Quick release coupler in combat.

[skribs]

There is no lateral slipping with the quick disconnect.  Those hilts are held securely in place and only move rotationally (relative to each other, of course).

Where you might notice it is when spinning and doing forms, or especially when turning it on and off (when the switches don't line up).  Even for display purposes, they don't freely spin and only rotate when your hands apply pressure on them, so you can display them just fine, but if you want them to always line up during a photo shoot or a demonstration, then the adjustable coupler is probably better for those purposes.

I've tried a few different couplers, and I love the QD.  I don't use it in the moment, but I use it to quickly combine sabers to make a staff between sessions.

[DarthProdigal]

Cool. It makes sense since in star Wars Legends, a Sith would seperate the two blades during combat to surprises their enemy, such as kas'im did with Darth Bane during their duel on Lehon.

Such an epic moment in a fight. That is the reason I wanted it in the first place, practice has to make perfect... "Through Passion, I Gain Strength."

[SirLiftaLot]

Such an epic moment in a fight. That is the reason I wanted it in the first place, practice has to make perfect... "Through Passion, I Gain Strength."

I know I mentioned it to you, but here's a quick video of my accidentally activating the QR coupler while spinning the staff with one hand. Quite a quick release indeed!

https://i.imgur.com/4mZ6IL4.mp4

Granted, I think it's MUCH likely to happen in actual combat* than free-spinning, as strange as that sounds.

*assuming you spar using a predominantly two-handed approach, which most staff users will (so not like Exar Kun). As I think I mentioned earlier, when you have both hands on the staff, neither hand is resting entirely or solely on the coupler, so the odds of engaging it are low by my estimation. However, when you have only one hand on the staff, it's dead-center, holding mostly/only the coupler, as the coupler is a bit wider than body of the hilt. So if you happen to be spinning it with one hand and get it just right so the direction/momentum of the rotation pushes the coupler the right way as your hand is holding the coupler, it can potentially engage it.

I will admit my form was sloppy and clunky at the time this happened, as I had just gotten the saber and was just trying to get the feel for how it moved, but I can still say I think it's possible, even if not exactly likely, to happen if you do a lot of spins using the staff as a one-handed weapon.

[DarthProdigal]

Glad you did show that to me. I believe I can understand how it happened with grip and hand adjustments mixed with momentum of saber. It was like a "perfect storm" of movement coming together to create the necessary "pulling" motion to disconnect. I suppose being mindful of that could avoid it happening or reduce it's likely hood. Most reviews/ comments on it's use state how unlikely it is, but this will make me start out extra carefully in that regard. And I'll likely take your advice to follow my initial thoughts and buy a backup "standard staff coupler" since I foresee myself doing the same thing at some point. But speaking of points, guess the bright side is in unofficial sparring you probably would have scored a very interesting point if a opponent was in front of you just then.

[SirLiftaLot]

Glad you did show that to me. I believe I can understand how it happened with grip and hand adjustments mixed with momentum of saber. It was like a "perfect storm" of movement coming together to create the necessary "pulling" motion to disconnect. I suppose being mindful of that could avoid it happening or reduce it's likely hood. Most reviews/ comments on it's use state how unlikely it is, but this will make me start out extra carefully in that regard. And I'll likely take your advice to follow my initial thoughts and buy a backup "standard staff coupler" since I foresee myself doing the same thing at some point. But speaking of points, guess the bright side is in unofficial sparring you probably would have scored a very interesting point if a opponent was in front of you just then.

That could have been a very unique point. In that event, it would have been a surprise, to be sure, but a welcome one. I do agree it was the "perfect storm" of events, and if you're being cautious about it, is really unlikely to happen. I honestly don't see it happening with any move other than the one I showed in the video, which really isn't something I think you'd be doing too much sparring wise, assuming you're using the staff with two hands, not as a one-handed weapon. And I do think that the activation could be avoided with that move if you're cognizant of the potential for it to happen, which I don't think I was really considering before it happened.

I do want to try some more things with the QR coupler, since I do love how easy it is to separate with it, which makes storage easier, as well as enables different styles of use, etc.

Thinking about it, nothing in the two forms I've posted so far would really even come close to having the potential to activate the coupler, so I suppose I should try it with some forms and see how I like it, since it's a really cool feature to have.

[DarthProdigal]

No I really do envision myself doing exactly the kind of move you did in practice. Given the right situation, and especially one handed. Potentially before switching hands/grips.

And yes, I really do think it could be useful in a functional and tactical way "on the fly" with enough practice. With a fluid and graceful approach, as long as one doesn't over think it and slow their movements. That's a goal for sure.

[SirLiftaLot]

No I really do envision myself doing exactly the kind of move you did in practice. Given the right situation, and especially one handed. Potentially before switching hands/grips.

