Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2010 3:40:18 GMT
I .......... am a fat bloke. Yes I well admit that and no I'm not to proud of it. I have a very short stocky frame with good muscle and thick bones but since puberty have had up and down layers of fat over it. I'm 130kg, My friend who's also a doctor said after taking my BMI. measurements said my ideal weight would be 97-98, she also said I carried alot on my gut but not as much elsewhere. She says I got a good build under the jelly belly likely from the days I used to landscape 6 days a week. I'm an 8th generation Australian so my lineage were first settlers and they were German (with a Polish background) so my grandmother said they were a short, stocky, rotund lot the whole way back. What I'm getting at is when getting a longsword in hand I find it awkward at times twisting my trunk in the motions, Wrath strike is easy any time of day but Ochs guards and many guards where my wrists cross over or bind a bit it feels bulky and cumbersome in by broad chest and my arms are short and fingers short for a guy and it seems like I'm weak in the holding and execution. Give me a single handed sword and because my arms arent bound in together and open, particularly when in a guard stance it seems a bit more free and natural but my cutting isnt quite as good then when I get a double hander and edge alignment not as neat. Is it a case certain body types profit from a certain blade/weapon style. Are people with longer, leaner arms and fingers better suited to a longsword while those with shorter a shorter blade, or maybe the other way around. Do you find your physical setup affects your use with a blade or other weapon
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2010 4:56:26 GMT
Long answer: I do, but my build works to my advantage.
I'm a tall but stocky farmgirl and I happen to like bigger blades and honestly, seem to do better with them. My main sword is a 3.1 pound shinogi zukuri katana with rather heavy niku when compared with most production blades. It's very reminiscent of a Nambokucho period Nihonto. I like heavier Euro blades as well; I'm considering commissioning ATrim to make me a Zweihander. While I don't move as quickly with heavier blades I move with more purpose and find I do a better job at forms and cutting than with lighter blades. I do tend to do best with a katana in the typical 27-29" range as opposed to something shorter or longer and have no problem with blades of this length, though my rapier is of course considerably longer.
I think there is definitely a formula for finding a perfect blade for everyone. While I prefer 28" cutting edge on my katana, my fiancé (who is 6' 3") would do well with a nagasa of 32". My supervisor however is about my height and much lighter than I am, and he seems to do better with shorter and lighter blades. Your beginning and primary arts also seem to play a role, as my first art was saber fencing, while my supervisors was kempo, which is hand-to-hand.
What I usually recommend to people asking me what sword would be best for them is their height, weight, skill/training level and what they will use their sword for. It seems to be a pretty solid formula for matching up the correct sword for the person in question.
Short answer: Absolutely.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 4, 2010 16:43:47 GMT
I have so much problem with my build (60 kgs and 6'2" and muscular atrophy) that the only swords I can use are custom built, extremely light swords, hell even 2lbs in a single handed sword is too heavy for my these days. So yes certain body types and strength classes have swords that fit them really well. I think it is why I have an affinity for knives, because they are generally light enough that it doesn't cause undue stress.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 5, 2010 8:47:40 GMT
Go on a 800kcal diet, and run everywhere.
That'll do you.
M.
|
|
|
Post by shadowhowler on Feb 5, 2010 17:46:57 GMT
Your beginning and primary arts also seem to play a role, as my first art was saber fencing, while my supervisors was kempo, which is hand-to-hand. My actual traininging background is also Kempo, Kung Fu and Judo... and for weapons Escrima, Circle Fencing and Knife/Hand Axe training. I have no tradditiona training with Katana, Gim/Jian, Longsword, Arming Sword, Bastard Sword, Saber, Scimitar, or many of the weapon I collect... but I love them. I think everyone is different in what they find comfortable for both their body and their mindset... I think finiding what your comfortable with and then learning what weapons/training best complements that is a winning formula.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Feb 7, 2010 15:59:05 GMT
Brissybeater, I have seen a great deal of "overweight" people have tremendous success with sword and shield. You have more of a chance to control the fight by getting into a highly defensive guard and forcing your opponent to attack around your defense if he wants to kill you. With a two-handed weapon or two-weapon forms, even in your most defensive guard... you are wide open. The harder someone has to work to get around your defense, the more a chance you have to make a kill with less effort. Everyone gives up some defense when they attack. Conservation of energy is a key strategy for someone who is not athletic.
