Update on the Spatha and Gladius fighting techniques!

[petrinus]

I would almost think of the techniques kind of like how modern armies teach hand to hand combat today. You are taught just enough to defend yourself, which inturn will give you gross movements but not the refined movements. Aka hack and slash as opposed to a refined swordsman who uses the wrist movements combined with the gross movements. Say the same attacker brings his sword down on your left as make the block with your shield he now rolls the wrist inward blocking either a thrust or a slash bringing his weapon up through your jugular. The shield show was a decoy to get in his range. This is whyI believe it would have to be done with the short sword. This is why I have always thought of the gladius as a slasher. The length gives you great wrist movement. The longer swords feel to me as more of the hacking and thrusting weapons. We use the actionflex weapons and shields for our experiments.
Another thought is the shape of the gladius's blade, when you think of thrusting weapons you think thin and what will easily slide thru armor. The wider the blade the better it is for slashing. The wide blade makes it stronger when taking shots directly on the edge.

Sorry if this all seams like rambling

hey as admitted im no expert on rome, learning and loving but still a student at best, but as a martial arts and army combatives instructor i had a few thoughts on your "rambling" your right largely in the sense that base line defense is unsat and regimented not refined or fluid, but thats because most dont pursue the development of what they are taught on their own time where refinement honestly occurs through purposeful practice so in that sense i agree with you, i disagree however that the gladius was a slasher, it by its very shape and size suggests a thrusting/stabbing type attack, not saying series of slashes werent taught as secondary, deflecting, leading type manuevers but id think the thrust would be the one with this weapon

furthermore i wouldnt even say half of these soldiers have enough training to defend themselves especially against multiple attackers, too many of them bolster a false confidence. they dont take the training seriously enough or give enough time to it off line, and thats where skill is birthed and gains are made