Force Vector: More than a science-ey sounding name
I’m guessing most probably don’t care too much about what the difference between a vector and a scalar is. Trust me, it can be a helpful tool for learning to beat people up.
Physics
What is Force Dispersion? And how it keeps you safe from swords.
How our gear keeps us safe is an important topic, especially if we ever want to make it safer!
Impact, Impulse, and Momentum
Sometimes people talk about how much ‘force’ something hits with. Unfortunately, they use the same term to describe average force, peak force, and impulse.
The Myth of Control
Why going at high intensity and having perfect control is not physically possible, no matter how much we want it to be.
Hanging Targets is cheating!
Hanging targets for test cutting doesn’t give any sort of realistic impression of what a sword would actually do. Take my word for it, or read to find out why.
Physics, Push-Pull with the longsword, bad cuts…. and you!
If you have had (good) formal instruction on longsword cutting mechanics, you would have been informed that you don’t want to create a levering action between your two hands. Here’s why.
Rotational (Spinny) & Translational (Straight-ey) Motion & Swords
There are two different ways that things move: translationally and rotationally. If the big words scare you, think ‘straight’ and ‘spinny’.
Force vs Pressure
Does “It only takes 4 ounces of pressure for a sword thrust to pierce the body” make sense to you? Because from a physics standpoint it’s nonsense!
Center of Percussion? Vibration Node? Balance Point? What does it all mean?
Learn a little more about some of the physical properties of swords, and why you are probably using terms like ‘Center of Percussion’ incorrectly.