Fighting like a Steam Punk

[Sgt.Major Thistlewaite]

I managed to come 9th out of 19 in Ladies Sabre at the Scottish Open, and all the ones above me have fenced internationally, so I'm very happy.

Congratulations! An impressive accomplishment!

~Thistlewaite

[LadyAsprin]

I managed to come 9th out of 19 in Ladies Sabre at the Scottish Open, and all the ones above me have fenced internationally, so I'm very happy.

Congratulations! An impressive accomplishment!

~Thistlewaite

Thanks, I hope to make it in the the top 100 in the UK Ladies Sabre rankings this year I'm currently ranked 116.

[Utini420]

Not bad!  Congratulations, Lady Asprin.

[DrTom]

Indeed, many congrats, Lady Aspirin!  Best of luck in breaking the top 100!

The "better than nothing" everyday armor wear gets even more complicated when you're in a warmer climate.  For example, a nice,  heavy coat with a bit of extra leather may be wonderful in many areas, but not advisable in Phoenix in June.  The usual wear here during that time is short sleeves, short pants, and sandals.  Something you can hold and keep unobtrusively in your pocket (like the previously noted wallet or steel plate) makes for a potentially useful shield that may deflect something.

I tend to like to avoid being hit by disrupting their field of vision.  While there's a whole lot out there on the kinds of things you can surreptisiously extract from your pocket and throw in someones face (hey, there's that steel plate again!), I kind of like the more modern development of pepper spray (it's legal to carry in my neck of the woods). 

Not terribly Victorian, I'll admit, but I bet someone could steam up a nice pepper spray holder!

[Utini420]

I've wondered if there might be come way to distill out the "curiously strong" part, and give someone a big shot of concentrated Altoids in the eyes.  Maybe a powder, in a ring, blown into the face?

[LadyAsprin]

What about going for a cigarillo box ala Edmund Blackadder?

Blackadder (dressed as Prince George):  Actually, I'm not sure I am.  Fortunately that cigarillo box you gave me was placed exactly at the point where the cannon-ball struck. I always said smoking was good for you.  (Duel and Duality)

[DrTom]

I've wondered if there might be come way to distill out the "curiously strong" part, and give someone a big shot of concentrated Altoids in the eyes.  Maybe a powder, in a ring, blown into the face?

Hrmn....powdered essence of peppermint in a poison ring...

That could work with a bit of tweaking.  Will have to work out how not to get hit by blowback...perhaps rather than blowing it in their face, simply opening the ring and flinging it outward?

Sounds like a variation on the "Stunning Ring," which is essentially a one-shot pepper spray ring:

http://www.defensedevices.com/stunningring.html

It's admittedly not terribly pleasing aesthetically, but the concept is intriguing.

[Atterton]

There´s a thing magicians wear to shoot a brief flame, they hide it in their sleeve. I think those can be made with just a pair of batteries, some guncotton and minor other things. It might be good for some initial surprise.

[Sgt.Major Thistlewaite]

I recall reading about an incident in which magician Doug Henning was accosted on the street by a mugger who demanded he surrender his wallet. Mr. Henning employed sleight of hand to demonstrate to the robber that he had no wallet, (which he did, ) or indeed anything else in his pockets. When the frustrated miscreant left, Mr. Henning produced his cell phone, which he had also concealed, called the cops, and the errant and empty-handed bad guy was apprehended a couple of blocks away.

  So cool!

~T

[DrTom]

Oh, a hand flasher!  I used to use those when I performed on stage (heck, I still do on haloween).  I use mine to launch flash paper and conceal it in my hand.  I considered it as a way to temporarily blind an attacker.  However, unless it's already in place (e.g., already loaded up your sleeve or palmed), it's a bit tricky to get into position in case of an attack.  However, it would be great in an appropriately steamed cane (flash wands are available, why not a cane?)

[Atterton]

Yes, I´ve long been thinking it would be a good idea to put it into the top of a cane. I´m just not sure of it´s long term stability.

[J. Wilhelm]

I recall reading about an incident in which magician Doug Henning was accosted on the street by a mugger

~ It's aaall Maaagic ~  *speaking behind bucked teeth and moustache (For those old enough to remember Mr. Henning in his heyday).

[Mrs. Coppernut]

My boyfriend just sent me this...

Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Switch the beer with absinthe and we have a deal 

[patron_vectras]

I approve wholeheartedly!

Duct tape and sea critters... and chops ;]

[Reuben Rebellis]

Back to the core question of "How would a Steampunk fight?":

I personally see Steampunks as either technological air-corsairs, cogwheel hitmen, etc.  In essence: seedy lowlifes with acess to badass gadgets.
So I sort of see them as dirty fighters.  Drunk fists, pure power, no form.  But at the same time they are very good at this sort of fighting.

