Tatami Ballistics
What does it matter how a tatami falls down? When the fall is all that’s left, it matters a great deal.
Articles by Sean Franklin
Geometry Grab Bag
A small collection of things too small to deserve their own article.
Control Theory
You don’t have to understand crazy math with imaginary numbers to appreciate the principles of control theory. They can be applied to sword fighting, and might give you a different perspective on your training or interpretations.
Sword cutting… and how the target pushes back!
When cutting, the sword exerts force on the target, and the target exerts force right back on the sword. This force is what causes cuts to be less effective, and possibly fail. And where does it come from?
Case Study – SoCal 2018 Singlestick
Even if you don’t like singlestick, there is a lot to learn about how the afterblow affects both the attacker and the defender independently.
What Does Hitting Hard Mean?
From a physics point of view hitting ‘hard’ can be a somewhat difficult property to quantify. Learn a little bit about what can make a strike ‘hard’.
Does Bracket Seeding Mean Anything?
Does the best fighter usually win? Is silver different from bronze? Is a seeded bracket better than a random one? Can I write something that makes this sound exciting?
How Fast Do Swords Move? – Try 1
My first attempt at motion capture. It wasn’t great, but I got something. And you can all laugh and learn from my mistakes.
HEMA Ratings – Does it actually mean anything?
“Damn those stupid numbers, no HEMA Rating’s going to tell me what my odds of winning are!” While on an individual level there are a ton of other factors that the rating doesn’t capture, does it do a good job overall?
Introduction to Material Properties
When understanding equipment it’s important to have a basic understanding of material properties, and — most importantly — how they interact.