Saber Forum

Im starting this thread as a followup to my first topic, help fighting a particular opponent. Since the said opponent uses a crossguard saber (and is Extremely hard to kill using it), I wanted to know if there were other people out there who have fought crossguard sabers in general and what they used to fight against it.

Thanks m8s!

Can you hand that opponent a "normal" saber and fight him?  What's different in that fight than with the crossguard?

When you fight the crossguard, how often do you make contact with the guard itself?

What we're looking for are differences the crossguard is actually making, versus you may be fighting a better opponent who happens to own a crossguard saber.

Are they using two hands on the hilt?  Do they do that with other sabers?

Generally the cross-guard sabers tend to be larger and have longer blades than "standard" sabers. So your opponent usually has a longer reach than you do. Which, as I explained in another thread, is a bad thing.

How to counter? Footwork, speed, and timing. Don't block, avoid. Move in a way that makes your opponent react, or over react, to create an opening. Move laterally and forward (which I guess would be diagonally?) to close within your striking range, and to make it more difficult for your opponent to strike. Ideally you'd facing his side, able to strike anywhere (within your clubs striking rules of course), while he would have to turn to engage you, either to block or counter attack. The closer you are, the more difficult that can become.

If you can strike as you move past your opponent, en passant as it were, and keep moving, that works very well. If you can stay facing him, while he has to turn to face you, you'll have the advantage.

I was watching the movie FIRE AND ICE this afternoon and loved this fake out move: https://youtu.be/xHXhTNnrkLY?t=586

Try that?

While I cannot force him to use a standard single blade, he can surely use one, though it is rare that he does. The big difference in fighting him this way is that aiming for his arms is no longer pointless, as he holds his crossguard with the quillons pointed left and right, almost completely protecting his arms (hands do not count as hit zones). This is at least one of the major differences that crossguard makes for him. another is that he can prevent me from using moves that would normally work by either forcing me to hit or be caught in the crossguard as well.

I already know that hes a better fighter than me. However, the huge crossguard saber, combined with his large reach makes it almost seem like his cheating. Note that Im not the only one who has trouble up against him, as veterans of the club who've been there years longer than him in fact have difficulty fighting him (hes been a member like just one year longer than me). Even they admit it is very hard to get a kill on him.

And yes, he uses two hands, but he almost always strikes with one.

I'm not so experienced lightsaber combat particularly but have trained in martial arts, weapons and sparring before - maybe this can apply. Imo, sometimes the crossguard can be used to your advantage as a control point, just like wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, the waist etc. Positioning will help, but don't be afraid of the guard, lock in hard and power into the guard, and before the opponent can reposition or retract, push in quick past his weapon and his offensive reach, and rotate through positioning, with your own counter up close. If someone is experienced in HEMA and fighting with cross guard swords, they may be more fluent in rotating the sword and maneuvering/leveraging the crossguard as part of combat (and true swordfighting can tend to be like grappling more so than movie-esque sword swinging) but if they're not experienced in HEMA, you may have an advantage taking that guard. In combat, by instinct, usually people remain timid, wary, and at maximum reach but moving quickly past the offensive radius usually provides more advantage. Take note of what Sakura said along the similar lines. Easier to talk about than to put into practice of course, it does take a lot of speed, practice and precision. But of course be careful of not over-extending with your body and causing any injury. My two cents

Again If I missed this let me know...but how is your foot work.  Is side stepping allowed?  From what you have said it seems as if he manages to use the same move against you to finish you.  As Sakura said..try not to be where his blade is.  Is there any footage of him fighting on youtube?  I know many saber clubs film and have channels.  I think it would go a long way in helping us help you.