scholagladiatoria
@@scholagladiatoriakind of like airsoft vs live ammo
I have come to the conclusion that the rapier is the "ideal weapon," but only in the "ideal environment." i.e. A controlled duel either historical or modern HEMA. As Matt mentioned, the environment can very quickly become a problem for the rapier wielder.
For sure you wouldn't have wanted a rapier in a battlefield melee. It was definitely designed for use 1v1 against unarmored opponents.
For it's use the Rapier was ideal, until the small sword came around. Each weapon was designed to counter the current weapon out there. The Rapier will destroy a saber side sword or longsword because it was designed to do so. The small sword will destroy the Rapier, again it was designed to do so.
Thus for a single one on one duel the small sword is king, unless you want to pair is against a Longsword. I'd still use the small sword for fun though.
One thing that came to mind concerning closing in with a Katana vs. Rapier is to look at Greatsword vs. Pike which is a similar situation with less nimble weapons.
Marozzo has a two handed reverse grip in that situation and Figuaredo uses a spin in his appraoch.
So two things normaly shunned in regular swordsmanship might help in a shorter cutting weapon vs. a longer thrusting weapon scenario.
I've done a decent amount of messer vs longsword, and these techniques are exactly what I've found to be useful getting into range.
This reminds me of Tim Roth and Liam Neeson in *Rob Roy* (1995)
Yup! Didn’t end so well for ol’ Timmy that time… 😂
czcams.com/video/_gndIJnmS5o/video.html
This is a video of a battle between skilled swordsmen. This will give you a good answer. Rapier can attack from a distance, but if he gets caught in Katana's "blocking" because the blade is too long and one-handed, he can't stop him from riding in.
That was actually quite excellent to watch. Thanks for sharing. Didn't think there was actually any HEMA groups doing anything with katana in any meaningful way, turns out I was wrong.
Yeah. Britain soldiers in 19th century clashed with Japanese swordsman, and they are forced to use the revolver which Brits this time didn't like that much, when encountering them. Similar issue with this.
Thanks for reassuring us that you'll continue to be Matt Easton.
Thanks for the video ⚔️
Come for the sword advice, stay for the tip on tip action
Great video! Video request: Can you do a video about sword-spears/swordstaffs such as the Scandinavian Svardstav, Han Dynasty Sha (from LK Chen), and medieval Japanese Naganaki?
and the Jedburgh staff.
in the 1995 movie Rob Roy, he did took the hit and held the rapier of Archibald as he struck him down with the claymore
You know, it looked like a smallsword, however wasn't the blade end sharpened? I thought for year's it was a triangular blade, and wondered why such a hand wound.
@18:45
Amen,
I can attest that versing various styles I was very confident in adapting quickly against them but rapier (and fencing in general) was an unexpected challenge.
It wasn't until many dueling sessions that the mechanics cleared up enough to make it an even fight again.
Kenjutsu practitioner of 20 years.
Just hit the rapier aside and close in. Rapier can't pierce you anymore when you're in grappling range, but a katana can still slash.
Edit: I didn't actually watch the video but looking at the comments look like I hit the point spot on with common sense.
Until you take a dagger.
The most severe disadvantage here is that you can't unscrew the pommel from a katana to end your opponent rightly. If you can't screw, you are screwed.
I had not thought of grabbing before, that is brilliant!
Timely video. Thanks algorithm as I go to battle in the morning.
“You never prepared me for that, you Spanish peacock”… sorry…. Total recall from the ‘80s😁
Ramirez would reply: "I’m Egyptian… 😩!!!" 😁
As someone who trained with a katana for 20 years, I'd definitely choose two-handed. I agree with both tactics of binding and charging as well as grabbing and controlling the blade. I have used both against spears many times. To be fair, I have not faced off against a rapier, but I think it would be fun to try it out. As for controlling with your hand, the closer you can get to their own hand when you grab, the better, and if you can combine the two techniques and bind/charge and then grab their sword or hand at the hilt, then that is obviously best. Practicing good footwork and tsugi ashi in particular is very important for getting good at closing distance quickly and in a way that is less obvious to the opponent.
