youtube Swordman standing up to gender roles
while you were living under gender roles, i studied the blade
Men are on average more muscular than women and can wield heavier weapons more easily, so itās a practical advantage for the woman to prefer the rapier and the man to prefer the longsword. Gender roles? Iād rather win than try toĀ ārebel for rebellionās sakeā and lose.
surprise both swords were used in totally different time periods for totally different purposes and this is a joke post no one cares
Not to mention long sword vs. rapier. The rapier has more speed and precision then the long sword. The long sword is crazy heavy for a hand held weapon and would quickly die.
Several Of The Above Points Are Shit-Wrong And Iām Going To Tell You Why: A Point By Point Dissection By Me
Point 1: āBoth swords were used in totally different time periods for totally different purposes.ā
Partially right. Ā A rapier is indeed suited to a different fighting style than a longsword. Ā The slender, blade with a highly developed tip makes the rapier an amazing thrusting weapon, designed to pierce through the holes in chainmail or the seams between plates. Ā They can be used to cut, but their primary focus is to thrust. Ā A longsword, however, has a much thicker and heavier blade as well as a longer hilt that gives it the ability to be wielded in one OR two hands (itās often referred to as a āhand-and-a-halfā sword because of this) enabling it the leverage and strength to cut (or bash, but thatās far less ideal as it could damage the blade) far more easily.
Rapier:
Longsword:Ā
HOWEVER, there was at the very least a large period of overlap in the uses of longswords and rapiers. Ā The difference in their utility (besides cutting vs thrusting, the longsword was largely a military weapon and the rapier was largely a civilian weapon and for dueling) saw to it that they could coexist. Ā The longsword as we know it has been found to date back at least to the 14th century, if not earlier and was used in sporting duels and tournaments up until the 16th if not the 17th century (though its military use ended long before its sport use did). Ā The rapier was first created (or at least first recognized by scholars as being created) around 1500 in Spain. Ā Even if we take only the centuries during which they saw the most use (longsword = 14th-16th cent. and rapier = 16th-17th cent.) there was still a whole century of overlap.
Sources:Ā
https://www.albion-swords.com/articles/oakeshott-typology.htm
http://www.e-reading.club/bookreader.php/135704/The_Sword_in_the_Age_of_Chivalry.pdf
http://www.pbm.com/~lindahl/paradoxes.html
http://www.salvatorfabris.org/SectionRapier.shtml
Point 2: Rapiers are lighter than Longswords (and also the point that longswords areĀ ācrazy heavy for a hand-held weaponā).
This is wrong. Ā Rapiers are, on average, around 2-ish lbs (1kg). Ā Longswords are also, on average, around 2-ish lbs (1kg). Ā This is for your STANDARD LONGSWORD, a hand-and-a-half sword that can comfortably be wielded in either one or two hands. Ā Of course, both can reach higher or lower weights, but the top of the weight range for them tends to be around 4 lbs. Ā The heavy fuckers youāre probably referring to are true 2-handed swords, such as the montante or the zweihander. Ā Even then, they donāt get too much above 7 or 8 lbs. Ā You know what weighs around 7 or 8 lbs usually? Ā Most newborn babies.
(in order top to bottom: a 1-handed sword, a longsword, a montante)
For reference, other hand-held weapons? Ā Shotguns run between 5 and 8 or more lbs. Ā An M60 machine gun? Ā Around 23 lbs. Ā Handguns are between 2-4 lbs.
So yes, a longsword is heavyā¦when youāre comparing it to, like, a knife or to not wielding anything.
Sources:Ā
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wDjjLnKRcI&t=1s
http://www.thearma.org/essays/weights.htm#.WMsiVfkrKUk
http://www.ejmas.com/jwma/articles/2005/jwmaart_dawson_0205.htm
http://modernfirearms.net/machine/usa/m60-e.html
http://www.militaryfactory.com/smallarms/detail.asp?smallarms_id=38
http://www.chuckhawks.com/shotgun_weight.htm
https://www.sigsauer.com/products/firearms/pistols/
Point 3: Larger weapons are slower.
No
they
REALLY
arenāt. Ā
Thatās a video-game-ism so that 1) you donāt feel like shit when you get wrecked by an opponent wielding a fuck-off huge sword and 2) they donāt have to program in proper form, technique, and handling of said sword.
Point 4: āWomen canāt wield longswords.ā
Really now?
(Have some more videos because tumblr wonāt let me embed any more.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W3o5sFI56V8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nzpvVuSwc0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1bE4v6e6iss
Thank you. Longswords just arenāt that heavy. They really are not. A good one balances in the hand and feels almost effortless to hold. They are a real pleasure to handle and I think everyone should get the chance to do so at least once just to understand what I mean. Shitty wallhangers are fuckoff heavy, but thatās because they are made from crappy materials, are not properly shaped/tapered, are too thick, are poorly balanced so they feel even heavier than they are, and were never actually intended to be *used*.
Now, within the modern field of western martial arts women are often pushed towards rapier and subtly discouraged from longsword. The weight and strength issue is raised, and there is concern from their male opponents about women getting hurtārapier thrusts tend to land softer because the blade flexes, while longsword cuts tend to leave more bruising and risk more damage, especially in organizations that have very different rules for rapier and longsword.
But as a woman who was pushed into rapier and smallsword for a decade before discovering that longsword was her true passion, I am glad to see people disputing this gender divide.
A whole slew of excellent points here š³ļøāššāš
@obaewankenope here have lovely, lovely sword meta
I love this post.Ā
