Mambele (African Sickle Sword)

[Goldenguy]

Hey Permalost-

Those swords from Game of Thrones remind me of the Egyptian khopesh, but with a much more exaggerated curve to the blade. As with the khopesh, the outer edge is used as the cutting edge. Incidentally, the khopesh is also known as a "sickle sword."



Here is a really interesting thread on the khopesh:

http://www.myarmoury.com/talk/viewtopic.php?t=9497

The Membele is switched around, with the inner edge of the curve used as the cutting edge. Supposedly, one function of the curve is to make it easier to strike an opponent behind a shield.

Here's a really beautiful Mambele from husband and wife knifemakers in South Africa:



I don't know how much is costs, as they don't take orders. They prefer to make items as inspiration strikes them.

[Bneterasedmynam]

Hey Permalost,

Thanks for your replies. The double tip of the Battle Sickle actually looks similar to the double tips of these two traditional mambele:

Attachment 14224

The one on the right almost looks like a bent lion spear.

[Rock Ape]

Here's a really beautiful Mambele from husband and wife knifemakers in South Africa:

Judging by what I can see in that image, the blade has been folded multiple times, thus was created straight. The curve will have resulted from the quenching of the blade.

[DdlR]

I don't think that this really belongs in YMAS, but there is no African Martial Arts sub-forum in the Traditional Arts section.

Anyway, I've been reading about African Weaponry lately (African Weapons by Werner Fischer), and I really wonder how some of these swords were actually used in combat. Here is someone demonstrating the mambele in compliant drills. Has anyone here ever seen one, or a similar weapon, used in Dog Brothers-style non-compliant training or competition?

Kind of. The Renaissance-era German weapon master Paulus Hector Mair detailed a large number of combat techniques for the single-handed sickle:





Here's a video of some guys sparring with the weapon. As far as I can tell, this was a first attempt at sickle sparring, following experimentation with Mair's formal techniques (note that they're not wearing protective masks, etc.)

[Permalost]

And their names would be...?

*scrolls up, sees something about "Dothraki"*

Oh. Never mind.

I never ask anyone else to do my homework for me: time permitting, I'll read Game Of Thrones on my own. Thanks.

Hold your tongue, horselord! If you really want to do some homework, just read about African warfare. They were used, for a long time across different cultures, to injure and kill.

[robowimp]

Kind of. The Renaissance-era German weapon master Paulus Hector Mair detailed a large number of combat techniques for the single-handed sickle:





Here's a video of some guys sparring with the weapon. As far as I can tell, this was a first attempt at sickle sparring, following experimentation with Mair's formal techniques (note that they're not wearing protective masks, etc.)

That was a cool video Ddlr. I hate to say it, but it looks far more realistic in use of the weapon.

I wonder what the background of the guy in the original sickle sword video is. I have no idea if what he is practicing is legit, as apposed to copied from other martial arts. Check out some of the other videos he has up loaded. The mambele might be one thing, but the rest of it looks more like the stuff they practice in India then it does in the Philippines. Back and forth sabre and shield with minimal closing/grappling as well as 1 vs 2 "sparring" at a fraction of realistic speed.

[Goldenguy]

Nope. Nothing contradictory there.

No, nothing at all- but I do want to thank you for bringing my attention to a mistake I made.

As anyone who has watched the video can tell, they weren't drilling. They were demonstrating techniques, not how to train those techniques or become proficient in their use. To my mind, such demonstrations are only YMAS material when they are offered as proof of the techniques' effectiveness or the ability to use them against a non-compliant opponent.

It's too late for me to edit my post, but please don't let my sloppy use of language reflect poorly on anyone but me.

[Goldenguy]

Judging by what I can see in that image, the blade has been folded multiple times, thus was created straight. The curve will have resulted from the quenching of the blade.

If you're interested, this excerpt from a book titled "Spirit of the Sword" goes into a bit more detail about their sword-making process:
http://books.google.com/books?id=nNX...0sword&f=false

[igordog]

Judging by what I can see in that image, the blade has been folded multiple times, thus was created straight. The curve will have resulted from the quenching of the blade.

I think that the layered look of the steel is caused by pattern welding not folding. Regardless, there's nothing to indicate that the curve was caused by quenching.

[SilentSword7]

Greetings to you all,

My name is Da'Mon Stith and I am the guy in the video presenting the material. I stumbled upon your site today and wanted to clarify any questions you may have concerning our blade work. I understand that the post is an old one but if there is anyone wanting to revisit it I am willing to share.
I will start by saying that the techniques are based upon the design of the weapon using the principle of 'The target dictates the weapons, and the weapons dictate movement' as well as colonial accounts of how the weapon in question and other weapons of similiar design were used...
I have trained in Filipino arts as well as stick and blade arts of Africa and the African Diaspora... Which is where the free flow play/dance/sparring comes from. As a group we do spar with light to heavy equipment and have regular meet ups with a local German sword group and are willing to exchange ideas with any group.
My goal is to recreate or reconstruction an Sahelian/African sword art based on what is available to me ie. Stick and machete fencing as well as sword and machete dances practiced on the continent and the diaspora.
As of today there is very little sparring footage online. The material we have up are flow drills that allow us to develop our footwork and express our techniques and should be confused with actual application of our art...
Our main weapon is the takouba braodsword and koti sabre both of which are used throughout the Western Sahel. Thank you for your time.
Da'Mon