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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 6251208" data-attributes="member: 19675">I used to spar, but not actually LARP.I was immediately impressed by:1) How much more effective a properly balanced weapon can be than one that is not.  My first homemade sparring longsword was balanced so that its center of mass was about 1" above the hilt.  That made it very quick, and let me land more blows and block more effectively.2) Polearms' effectiveness, especially in tha hands of someone who is already tall.  One guy I sparred with used a small shield and a spear.  He was over 6'5", and lanky.  If he could avoid being engaged, he'd poke at you from behind his allies.  However, if he was engaged, he,d use the shield to block...and still poke at others, aiding his allies...who might then be able to aid him.  With his wingspan, a 6' spear could land strikes 9+' down a skirmish line.  And you really didn't see those strikes coming.I occasionally used a 2-handed polearm.  It was still only 6' long, but it was more massive (but still about the same mass as something like a Greatspear or 2-HD axe).  I'd often use this weapon sparring against a guy in our group who was a bodybuilder & bouncer- 6'3" and @ 330lbs of muscle, with biceps as big as some people's waists- who favored 2 weapon style.  I'd take up a stance with the weapon pointed straight overhead at my shoulder height.  I'm 5'7", so that meant the weapon's head was about 11' in the air.  He would charge, and i would use a simple downward swing with gravity aiding my swing.  Despite his power, the blow that landed invariably crashed through his 2 weapon catch-block to strike his shoulder or head.  Once, I nearly concussed him.  It wasn't until he mastered the trick of using the crossed weapons to deflect my initial strike to one side while he stepped the other way that he could close.</blockquote>

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