skallagrim high ground video
Dec 15, 2019 6:15:53 GMT
Post by tsmspace on Dec 15, 2019 6:15:53 GMT
Of course I don't think any youtuber should be expected to get EVERY point into an argument video. Of course I think that Skallagrim and Swordsage basically filmed a mostly unplanned video, where they MAY have preplanned some talking points verbally.
That said, I think that high ground as a concept needs a LOT MORE attention, because in the video we are left thinking that having the high ground would not be an advantage, and would even provide disadvantage.
-one thing they didn't talk about at all, is the impact power available to the high ground. Just because you hit someone with the sword, doesn't mean you are going to damage them. They might have clothes, arming clothes, armor, , or your sword might have taken a little hit and not be particularly sharp by the time you land the hit. From the high ground, your strikes will happen closer to your stance. What this means, is that you are trying to apply force at a more desirable leverage angle. If you want to push hard, you generally don't want to do it fully extended and stretched out. Instead, you want to have your hands right around your waist, and with all of your limbs slightly bent. This position is available for the person on the high ground, when they strike at a vital location. The person on the low ground will not have this position available to them unless they are striking at a boot, which moves more easily than a torso.
-another related point that they did not address, is that blocking strikes is easier when you are in your "power position", which is more readily available to the person on the high ground when they are blocking. The person on the low ground will ALSO be BLOCKING while their body is fully extended, meaning they are weaker for these moves than the person on the high ground. If you put your sword above your head, and you still get hit in the face, you didn't successfully block.
-yet another related point, is that while standing extended, your protective clothing or armor is also extended, and is less likely to provide its protection. If it is an armor fight, then the joints in the armor are more likely to be wider open while extended, and if it is a padded fight, then the padding will be stretched or possibly pulled up and away from parts of the body,, while the person on the high ground will have their padding and armor in a more closed position. This will mean that the joints will not be open, the padding will be down across the openings, and the padding will be more bunched up and thicker, as well as more relaxed. (it is easier to penetrate padding if it is supported and held tight, than if it is somewhat loose and can move when you hit it)
-finally, they suggest that the reach of the person on the high ground is less,,, but this is not true. although in the video they use a rock as a prop, which is like a wall with a sheer side, most high grounds will allow for the person to reach and step while they lunge. In the case where the side is sheer, then it is possible for the person on the high ground to back up away from the edge and use it as protection. It is a very rare circumstance that the person on the high ground is stuck close to the edge, and unable to move around. You wouldn't choose to fight while standing up on a pole either.
That said, I think that high ground as a concept needs a LOT MORE attention, because in the video we are left thinking that having the high ground would not be an advantage, and would even provide disadvantage.
-one thing they didn't talk about at all, is the impact power available to the high ground. Just because you hit someone with the sword, doesn't mean you are going to damage them. They might have clothes, arming clothes, armor, , or your sword might have taken a little hit and not be particularly sharp by the time you land the hit. From the high ground, your strikes will happen closer to your stance. What this means, is that you are trying to apply force at a more desirable leverage angle. If you want to push hard, you generally don't want to do it fully extended and stretched out. Instead, you want to have your hands right around your waist, and with all of your limbs slightly bent. This position is available for the person on the high ground, when they strike at a vital location. The person on the low ground will not have this position available to them unless they are striking at a boot, which moves more easily than a torso.
-another related point that they did not address, is that blocking strikes is easier when you are in your "power position", which is more readily available to the person on the high ground when they are blocking. The person on the low ground will ALSO be BLOCKING while their body is fully extended, meaning they are weaker for these moves than the person on the high ground. If you put your sword above your head, and you still get hit in the face, you didn't successfully block.
-yet another related point, is that while standing extended, your protective clothing or armor is also extended, and is less likely to provide its protection. If it is an armor fight, then the joints in the armor are more likely to be wider open while extended, and if it is a padded fight, then the padding will be stretched or possibly pulled up and away from parts of the body,, while the person on the high ground will have their padding and armor in a more closed position. This will mean that the joints will not be open, the padding will be down across the openings, and the padding will be more bunched up and thicker, as well as more relaxed. (it is easier to penetrate padding if it is supported and held tight, than if it is somewhat loose and can move when you hit it)
-finally, they suggest that the reach of the person on the high ground is less,,, but this is not true. although in the video they use a rock as a prop, which is like a wall with a sheer side, most high grounds will allow for the person to reach and step while they lunge. In the case where the side is sheer, then it is possible for the person on the high ground to back up away from the edge and use it as protection. It is a very rare circumstance that the person on the high ground is stuck close to the edge, and unable to move around. You wouldn't choose to fight while standing up on a pole either.