Blue Spur Spear Fundamentals: Basic Defences from the Ground Last week we looked at attacks with the spear as demonstrated in the Blue Spur curriculum; this week we'll focus on defences. There are six defences to practise: three from the high ward and three from the low ward. Defences from the High Ward Forehand (against…
Blue Spur Spear Fundamentals: Basic Attacks from the Ground The second checklist item in Spear section of your Blue Spur guide is Demonstrate the basic attacks and defences of the spear in the extended position. This week we'll look at attacks, and cover defences next week. There are five types of attacks of the spear…
Blue Spur Spear Fundamentals: High and Low Wards A bevy of English longbowmen aside, nothing could make a mounted knight as nervous as a line of infantry with long spears. A spear from the ground can equal a sword from horseback in reach, and presents much more of a challenge to a knight than does…
“I shall now consider of Wounds with loss of Substance made by Bill, Pole-axe, etc., some cutting twice or thrice in one or near one place, whereby the Wound is large, traverse, yea and oblique….” -- Surgeon R. Wiseman, circa 1676. [1] Swords are the preferred weapon in modern Western Martial Arts (WMA), as they have been…
Read More... from Book Review: “Polearms of Paulus Hector Mair” by Knight & Hunt
In about 1877, Colonel Thomas Hoyer Monstery wrote: “I hold that every gentleman should be able to protect himself from insult and violence, with or without weapons.” [1] Words as true now, as they were more than a century ago! [2] But why listen to Col Monstery? In Self Defense for Gentlemen and Ladies, Ben Miller…