Embrace Halberd Superiority. (Even a Kenjutsu Master Did)

People have asked for this video response, and I can see why. Seki Sensei experimenting with a halberd from a Kenjutsu perspective is fun and interesting to watch. Quite impressive too, to see how quickly he adapts to this weapon based on prior skill in the use of a staff (and I'm guessing Japanese polearms like naginata and yari too).

The video by @letsasksekisensei that I'm commenting on here:

Where to find medieval and renaissance manuscripts:

My take on the difference between a pollaxe and a halberd:

Sword vs spear

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Outro:
"Highland Storm" by The Slanted Room Records
Used with artist's permission

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[irgendwer]

How do you hold a halberd?
Skall: Yes

[RadicalLinguisticDescriptivism]

Seki Sensei: "Like Naginata... but with a hook!"

[Grabehn]

I just love how Seki Sensei looks absolutely joyful when he says "I want one".

[Noperare]

Do you need a spear or a battle axe?
Halberd: why not both?

[Lymmar]

He demonstrated the hand switching on a naginata video. He can just switch grips back and forth fluidly without the polearm moving anywhere.

[Alias_Anybody]

Advantages:

-cheapish to make
-more reach than a sword
-more control and way harder to grab or disarm than a pike
-can stab (with both ends!)
-can hook/drag someone off a horse
-enough punch to get through armor weakpoints

Disadvantages:

-kind of bulky/annoying to carry
-can't be thrown as well as a spear

[Elnidax]

0:54 seki senseis main weapon is actually a bo staff. he says in one video that its the weapon that he trained with the most and is also his vote for the best/most versatile weapon. he has a LOT of experience lol

[sinisterplank]

My favourite part about Seki Sensei's experiments with western weapons, is the obvious joy he has for experimenting and discovering new things, and how eager he is to ask questions. A true master always pursues education.

[Jesses]

I found it very interesting when he first went against the halberd. They took a long cut on editing there showing him moving around pocking at it a bit, working out what he could do with it. Took him a few tries before he figured out he could use the leverage when it is gripped all th way at one end. Really shows how his mind is working out the problem. It also shows just how experienced he is with weapons.

[shinomori]

The only thing better than a new Seki Sensei video is a new video from Skall adding more context and nuance to it.

[brandonabbott]

Sensei appears to be using some naginata-do basics with the halberd. Many kenjutsu practitioners have practiced against a nagninata weilder. It is humbling.

[yokaipinata]

These analyses prove a point you made in an older video about how weapon techniques from different parts of the world are not as wildly different as some people assume because if it works, it works, and thus that if a hypothetical trained person faced or tried to use an unfamiliar weapon they wouldn't be that clueless about what to do. ❤

[lordofuzkulak]

In this and the previous two vids they did with trying out Western weapons, it’s always a pleasure seeing the genuine, pure joy Seki-sensei has at getting to play around with what is to him a new weapon and figure out how to use them by applying his knowledge/experience with Japanese weapons. I also think that it’s a sign that he’s a true master that he’s not a snob when it comes to weapon origins; it would be all too easy for him to dismiss other weapons as inferior/lesser to Japanese ones, but he doesn’t, he evaluates them on their own merits.

[baoxidiaoyu]

12:00 You're not hooking me... I'm hooking you

[JackgarPrime]

Watching the way someone like Seki-Sensei experiments with the weapon compared with how HEMA tends to learn from things like manuscripts means you get some interesting alternate technical details. Of course, the big difference between his experience is that he comes from an active lineage of teachers, while HEMA is still in the process of almost "re-learning" techniques from the past. But there are principles that will always apply, like we see here with polearms. Japan, of course, has an extensive history of their own polearms, although not quite the same as the halberd.

[GibsonClans]

I love watching this old weapon master useing weapons from around the world for the first time.

[JackgarPrime]

Awwww yeah, more Seki Sensei reactions!

[Vimes]

Late to the show but want to say these co-operations bring a lot of fresh wind into the "standard" weapon videos. Very enjoyable - hoping for more!

[Pharto_Stinkus]

To your point about techniques being universal across cultures... Years ago I saw an interview with an MMA guy - I don't remember for sure who it was, I THINK maybe Bas Rutten? - and during the interview he was asked about having to fight under a certain ruleset, was it harder, was it limiting, etc. And his response was "If you know how to fight, you know how to fight."

[myleft]

I like these Skallagrim, Seiki Sensei crossovers, please keep doing them