[Marileangorifurnimaluim]

*Maril beams!* Thanks, Joy, everyone! <P>Quickslash - the Internet! A Cornell University Prof. has published a rare work by Captain Alfred Hutton <A HREF="http://www.people.cornell.edu/pages/bjm10/hutton/hutton.html#contents" TARGET=_blank>Here at the Cornell Univ web site</A> to make it accessible to everyone. I've practiced the moves, done sketches, and made it as bloody and visual as possible, so it's useful to the imagination. I've had a little fencing experience, training in martial arts, archery, small arms. A dabbler really, though my Tai-kwon Do teacher was very excited by my speed and intensity, and I've won awards for marksmanship. It <I>is</I> similar to fencing, the difference is in how you deal with the extra weight and length, two-handed as opposed to a one-handed grip.<P>Lanniae, to write about ax work, I'd rent a cabin with a wood-burning stove in the woods, and be the person to feed the fire. You'll find out right away that, unlike swords which need strength in the arm, axes need your strength in your shoulders. And damn you'll feel it. I'd also read about using quarter staves, for blocking motions. Let me finish the basics on defensive moves for the two-handed sword. Ha! and see if I have anything left for more research!<P>Lostgaeriel - Hi! Great to see you again. <BR>I'm no expert on various weapons, but scanning the historical weapons used by horsed attackers (Knights Templar, etc.) they all seem to use longer weapons than the Hand-and-a-Half. You're right, the Hand-and-a-Half is the <I>smallest</I> you'd go. But since you're standing tall on one of those beautiful Rohan horses 16 hands high, hewing your way through foot soldiers, I suspect longer is better. You want to remain as upright as possible to keep your seat.<P>I'll bet Eowyn's sword would have seemed just slightly big for her. She would have trained on her brothers' swords, too long for her or no. Much like any girl who grows up in a house full of brothers - you get their hand-me-downs, imitate them.. Since she was never expected to fight, she would not have had tailor-made weapons like Legolas. <P>Two-hands are needed for recovery from a cut, and defensive moves. A desperate stroke like hers could have been done one-handed. But she would have left herself wide open right after. It was a suicide move, made successful by Merry's stroke.<P>More coming, but I thought I'd answer questions first.<P>-Maril