re: padded vs. unpadded polearms

[dhritter@duke-energy.com (David H Ritterskamp)]

Poster: dhritter@duke-energy.com (David H Ritterskamp)

     
     On Thu, 31 Jul 1997, David KUIJT <kuijt@umiacs.umd.edu> wrote:
     >
     >Poster: David KUIJT <kuijt@umiacs.umd.edu>
     >
     >
     >
     >On Thu, 31 Jul 1997, Jeffrey Sussman wrote:
     >
     >
     >I disagree completely.  Padded polearm hits on limbs are, in my
     >experience, never very painful.
     >
     [I agree, for the same reason that we don't swing at knees with intent 
     to knock the person over.  If the polearm hits an arm, it hits it, 
     knocks it a considerable distance, and you're short an arm, but the 
     energy in the polearm is transferred to your arm, which expends most 
     of its energy in movement.  If you were to do the same thing with a 
     solid surface behind the arm, it would definitely hurt like hell.]
     
     >Unpadded polearm hits on limbs are almost certainly comparable to
     >greatsword hits -- they can cause very painful bruises if you are hit 
     on
     >an unarmoured part.  The worst injuries I've seen with one-handed 
     swords
     >(broken forearm 3 times, shoulder joint tendon inflammation) can 
     easily be
     >imagined as unpadded polearm injuries (we don't swing lighter with 
     two
     >hands than with one), but my experience is that _padded_ polearms do 
     not
     >cause that sort of injury.
     >
     >Anyone who tells you they would rather be hit with a greatsword in 
     the
     >unprotected shoulder joint than by a padded polearm is a fool and a
     >masochist.
     >
     [alert-subject shift]
     [Which is why most [Kane was a rare exception] people that fight 
     polearm/greatsword put on more armor than they typically fight in.  
     Personally, if I'm fighting with great weapon, polearm, or spear, or 
     two stick, I put on my body armor.  If I think it likely (melee) that 
     I will get hit back with a greatsword or polearm, I do something about 
     my shoulders.  I have vambraces that I don't use; too heavy.  I'm 
     going to go with shin guards on my forearms, and I doubt I'll worry 
     much about my biceps, but I've been using paulders, off and on, for 
     awhile now.]
     
     >Dafydd
     >
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