Reach > everything.

It's like having a guy with a 22 vs a guy with 223.

tell us more about your experience and study.

The Dacian falx is an interesting weapon to read about as well as how the romans had to change armor as a result. It seems like using it two handled near the bottom would give good range and power but one could even ride high on the the handle quicker shorter attacks. Interesting weapon for sure.

Are you an exceptionally tall 14 yo girl?

I frequently see a long hafted 20 oz. framing hammer mentioned as a serious weapon. I believe it.

I have one of these. Heavy bastard.

Chinese virus.

Interesting anecdotal story about various weapons. In college, I had a Japanese friend whose whole family were Japanese martial arts enthusiasts. My buddy used to fight in the Japanese Kyokushin bareknuckle full contact tournaments, but had also done Judo, Jujitsu, Sambo and Kendo. His dad was highly ranked both in Nihon Kenpo and Kendo, and his mom taught Naginata-jutsu. He said his dad and mom only ever sparred once, shinai vs naginata. His dad admitted that even for an expert swordsman, it's very, very difficult to get within striking range against an expert with a naginata. The reach advantage is a difficult one to overcome.

If, for whatever whack ass reason, I had to choose a weapon other than a firearm, it would be this
Attached File


with a white waxwood, and not hardwood shaft.

It's one of the most dangerous hand-to-hand weapons I've ever trained with (and training is always the key), and we used to 'spar' with training weapons often. Spears not only have a significant reach advantage, if you've ever watched wushu/kiung fu demos, they're incredibly fast. Faster than an opponent can close the distance wielding a shorter weapon. The Qinglong Ji above has the benefit of the crescent hook and if the wielder is trained to use it properly, it makes the weapon extremely versatile in technique.

If you've ever seen the spears vs swords video with the bunch of LARPers playing with their swords and spears, those guys absolutely suck with spears (they're not really a whole lot better with the swords, but it's pretty obvious that the swordsman are a little more skilled with the swords than the spearmen were skilled with spears), but against sword vs spear, using the Qinglong Ji, you can not only stab and slash at ranges outside the sword, but you can turn the crescent hook (which is sharpened on a real weapon) to hook the edge of the shield, yanking the shield bearer off balance, or to open their defenses, and changing the pull to a stab or slash, and this can all be done in a fluid movement; thrust, hook and pull, stab/slash. Faster than the opponent can react, unless they've also trained enough against these techniques to be able to instinctively react correctly,and  fast enough.

As for the argument that polearms are unwieldy when the opponents are close:
a) this is all fantasy because the first question is why no one has a firearm
b) why am I walking around with a spear or sword, or any other hand-to-hand weapon?
c) if situations are such that I can't have a firearm, but feel the need to arm myself with a spear, sword or other weapon, how am I walking around with a spear without issue?
d) If things are so bad, that I need to walk around with a spear for defense and no one has firearms, why on earth am I letting a bunch of hostile people get within arms reach when I have a spear and could easily deter them from getting within arms reach?
e) if for some reason there are answers to all of the above, and the argument is that polearms are just too unwieldy in tight quarters, like I said; training, training, training

Exhibit a)

1918 treanch knife

Was going to say Katana, but a naginata wouldn't suck.....

this is a very big deal.  naginata was a 'woman's weapon,' in the sense that while their husbands and fathers were away campaigning, japanese women were expected to be able to defend home and hearth against fully trained men.  in the same sense that BJJ was designed to allow smaller, weaker people the ability to defeat larger, stronger opponents, koryu naginata-jutsu was developed to allow women to defeat swordsmen.  even the watered down atarashii version would be scary to go up against.  

it isn't just the reach--it's the power that all that length provides, plus the ability to be useful at any range.

i'd love to do koryu naginata, but it's extremely difficult to find here int he states.

you're not fooling anyone.  everyone knows what a nagamaki is.

Attached File

Get you out of here with your chinaman talk.

Which turtle carried that? Hah, smart guy?

Attached File

Go easy on them.  They don't know who they're messing with.  


Attached File

Nagamaki Plaza MP5 & Steyr AUG

"The Patriot" with Mel Gibson - Tomahawk and long knife - for the win!

Attached File

Attached File

Came to post this!

Yeah, laugh it up...the thing IS more sophisticated than a board with a nail in it, though.

The wooden spoon.

Mom brings that thing out of the drawer you are hauling ass out of there.

Ho, Ho, Ho,...now I have a Sushi Roll

A Comal?