I think this was a very good video and I agree with most of it except wrapping the blade with the arm. Especially as you used the bokken in the example... which is just going to slice you up. The tactics overall though are sound and exactly how I learned to fight against spears and katanas with a wakizashi.
yeah I think the arm wrapping tactic applies more to pole arms after your are inside the blade (if its not just a spear). It also applies to a rapier though. (But yeah I wouldn't do that move against an Odachi/Nodachi/Nagamaki.
I mean, in context he did say it was something the cutting weapon user can do against the longer, thrusting weapon user. If you're choosing to ignore what he's saying that's on you.
in a life or death situation, it makes perfect sense to grab the rapier and cut into the opponent with all your strenght, considering that the katana is very good at that. if you injure your secondary hand, even badly, well, you can carry on living without too many issues. my colleague cut his tendin years ago and can't move the index finger but he works like a train regardless. so there's that.
Such a long period but, when one school saw another fight, they set about countering it. When we look at Master Tesshu one of the last samurai, we see European bits.
2:13 Clearly, the answer is to hire a necromancer.
Theres a movie example of what youre talking about in the Japanese movie, The Twilight Samurai: the climactic sword fight scene is a long blade versus a short blade inside a house.
I've been training with machete and katana for years. My feeling is that the shorter weapon needs to move inside the effective range of the longer weapon and remove the range advantage quickly. And in certain Filipino martial arts, we tend to refer to the hand not holding a weapon as the "live hand."
Obviously, you just use your magical fantasy katana to cut their rapier in half and let the shockwave from the tip cut them in half at the same time. Make sure there's nothing important on the far side of the person, otherwise that may also get sliced in half.
😛
Coming undead. Have to do an unholy ritual to become a lich.
You see, the problem is when someone (like the Portuguese did when they faced opponents armed with katanas) uses a dagger in the other hand, you have a problem when you only have a katana.
This is a historically proven fact.
In the real life 60 spaniards armored with rapiers defeat 800 samurais/ronin with katanas on Filipinas Island. You can see his trophy armors and katanas on the museum from Spain.
I’m just really happy (for Matt!) that he managed to "sneak in" the langes messer into this conversation! He hadn’t mentioned it for several days (😱) - I was getting rather concerned… ☺️
Phew! Emergency averted.
having actually seen a decent fight between the two swordsman. I stand by the rapier taking the win. Light footwork and longer reach take the cake. On top of that, assuming the guy with the rapier is spanish or french. Theyve been around the world long enough to take in so many cultures style of swordfighting and ways to counteract it that i dont think the samurai's skill would be anything thatd really ruffle their feathers
I believe most people who do comparisons like this assume that rapiers are stabbing weapons only. They are not. A battle ready rapier is also a good cutter where only small wrist actions are enough to make substantial cuts to an unarmed body part. I believe this misconception is due to the fact that practitioners of historical fencing are only using practice weapons.
In our salle, we did as an exercise some bouts of dagger alone vs rapier alone. The only viable tactic for the daggerist was indeed gaining a bind and charging in as fast as possible while keeping control of the rapier (not easy!). We also found that once the dagger comes in range, it's very difficult to parry such a short and mobile blade with the rapier. We were disallowed to use the other hand, because the point of the exercise was getting accustomed to using the dagger in a rapier+dagger combination, so I can't comment about grabbing.
From a couple of videos I've seen, it also seems that the rapierist's forearm is quite a viable target for the katana - especially with left-handed quick snipes - without closing measure much.
I wonder how verdadera destreza can (possibly?) affect these considerations compared to the Italian style I think you (and certainly I) are more familiar with. From my limited experience, I'd say that diestros are very inclined to grabbing the blade or the hilt to seek a disarm or a surrender; therefore they are also quite used to trying to avoid their sword being grabbed. They are also much more used to closer measures.
I have unfortunately been in situations that got me stabbed & cut. Fortunately I did win & survived to be here today. That said i have found that cuts are more likely to deliver a "shock & awe" effect on ones opponent. While the stab is more likely to be fatal, that is given you hit them in the right spot. One is far more likely to miss &/or ones opponent gets them anyway.
