15th Century Pollaxe Fight (Master vs Apprentice)
This was the first time master armorer Luke Binks and apprentice Joel Hunter fought against each other in full 15th century armor harness at the medieval tournament based event Challenge at Arms 2022.
This is also my first time fighting with polaxe and in 15th Century armour with full intensity. The experience of using historically reproduced armor answers for me once and for all how versitile, functional and protective real armor is in high intensity situations. Surprisingly enough, it works!
PATREON ► / ironcrownworkshop
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IRONCROWN WORKSHOP TEAM
Armorer / Host / Director - Joel Hunter
Videographer/ Editor/ Director - Connor Grzesiak
CHANNEL LINKS
YT Channel ► / @ironcrownworkshop
Instagram ►@ironcrown_workshop
Huge props to the cameraman for going all the way back to the 15th century to get this footage
LMAO... like a time travel is possible right now... It's clearly a recovered and remastered recording from 15th century footage.
@@casekocskyou can definitely tell because there's no mullets
I don’t buy it The maid in the background is on an iPad - although she might have picked it up from an antique fair…
You guys don't understand. Clearly, the cameraman was from a future time when time travel has been invented. He went back to get this footage. Then on his way home, he stopped in 2022 to upload it to youtube. He's an unusually considerate time traveler. Most of them just blow right past our dumb time.
And going down a different timeline where the European 15th century occurred in Australia
1:40 He didn't even move or attempt deflect, just knew it wouldn't connect. What a chad.
There were a few moves there where the apprentice must have had an "oh crap" moment, when he suddenly went from thinking he could pull back and recover, to finding his weapon had been bound fast. A nice example of just how skillful this discipline can be.
After years of being primarily a fan of bohurts it is really refreshing to see armoured combat in a different context. Definitely would love to try Harnischfechten/Kampffechten myself someday.
You mean in a context where it isn't two LARPers pretending caveman fighting is HEMA? Yeah, this is always better.
@@thisdude9363 Primo, as a historical reenactor I never really have a chance to interact with larpers. Secundo, bohurt or tournaments involving fighting with clubs or blunt swords were real historical phenomena. No amount of HEMA elitism will change that. Tertio, I've never heard anyone claiming that bohurts are the "real" HEMA. The latter usually deals with judicial duels and self-defense while the former is a form of ceremonial/tournament/competitive fighting. Quarto, I bet you've never tried either thus your opinion on the matter doesn't really mean crap. For one, there is no way HEMA will ever give you the amount of adrenaline that bohurt competition does.
@@kamilszadkowski8864 as someone who's been loosely involved with bohurt and hema he's got a point bohurt people try to act like what they are doing is historically accurate when it isn't
@@kamilszadkowski8864 well as far as i know buhurts where / could be mutch mor burtal than that, like people died or got hur terrible in it. so im guessin you would see far longer pole wepons or less armour, depending on the period. it was supposed to be training or better substitude for real combat. like the main difference is that you dont finish a fallen oponent and dont cut down the routed fleeing, but they did capture them (money could beinvolved whitch is why it could / was be so brutal. aparently even houses where oponents where hiding where set ablaze.
Bohurt is probably pretty similar to the fighting on a battlefield back then.
Wow! The skill difference is obvious, the poor apprentice stood no chance. The master was reading his moves before he made them
He was telegraphing
They both looked shit tbh, couldn’t find a master on the field
To be fair if the other guy is using moves that you personally taught him you BETTER know whats going on💀🤣
Even the intent in the way they strike, you could see their experience difference. The novice pulled a lot of his attacks. Something you often see in people who have never been in a fight, boxing for the first time. They don't really dedicate to actually striking the other person. It can take a couple wake up hits to get them really motivated, something you see happen in real time in the video. Such as at 0:30.
Because most civilized people don't want to fight and our instinct is to avoid injury. It's fascinating stuff.
@@mbogucki1 you can be civilized and still have that fight in you, some people are more docile than others, some of the most civil people out there can be lethal. For example that Paddy feller from the UFC.
