Blade Setup comparison for Spinning and Combat

[Tai Chi Chuan Wijchen]

A wise and dark lord of the Saberforum suggested to give this a subject a thread of its own.

Below a recap of a conversation we started in this Saber Picture thread: http://www.saberforum.com/index.php?topic=28630.3435

[Tai Chi Chuan Wijchen]

Tai Chi Chuan Wijchen

To bad they don't sell the Flamberge pommel on it's own. Sad

BTW, how is the weight-balance with that pommel. I use a War Glaive-pommel on my Aeon V4 pommel and a Catalyst on the other, wich are both great but for some reason I use the War Glaive one more. Many thanks to someone on this forum for mentioning this to me, who's name I forgot, but definitely deserves points for this.

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Karmack

I love the War Glaive as a counter-balance on the Aeon and obviously on my Initiate v3s.   :-)   Question: what's your take on 32" blade vs 36"?

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Tai Chi Chuan Wijchen

Based on the little experience I have with lightsabers: Totally different than using a real handforged sword or saber.
In the Aeon v4 War Glaive 32" setup the balance is right at the emiter windows wich, to me, give it a real nice quick spin with the center of balance right into you hand. So it's fast, easy and balanced.
In the 36" setup the balance is about 2-3 fingers up the blade, giving the spins a little more weight and momentum, and a little drag when it needs to change direction. So you need to spin a little bit slower, but the saber 'speaks' more to you.
Without the War Glaive pommel the balance travels even further up the (36") blade wich is great for cutting, slashing, stabbing, etc. Gives it a more realistic feel, although it still is way to light in comparisson to a real blade. Wich is ok if you don't want to train that heavy, but it leaves a whole in your trainingpotential. But then again, how realistic is a blade made out of plasma?  Grin
In a staffsetup it is not in comparisson to a real staff, the weight and weightdistribution is totally different. Not to mention the cutting off of fingers when u accidentally want to use the full potential of a long weapon by sliding it up and down Wink It spinns nice though, because of the centered weight it sticks more to your hand. A little less momentum, but nice. And the weight of a lightsaber staff makes for a nice wrist and lower arm workout.
Being 2.03m I have no problem using the 36" blades with sabers, but in staff setup 36" is to long to handle relaxed and efficient.

Thank you for the question. It made me reflect upon the little lightsaber experience I have in comparisson to my Tai Chi Chuan training. I hope you can make sence out of my English (not being my native language), it's a short awnser, in real life I'd probably give you a few swords and sabers to try, feel and experience the difference, hopefully giving you a better understandment of my opinion. But for now, this is my pre-breakfast awnser/thought.

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Karmack

Thanks!   I was curious.   My own bo training has exposed the VERY different feel of a twin-bladed saber staff to a bo staff.  With the bo, you do a lot of sliding up and down to extend your reach with it, as well as the fact that many of the blocks are in the center of the staff.   Neither of these works for a saber.  Just ask Darth Maul what happens when someone hits your staff in the center of the hilt with their own blade...

Tat being said, its a ferocious weapon and for spinning it is amazing.

As for the Aeon V4 ...   I have both a V3 and a V4, as well as an Initiate V4.   The Initiate has an extension on it to make it longer, and all have heavier pommels.   While its not as realistic, I love dueling with the 32" blade.   I find the speed to be decisive.  :-)

Thank you for your thoughts!   I greatly appreciate the viewpoint!

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Tai Chi Chuan Wijchen

You're welcome.

Couldn't agree more, especially on the staff training and handeling.

Always nice to have a little conversation about staff and saber training.
And maybe make a new video soon, share some thoughts.

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Samhain138

So blade types complicated.  I work a variety of moves and a variety of sabers.  And typically speaking I don't favor just one set up.

I use a Dom v4 with the flamberge pommel and a sentinel v4 with a warglaive pommel.  That's what you see here.  They're both using 36 inch standard ultra edge blades (I think, they felt a little long to me).

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quc1Rzz5voM" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Quc1Rzz5voM</a>

This is the Dom referenced and pictured before.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3UFtT6bRUE" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x3UFtT6bRUE</a>

In my opinion this is my "go to" setup.  I can roll it across my body and I can toss it 15 feet in the air and still reliability catch it.  This is why it is the candidate for receiving a big upgrade.

Many of you know me for cosplaying Darth Maul, so it only makes sense I am adept with a Menace staff (it's in my title).  I regularly use two with a quick release coupler.  Typically I'm using a set of 30 inch heavy blades in it.  It comes out to only slightly taller than I am as a staff (around 6 ft) and has a nice weight to it.  It is my preferred setup for a martial demonstration or stage fighting.  Basically I use this for everything dual wielding or staff related.  It is only beaten by the Dominix in the single saber bracket because I can do a few more niche techniques more reliably using the Dominix.

That said, I can still pull off moves like this with it in staff form.  Significantly easier than with a single saber because of the weight of the heavy blades on a staff.

<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhIWqo17xXg" target="_blank" class="aeva_link bbc_link new_win">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZhIWqo17xXg</a>

I am of the mind if you plan to perform with a prop, it best be what you use to train with as well.  

This is probably the longest explanation I've given on what I use or train with.  Maybe we should make a more open discussion about it in it's own thread.

[Tai Chi Chuan Wijchen]

In reply to your video's.

Great flow, great skill, I'm just beginning to know this forum, from what I've read so far people think great of your saberskills, from what I see, I can only agree.

If your interested in feedback, just let me know, I don't want to be the one to give unwanted advice.

Question, you mentioned 30"blades, does that mean you cut them to size or was it a typo?


 

[Samhain138]

Oh I'm always open to hearing what others think.  And no that's not a typo, I cut them to the size I wanted.

For the record, I don't really have any martial background.  I've got some experience in stage fighting and I've worked with Master Resolute on some things.  I mostly use sabers for entertaining people at cons, but outside of that I do perform with fire.

[Tai Chi Chuan Wijchen]

Then we''ve got the exactly opposite background. I've got a Tai Chi Chuan background, but started to get interested in spinning thanks to the lightsabers. Made two contactstaves to start practicing spinning and get a feel for the difference in spinning with a regular staff. Those weighted ends on a contact staff are different. Good for momentem, but painfull on the body if something goes wrong.

I could have guessed the spinning background, seeing how fluent you got that Angel roll in your spinning flow. It's a skill that's still waiting to be learned.

As a TCC practitioner I would never do a fingerroll, or any other move that involves letting go of your blade without 'real' intent. But that's maybe a discussion for later. Same as a few firespinning questions I've got, will save them for another moment or thread.

Quick thing I saw from my background, you really lift you shoulders up. Is it intentionally (because of the longer blades?) or weren't you aware of this? In TCC we try to keep the shoulders relaxed, to keep the blood flowing, muscles loose, and most importent not to 'lock' your body.

Although, now I'm writing this, I know I still lift my shoulders during several spinning moves.

[Samhain138]

I wouldn't say I consciously lift my shoulders.  I'm curious if you mean in a particular clip or just in general.

If we're talking clips above, the double sabers are longer than I'd comfortably use.  I was attempting that angel roll and throw transfer.  That's honestly a move that's all timing.  I've spent some time in the last few months juggling and that's what gave me the idea.

I could say the same about the staff, I prefer a contact staff be about the height of me chin or so.  That saber staff is taller than I am.  Plus if we're talking general staff techniques, it's odd because you only have the handle space to work with.