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Message: <blockquote data-quote="aramis erak" data-source="post: 8132014" data-attributes="member: 6779310">Shield use is complicated, and it's not terribly easy. You appear to have conflated parry and block, two different technique sets.You appear to ignore the passive effect of shields.In a block, you're using mass to prevent a hit by simply putting that mass in the way, usually just elevation or rotation of the shield, without extension. You're letting the opponent hit your shield.In a parry, you're using movement to prevent a hit by active redirection of the incoming weapon.The passive effect is that attacks that hit the shield without needing to block nor parry simply don't do much because the mass of the shield prevents rapid accelerations...Smaller shields, and especially bucklers and small round shields, are usually used to parry -you use it to force the opponent's weapon out of your attack's way.Larger shields tend to be used to block, not to parry - a quick rotation at the shoulder or elbow to let the attack come in on intended angle, but to have the shield in the way. Essentially, simply stopping the attack by mass.Good blocking skills can blend blocks and parries, especially snap-rotations to pop the corner up and allow the attack to go over one's head; pulling that off has been a challenge for many a Historical European Martial Art enthusiast (whether HEMA member or SCA member, or other recrudescence group). The tendency is to hide one's head and lose sight of the opponent...The reason a helmet is important with a shield is this: Many basic shield blocks will turn a high shot from a would-be shoulder hit into a side of head hit. The passive position is, for visibility reasons, with head exposed over the shield, ideally covering the chin or even nose. This puts the high shots often being guided right into the hit on the ear.</blockquote>

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