Granted, that between two equally skilled fighters the one in better shape has an advantage even with sword and shield, but the gap is less vs other forms.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2010 23:47:23 GMT
I know that I'm late to the thread but.... I agree that a lot of people have a weapon that works well for their body. I find single handed swords, especially heavier ones, to be a bad thing for me. I'm 6'5" and very slender. Long light longswords and rapiers really maximize my reach advantage, and rapiers are perfect for me because I present a very slim target standing sideways. I'd say, go with what feels comfortable. If you like the single handers, go for it! Especially with a shield if you're a bit shorter and you don't have as much vertical area to cover with the shield itself. Maybe invest in a long axe or a polearm just to try? Might be worth a check.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2010 17:54:36 GMT
Body type and strength are certainly issues with sword choice. I'm a touch over 6' and weigh in at about 310. Yes I am fat, but a great deal of it is muscle. I've done more than my share of hard, physical labor and can still do chin ups at 50. That being said, I admit that I am in love with big swords. My favorite was the Windlass Landsknecht War Sword, and that is a BIG sword! But I, too, have better luck with single handers. My old Windlass Basket Hilted Culloden sword and my Classic Medieval Sword are less awkward to train with. But I have MUCH more fun cutting with the bigger swords. Which would I chose in a battle situation? Two times I have used the two hander in a conflict situation, having grabbed it off of the wall even before reaching for my ivory handled .45 Vaquero.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 9, 2010 22:21:11 GMT
My German Longsword instructor is a big unit but he's rediculously fast and light on his feet. He also teaches Italian rapier, a style many people may not associate with your bigger gentleman around town ;D
Personally I'd say that body type (or rather size) has absolutely no bearing on weapon choice.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 10, 2010 1:10:50 GMT
Go on a 800kcal diet, and run everywhere. That'll do you. M. Sorry to get off topic but...I can't lose a pound on a low calorie diet lol. If I don't have at LEAST 2000 calories a day (usually over 2500), my body says 'OH HELL NO!!! YOU'RE STARVING ME!!!' and everything I ate goes to fat. This is on top of a quite muscular build to begin with. Not a pleasant circumstance. Since moving to the new house (3wks), I've lost about 10lbs. I haven't had less than 2500 calories a day yet, and am only mildly active (something I'm changing here now that my gym is out of storage). The trick is eating a wide variety of foods about six times a day...while trying to concentrate on protein, WITHOUT excluding carbs and fat. Over the last year of forced inactivity and a diet that was all over the place...I've reached 210lbs lol, and I'm 5'7". Now that I'm adding an actual workout schedule to my forge work and diet...I should be back down to a seriously solid 180lbs in no time =D. Anyhow...back to topic...just thought I'd toss that out there lol. Cris
|
|
|
Post by Cottontail Customs on Aug 10, 2010 3:30:24 GMT
body type and fitness don't always go together. I know plenty of people who can run miles or go 5 rounds without getting gassed and do not have what most would consider a matching physique. then again, I know plenty that would seem a good target being very thin and not muscular at all but are built like steel rebar underneath. body type has little to nothing to do with performing well in martial arts. out of shape where it matters has nothing to do with "shape" and as long as you are healthy and maintain some sort of exercise routine and conditioning, it matters little when fighting and using weapons.
on the other side of the spectrum there are those who work out their muscles in a way that they look strong and fit but wouldn't last 3 minutes in the ring. you know, don't judge a book by it's cover and all that. developing the proper form to compliment your specific body type is key to being as efficient and effective as possible. learn to use your weight and height to your advantage.