Matt how true is the story of Samurai changing the design of their Katanas by making them lighter and quicker as a result of losing some duels againt Portuguese sailors armed with rapiers and eventually defeating them again?
I’m gonna go on a limb and say it is not true at all as there were rarely any duels between them
There was a shift towards lighter and straighter blades in this period. I don't know if it is related to contact with Europeans.
Not true at all. The shift towards lighter and straighter blades were due to changes in society as swords became more of an urban self defense tool than a battlefield weapon and a lighter straighter sword is more easy to carry. Even prior to this, lighter sword id easy to make and better for foot soldiers
Zero likelihood. The average European sailor or soldier of the seventeenth century would not be using a rapier. Gentlemen officers carried rapiers -- mostly used to duel each other. Common soldiers and sailors would use various hangers, sabers and messers, generally as backup weapons, while their primary weapons would generally be firearms and polearms.
@@scholagladiatoria idk how often you do it on your channel nowadays but I think it’d be cool if you went over period accounts of the Japanese from this time. You’ve made a few videos of 19th ce accounts but I was wondering if you were at all familiar with any 16th ce accounts
Love watching this channel grow in both production and viewers. Love your passion man.
This video has a lot of good points. Really cuts through the confusion.
If the European sailor were to ever encounter a katana in a fight, the vast majority of the time will be at sea against pirates. In that case backing up is far harder as you can only back up so far before running into something or someone. But this also means they may not be as well trained as samurai.
Side note, many Japanese disciplines teach how to fight against a spear with a sword. It would be very beneficial to look into those
I have looked into them and they are very well thought, probably your best chance to defeat a Yari without making use of your environment. That being said, the advantage a Yari offers is still significant.
@@addictedtochocolate920 precisely why samurai didn’t run into battle with their sword first
1582 Cagayan battles: The clash pitted Spanish musketeers, pikemen, rodeleros, and sailors against a much larger group of Japanese, Chinese, and likely native Filipino pirates made up of ronin and soldiers.
Also, as far as spears are concerned. The Spanish oiled the ends of their pikes during these battles which made leveraging them out of the Spaniards hands nearly impossible.
If anime has taught me anything, the katana swordsman should not wear any armor to protect his vital organs because it would get in the way of all the flourishes needed to perform his secret ultimate technique passed down by his sempai (a technique which always has an over the top name like the Hundred Head Dragon Flash of the North Star). At some point the katana swordsman should also do the "naruto run" while screaming AAAAAAAAHH!! (which will totally not give away the fact he is about to attack, but it was necessary to charge his Ki or something) and slashing through his opponent with such momentum he ends up sliding some 15 meters away from his target as they stand motionless for a few seconds (of deflated tension as we already know the anime protagonist is going to win) before his opponent suddenly has a massive burst of blood coming from their body as they collapse to the ground.
During this scene the katana swordsman never turned back to look if he succeeded because he KNOWS he succeeded thanks to his secret ultimate technique passed down by his sempai (it's possible he was also experiencing a flashback to his youth when his sempai was teaching him a valuable lesson or something), so he simply does a flourish with his blade to shake off the blood and sheathe it in a swift motion as he slowly walks away from the empty streets ready for the next challenge.
👍
Me: tries to gain bind and sprint into the rapier user.
The rapier user: moves back and redirects his point to catch me
Me: damn
As someone who spars regularly, there is a reason my style switched more from kenjitsu to fencing.
Miyamoto Musashi, the famed Japanese duelist of the 17th century, promoted the use of one-handed grip of his katana, with a wakizashi in his other hand which could be used to boost his defense as well as a short weapon suitable for throwing. A rapier fencer would be at a disadvantage against this particular style of swordfighting.
If we allow a wakizashi in the off hand, then we also have to allow the main gauche, buckler or shield in the off hand for the rapier... I am comparing like with like here, and in fact Europeans were using left-hand weapons much more than the Japanese at this time.
