Do Swords Really Wear Out?
Does HEMA gear really wear out? You may be surprised to hear the answer isn’t necessarily yes…
Physics
It’s Not “All in the Hips”
A colloquialism associated with generating power is “it’s all in the hips”, but this is a little bit misleading, as the hips themselves aren’t really the source of the power.
There is no horizontal zwerchau cutting plane!
That’s right, you heard me. Geometry forbids keeping your edge in line while the tip is below the hands.
Batting a cut out of the way – a.k.a. “How You Cut Your Hand Open”
I know it sounds ridiculous, but I have come across someone who thought they could bat a cut out of the way by hitting the backside of the blade with their hand…
Force, Deceleration, and how to stab through a tank.
It was the first two words that got you hooked, right?
Why Do Polearms Hurt?
The short answer to everything is always F = ma. For the longer answer, read the article.
Rust: Know your enemy
“If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.” Maybe this quote from the Art of War might not be the most applicable excerpt, but regardless you could always stand to learn a bit.
Accelerating The Wrist 2: Revenge of the Moulinet (and more)
Not too long ago I published the article “Accelerating the Wrist in a Cut – It Doesn’t Work!”. A few valid questions were raised, and they deserve answers.
Accelerating the Wrist in a Cut – It Doesn’t Work!
Despite what you may want to believe, you CAN NOT have acceleration at the wrist and a locked structure at the moment of contact!
Why Does my Gear Crack in Half?
Learn about the exciting life cycle of cracks! From infant little microfractures to all grown up break-my-new-feder cracks.