I am 5'11 and about 180lbs and to look at me you might think I'd be an easy opponent because I have a thin frame and was never really able to build a lot of muscle....you would be wrong. the techniques I've learned makes my body type inconsequential and although there's not a lot of mass, my muscles are toned if a bit wiry. I prefer smaller lighter weapons like short blades, escrima sticks and knives because my style is based more on speed and targeting rather than brute force. I have also learned many styles that use an opponents weight and force against them and to my advantage. Judo and Brazilian jujitsu are only two of the many styles that specialize in just that. one of the better examples of the success in the science behind these styles is Royce Gracie dominating the entire field of fighters in the beginning of the UFC. visually, he would be the last fighter you would have put your money on. and also in the UFC is a fantastic fighter named Roy "big country" Nelson who looks like he couldn't walk a flight of stairs without collapsing but when you wake up hours after being knocked out you would realize again that looks mean nothing. the guy is incredibly conditioned and an animal in the ring.
find what works best for your particular shape and capitalize on it.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2010 6:43:20 GMT
Any diet where you take in less then 1000kcal will result in weight gain and muscle loss as your body burns muscle and stores intake as fat. It is quite harmful to one´s health. In fact there was a study done about exactly how bad this is recently.
As for body type...it can change what kind of swords work best for you...but if you find your wrist binding, it´s almost certain your doing it wrong and it´s not your body...unless you have 5 inch wide wrists and your using a 7 inch grip.
|
|
|
Post by shadowhowler on Aug 11, 2010 15:30:23 GMT
Frank: What you are talking about is basicly conditioning vs body type. ANYONE, regardless of body type, can have solid conditioning. While Conditioning is FAR more a factor in handling weapons then body type... body type can play a factor. For example... I have a friend, same age and hight as me, who has ALWAYS been slender. He eats more and worse then I do, and he works out FAR less then I used to... and yet he is always slender and has a 6 pack. Awhile back... he started lifting weights trying to build muscle... no matter what he did, he reached a wall he could not breach... where he could not bench press more then 155 and could not put on any mass. Whereas I, when I was lifting weights, put on quite a bit of mass and was benching well over 200. For him, larger more heavy weapons would be ill-advised because he just can't build the strength to handle them well. He is faster then me tho (only be a little... heh) and lighter quicker weapons will better suit him. BTW -- I love 'Big Country'... I was sad to see him become a punching bag recently.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Aug 11, 2010 18:09:09 GMT
being of the stocky variety myself (though I consider myself of middling height), the only advice I can give anyone who carries a lot of gut weight is this: don't listen too closely to the runner crowd. Running is decent cardiovascular exercise, but if our type overdoes it, our legs give out. For most it happens in the knees, for me it happened in the tendons. If you wanna lose weight, find a pool/river/pond/lake/ocean and swim. Hard, every day, for at least an hour. That said, if you don't have the time or inclination to put forth the effort (heaven knows I don't anymore), yes... you'll have trouble with certain martial arts. My belly gets in the way pretty often when I'm trying to practice the sword, or brush up on the ol' Krav Maga... and I'm pretty much incapable of most of my old jiu jitsu stuff.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 9, 2010 5:56:56 GMT
likewise, i'm short but somewhat non muscular and rather weak..conditioning with some mma classes and weights is helping that though..lots of reps with small weights. a medium 2 hander is about as much as i can effectively handle..i mean im sure i could pick up a zwiehander and swing it around, but i'd tire in 5 minutes and be way too slow anyway..but i just keep trying to get stronger
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2010 4:21:36 GMT
Well 5'9", 160 lb., girly-wrist waif guy here is wondering if he could even properly use Euro longsword D:
I mean, I have a very small bone structure (I have abour a half centimeter of finger left when I wrap my thumb and pinky around my wrist), and I've been told that if I were to fire a handgun, it could possibly break my wrists. However, I can swing my mace or axe quite a bit before it starts to hurt or tire my arms.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2010 4:58:34 GMT