Daishō will only be effective if your opponent isn't using two weapons too. Most Spanish fencers, for example, used daggers as an offhand weapon too
@@scholagladiatoria Musashi used his katana normally most of the time, but he would probably bring a spear to fight the rapier guy because he didn't fight fair lol
@@addictedtochocolate920 To be fair, Musashi's opponents used a wide variety of weapons too, from polearm to Kusarigama (a sickle on a long metal chain ended with a metal weight).
I’ve been on both sides of this equation and both weapons have strengths and weaknesses . For me personally I’d rather have the katana. This is just my opinion.
Thank you.
Spent an afternoon using short sword versus pole arm. Pole arm had experience.
This video is very relatable.
The crowd loved seeing me eat the dirt 70 times.
The 5 times I was able to close were gratifying.
Defect, deflect, deflect, bind charge, prevent retreat recoil recovery, HACK! (Multiple hacks seemed warranted if not necessary) XD
VERY GOOD ... complimentS !1
a Very all-round explanation !!
Regards
Piercing clearly beats cutting, and it's totally dominant if you wear protection. That's why European sword turned from cut to rapier after years of evolution. And that's also why japanese used their bow and spear over the katana in the battlefield.
A shinai-men combination used frequently during Waza-geiko in kendo could work as well. It forces the opponent's blade off line just enough to close the distance for your strike to men. Cheers Matt!
In European fencing traditions this is just beat - attack. It is a viable strategy but the rapierist has certainly seen it before.
I must at least point out about grabbing rapier type weapons, they are flexible. Flexible + sharp = removal of fingers if not armored. And the guard on the rapier is quite like a brass knuckle, useful at close range for bash attacks, can still be used if the opponent grabs the tip, once again due to flexibility. Things to consider about grabbing a dueling sword, since armor is not often used in death duels.
Very interesting video. I'm no martial artist, which is why I only seem to recall that Miyamoto Musashi had a bit to say on countering long stabbing weapons in his scroll of fire in 'go rin no sho' (which I have read). I understand he also used two katana, which created other options for getting past the point; and he didn't fear death, which I imagine freed his mind to focus on winning.
look id just use my saya as a weapon. the rapier isnt strong enough to break it so i can parry with it.
That is actually very valid advice and is covered in some Japanese schools.
@@scholagladiatoria why people arent covering content of the book of 5 rings is beyond me, to me tatics is the true heart of swordsman ship and those who practice that style do not lean on being disadvantaged.
For the distance where you can touch weapons but are not in reach, what are your thoughts on slapping (beating) the rapier as a means of wearing down the opponent's grip strength and gauging their reaction to future beats? I find when going up against a longer weapon that is point on line, giving it a few good whacks before I try an pull something often gives me better results than just trying to pull it right away.
I don't think it will be effective, reapier is light and without overextending you will reather annoy reapier wealder than make any progres (you can't strike hard, becouse he will be pointing at you a hell lot faster). And you will be whole time in his effective range he will be trying to strike as well. But for him mistakes will be recoverable and for you very deadly. Just by that tatics you will be where he wants you to be. At optimal strike range, and he will be out of yours range.
So this is why tatics is to skip as fast possibile middle zone
Beating the blade is a solid way to fight against the Rapier. The key here is to try to just break the blade and stay out of distance. If you are beating it to create an opening, the rapier is a far faster blade and a good Rapierist will just disengage and stab you.
This is so similar to the fighting strategy of Wing Chun. In fact our second form is called "Crossing Bridge"
End of the day deciding factors in any sword fight, skill and luck.
When I train I often mix it up, things like knife Vs spear, unarmed Vs sword, sword Vs escrema sticks, and such.
Heck with one training partner we go all out, starting with one set of weapons. If one gets disarmed they'll grab anything at hand such as chairs, other weapons laying around. Close to wrestling range. Until one gets a pin or killing blow. Heck we've even gone as far as getting into wrestling range, switch to a judo style hip throw and put the other one through a table.
I still remember when one of my students graduated from the kid's class to the adults and they saw us practicing while waiting for everyone to get ready.
