06-06-2009, 02:21 PM
Paul,
I'm going to leave history behind. The current aspis and sarauter discussions have illustrated to me that all of us--me too--stick to our preconceptions even in the face of new evidence. it's the hiuman condition.
So now I speak only as a fighter.
I've been a several dozen big spear fights--mostly in the SCA. Now I'm doing the same SORT of stuff in Greek kit.
The stance portrayed most commonly in art--leg thrust forward, spear overhead--is EXACTLY the way most one-handed spear fightss set tmeselves att he moment of iompact between two sheidl walls. You don't evn have to march in step--every man (and woman) will thrust the shiel dfoot out, all together.
Further, the spear has to be overhead and thrust down, if fighting men with an aspis. Again, I can only say that you have to try it to get it. And the closer packed you are, fron to tback, the BETTER the overhad stance gets, because your spear cannot be trapped against or under your aspis.
Further, the more frontal you orient your body, the worse your balance.
Finally, the aspis is best used 1/3 to 2/3s on to the opponent--more edge on than fron on, in may cases. You parry with the edge--you can thrust with it too, and use the strength of the porpax desgn to get it back on your shoulder.
If the aspis is built too heavy--16 kilos or so--this doesn't seem possible. But at 8 kilos, you can use the aspis actively, and thrust with it, push with the edge, and keep room to fight. One it is "flat on" to the enemy, you make it possible for your oppionent to knocjk you flat with a blow to the surface--something non-fighters rarely think about, but a real problem in spear and shield fighting, as every one of our beginners learns!
Anyway, more later--or perhaps we should take this off line.
I'm going to leave history behind. The current aspis and sarauter discussions have illustrated to me that all of us--me too--stick to our preconceptions even in the face of new evidence. it's the hiuman condition.
So now I speak only as a fighter.
I've been a several dozen big spear fights--mostly in the SCA. Now I'm doing the same SORT of stuff in Greek kit.
The stance portrayed most commonly in art--leg thrust forward, spear overhead--is EXACTLY the way most one-handed spear fightss set tmeselves att he moment of iompact between two sheidl walls. You don't evn have to march in step--every man (and woman) will thrust the shiel dfoot out, all together.
Further, the spear has to be overhead and thrust down, if fighting men with an aspis. Again, I can only say that you have to try it to get it. And the closer packed you are, fron to tback, the BETTER the overhad stance gets, because your spear cannot be trapped against or under your aspis.
Further, the more frontal you orient your body, the worse your balance.
Finally, the aspis is best used 1/3 to 2/3s on to the opponent--more edge on than fron on, in may cases. You parry with the edge--you can thrust with it too, and use the strength of the porpax desgn to get it back on your shoulder.
If the aspis is built too heavy--16 kilos or so--this doesn't seem possible. But at 8 kilos, you can use the aspis actively, and thrust with it, push with the edge, and keep room to fight. One it is "flat on" to the enemy, you make it possible for your oppionent to knocjk you flat with a blow to the surface--something non-fighters rarely think about, but a real problem in spear and shield fighting, as every one of our beginners learns!
Anyway, more later--or perhaps we should take this off line.
Qui plus fait, miex vault.