And yes, I really do think it could be useful in a functional and tactical way "on the fly" with enough practice. With a fluid and graceful approach, as long as one doesn't over think it and slow their movements. That's a goal for sure.

Ah, I had forgotten our earlier discussion. Yeah, if you plan on using it one-handed, then that movement is probably inevitable. And you do bring up a good point about it being a good transition between hands/grips. I'm sure if you're cognizant of it, it can be avoided the overwhelming majority of the time, as it seems like people with much more experience using it than I do say as much through experience. But I am glad to have gotten it happening on video, so that others can see that it is a possibility, and, knowing how it can happen, can seek to avoid it happening themselves.

I think I may play around with what moves lend themselves well to leading into a quick release. Not that I'm any good using two sabers, but still, it seems like a good option to have regardless.

Edit/Update: excuse the super slow form and limited range of motion, but I wanted to try some things out in a small area indoors real quick with the QR coupler, and I think I really like it:
https://i.imgur.com/GjUrlrP.mp4
https://i.imgur.com/Jb0ZplW.mp4

It looks like it's pretty easy to separate out of a stabbing motion, with the lead hand up or down (it'll just change the way you're holding the saber in that hand). You just have to know which way the staff/coupler is oriented, so you know to push or pull on it. I'd definitely like to see if it's that easy at faster speeds with more complete range of motion.

[SirLiftaLot]

No I really do envision myself doing exactly the kind of move you did in practice. Given the right situation, and especially one handed. Potentially before switching hands/grips.

And yes, I really do think it could be useful in a functional and tactical way "on the fly" with enough practice. With a fluid and graceful approach, as long as one doesn't over think it and slow their movements. That's a goal for sure.

So I put on the QR coupler and did some forms and spins, and it stayed on. So that helped restore some confidence in it. Plus I was able to do this with it:
https://i.imgur.com/IPZui6f.mp4
https://i.imgur.com/cgRwAvh.mp4

So long as you know which way the coupler is oriented, so you know to push or pull, it's actually pretty easy to activate with the rear hand while stabbing forward with the front hand, as that motion will naturally help to separate them. If you can orient it so the coupler is activated by pulling back, it make separating them quite simple. Putting them back together, however, is another story entirely, and not something I have really attempted as part of a combination of moves.

[DarthProdigal]

In the first videos it was hard for me to tell you were going to disconnect prior to the action, which is obviously helpful in true sparring. Not having a "tell" would make it a great ambush technique. It would also be really cool to see 2 people who both have QR couplers and trained to use them like this do a choreographed fight that's Sith vs Jedi. It would look like they were using the Force to read each other's movements, or the Force brought them together in a duel of fate. Especially if they killed each other in the end, a bit poetic about the balance of the Force and them both being too dangerous?

Reattaching would be the trickier (and possibly harder to hide) action. But possibly more useful to you if you're more comfortable with a staff. Suggestions I can think of are keeping your hand that "triggered the disconnect" firm in place on the hilt through a few moves. Then that tension could possibly keep the coupler ready to reattach on the fly. If not, training that hand to do the top to bottom "squeezing" motion necessary to put it back together. Although this is purely speculation and theory since I haven't received mine to play around with yet. Glad to see someone else as excited about this as me, it's helping flesh out the ideas I had and wanted to implement. Sadly this kind of surprise technique would really only work on an opponent who doesn't know you fight this way, and likely just once in that case.

[SirLiftaLot]

In the first videos it was hard for me to tell you were going to disconnect prior to the action, which is obviously helpful in true sparring. Not having a "tell" would make it a great ambush technique. It would also be really cool to see 2 people who both have QR couplers and trained to use them like this do a choreographed fight that's Sith vs Jedi. It would look like they were using the Force to read each other's movements, or the Force brought them together in a duel of fate. Especially if they killed each other in the end, a bit poetic about the balance of the Force and them both being too dangerous?

Reattaching would be the trickier (and possibly harder to hide) action. But possibly more useful to you if you're more comfortable with a staff. Suggestions I can think of are keeping your hand that "triggered the disconnect" firm in place on the hilt through a few moves. Then that tension could possibly keep the coupler ready to reattach on the fly. If not, training that hand to do the top to bottom "squeezing" motion necessary to put it back together. Although this is purely speculation and theory since I haven't received mine to play around with yet. Glad to see someone else as excited about this as me, it's helping flesh out the ideas I had and wanted to implement. Sadly this kind of surprise technique would really only work on an opponent who doesn't know you fight this way, and likely just once in that case.

That would make for a very unique choreographed fight. I like that.

I'm thinking that maybe I put some identifying marker on one side of the staff (maybe some black wrap on the choke point closest to the blade on one side), to indicate at a quick glance which side is forward, so I know how to manipulate the coupler to separate the sabers during combat. Either that or some sort of different tactile thing on one of the hilts that would serve the same purpose. I suppose having two different colored blades would be the most obvious and visible option, but I like the blue.

