Korey J. Lavoie wrote: | ||
Please tell me what Weapon that was. |
I should have said the earliest bronze swords that I know of. These were mostly thrusting weapons, and many hoplologists suspect that the method of hilt attachment on some of them (with only several rivets instead of a full tang) is somewhat to weak too withstand the shock of a cut. This conclusion has been recently disputed, though, and I won't pretend to say which opinion is correct. I'll just upload a page from Oakeshott's classic Archaeology of Weapons--the three swords illustrated in the upper left are examples of the thrusting swords in question.
Jean Thibodeau wrote: |
Basically I just mean that any polearm is used in a very fluid way and grip(s) can slide around to make using all parts of the weapon in defensive or attacking moves.
So, my point, which I may have made before, is that a mace would not be only used for simple bashing but would include less powerful but still useful techniques. |
Totally agreed. Any skilled user of any knid of weapon would certainly have trained to use that weapon in a variety of situations, and his/her training would have included different ways of wielding the weapon in order to face different kinds of challenges. Maces, hammers, and other essentially blunt weapons included.
Jean Henri Chandler wrote: |
Another huge problem with any hafted weapon, spear, axe, mace or hammer, is that when the momentum is lost your opponent can seize your weapon with an off hand. I do it all the time in sparring :) |
But if the wielder of the hafted weapon is clever enough to anticipate this move, he/she could answer with a grab in return, taking advantage of the fact that one of the enemy's hands is now locked to his/her weapon. This can easily lead into a nasty throw or joint-lock.
I'm speaking from experience because I've been on the receiving end of such joint-locks when I fought an axe-wielding friend with a sword. Of course, since I'm an aikidoka myself, it didn't take me long to pick up on the trick and use it myself when I find myself wielding a hafted weapon in a free-play session. ;P
Attachment: 60.2 KB
Oakeshott illustration of Bronze Age swords [ Download ]