Her reaction "THEY'RE TRYING TO KILL EACH OTHER"
we paused looked at her and said "if we were trying to kill each other one of us would be dead by now" then carried on. Because despite how crazy wild we got we'd always make sure the other person was ready before we'd do anything crazy like throwing them over our shoulders onto a table.
If one of us pulled off a new or unexpected move we'd stop go back and analysis the move. Work out counters, work out counters to those counters. Then when we got the feel for it we'd start off again from that move. It's honestly invaluable for mid to high level practitioners especially in self defence style training
Miyamoto Musashi said having two hands on a katana was a waste of a hand; even when he would use one sword, it was with one hand. He said the second hand limits your range of motion and you can't use the sword as freely. Plus this allows you to grapple better and grab the opponent with the offhand
I recently learned that Musashi was apparently unusually strong, which certainly helped with one handing his swords. Combine the intellectual understanding of technique with the strength to actually take advantage of it, and it's no wonder he was so successful.
@@Archangel144 yep good point and he said he studied the other aspects of martial arts, not just how to use the sword alone. So he was likely a capable Grappler and had hand-to-hand striking techniques as well
I have studied at the Niten Institute, and even though I have stopped fencing a long time ago, I remember quite well that the speed achieved with two swords compared to a two-handed katana, as well as its manoeuverability, drops a lot. You gain the possibility of making more complex attacks, which are harder for a single katana wielder to parry, and also, you have more protection of the body.
@@daishoo Musashi fought in wars, lead men and had over 60 duels and won them all. No offense but I think a trained soldier who has actually fought to the death with swords, would know better than a modern hobbyist
@@stephanwatson7902 @stephanwatson7902 Musashi was a strong man, much stronger than his contemporary samurai, and the two sword style depends on strenght to be truly effective. It is not a matter of being experienced in wars, it is a matter of fact that can be reasoned by anyone.
I have a scottish broadsword and and arming sword, both are one handed and yet, I cannot wield the broadsword properly because it is much heavier than the arming sword. The movements I can make with a katana I cannot make with the arming sword, even though it is lighter, simply because it is one handed.
But, if you don't trust, you should go ask the current masters of the styles which offer two swords and hear what they have to say, if you think only experienced fighters should have a word on this.
This really illustrates the difference between sword fighting techniques.. And it seems that for every strength there's a potential weakness.
I did consider the binding method but thanks to Matt himself, I was starting to think it was unrealistic. And then he turns around and does this..
Context....
On a seperate note, I'm wondering how a duel between a (good) spadroon and a Chinese Jian would turn out with two equally skilled fighters. I find them both having certain similarities..
I'm a kendoka and am loving these videos.
Question: you mentioned in the last one they did encounter each other. Are there any historical accounts about those fights / encounters?
i can think of is the Cagayan Battle Between Spanish Soldiers versus Japanese pirates. But that was more pikemen and muskets agaisnt whatever pirates had.
There was a battle between Spanish and Japanese in the Spanish Philipinnes. 80 Spanish soldiers and sailors defeated more than 1000 Wako pirates. The 1582 Cagayan battles.
There is also another kendo technique I would try once you get a bind which is a disarming technique. It's a bit hard to describe but it involve moving your blade in circle to make the opponent grip loose and move swiftly your blade on the side or in the air to disarm. That technique works well when the opponent use only one hand against a 2-hand katana user but I'm not familiar with a rapier so I don't know how effective it would be.
You mean maki waza? Woudl not work against a rapier normally. czcams.com/video/Ta6N1fUGHhQ/video.html
The Rapier grip 'locks' the hand into the grip, (you put one or two fingers over the quillion or 'cross') thus a disarm that would cause a normal sword to lose the grip won't work. The blade might be flung to the side giving you an opening, but the Rapierist will not be disarmed.
The kind of disarm where you wrap the blade and wrench the grip up as matt demonstrated will generally break the wrist of the Rapierist.
Katana vs Rapier: A delicate balance of binds, levers physics, and a perfectly timed attack.
Rapier vs Katana: STAB THEM IN THE FACE AND RUN AWAY.
Ahh i see the subtle differences in the craft when facing someone with a weapon with more reach.
Verdadera Destreza, Cagayán
😂