I do agree that coupling it back is the challenge, but as you said, it sounds like this is more of a trick technique to catch an unsuspecting opponent off guard, so if I were to be point sparing, I suppose it would be more of a risky gambit to try to land a quick point than anything, as I am much more proficient with the staff than two sabers. Although if someone was equally, or close to equally, proficient with either option, then it could be more of a consistent tool, and also perhaps an option to try to adapt to an opponent's form of combat mid-fight.

I do agree that I could practice squeezing/pushing/pulling/whatever the coupler down to prepare the other end of the staff to reattach, but we will see how viable it is. I'm going to assume it won't be as seamless as detaching them, but maybe if I can create a bit of space that would be sufficient to get it done with some practice. It is fairly stiff to push down, and doesn't have a ton of grab-able area with one hand, which is a good thing for everything except this.

And I am also glad to have someone to bounce ideas off of and discuss possibilities and experiments with.

[DarthProdigal]

You already have your saber, but in a different one somebody could (by design) construct one with obvious variations to the user. One hilt side having emitter windows and the other without. Or one being an LE silver on black with the other flat black in the same model. Varying the AV switch colors in the same way, one silver one black (thinking more of Dark Side looking lightsabers, haha)

For you solutions might lie in things you messed with already visually. At high speed a variation in the O rings you used might be harder to perceive, so instead all red on one side and all black on other hilt. Or copper on one hilt but not the other. This could be less visually appealing to you in the imbalance it creates, so instead keep them alternating (like your last post of that design) on the detached side. But make the top 11/21 black and the bottom 10/21 red? This might be harder to see since your hands might cover the rings too much in action. Although these are the best of what I can offer off the top of my head.

[SirLiftaLot]

You already have your saber, but in a different one somebody could (by design) construct one with obvious variations to the user. One hilt side having emitter windows and the other without. Or one being an LE silver on black with the other flat black in the same model. Varying the AV switch colors in the same way, one silver one black (thinking more of Dark Side looking lightsabers, haha)

For you solutions might lie in things you messed with already visually. At high speed a variation in the O rings you used might be harder to perceive, so instead all red on one side and all black on other hilt. Or copper on one hilt but not the other. This could be less visually appealing to you in the imbalance it creates, so instead keep them alternating (like your last post of that design) on the detached side. But make the top 11/21 black and the bottom 10/21 red? This might be harder to see since your hands might cover the rings too much in action. Although these are the best of what I can offer off the top of my head.

Exactly. If you were to build a staff with the intention of knowing which side is which, you brought up a lot of good options. Thanks for the ideas!

I am not sure if it's exactly what you're saying, but perhaps even just switching the order of the "stripes" on one side, so one saber remains as-is, with 3 black rings on the top and bottom, while the other can instead have 3 red rings on the top and bottom. In other words, one side would go (Black, Red, Black, Red, Black, Red, Black) and the other one would go (Red, Black, Red, Black, Red, Black, Red). This would keep them more or less the same looking at a glance to most people, and keep the striped alternating aesthetic I like, while still hopefully being obvious enough to me, as long as either the top or bottom most rings are visible.

But the copper wrap on one side like you mentioned could also work, perhaps in addition to the above idea, that way there is a visual indication of which side is forwards regardless of if I'm holding the staff towards the front (where the choke point is) or towards the back (where the o-rings are). Or if I don't want the copper color on one of the choke points I have, I can perhaps try some black wrap that serves the same purpose, since three colors may be enough as-is.

Or I do have a lot of extra o-rings, so assuming the choke point has the same diameter as the areas the o-rings are on, I could try covering one of the entire choke points with red and the other with black. This may also help cut down on some of the sharp angles and ridges that can cut into the hands at times.

[SirLiftaLot]

So I went and switched the o-rings on either side of the emitter windows on one of the sabers from black to red, and it does work when I'm just looking at them in decent light, but when I turn on the sabers, they become essentially indistinguishable from each other, so it doesn't really serve the intended purpose, but I think I like the look of the slight difference in the two, so I may keep it that way. I suppose anything relating to something as simple as the color or position of a few o-rings may not be easily discernable in low-light conditions, so perhaps either some black wrap around the front-most choke points on one end of the staff would be more easily identifiable, especially if the wrap had a slightly different tactile feel too. Perhaps that would be ideal.

[SirLiftaLot]

No updates on making one side of the staff identifiable from the other, but I did work a little bit of Jar'Kai to the combination after separating the staff into two sabers.

Sort version:
https://i.imgur.com/ahn4vDe.mp4

Same thing with some lead-up into it:
https://i.imgur.com/adkThBT.mp4

[SirLiftaLot]

Separating the sabers out of a stab seems to be pretty doable, but bringing them back together is still proving to be more challenging. Here is my best attempt so far at it:
https://i.imgur.com/4RtMuE8.mp4