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So, whiles perusing Kotaku I stumbled upon a link about this thing called Battle of the Nations, and from there I found a user comment that lead me somewhere else, and so on and so forth. Basically, ended up finding this gem.
WARNING - MINOR AMOUNT OF SWEARING IN THE VIDEO
So what does dakka think? I'd totally be down for getting into something like that. I have a friend who wants to get into the larping scene, but I imagine he would be vehemently opposed to this as he prefers story telling over combat.
“Sometimes I can hear my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I'm not living.”
Yeah I'll stick to to SCA, ARMA or something like that. Medieval martial arts are awesome, but I'll stay to something a bit safer with my screwed up legs. I'm gimped enough as it is.
I beg of you sarge let me lead the charge when the battle lines are drawn
Lemme at least leave a good hoof beat they'll remember loud and long
Also, the guy who said he and his family have put off vacations so he could buy armor- I bet they just love that. "Sorry, Johnny, we can't go to the beach this year because daddy already spent the vacation money on a suit of armor so he can go whack people with a sword on the weekends."
It is an absolutely awesome sport- but I wouldn't even think about it unless you happen to be one of the largest men around. I'm 5'6" and maybe 130 lbs, so some of those dudes- especially the Russians- could pick me up and throw me across the field. The SCA is a great swordfighting simulator, without the grappling and punching- which means smaller folks stand a chance. It is also 20% of the cost of entry, and you can find out if you like being pummeled with sticks. Plus, wherever you are, there is probably a local chapter ready to show you the ropes.
That being said, if you're really into it, check out these guys for armoring, or just pricing.
His Grace was on the USA team at BOTN, and has excellent turn around. He's also one of the priciest guys around, but if I had to stop a crazy Russian drop kicking my head while charging at me full speed with armor, I'd rather pay the armor bill than the medical bill.
He specializes in full suits, which you will need.
Klawz-Ramming is a subset of citrus fruit?
Gwar- "And everyone wants a bigger Spleen!"
Mercurial wrote:
I admire your aplomb and instate you as Baron of the Seas and Lord Marshall of Privateers.
Orkeosaurus wrote:Star Trek also said we'd have X-Wings by now. We all see how that prediction turned out.
Orkeosaurus, on homophobia, the nature of homosexuality, and the greatness of George Takei.
English doesn't borrow from other languages. It follows them down dark alleyways and mugs them for loose grammar.
Note: I haven't watched the video, as I'm in work; the still image it has looks quite interesting though...
From the comments here; is it basically a bunch on dudes in armour bashing each other with swords? I'd totally be down for that!
Something slightly related I've been looking at recently is Blacksmithing. It's not something I've done before, but I'd love to have a go at making some swords and stuff... The problem is I don't have a forge/anywhere to put one, so at the moment it's a pipe dream. But there's a lot of fascinating videos on Youtube on how to make swords/knives using traditional methods.
Tibbsy wrote: Note: I haven't watched the video, as I'm in work; the still image it has looks quite interesting though...
From the comments here; is it basically a bunch on dudes in armour bashing each other with swords? I'd totally be down for that!
Something slightly related I've been looking at recently is Blacksmithing. It's not something I've done before, but I'd love to have a go at making some swords and stuff... The problem is I don't have a forge/anywhere to put one, so at the moment it's a pipe dream. But there's a lot of fascinating videos on Youtube on how to make swords/knives using traditional methods.
It works like this. You get yourself a suit of functioning armor. The armor and the shield (if you use one) has to be from the same time period. You then get a weapon (from the same period). The weapon cannot be a stabbing kind of weapon, or rather it's primary purpose can't be stabbing. You round the edges of everything. Then you get into an arena with other people and bash the crap out of them until they fall down. Just about everything is legal except for some grappling, strikes to the neck, and strikes to the back of the legs. Oh you also can't use a long shaft weapon to choke someone from behind, but you can use it a little lower down on their chest or abdomen to kind of keep them in a body lock.
Stopping right there for a moment, you know what would be the awesomest thing ever in the history of everdom? Get strong enough to grapple someone that way, then suplex them. You'll probably be DQ'd, maybe not (I see no rules against it), and you might be out just because you touch the ground, but from there on out you can tell your children and their children about how in his day gramps suplexed people in full plate.
It looks brutal, but the potential fun is limitless. Also, you could pick up a scar that way. What kind of manly man wouldn't want to play a game where you could get a wicked scar? Also nothing against people who don't like getting into the thick of things.
But yes, I would have a blast doing that. Large frame and 6'2'', so size wise I think I've got it. I need to put in some conditioning though. Actually, a lot of conditioning. The past 8 months or so I've just let myself go.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
Gitzbitah wrote: It is an absolutely awesome sport- but I wouldn't even think about it unless you happen to be one of the largest men around. I'm 5'6" and maybe 130 lbs, so some of those dudes- especially the Russians- could pick me up and throw me across the field. The SCA is a great swordfighting simulator, without the grappling and punching- which means smaller folks stand a chance. It is also 20% of the cost of entry, and you can find out if you like being pummeled with sticks. Plus, wherever you are, there is probably a local chapter ready to show you the ropes.
