Melee weapons poses making use of the range (textbook?).

generalgameplaying

While "cinematic" may sell better, i'd still love to see more textbook poses for some of martial arts. Imagine classic books depicting at least starting poses and resulting poses for various technique (black and white era). Of course there are some sets with a fair coverage of technique, mostly bare hands martial arts with some exceptions. But often you see literal "posing", i.e. teasing, rather than making use of the range of a weapon, namely spears and swords.

 

- Specifically for swords, you hardly ever see a stinging pose, like you might have in chinese martial arts (breast rather out, sideways clearly stretched arm, not a pointing pose, but real stinging). Similar for classic swords, maybe with shield, while perhaps less artistic, still very much welcome.

- (Different kinds of stinging and small/partial move cuts, cinematic welcome. Imagine a movement phase during combat, where a swift small cutting move is possible with a sword, typically to the throat or the unarmord parts, quick sting, almost sting like cut, en passent taking the opportunity.)

- (Small move cut may be along the main move of the moment, e.g. deflecting with a shield, but cutting for some part of the other arm of the imperfect adversary, or typically a very quick, rather maximum distance move.)

- Spears and polearms ... stinging and holding at bay, meaning your hands at the one end of the weapon, rather than in the middle. For reference imagine the middle grip against an opponent on a horse, fully iron-clad, including horse armor (...).

 

Further defensive moves:

- Swords especially Katana: you don't deflect with the sharp side, just saying...

- Active stomping to the side (e.g. of an imperfect stretched attack move), in order to quickly sting or cut next. Cinematic version could contain some of bending around, making the follow up attack move compatible with just dodge and sting/slash/cut maneuvres. The follow up can't always be full brute force, as it's performed during moving/dodging, so perhaps rather think it to be light, and mind the rotational element of moving around, rather than straight.

- (Intermediate moving stage with deflection: make use of the energy the attacker tried to throw at you, perhaps most illustrative with moving/bending around the main moving direction of the attacker.)

 

This may not make up for a product on it's own per se, however i'd appreciate some of the textbook poses to be in a related set of poses. Animations or poses aimed at animations are very much welcome too, of course...

FirstBastion

I wouldn't mind seeing an accurate Karate "Kata" from frst position to end,  including the footwork.

richardandtracy

https://swordcollections.com/sword-stances/

Seem to be a few there. Are they too occidental? I spend a number of years as a brat learning the basics of fencing. What I really learnt is is someone approaches with a sword of any sort, don't muck about, shoot them. Much safer.

Regards,

Richard

generalgameplaying

FirstBastion said:

I wouldn't mind seeing an accurate Karate "Kata" from frst position to end,  including the footwork.

Absolutely.

generalgameplaying

richardandtracy said:

https://swordcollections.com/sword-stances/

Seem to be a few there. Are they too occidental? I spend a number of years as a brat learning the basics of fencing. What I really learnt is is someone approaches with a sword of any sort, don't muck about, shoot them. Much safer.

Regards,

Richard

Indeed! Quite a few movies handle weapons as if the combattants would throw them away first, in order to proceed to mud-catching immediately, and maybe in-between they'll pick up something for posing, just to throw it away once more, and dive into the mud for further "action"...

I think some of the poses are rather agnostic to oriental/occidental, though the very specific sword to wield might have some influence on the details (or follow up moves), and perhaps there are further general stances for one or another. A Katana has a flat back for deflecting and stability, with the blade being crafted for cutting first and foremost, while some other swords might serve well as a club same way. But that's not of concern to distinguish, because accurate poses may exist for any type of use for a given sword. Swords which are sharp around the tip of the blade, certainly could be used for cutting, and in lightly armored combat there always is the danger of a swift cut, while even heavier armor has their weak spots as well.

 

Going by a textbook could have the advantage, that in most cases, they cover one thing, like Karate, or Kendo, medieval swordfighting, japanese, chinese, you name it. I'd already be happy to see most typical ways to use a weapon in the posing sets, with basic realism of rough posture/pose and roughly correct grip/usage.

 

(For an excuse you could say, that in street combat the actually used technique isn't as varied as what differing martial arts traditions are teaching for technique. "Cinematic street fight" perhaps, then...)