Upper-class poofs can keep their fencing and judo.  The common man swings brass knuckles.

[Vagabond GentleMan]

Reuben, I'm with ya!  Let's lambo the scrubados and spill the claret together, a la Gangs of New York.

However, plenty of Steampunks are upper-class poofs.

And like almost all the threads on this forum, there's:  'How does a Steampunk in a sci-fi story fight?' as one question, and 'How does a person who is a lifestyle Steampunk in the real-world day-to-day fight?' as another question, both of which are present on this thread.

O, and BTW, haven't seen you post here before, so welcome, comrade!
Dig your little fist-with-bracer avatar pic.  Bene!

[Kaljaia]

I think an arm-mounted spring crossbow would be easiest to create as a prop and look good while wearing, but for practical defense, I'm all for my good oak broadsword. It's a bit short for my height but if assailed, most would-be attackers find it awkward to stand in the vicinity of a person carrying a wooden sword in public, and if they ever do get over it, the thing packs a wallop when swung correctly. I know a bit of defense/offense with it, thanks to a few friends and not-friends also possessing such weapons growing up. But I'm still jealous of all you people with hand-to-hand skills. That's something I'd love to learn but haven't the time or money for at the moment.

An idea I've been working on for a while incorporates a steel plate into an arm brace that can be worn under the sleeve of a coat or sweatshirt. It would act as a defense against a bladed weapon and maybe contain a little spring-loaded pointy thing that jabs out over the elbow to give a back-blow advantage...

And we can't forget another Victorian (or timeless, really,) ladies' defense of a really piercing scream. Mine induces ear-ringing and momentary deafness when heard from within three feet.

[Tycho]

I was stocking dairy when the cashier girls came up behind me and pointed canes at me. I quickly demonstrated (through maneuvers I'll not attempt to describe, because I've done enough mock combat of various sorts often enough that my descriptions get very detailed, and I want to go to bed) that it was a bad idea, and after work I showed them some basic cane maneuvers before leaving.

[pakled]

poisoned ring? Somehow Gilbert and Sullivan come to mind

...and people who eat peppermint and puff it in your face...


they never would be missed, they never would be missed...

[Vagabond GentleMan]

So at a gun show a couple months back I found this old boxing manual from the 30's.  I noticed that even though this was written during the gloved-boxing days, the techniques were COMPLETELY different from modern boxing...the sport had yet to adapt, they were still training bare-knuckle technique.  So I started doing some research, with the help of the Yahoo! groups Bartitsu group, and found some pretty cool youtube vids on bare-knuckle pugilism for modern self-defense.  Some cool little Italian American dude, sounds like a New Yorker or maybe Jersey, who seriously studied the old bare-knuckle stuff, and re-developed it for the street, although staying true to the old technique and philosophy.  Thought I'd share, so here some of them are:

Bare knuckle street fighting - theory (External Embedding Disabled)

Bare knuckle two punch combo (External Embedding Disabled)

Bare knuckle hooks, uppercuts, and shovel hooks (External Embedding Disabled)

Bare knuckle swings and chops (External Embedding Disabled)

Bare knuckle street fighting footwork (External Embedding Disabled)

Bare Knuckle Boxing Strategy (External Embedding Disabled)

Defense in street fighting (External Embedding Disabled)

Hope y'all enjoy!

[MalContent]

Shillelagh Irish Stick-Fighting....if it was good enough to beat down the bloody brit ( no offense meant to all the lovely and gentile brits on the board..really My Irish G.Ma married my British G. Pa )  than it is good enough for Steampunks from all social strata....still do a quick google search...there is some great info on it...I have been taking lessons with my tattoo artist for about two years...quick and brutal...yet very understated.

[Amaterasu2314]

Fisticuffs! *isshot*

Really though, whenever I think of steampunk fighting I think of dueling. Be it with sabres of flintlock pistols.

[Prof Marvel]

Fisticuffs! *isshot*

Really though, whenever I think of steampunk fighting I think of dueling. Be it with sabres of flintlock pistols.

Ah, Amaterasu - I offer a friendly challenge, Your Mirror vs My Magatama, at 50 km. :-)
yhs
prof marvel

[Mad Maudlin]

I must exude freak from my pores or something, because there's two guys- both younger and shorter than me- in my Karate class who single me out for chavviness.

[Vagabond GentleMan]

AH!  I envy you, sir...you can whup a coupla vulgar little brats without legal repercussions, and if you do it well you'll get praise from the instructor!
Hats...bloody...off.