@@mbogucki1 Hard to argue... As someone who played sports (Primarily football in HS+) It's not to avoid injury as much as avoid crushing injury. We knew not to put our head down to avoid neck/spine injury. But that can also cost you some power in the hits. I imagine it's got to be worse to be clobbered in the head with a metal weight at the back of a pole... Don't know why these people do this stuff, but it's fun to watch. :) I enjoy boxing now that I'm past 30+ and there's rarely any "injury" since we're not professionals some bruises and minor bleeding (cuts, not internal) is the worse you get.
@@eddieb1995 you need train psychology first. If you get adrenaline "tunnel vision", adrenaline improves your endurance and stamina, you pain sensitivity decreases a lot, but adrenaline have one big negative cons - you can't control minor muscles, you can't throw punches precisely, only throw punches just somewhere in direction of your enemy. Thats why unprepared people in street start throw genetically memored rear hand swings at maximum reach right and left. (Aka windmill punch).
Polearms are extremely difficult to authentically spar with, because the extra leverage makes them dangerous even at half power and it nerfs your combat potential significantly more than a shorter weapon when you have to pull your blows. A lot of HEMA clubs don't even allow polearm sparring with rubber heads because you can so easily KO somebody wearing a helmet.
The problem with poleaxes is that you can never really use them like they did back in the day because you'd just kill or maim your opponent too easily no matter if he's wearing armor or not.
This. I'd imagine in a more realistic setting they would try to grapple and push another to the ground, switching to a rondel dagger and go for a weak spot to finish the fight. No matter how much armor you have there will always be gaps in the armor.
@@huldu You wouldn't even have to grapple with poleaxes, you'd just have to wedge the point in a gap and drive it home, smash the knees or helmet with the hammer or hook their legs and pull them down. Poleaxes are just long can openers.
These are mock poleaxe, it been nerf to prevent damage. The real hole axes would carved a hole in these guy regardless the armor.
@@thehappy_spearman1389 That's not quite what I've learned. If the enemy is on the floor you use the dagger since if you're sat on them it gives them less chance to fight back since they literally can't move their body, plus you can dig through their armour much more accurately with the dagger. Well, it depends on the armour used since a polearm could certainly get through chainmail with a dedicated enough attack, though anyone with a polearm would still pack a dagger of course. Also often you'll have to drop your polearm in a grappling situation anyway.
@Sonwig I was thinking more of the battlefield use for poleaxes grappling certainly has its place in battles but it certainly isn't a good idea to wrestle someone when their mates could easily intervene and turn the tables, it's certainly not something I'd be down for doing in a group fight unless I was certain my friends would protect me while I finish my opponent, and in those situations they'd likely be aiding me in the coup de grace, in a group fight it would make more sense to stun them enough with the hammer by striking the helm and use the spearpoint to finish them while the opponent is floored, concussed and disoriented enough to not fight back as much.
That moment when you turn the playback speed to 2x and you realize it's still far too slow to capture just how quickly everything is happening here. There is some heft and precision in all of these blows, it's absolutely amazing how any of the fighters can track things so well to actively parry and counter.
Just did exactly that. Would have liked to see actual real-time footage.
even crazier when they have a slit to see out of, true talent
Very nice fight, please more of that!
This is actually pretty awesome. It really does showcase the skill involved in martial combat. It doesn't even need to label who is master of the two because the skill and precision of one is much more obvious than the other.
The skill gap was so huge this looks like bullying tbh.
you really should upload the original fight! it took me so long to notice they were in slow mo. so skillful!
Props to the recording. The sound, the replay speed, editing, the visual fidelity...wonderful. Second of all, such beautiful armor. Amazing craftsmanship. Third, you could really tell who was the master and who was the apprentice, but the latter got a couple licks in, and kudos for showing that. Lovely, lovely stuff. Finally, how does one train for this kind of armored combat? Since it was so important to aim for the weak points in the armor, how do you safely practice and evaluate the strikes? I guess it doesn't matter too much, because it's not like you'd use this for self-defense. Still, I'm sure that if this is something you're immersed in, it's pretty important to you.
Really well done. Great to see freestyle sparring like this where the moves are recognisably from a fechtbook.
Really looking forward to the 2023 events. Keen to see more of these kinds of videos too if possible. No fences, no crowds in the way, slow enough to see what's happening, high quality footage. It's a treat to get this kind of insights and see how the armour really works to protect the wearer in action.
