|
Post by Zwilnik on Aug 6, 2020 16:32:33 GMT
Ok, guys, I'm still extremely new to this. A woodworker friend of mine just made me a cutting stand. Unfortunately I live in the city and I haven't had a chance to take it anywhere to practice, so I've been "shadow" practicing in my "den". I'm right handed, but when using my longsword, I feel more natural gripping the hilt at the bottom with my right hand. When I swing from top left to bottom right, I get what "feels" like decent edge alignment (it makes the woosh sound), but when I switch hands and cut from top right to bottom left, I can barely keep it even halfway straight. It almost always rolls into a weird slice. Is this normal and do I just need more practice? I'm a waiter and I can lift heavy trays over my head with my left arm but I'm right handed and can't carry a tray with my right arm to save my life. I don't even know if I'm asking the right question, but what can I do to improve this?
|
|
|
Post by Lancelot Chan on Aug 6, 2020 17:23:31 GMT
without video it's hard to say.
|
|
pgandy
Moderator
Senior Forumite
Posts: 10,296
|
Post by pgandy on Aug 6, 2020 18:37:23 GMT
Sounds like a problem and as Lancelot said a video would be helpful saving time and guess work. If you are right handed the normal position is your left hand on the pommel powering the cut and the right guiding the sword. I’m assuming that you are using a two handed sword and you should be able to make both #1 and #2 cuts doing so. However there is no reason that you shouldn’t be able to reverse this and cut as a south paw. From what you are saying I’d say stop practicing as you will likely train your muscles wrong and in the end you’ll spend much time unteaching them. Make a video and then someone should chime in with constructive information.
|
|
|
Post by RufusScorpius on Aug 6, 2020 18:49:32 GMT
a video would be helpful saving time and guess work...... .....From what you are saying I’d say stop practicing as you will likely train your muscles wrong and in the end you’ll spend much time unteaching them...... ^this^ Stop "practicing" incorrectly. You will only learn bad habits that will have to be dealt with later. Post a video- a picture (or vid) is worth a thousand words. Even a shadow boxing vid is better than nothing. You can tell a lot just from that. Also remember that in formal sword training schools it's usually a minimum of one or two years of training before you pick up a live blade and start cutting. It's not as easy as it looks.
|
|
|
Post by Timo Nieminen on Aug 6, 2020 22:16:02 GMT
but when I switch hands and cut from top right to bottom left, I can barely keep it even halfway straight. A simple solution is to not switch hands. Just fence lefty. You should be able to do a top right to bottom left cut without switching hands. In principle, it's good to be able to fence ambidextrously (and this is more important with one-handed swords). But it isn't necessary, and if it doesn't come naturally, just learn to do things properly left-handed first. Later, you can practice right-handed fencing if you want.
|
|
|
Post by MOK on Aug 7, 2020 0:42:09 GMT
Handedness can be weird. I'm very right-hand dominant, myself, except when boxing or playing ice hockey where I'm effectively ambidextrous...
Anyways, one tip that may or may not help: when cutting from the other side, don't switch hands, switch feet. When cutting from left to right, put your left foot forward; when cutting from right to left, put your right foot forward.