Whoops, forgot to touch on this.
SCA is a strange thing for me. I hear about it all the time, but it seems almost dead around here in Dallas. It's kind of like some of the Larp groups my friend kept looking for. You can find them, but what you find is just a ghost of what happened 1-10 years ago, and since then it's been dead.
This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 2013/07/04 14:00:39
“Sometimes I can hear my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I'm not living.”
Seems like a sport designed to make big fellas feel more manly; I think my chesthair grew another inch or two just watching the video. They hypermasculnity of it and very limited height/weight to be competitive really will limit its appeal. Having weight classes would probably alleviate some of the problem and actually give a greater sense of being a sport and open it up to more people.
Amidst the mists and coldest frosts he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
Large person, heavy armour, restricted movement, easily going to put themselves out of breath from doing the smallest of things.
Look up the weight of some of those weapons and armour sets.
In the vid you can see a guy with mace, note how after each swing its dragging his entire body down further each time.
You swing and miss and your learning forward with your head tilted down.
Even a 5' person at 100 lbs could finish that one pretty easily.
Its also about someones ability to use a weapon.
Im pretty confident that a small, leight person who knows how to handle a weapon has a much more severe advantage over someone who is simply a giant.
Necroshea wrote: I'm pretty sure getting earholed by a smaller guy will still put you on the ground if you're not paying attention and caught off balance.
Yes, the difference being that if you reverse the positions in that scenario, it becomes a severe health hazard. I've done 6 years of martial arts, participated in 3 opens. I know a small guy can put the hurt on a bigger guy. The issue is that while I can hurt the other guy, the same action performed by him can kill me.
There's a reason why you have a lower cut-off in contact sports.
[...] for conflict is the great teacher, and pain, the perfect educator.
One of the reasons the size of the people involved is brought up is because we watched the video: the people shown were not tiny, or even medium sized. The other is that it is also that it is a sport where pushing and shoving with body weight is going to play a huge role, and it isn't like aikido or judo where you are in a light clothes and able to grab onto the other for flips, tosses, and throws. It is heavy armor, punching, pushing, and shoving (with skill of course), and it tends to very heavily favor the large over the small, which is why I said weight classes would be needed to make it available to a broader audience. The rare occasion a 5'3" 140 lb. guy would best the 6'4" 240lb guy would probably not be outweighed by the number of times the smaller guy would get a concussion or worse.
Amidst the mists and coldest frosts he thrusts his fists against the posts and still insists he sees the ghosts.
Some of the folks who run BOTN put together a bottom of the barrel price list at 895, but that involves building a helmet.
Jackal- there is some truth in what you say, that a highly skilled lightweight can defeat an unskilled beefcake- but these guys didn't just have a 1,000 dollars of armor lying around. They are trained, and committed to paying their own airfare traveling across countries to fight. You don't do that on a whim.
Once you assume rough parity in training, the guy who is a foot taller and 200 pounds heavier will hit harder- and will be able to take more punishment. Thorough and persistent training can, and will, mitigate the gap sheer size imparts, but that doesn't help when you get blindsided by one of these guys. And from what I've read, a great deal of BoTN is melee based, where one guy holds you up while his friend gets a nice running start and slams into you, knocking you on your armored butt, back, or head.
I can't find it, but there was a tiny clip of 2 BOTN fighters struggling, then another fighter runs in, boots the guy in the head, completely flattening him, and they run off to fight someone else.
Klawz-Ramming is a subset of citrus fruit?
Gwar- "And everyone wants a bigger Spleen!"
Mercurial wrote:
I admire your aplomb and instate you as Baron of the Seas and Lord Marshall of Privateers.
Orkeosaurus wrote:Star Trek also said we'd have X-Wings by now. We all see how that prediction turned out.
Orkeosaurus, on homophobia, the nature of homosexuality, and the greatness of George Takei.
English doesn't borrow from other languages. It follows them down dark alleyways and mugs them for loose grammar.
Jackal wrote: Large person, heavy armour, restricted movement, easily going to put themselves out of breath from doing the smallest of things.
Look up the weight of some of those weapons and armour sets.
In the vid you can see a guy with mace, note how after each swing its dragging his entire body down further each time.
You swing and miss and your learning forward with your head tilted down.
Even a 5' person at 100 lbs could finish that one pretty easily.
Its also about someones ability to use a weapon.
Im pretty confident that a small, leight person who knows how to handle a weapon has a much more severe advantage over someone who is simply a giant.
We obviously have the makings of the greatest champion EVER
Please link us the stream when you ride to victory for the first time jackal!