Didn't know about this fabulous channel, this is stellar.
polaxes have to be my favourite category of armored combat do more please:)
Will do! I'll be training and working towards refining the skill of polaxe combat in the coming year
Quick tip, set it at least 1.5X speed; looks more intense. Also, can you just imagine how tiring and brutal it would be to be in this get-up trying to kill a guy who's got the same stuff? Pure nightmare.
Even at 2x speed, you can hear the umpire calling Point and it's still slowed down. Looks like this was slowed by 4x so that we can see the technique.
I found 1.75 speed to be the sweet spot. I have no clue why there's the slow motion on this video to be honest.
I could watch this stuff for hours
Gem of a channel, just subscribed! You deserve a lot more attention for sure!
Keep in mind, the end of the pole-axe's shaft would usually be tipped with a deadly pointy bit for greater flexibility, so every time the guy got jabbed with it, it would inflict an injury or be lethal.
I'm stunned at the sub count on channel. I'm guessing I Just found you guys early on before you hit it big because this is really incredible stuff.
this is a really interesting bought, you can really appreciate the timing and technique. the brutality as well.
Fascinating Love the armour
The repeated, effortless parries by the master near the end was (chefs kiss)
Wow that's cool. Keep up the great craftsmanship and hard work my friends. Forge On. Fab On. Weld On. Keep Making. God bless.
Awesome video!! Thanks for posting it. Any info on the music?
Really nice! Also for people watching, im pretty sure the footage is slowed down, i found putting playback speed at 1.5 or 1.75 was about the correct speed
A master Poleaxe user could go into the battlefield as a Dynasty Warriors character - going all slice and dice on the common soldiers.
I liked the way he used the bottom of the polearm to parry attacks
Great few passes. Luke did let you have an advantage. With no leg harness he couldn't strike you low. Are they a rubber/polymer head? We used to fight with cast aluminium, but we didn't do horizontal strikes to the head.
0:36, slow it down, you can see the give and flexibility in the tip, but not so much in the rest of the head, I'd say it's a durable rubber. Now if this were an Adrian Empire event, the answer would've been steel, but the head composition wouldn't have included the piercing tip... at least not without a massive blunt on it.
Really cool!
Watching this in 1.5x is amazing
Love the gothic helmets!
very interesting! i wish the video was at full speed but you have a new subscriber anyway! looking forward to more
Click the Cog icon, play the video 2x speed
The way the taller guy uses his. He really should put a spike on the base!!
Awesome!
I always wonder how long these weapons hold out in real combat.
I close my eyes....and I hear pots and pans.
Even in slow motion, that was so sstisfying to watch...💜
The sound is very pleasing
I wonder which one is the master and which is the apprentice? *looks at guy with a full set of armor, compared to guy with just a breastplate, pauldrons, mail, and a helmet*
always two there are a Master and an Apprentice
I know that someone said this is nerfed pole axe but i still cant help freaked out when he got hit by the wedge on the head then on the eye part. Even if they were wearing enhanced armour
I love harnishfechten so much. This is so beautiful guys.
Amazing
If your close your eyes this clip becomes a romantic commercial about recycling.
it's like watching a level 5 sparring with a level 25
Pretty much what it is!
Sounds like someone trying dig themselves out of a pit full of aluminum cans.
This was fascinating to watch, the master clearly knows what he's doing. also, play in 1.5x speed for something closer to real-time.
is this at half speed? the motions are so interesting, you can tell movement is somewhat hindered but not nearly as much as everyone seems to think, the biggest disadvantage seems to be limited visibility how much did it cost to get a suit like this together?
Seemed like some men at arms prefered to fight with the visor up because of that reason. Not really a safe thing to do when sparring obviously.
I'm getting a full plate harness myself from the forge of svan and it costs about 5,400. They do have a payment plan for it which made it more doable. However different forges will cost different amounts with different suits of armor.
They might be moving like this for safety reasons. These are still very dangerous weapons even in armor, a strong hit to the head could easily disable someone. We humans have a lot of vulnerable areas that might not be clear until they're hit. Blunt weapons should always be treated with respect as they're *designed* to bypass armor.
It feels like it. The refs voice is definitely slowed audio. I rewatched it at 1.5 speed on youtubes playback speed settings and it looked a lot more natural.
Insane how they can fight at all with their limited vision. The knights of the late middle ages must have trained ceaselessly to be able to effectively fight battles like that.