|
|
|
Post by Zwilnik on Aug 8, 2020 17:38:59 GMT
Wow, these are all amazing answers that I never gave thought to before, especially the incorrect shadow practicing. As soon as I get time, I'll make a video of it. Yes, it's a two-hander, it's the Italian longsword from Balaur Arms.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2020 2:47:24 GMT
I remedied this problem with a big mirror. I would slowly move my arms and watch for the blade to cut a perfect line, and would flex the whole time, snapping towards the end. I slowly built up speed to where the movement feels second nature for me, so my hand now just "knows" if I'm cutting right or not. It also, helped that since I was practicing with a katana at the time, I heard a tachi kaze everytime I did it right. But now its most just adapted muscle memory
Anyway, try in front of a mirror. If you don't got much space, it helps to use a smaller weapon that can be used in the same way
|
|
|
Post by Zwilnik on Sept 3, 2020 3:48:56 GMT
Dancers do this too, I believe. I don't have a body-length mirror, so I kinda depend on the "woosh" sound, as well as the handle geometry, to help me keep the edge aligned. I really wish I didn't live in a city, sometimes. There is literally no place I could take a sword outside and start swinging it around without neighbors calling the police. I guess I could alleviate that by telling them in advance what I plan to do, but that seems like it would be just as creepy. If I had private property, I could go nuts. I remedied this problem with a big mirror. I would slowly move my arms and watch for the blade to cut a perfect line, and would flex the whole time, snapping towards the end. I slowly built up speed to where the movement feels second nature for me, so my hand now just "knows" if I'm cutting right or not. It also, helped that since I was practicing with a katana at the time, I heard a tachi kaze everytime I did it right. But now its most just adapted muscle memory Anyway, try in front of a mirror. If you don't got much space, it helps to use a smaller weapon that can be used in the same way
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 3, 2020 3:59:35 GMT
Dancers do this too, I believe. I don't have a body-length mirror, so I kinda depend on the "woosh" sound, as well as the handle geometry, to help me keep the edge aligned. I really wish I didn't live in a city, sometimes. There is literally no place I could take a sword outside and start swinging it around without neighbors calling the police. I guess I could alleviate that by telling them in advance what I plan to do, but that seems like it would be just as creepy. If I had private property, I could go nuts. I remedied this problem with a big mirror. I would slowly move my arms and watch for the blade to cut a perfect line, and would flex the whole time, snapping towards the end. I slowly built up speed to where the movement feels second nature for me, so my hand now just "knows" if I'm cutting right or not. It also, helped that since I was practicing with a katana at the time, I heard a tachi kaze everytime I did it right. But now its most just adapted muscle memory Anyway, try in front of a mirror. If you don't got much space, it helps to use a smaller weapon that can be used in the same way Dude I'm in the exact same predicament. I wish I had my own acreage, even just for rent and in a small sempriniesque house. Anything that would give me the space I need to practice. I use a small weapon so I can practice full strength swings, but I've never ever really done a single bit of kata or drills with my great sword of war without accidentally hitting things, so it just sits in my bag, making me sad I can't practice with it
|
|
|
Post by Zwilnik on Sept 3, 2020 4:47:18 GMT
Dude I'm in the exact same predicament. I wish I had my own acreage, even just for rent and in a small sempriniesque house. Anything that would give me the space I need to practice. I use a small weapon so I can practice full strength swings, but I've never ever really done a single bit of kata or drills with my great sword of war without accidentally hitting things, so it just sits in my bag, making me sad I can't practice with it ^^^This, exactly.
|
|
|
Post by RufusScorpius on Sept 4, 2020 16:36:08 GMT
I have a huge yard that I can use for whatever, but no time to do anything fun. If I could win the lottery, then I could spend my day doing useful things like riding bicycles and practicing martial arts (maybe both at the same time).
Life's not fair sometimes.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 4, 2020 23:12:16 GMT
I have a huge yard that I can use for whatever, but no time to do anything fun. If I could win the lottery, then I could spend my day doing useful things like riding bicycles and practicing martial arts (maybe both at the same time). Life's not fair sometimes. That would be kinda cool haha, the bicycle swordsman. Swooping in to kill zombies and leaving as fast as he came
|
|
|
Post by RufusScorpius on Sept 4, 2020 23:58:45 GMT
I have a huge yard that I can use for whatever, but no time to do anything fun. If I could win the lottery, then I could spend my day doing useful things like riding bicycles and practicing martial arts (maybe both at the same time). Life's not fair sometimes. That would be kinda cool haha, the bicycle swordsman. Swooping in to kill zombies and leaving as fast as he came Only while wearing a football helmet and shoulder pads. Otherwise it would look ridiculous.
|
|
Deleted
Deleted Member
Posts: 0
|
Post by Deleted on Sept 5, 2020 0:11:25 GMT
That would be kinda cool haha, the bicycle swordsman. Swooping in to kill zombies and leaving as fast as he came Only while wearing a football helmet and shoulder pads. Otherwise it would look ridiculous. You need the foot ball under the eye gave paint too or people might think you are a poser
|
|