Godforge custom 3d printing / professional level casting masters and design:
https://www.etsy.com/shop/GodForge
chaos0xomega wrote: I'm 6'-0" 165lbs, am I too small to stand a chance (I am however in pretty good shape)?
Thinking about it though, it basically seems like a contest of who can stand up to the most blunt force trauma without falling over.
Go out and see! That's going to be a personal decision for everyone. Whether or not you decide to pursue it- it will make for a heck of a story.
So there I was, sealed in my armor, peering out of the eyeslits at the tip of his sword....
Klawz-Ramming is a subset of citrus fruit?
Gwar- "And everyone wants a bigger Spleen!"
Mercurial wrote:
I admire your aplomb and instate you as Baron of the Seas and Lord Marshall of Privateers.
Orkeosaurus wrote:Star Trek also said we'd have X-Wings by now. We all see how that prediction turned out.
Orkeosaurus, on homophobia, the nature of homosexuality, and the greatness of George Takei.
English doesn't borrow from other languages. It follows them down dark alleyways and mugs them for loose grammar.
I've never done a group battle, but I have done 1 on 1 sparring. I'm currently taking sword fighting lessons and the teacher also owns a workshop so you can make your own armour. I'm not very good at fighting, but it's still a ton of fun.
chaos0xomega wrote: I'm 6'-0" 165lbs, am I too small to stand a chance (I am however in pretty good shape)?
Thinking about it though, it basically seems like a contest of who can stand up to the most blunt force trauma without falling over.
I took down someone twice my size who was in full armour. I only had a helmet and chain-mail and I was on my knees. If I can to do it, anyone can do it.
I watched the video. If one side just learned how to form a shield wall, they'd win easily.
This message was edited 2 times. Last update was at 2013/07/05 22:02:36
Ask yourself: have you rated a gallery image today?
Why on earth would you bring a sword to that king of thing? Other than to look cool/fit in with a certain look, if you were seriously competing wouldn't a blunt weapon by more efficient? Sure a sword does inflict trauma, but I would imagine that it primarily does damage via piercing the opponent's armour and causing lacerations etc. When your not permitted to take out your opponent by directly stabbing the out of them wouldn't a solid blow from a hammer dispatch your opponent pretty quickly?
Failing that, ie if traditionally blunt weapons are embargoed, I would imagine a longsword held in the Mordstreich style would be pretty deadly. But again, if blunt weapons were banned fighting with a longsword that way would probably be not permitted either. ...You would look cool/ like a psycho whilst doing it however.
Wyrmalla wrote: Why on earth would you bring a sword to that king of thing? Other than to look cool/fit in with a certain look, if you were seriously competing wouldn't a blunt weapon by more efficient? Sure a sword does inflict trauma, but I would imagine that it primarily does damage via piercing the opponent's armour and causing lacerations etc. When your not permitted to take out your opponent by directly stabbing the out of them wouldn't a solid blow from a hammer dispatch your opponent pretty quickly?
Failing that, ie if traditionally blunt weapons are embargoed, I would imagine a longsword held in the Mordstreich style would be pretty deadly. But again, if blunt weapons were banned fighting with a longsword that way would probably be not permitted either. ...You would look cool/ like a psycho whilst doing it however.
You have a point, and I've been curious about that.
I know you have to have a completely matching outfit from whatever time period. But still, I'm pretty sure when it comes down to it you would think a mace would be much better at bashing someone than a blunted sword.
“Sometimes I can hear my bones straining under the weight of all the lives I'm not living.”
Unbalancing your opponent seems to be what it comes down to. Something with a heavy head on its going to presumably be miles better at doing that than a comparatively thin blade. Even the I would imagine that the heavier swords would make the lighter ones obsolete because of this.
Also, talking about the Mordstreich, I believe that this move would be banned.
Jackal wrote: I love the way everyones bringing height into this and weight.
Both have advantages and disadvantages.
Speed vs strength has allways been an age old argument that has never really gone either way in anything.
Looks interesting though and i'd be up for it.
this is in an enclosed arena, takes away both the speed advantage, surprise advantage, range advantage, ect ect, weapons being limited to HtH with now bows, cross bows, slings, javelens ect makes it a very niche slice of battle.
I totally agree with you, in a real world environment, things like brains and speed win more battles then brute force, and even brute force is the best way sometimes, but this is just a very limited environment where size is a distinct advantage, even more so then in boxing.
"Sorry, Johnny, we can't go to the beach this year because daddy already spent the vacation money on a suit of armor so he can go whack people with a sword on the weekends."
I'll watch it when I get home from work, definitely sounds like a cool video...
Holy feth is that stuff expensive! 
out of them wouldn't a solid blow from a hammer dispatch your opponent pretty quickly?
, but he was pretty tall. I'm average height and I stand at his shoulder.