Hero: I am 138 lbs and 6'4 with small bone structure and with the training I undertook and a well balanced sword I can use a euro longsword, my advice though is to go with something light and something custom, I find many of the longswords on the market are too heavy.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2010 18:00:19 GMT
Well 5'9", 160 lb., girly-wrist waif guy here is wondering if he could even properly use Euro longsword D: I mean, I have a very small bone structure (I have abour a half centimeter of finger left when I wrap my thumb and pinky around my wrist), and I've been told that if I were to fire a handgun, it could possibly break my wrists. However, I can swing my mace or axe quite a bit before it starts to hurt or tire my arms. I hate to say it, but I'm a bit envious, Hero; I'm 5'8", 220lbs, and all of it's in my gut (yay eating disorders brought on by depression!). @op: I've definitely noticed that there are some types of swords that work better with your body style and I've definitely noticed that two handers are a bit awkward at times; I even spent a few weeks trying to train myself to instantly switch from a right handed grip to a left handed grip on a katana to avoid having to cross my wrists. It did not go well. However, I also think it depends on what you prefer, sword-wise. I prefer short swords and one handers and my favorite sword is a Chinese dao. Albeit, my body shape may have indirectly influenced my preference as I am a little uncomfortable wielding a two handed sword (but not so much as to be incapable).
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2010 20:42:39 GMT
Well 5'9", 160 lb., girly-wrist waif guy here is wondering if he could even properly use Euro longsword D: I mean, I have a very small bone structure (I have abour a half centimeter of finger left when I wrap my thumb and pinky around my wrist), and I've been told that if I were to fire a handgun, it could possibly break my wrists. However, I can swing my mace or axe quite a bit before it starts to hurt or tire my arms. I hate to say it, but I'm a bit envious, Hero; I'm 5'8", 220lbs, and all of it's in my gut (yay eating disorders brought on by depression!). @op: I've definitely noticed that there are some types of swords that work better with your body style and I've definitely noticed that two handers are a bit awkward at times; I even spent a few weeks trying to train myself to instantly switch from a right handed grip to a left handed grip on a katana to avoid having to cross my wrists. It did not go well. However, I also think it depends on what you prefer, sword-wise. I prefer short swords and one handers and my favorite sword is a Chinese dao. Albeit, my body shape may have indirectly influenced my preference as I am a little uncomfortable wielding a two handed sword (but not so much as to be incapable). Well something I find is that because of how I end up carrying weight more in my upper body, when I try to use a claymore or something similar, it can pull me around if I'm not careful. However, what I've experienced with Euro longswords shows me that I could use one of them as a heavy weapon, but I find myself very comfortable with daggers and short swords.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 11, 2010 21:33:06 GMT
I hate to say it, but I'm a bit envious, Hero; I'm 5'8", 220lbs, and all of it's in my gut (yay eating disorders brought on by depression!). @op: I've definitely noticed that there are some types of swords that work better with your body style and I've definitely noticed that two handers are a bit awkward at times; I even spent a few weeks trying to train myself to instantly switch from a right handed grip to a left handed grip on a katana to avoid having to cross my wrists. It did not go well. However, I also think it depends on what you prefer, sword-wise. I prefer short swords and one handers and my favorite sword is a Chinese dao. Albeit, my body shape may have indirectly influenced my preference as I am a little uncomfortable wielding a two handed sword (but not so much as to be incapable). Well something I find is that because of how I end up carrying weight more in my upper body, when I try to use a claymore or something similar, it can pull me around if I'm not careful. However, what I've experienced with Euro longswords shows me that I could use one of them as a heavy weapon, but I find myself very comfortable with daggers and short swords. Odd; I've never really heard of that happening to anyone, but I suppose with a heavy enough sword, it'd be possible. I tend to stay away from longswords for that reason, really; I'm more comfortable with shorter blades. Of course, that won't stop me from buying one if I really like it.
|
|