How, exactly, does one use a flail? The single-headed ones seem ridiculously prone for self-injury, let alone more than one. Explain this and I shall favor thee with all the lands east of Northumberland.
So according to that, the answer is: you don't.
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Naimah Model 2000 was programmed to say:
Wikipedia says they weren't used as weapons in actuality and the modern interpretation of a flail is a product of Victorian era fiction.So according to that, the answer is: you don't.
Well it also says: "Historical evidence for the use of a long-handled flail as a weapon of war does exist from Germany and Central Europe in the later Middle Ages."
So... you do.
We know that they could, at least, be used as weapons. I want to know how, since they seem pretty unfeasible.
To answer your question; lots of practice. War-time knights and regular men-at-arms used to practice pretty much daily, all day, every day.
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Mortious thought this was the Ricky Martin Fan Club Forum and wrote:
Eh.. I don't do LARP. That's for nerds who pretend to shoot lightning bolts. I do re-enactment
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You're a fag had this to say about the Spice Girls:
[QB][/QB]
god dammit
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You're a fag said:
no wait I was quoting him because it was a stupid statement
Haha no. 
Lumping them together is like saying milk and cheese are exactly the same thing and taste the same.
LARP = monsters, lightning bolts, foam swords, lots of fat nerds.
Re-enactment = real weapons, real armour, horses, lots of normal people who like hitting each other really hard, blood, sweat, a handful of ambulances on constant standby.
EDIT: I think I understand why you're getting confused though. Re-enactment in the states is pretty much at LARP levels because of anal health and safety rules. In England we scream and smack each other around until the paramedics have to seperate us with crowbars. Mortious fucked around with this message on 06-28-2009 at 11:13 AM.
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Mortious impressed everyone with:
Haha no.Lumping them together is like saying milk and cheese are exactly the same thing and taste the same.
LARP = monsters, lightning bolts, foam swords, lots of fat nerds.
Re-enactment = real weapons, real armour, horses, lots of normal people who like hitting each other really hard, blood, sweat, a handful of ambulances on constant standby.EDIT: I think I understand why you're getting confused though. Re-enactment in the states is pretty much at LARP levels because of anal health and safety rules. In England we scream and smack each other around until the paramedics have to seperate us with crowbars.
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Mortious had this to say about Tron:
Haha no.LARP = monsters, lightning bolts, foam swords, lots of fat nerds.
Re-enactment = real weapons, real armour, horses, lots of normal people who like hitting each other really hard, blood, sweat, a handful of ambulances on constant standby.EDIT: I think I understand why you're getting confused though. Re-enactment in the states is pretty much at LARP levels because of anal health and safety rules. In England we scream and smack each other around until the paramedics have to seperate us with crowbars.
I had a Humanities professor my freshman year who was into re-enactment. Mort's not kidding, that shit is crazy. He even went over to Europe a few times to do it.
I'm not sure if they do them anymore since I've not done re-enactment for over 6 years now. But they are really fantastic.
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And now, we sprinkle You're a fag liberally with Old Spice!
Mort's backyard
Europeans don't have backyards, silly.
Under capitalism, man exploits man. Under communism, it's just the opposite. - John Kenneth Galbraith
quote:Getting back to this for a moment.
Mr. Parcelan really knows where their towel is...
as chief medieval dork/LARP nerd around here, i have a question por vous.How, exactly, does one use a flail? The single-headed ones seem ridiculously prone for self-injury, let alone more than one. Explain this and I shall favor thee with all the lands east of Northumberland.
To handle a flail, you have to keep the momentum going. When you hit something solid (or when you miss), you have to bring the flail back into a controlled motion (either a spin, a swing, or a recoil-driven strike) immediately, or else it will recoil against you. If you hit something that absorbs the blow (like flesh), you can choose whether or not to renew the momentum (unless the head gets stuck). Flails are generally terrible for defense, so a shield is a must-have item for your off hand. (This presumes a one-handed flail. If you're using a two-handed staff flail, this may prove helpful.)
When not striking, you can let the flail head dangle, but if you do then you'll need to use your own body motion (such as a broad arm swing) to bring it back to speed. Swinging the head like a pendulum is an option, but probably a bad one during close combat, as it leaves you vulnerable in a predictable pattern, and can inhibit movement options. Keeping a continuous spin takes more effort, and can be tiring on the forearm and wrist, but it allows the best control. (Unlike the pendulum motion, a full spin can be accelerated for a quick reaction.) Remember that you'll need to strike with the spin, never against it.
Striking technique is similar to a whip in some ways, though you need to be closer to your target (because a flail with a ten-foot chain would rip out of your hand). Avoid swinging the flail straight out whenever possible. A direct swing (where the chain is parallel with the handle) is far more likely to recoil on your hand than an arcing swing (where the chain is perpendicular to the handle). If you do strike with a direct swing, draw the flail away at an angle immediately. If you've ever used nunchucks, the motion is similar, though chucks rely more on speed where the flail relies more on mass. (I don't have sufficient reaction speed to control nunchucks.)
Unfortunately I can't get more specific than that, because I've only tried using a flail a couple times, and never in combat. The general principles should be similar for a multi-headed flail, but I've never used one, so I can't say for certain. Practical use would likely be more difficult, as multiple heads would make the flail's recoil path less predictable.
