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Extraordinary Battle Scenes

What I assume realistic dueling would look like and how long it would really last. No wushu kung fu swirling backflip kind of nonsense lasting ages.


From the same film.......they really didn't like each other did they......

 
From the same film.......they really didn't like each other did they......

It evolves into grappling from sheer exhaustion. I love it. Its probably how most of these things went down.
 
Sparring duel in full 15 Century plate armour -- not much Hollywood there.



The video shows an unchoreographed free fight, much like an actual duel might have looked like in the 15th century. Many surviving fightbooks from the Middle Ages explain in great detail how to fight in and out of armour. The encounter is surprisingly short and quick, in contrast to what is frequently shown in the movies or on TV. Both combatants wear replicas of so-called Gothic harnesses that were popular in Germany in the 1470s; Dierk Hagedorn from Hammaborg on the left and Andrej Pfeiffer-Perkuhn from Geschichtsfenster on the right. The (blunt and tip-protected) swords are held with one hand grasping the middle of the blade (a position called “halfswording” in the old sources) in order to put more strength into a thrust since a mere blow onto the metal surface of the harness would not harm the wearer but render the weapon dull and useless. A thrust to the few vulnerable openings of the harness, however, can cause severe injuries.





0:23–0:26 Both combatants approach each other, Dierk thrusts to Andrej’s head but Andrej parries, and Dierk thrusts again while Andrej lifts his sword so that Dierk thrusts underneath. Andrej falls onto Dierk’s sword and seizes the blade. 0:26–0:28 Andrej performs an upward thrust to Dierk’s face and manages to hit the visor slightly open. A second lower thrust doesn’t find a target. 0:28 Dierk tries to close his visor but fails and decides to leave it open for better vision – at the expense of safety. 0:28–0:31 Dierk intends to attack Andrej with the pommel. But Andrej threatens Dierk with the tip of the blade. The following section is shown in the original speed, and after a quick rewind a second time in slow motion. 0:31–0:33/0:56–1:01 Dierk comes forward with a quick attack to Andrej’s hand. Andrej deflects to his right side and brings Dierk’s sword down who instantly attacks again. 0:33–0:35/1:01–1:10 Andrej releases his forward hand and intends to catch Dierk’s blade. He only manages to push it aside, and Dierk attacks again. Andrej deflects the thrust to the head with the arm. Dierk delivers another thrust. This time, Andrej steps forward too, and with his free hand he stops the attack. He circles Dierk in order to get to his side. 0:35–0:36/1:10–1:15 Dierk circles counter-clockwise, frees himself and comes forward with the pommel in order to hook it into Andrej’s left arm bend and to unbalance him. 0:36–0:37/1:15–1:18 Andrej escapes and thrusts to Dierk’s privates. Dierk steps back and goes with his sword over Andrej’s forward hand. 0:37–0:39/1:18–1:25 Dierk turns around and swings his sword towards Andrej’s face who instantly counters with a downward motion. Both thrust simultaneously. 0:39–0:42/1:25–1:38 Andrej brings his sword tip over Dierk’s blade, thrusts from above in order to unbalance him. Dierk goes up with his sword in order to oppress Andrej. Dierk tries a pommel strike to Andrej’s head who parries and strikes Dierk’s visor closed, blindfolding his opponent. He tries to step with his left foot behind Dierk’s right leg. 0:42–0:43/1:38–1:41 Dierk exploits a brief moment of Andrej not being perfectly balanced and pushes him backwards. 0:43/1:41–1:42 But Dierk overdid it and came into an unstable position with too much weight on the front foot, thus offering his head as a target for an immediate attack. 0:43–0:46/1:42–1:55 Andrej grasps at Dierk’s helmet. He fails to seize the visor but he still manages to block Dierk’s vision entirely with his hand. 0:46–0:48/1:55–2:03 Andrej tries to thrust into Dierk’s vulnerable armpit twice but fails to hit on both occasions. 0:48–0:49/2:03–2:07 Since Andrej’s left arm is still held high in order to control Dierk’s visor, his armpit is left exposed. Dierk can land a direct hit with the tip of his sword and pushes it forcefully into the target (sadly not clearly visible due to the unfavourable position of the camera). So he can control Andrej who is unable to bring down his left arm and to attack any further. Dierk wins. The video clearly shows what an astounding piece of art and protection a full suit of armour is. On several occasions the glancing surface of the steel plates prevents the swords from finding their targets. We demonstrate the high degree of mobility the harness offers its wearer as well as what amount of dexterity can be accomplished wearing such a suit of steel. Many thanks to Konrad Rast for the production of this video that was shot at the Elbenwald Festival 2018 on the Living History area hosted by Kaptorga – Visual History.

Quite sparse French video -- shows how mobile a knight in full plate armour harness was ... and how well protected.

Again fight more akin to wrestling than Hollywood fencing.

 
@Meat Grinder

"Immortals...we put their name to the test":ROFLMAO:

Lol, yea. The battle scene is great, but I do have to shake my head at that one "Immortal" that decides, after the wall of bodies is pushed down, to try a drop kick. Dude, you have two swords, and you are facing soldiers with spears and shields......why a drop kick?
 
Re: sparring with armor. When I was in college, I joined the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). I didn't really care about trying to "recreate the middle ages", but I did like the "fighter practice". We geared ourselves up in makeshift armor (mostly leather, the "rich" among us had chainmail), metal helmets, wooden shields, and rattan swords, and whacked the hell out of each other. It was great fun, even if it sometimes resulted in bruises.
 
Re: sparring with armor. When I was in college, I joined the Society for Creative Anachronism (SCA). I didn't really care about trying to "recreate the middle ages", but I did like the "fighter practice". We geared ourselves up in makeshift armor (mostly leather, the "rich" among us had chainmail), metal helmets, wooden shields, and rattan swords, and whacked the hell out of each other. It was great fun, even if it sometimes resulted in bruises.
o_O
 
@HOA_KSOP When I traveled to Scotland a few years back, we visited Edinburgh Castle.
One of the locals pointed to an empty plinth in a park.
Apparently there used to be a huge bronze statue of Mel Gibson in his Braveheart gear.
But the people were so disgusted with the gross historical inaccuracies and lies of the Hollywood movie, they tore it down. :D

Edit - correction; it was a stone sculpture near Stirling Castle.
 
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