Which limited? You focus only on enemy in duel. It matters if its 1v3 then it's too easy for enemies encircle you because of your bad periferic vision.
1:00 That was a fucking Mordhau feint moment right there
No matter the century, no matter the age, the finest of weapons will always be a pointy stick.
yep, thats why we have legions of spearmen going at the tanks in ukraine
What music was used for this?
Oh id love to fight in armored combat!
The most beautiful Lawbringer mirror match I've ever seen🥲
Apprentice definitely has happy feet 😂
When he took that first big hit to the head I gasped. I thought they were using metal heads lol. Very interesting sight, the skill difference was apparent, one knew how to wield the weapon and so was doing many attacks with good coordination, but the other knew where to be to minimize damage, and knew exactly when to strike with what would have been potentially lethal results. (One did get a really solid hit on who I assume was the master's elbow though, that would have smarted with steel.)
I notice the master is far more comfortable remaining in the beginning stance and has probably spent long hours learning how to block most strikes from that position. The apprentice is all over the place.
It is pretty cool to notice the differences in experience when slowed down hey
The guy with the most armor always wins. 😆
What's the song playing in the backround?
Nice armor.
It got real personal after the second thwomp
*Dropping a fork at 3am*
congratz finding the home page traveler.
Is this a slow motion or in real time speed?
Slow motion
This is crazy dangerouslol that one hit to the head was BRUTAL
Where’s the fight?
The bonk sounds tho
Dude at the right had a major oppurtunity at 2:01 if he could land a hit to other's head
Cool. Ein Gezillter Treffer mit dem Kriegs 🔨 & der Ritter sahmt Rüstung ist erledigt.
I looked away, and realized those battles must of sounded like a thousand cooks ladened with empty cans and cooking pans tripping down a perpetual flight of stairs Just ASMR of angry grunting and a cacophony of tings and pangs
be interesting to see two people who could fight do with. they clearly have the gear, but neither one of them had the skill. Be nice to see some people who have spent bit of time in a ring and know a bit more about footwork try this so many opportunities for trips and and a follow through
The trouble with pollaxe training is that doing it any justice in full contact will actually kill people.
That man’s drip in the background be going in hard! 🥵
Which playback speed setting would yield the speed of the pre-slowdown footage?
I tried it a 2X and it looked right.
As a fighter i really enjoy this.
So basically its just poke and poke and poke until they wear down due to exhaustion of moving and evading strikes while using the heavy armors🤔😃
Or strike effectively into the gaps or strike hard enough on the helmet or other critical components of the suit to concusse or maim the man within. Fighting in armor is tiring but so is fighting in general, it's unlikely that a fit and agile fighter will fatigue quickly to the point of indefensiblility from armour alone
I gues if cans went to war, their weapon of choice would be can openers.
Why is it slown down ?
Observe two Lawbringers in their natural habitat.
great LARP video
Cool fight but why is it in slo-mo?
It's probably our most asked question. To be honest, it was more of an artistic edit we just put up there for fun, and the internet took it viral. We just haven't gotten around to putting up a full paced version yet
Looks so fun. Must be hard to see those hits coming too through those helmets
You'd be suprised how your vision and spacial awareness adapts. Never as good as full vision but better than you would expect
Luke is so cool...
How hot does it get in these armors when fighting in the sun?
Fairly warm. In long stints if exposure it can get quite warm but not too fast. In some ways the heat from exertion in warm weather is the worst part
@@IronCrownWorkshop I bet! Thanks for answering.
"Master Ota will fight for Master Ota!"
Brienne really dominating.
I hope it's worth the noiseeeee...
Its really cool and if you close your eyes it sounds like someone beating a couple trashbags full of tin cans together 😂
They fighting in slow motion ?
Why slow mo?
imagine facing home invaders clad in steel
Those besagews make for the noisiest armor I've ever heard
You can tell the advanced practitioner by how little he’s adjusting his movements. By inches not miles.
Couldn’t imagine people back then actually doing this shit. Bonk bonk bonk bonk bonk
0:37 BONK!
The other fighter couldn't clearly see through the sallet.
No, he just needs better training 😉
nice lawbringer rework 😁
0:36 BOOM. HEADSHOT